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Children's librarian education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a children's librarian. Children's librarians usually study library science, english, or psychology. 60% of children's librarians hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 661 real children's librarian resumes to see exactly what children's librarian education sections show.

The most common colleges for children's librarians are the Kent State University and the Kent State University.

There are also many online children's librarian courses to help get the education required to be a children's librarian.

What education do you need to become a children's librarian?

What degree do you need to be a children's librarian?

The most common degree for children's librarians is bachelor's degree, with 60% of children's librarians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 23% and master's degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 60%
  • Master's, 23%
  • Associate, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a children's librarian?

You should major in library science to become a children's librarian. 16% of children's librarians major in library science. Other common majors for a children's librarian include english and psychology.

Most common colleges for children's librarians

Children's librarians often get their degrees at Kent State University, SUNY Buffalo State, and San Jose State University. Here are the most common colleges for children's librarians in the US based on their resumes.
Children's librarian common collegePercentages
Kent State University9.20%
SUNY Buffalo State8.05%
San Jose State University5.75%
New York University5.75%
Wayne State University5.75%

Best majors for children's librarians

Best colleges for children's librarians

The best colleges for children's librarians are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Duke University.

A children's 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 children's 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 children's librarians.

1. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

2. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

7. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

20 best online courses for children's librarians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for children's librarians

The most affordable schools for children's librarians are Hunter College of the City University of New York, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for children's 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 children's librarians.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

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. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for children's librarians

The hardest universities for children's librarians to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Duke University.

Some great schools for children's 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 children's 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

9. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

14%

SAT average

1,423

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for children's librarians

The easiest schools for children's librarians to get into are Bluefield College, d'youville college, and kean university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a children's 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 children's librarians.

1. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

6. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

7. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

8. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

9. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

10. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

Average children's librarian salary by education level

Children's librarians with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $63,254 annually. With a Master's degree, children's librarians earn a median annual income of $58,412 compared to $48,469 for children's librarians with an Bachelor's degree.
Children's librarian education levelChildren's librarian salary
Master's Degree$58,412
Bachelor's Degree$48,469
Doctorate Degree$63,254

Children's librarian 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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