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Assistant librarian education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an assistant librarian. Assistant librarians usually study business, english, or library science. 55% of assistant librarians hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,894 real assistant librarian resumes to see exactly what assistant librarian education sections show.
The most common colleges for assistant librarians are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.
There are also many online assistant librarian courses to help get the education required to be an assistant librarian.
There are certain assistant librarian certifications that you should consider. These assistant librarian certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.
What education do you need to become an assistant librarian?
What degree do you need to be an assistant librarian?
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Associate, 15%
- Master's, 14%
- High School Diploma, 10%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become an assistant librarian?
- Business, 11%
- English, 11%
- Library Science, 10%
- History, 8%
- Other Majors, 60%
Most common colleges for assistant librarians
| Assistant librarian common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Maryland - College Park | 7.19% |
| University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus | 7.19% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.19% |
| Illinois State University | 6.54% |
| Indiana University Bloomington | 6.54% |
Best majors for assistant librarians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 11.4% |
| 2 | English | 10.8% |
| 3 | Library Science | 10.0% |
| 4 | History | 7.9% |
| 5 | Psychology | 7.8% |
Best colleges for assistant librarians
The best colleges for assistant librarians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and New York University.
An assistant 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 assistant 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 assistant librarians.
1. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
2. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,853
Enrollment
14,759
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,244
Enrollment
15,557
9. Maine Maritime Academy
Castine, ME • Private
In-state tuition
$13,478
Enrollment
979
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for assistant librarians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for assistant librarians
The most affordable schools for assistant librarians are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for assistant 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 assistant librarians.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
10. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Cost of attendance
22,990
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for assistant librarians
The hardest universities for assistant librarians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and New York University.
Some great schools for assistant 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 assistant 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
8. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
9. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
14%
SAT average
1,423
10. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for assistant librarians
The easiest schools for assistant librarians to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an assistant 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 assistant librarians.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
7. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
8. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
9. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
10. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
Average assistant librarian salary by education level
| Assistant librarian education level | Assistant librarian salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $57,617 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $53,848 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $56,770 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $54,920 |
Assistant librarian education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025