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Collection development librarian education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a collection development librarian. Collection development librarians usually study library science and administration, english, or business. 61% of collection development librarians hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 140 real collection development librarian resumes to see exactly what collection development librarian education sections show.
The most common colleges for collection development librarians are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.
There are also many online collection development librarian courses to help get the education required to be a collection development librarian.
What education do you need to become a collection development librarian?
What degree do you need to be a collection development librarian?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Master's, 26%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a collection development librarian?
- English, 11%
- Business, 9%
- Library Science, 9%
- Other Majors, 54%
Most common colleges for collection development librarians
| Collection development librarian common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Maryland - College Park | 10.00% |
| Missouri State University | 6.67% |
| Louisiana State University and A&M College | 6.67% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 6.67% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 6.67% |
Best majors for collection development librarians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Library Science And Administration | 17.4% |
| 2 | English | 10.9% |
| 3 | Business | 8.7% |
| 4 | Library Science | 8.7% |
| 5 | Computer Science | 8.7% |
Best colleges for collection development librarians
The best colleges for collection development librarians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and New York University.
A collection development 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 collection development 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 collection development librarians.
1. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
2. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
3. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
4. Louisiana State University and A&M College
Baton Rouge, LA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,950
Enrollment
23,468
5. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,244
Enrollment
15,557
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
10. Long Island University
Brookville, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$37,763
Enrollment
6,323
20 best online courses for collection development librarians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for collection development librarians
The most affordable schools for collection development librarians are Queens College of the City University of New York, university of south florida, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for collection development 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 collection development librarians.
1. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
2. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
8. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
San Juan, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
11,299
9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Barranquitas
Barranquitas, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,902
Cost of attendance
13,479
10. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Cost of attendance
24,514
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for collection development librarians
The hardest universities for collection development librarians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and New York University.
Some great schools for collection development 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 collection development 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 Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
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. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for collection development librarians
The easiest schools for collection development librarians to get into are Nyack College, saint martin's university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a collection development 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 collection development librarians.
1. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
2. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
6. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
7. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
958
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. Saint Xavier University
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
74%
SAT average
1,061
10. St. Catherine University
Saint Paul, MN • Private
Admissions rate
73%
SAT average
1,124
Average collection development librarian salary by education level
| Collection development librarian education level | Collection development librarian salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $63,941 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $52,627 |
| Doctorate Degree | $69,483 |
Collection development librarian 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