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Cataloger education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a cataloger. Catalogers usually study history, library science, or english. 61% of catalogers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 582 real cataloger resumes to see exactly what cataloger education sections show.

The most common colleges for catalogers are the Pennsylvania College of Technology and the Pennsylvania College of Technology.

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

What education do you need to become a cataloger?

What degree do you need to be a cataloger?

The most common degree for catalogers is bachelor's degree, with 61% of catalogers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 61%
  • Master's, 20%
  • Associate, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a cataloger?

You should major in history to become a cataloger. 15% of catalogers major in history. Other common majors for a cataloger include library science and english.

Most common colleges for catalogers

Catalogers often get their degrees at Pennsylvania College of Technology, University of Washington, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for catalogers in the US based on their resumes.
Cataloger common collegePercentages
Pennsylvania College of Technology8.45%
University of Washington7.04%
University of Maryland - College Park7.04%
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor5.63%
Indiana University Bloomington5.63%

Best majors for catalogers

RankMajorPercentages
1History14.7%
2Library Science13.1%
3English12.2%
4Fine Arts6.9%
5Business5.7%

Best colleges for catalogers

The best colleges for catalogers are New York University, University of Southern California, and Stanford University.

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

1. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

2. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

3. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

4. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

5. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

6. University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,267

Enrollment

23,410

7. Louisiana State University and A&M College

Baton Rouge, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,950

Enrollment

23,468

8. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

10. New Mexico State University

Las Cruces, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,686

Enrollment

11,139

20 best online courses for catalogers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for catalogers

The most affordable schools for catalogers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, florida state university, and queens college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for catalogers 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 catalogers.

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. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

3. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

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 Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

10. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for catalogers

The hardest universities for catalogers to get into are New York University, University of Southern California, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for catalogers 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 catalogers 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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

5. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

14%

SAT average

1,423

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

8. Amherst College

Amherst, MA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,449

9. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

10. Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,465

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for catalogers

The easiest schools for catalogers to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, d'youville college, and texas woman's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a cataloger 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 catalogers.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

4. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

8. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

Average cataloger salary by education level

Catalogers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $46,386 annually. With a Master's degree, catalogers earn a median annual income of $42,176 compared to $33,749 for catalogers with an Bachelor's degree.
Cataloger education levelCataloger salary
Master's Degree$42,176
Bachelor's Degree$33,749
Doctorate Degree$46,386

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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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