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Archival collections librarian education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an archival collections librarian. Archival collections librarians usually study communication, theology, or management. 47% of archival collections librarians hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 22 real archival collections librarian resumes to see exactly what archival collections librarian education sections show.
The most common colleges for archival collections librarians are the Central Michigan University and the Central Michigan University.
There are also many online archival collections librarian courses to help get the education required to be an archival collections librarian.
What education do you need to become an archival collections librarian?
What degree do you need to be an archival collections librarian?
- Bachelor's, 47%
- Associate, 16%
- Master's, 11%
- Doctorate, 11%
- Other Degrees, 15%
What should I major in to become an archival collections librarian?
- Communication, 12%
- Theology, 6%
- Management, 6%
- Psychology, 6%
- Other Majors, 70%
Most common colleges for archival collections librarians
| Archival collections librarian common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Central Michigan University | 5.26% |
| Southwest University at El Paso | 5.26% |
| Quinnipiac University | 5.26% |
| Purdue University | 5.26% |
| University of Florida | 5.26% |
Best majors for archival collections librarians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Communication | 11.8% |
| 2 | Theology | 5.9% |
| 3 | Management | 5.9% |
| 4 | Psychology | 5.9% |
| 5 | Business | 5.9% |
Best colleges for archival collections librarians
The best colleges for archival collections librarians are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
An archival collections librarian with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for archival collections librarians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become archival collections librarians.
1. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-state tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
10. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
20 best online courses for archival collections librarians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for archival collections librarians
The most affordable schools for archival collections librarians are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for archival collections librarians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for archival collections librarians.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
9. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
10. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for archival collections librarians
The hardest universities for archival collections librarians to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for archival collections librarians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for archival collections librarians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for archival collections librarians
The easiest schools for archival collections librarians to get into are Barry University, notre dame college, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an archival collections librarian without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for archival collections librarians.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
958
7. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
9. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
10. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
Average archival collections librarian salary by education level
| Archival collections librarian education level | Archival collections librarian salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $60,102 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $48,718 |
| Doctorate Degree | $65,739 |
Archival collections librarian education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025