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Book shelver education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a book shelver. Book shelvers usually study general studies, accounting, or biology. 34% of book shelvers hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 140 real book shelver resumes to see exactly what book shelver education sections show.

The most common colleges for book shelvers are the Eastern Michigan University and the Eastern Michigan University.

There are also many online book shelver courses to help get the education required to be a book shelver.

What education do you need to become a book shelver?

What degree do you need to be a book shelver?

The most common degree for book shelvers is bachelor's degree, with 34% of book shelvers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 29% and high school diploma degree at 23%.
  • Bachelor's, 34%
  • High School Diploma, 29%
  • Associate, 23%
  • Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a book shelver?

You should major in general studies to become a book shelver. 12% of book shelvers major in general studies. Other common majors for a book shelver include accounting and biology.

Most common colleges for book shelvers

Book shelvers often get their degrees at Eastern Michigan University, University of North Texas, and Brown University. Here are the most common colleges for book shelvers in the US based on their resumes.
Book shelver common collegePercentages
Eastern Michigan University9.09%
University of North Texas9.09%
Brown University4.55%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro4.55%
University of the Pacific4.55%

Best majors for book shelvers

RankMajorPercentages
1General Studies12.2%
2Accounting9.8%
3Biology7.3%
4Fine Arts7.3%
5Liberal Arts7.3%

Best colleges for book shelvers

The best colleges for book shelvers are Northwestern University, University of Rochester, and Vanderbilt University.

A book shelver with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for book shelvers. 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 book shelvers.

1. Washington Adventist Hospital

Takoma Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$23,900

Enrollment

836

2. Louisiana State University and A&M College

Baton Rouge, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,950

Enrollment

23,468

3. Georgia State University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,112

Enrollment

26,489

4. New Mexico State University

Las Cruces, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,686

Enrollment

11,139

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. Rice University

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$47,350

Enrollment

3,962

9. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$53,391

Enrollment

8,568

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

20 best online courses for book shelvers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for book shelvers

The most affordable schools for book shelvers are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for book shelvers 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 book shelvers.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

8. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

9. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

10. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for book shelvers

The hardest universities for book shelvers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Rochester, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for book shelvers 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 book shelvers 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. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

5. Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,321

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

7. Providence College

Providence, RI • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,294

8. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,337

9. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

10. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for book shelvers

The easiest schools for book shelvers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, nyack college, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a book shelver 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 book shelvers.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

8. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

Average book shelver salary by education level

According to our data, book shelvers with a Associate degree earn the highest average salary, at $49,395 annually. Book shelvers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $47,730.
Book shelver education levelBook shelver salary
High School Diploma or Less$44,404
Bachelor's Degree$47,730
Some College/ Associate Degree$49,395

Book shelver education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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