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High school librarian education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a high school librarian. High school librarians usually study library science, library science and administration, or education. 57% of high school librarians hold a bachelor's degree, and 30% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 124 real high school librarian resumes to see exactly what high school librarian education sections show.
The most common colleges for high school librarians are the University of North Texas and the University of North Texas.
There are also many online high school librarian courses to help get the education required to be a high school librarian.
What education do you need to become a high school librarian?
What degree do you need to be a high school librarian?
- Bachelor's, 57%
- Master's, 30%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 3%
What should I major in to become a high school librarian?
- Library Science, 28%
- Education, 11%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for high school librarians
| High school librarian common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of North Texas | 10.34% |
| Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | 10.34% |
| Texas Woman's University | 10.34% |
| University of Iowa | 6.90% |
| San Jose State University | 6.90% |
Best majors for high school librarians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Library Science | 27.5% |
| 2 | Library Science And Administration | 11.3% |
| 3 | Education | 11.3% |
| 4 | General Education, Specific Areas | 7.5% |
| 5 | Elementary Education | 5.0% |
Best colleges for high school librarians
The best colleges for high school librarians are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
A high school 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 high school 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 high school librarians.
1. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
8. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
9. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,853
Enrollment
14,759
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for high school librarians
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16. Build Complete School Management System Using PHP Framework
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17. Angular Material In Depth (Angular 16)
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18. Algebra 2 & Trigonometry: A Complete High School Curriculum
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19. Information Security Management Fundamentals for Non-Techies
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Top 10 most affordable universities for high school librarians
The most affordable schools for high school librarians are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for high school 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 high school 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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
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 South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for high school librarians
The hardest universities for high school librarians to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.
Some great schools for high school 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 high school 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for high school librarians
The easiest schools for high school librarians to get into are Barry University, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a high school 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 high school librarians.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
7. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
Average high school librarian salary by education level
| High school librarian education level | High school librarian salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $62,619 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $50,609 |
| Doctorate Degree | $68,577 |
High school 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