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Archivist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an archivist. Archivists usually study history, english, or fine arts. 67% of archivists hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,539 real archivist resumes to see exactly what archivist education sections show.
The most common colleges for archivists are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online archivist courses to help get the education required to be an archivist.
What education do you need to become an archivist?
What degree do you need to be an archivist?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 7%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become an archivist?
- History, 25%
- English, 10%
- Fine Arts, 9%
- Photography, 8%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for archivists
| Archivist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 13.76% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.88% |
| Boston University | 6.42% |
| Florida State University | 5.50% |
| San Jose State University | 5.05% |
Best majors for archivists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | History | 25.0% |
| 2 | English | 9.9% |
| 3 | Fine Arts | 8.7% |
| 4 | Photography | 7.6% |
| 5 | Business | 6.3% |
Best colleges for archivists
The best colleges for archivists are Harvard University, Brown University, and Johns Hopkins University.
An archivist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for archivists. 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 archivists.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
3. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
In-state tuition
$55,466
Enrollment
6,752
4. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
9. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,853
Enrollment
14,759
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
20 best online courses for archivists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for archivists
The most affordable schools for archivists are University of Florida, florida state university, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for archivists 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 archivists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
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. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
10. California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,922
Cost of attendance
18,522
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for archivists
The hardest universities for archivists to get into are Harvard University, Brown University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for archivists 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 archivists 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
9. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for archivists
The easiest schools for archivists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, mount saint mary's university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an archivist 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 archivists.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,072
Average archivist salary by education level
| Archivist education level | Archivist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $55,160 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,698 |
Archivist 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