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Government documents librarian education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a government documents librarian. Government documents librarians usually study library science, history, or library science and administration. 61% of government documents librarians hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 70 real government documents librarian resumes to see exactly what government documents librarian education sections show.

The most common colleges for government documents librarians are the Louisiana State University and A&M; College and the Louisiana State University and A&M; College.

There are also many online government documents librarian courses to help get the education required to be a government documents librarian.

What education do you need to become a government documents librarian?

What degree do you need to be a government documents librarian?

The most common degree for government documents librarians is bachelor's degree, with 61% of government documents librarians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 27% and master's degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 61%
  • Master's, 27%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Associate, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a government documents librarian?

You should major in library science to become a government documents librarian. 16% of government documents librarians major in library science. Other common majors for a government documents librarian include history and library science and administration.

Most common colleges for government documents librarians

Government documents librarians often get their degrees at Louisiana State University and A&M; College, Syracuse University, and Indiana State University. Here are the most common colleges for government documents librarians in the US based on their resumes.
Government documents librarian common collegePercentages
Louisiana State University and A&M College8.00%
Syracuse University8.00%
Indiana State University8.00%
The University of Alabama8.00%
University of South Florida8.00%

Best majors for government documents librarians

Best colleges for government documents librarians

The best colleges for government documents librarians are Northwestern University, New York University, and Stanford University.

A government documents 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 government documents 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 government documents 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. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

4. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

5. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

6. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

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 government documents librarians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for government documents librarians

The most affordable schools for government documents librarians are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for government documents 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 government documents librarians.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

9. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

10. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for government documents librarians

The hardest universities for government documents librarians to get into are Northwestern University, New York University, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for government documents 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 government documents 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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

14%

SAT average

1,423

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

10. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for government documents librarians

The easiest schools for government documents librarians to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and ottawa university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a government documents 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 government documents librarians.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

6. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton

Dunmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,056

7. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

8. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

9. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average government documents librarian salary by education level

According to our data, government documents librarians with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $69,507 annually. Government documents librarians with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $63,428.
Government documents librarian education levelGovernment documents librarian salary
Master's Degree$63,428
Bachelor's Degree$51,188
Doctorate Degree$69,507

Government documents 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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