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Librarian education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a librarian. Librarians usually study library science, english, or business. 56% of librarians hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 12,410 real librarian resumes to see exactly what librarian education sections show.
The most common colleges for librarians are the University of North Texas and the University of North Texas.
There are also many online librarian courses to help get the education required to be a librarian.
There are certain librarian certifications that you should consider. These librarian certifications include Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) and Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP).
What education do you need to become a librarian?
What degree do you need to be a librarian?
- Bachelor's, 56%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 12%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a librarian?
- Library Science, 14%
- English, 11%
- Business, 9%
- Other Majors, 58%
Most common colleges for librarians
| Librarian common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of North Texas | 9.15% |
| San Jose State University | 7.77% |
| Florida State University | 6.39% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 6.27% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.14% |
Best majors for librarians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Library Science | 13.7% |
| 2 | English | 10.6% |
| 3 | Business | 9.3% |
| 4 | Library Science And Administration | 7.8% |
| 5 | History | 6.4% |
Best colleges for librarians
The best colleges for librarians are New York University, University of Maryland - College Park, and University of Washington.
A 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 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 librarians.
1. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
2. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
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. Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,244
Enrollment
15,557
9. Simmons University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$40,850
Enrollment
1,790
10. St. John's University
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$41,760
Enrollment
11,907
20 best online courses for librarians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for librarians
The most affordable schools for librarians are Queens College of the City University of New York, university of puerto rico - rio piedras campus, and inter american university of puerto rico barranquitas.
If the best universities for 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 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 Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
San Juan, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
11,299
3. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Barranquitas
Barranquitas, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,902
Cost of attendance
13,479
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. Inter American University of Puerto Rico San German
San German, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
14,322
6. New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$6,686
Cost of attendance
17,885
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. University of Colorado Denver
Denver, CO • Private
In-state tuition
$9,283
Cost of attendance
22,243
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 librarians
The hardest universities for librarians to get into are New York University, University of Maryland - College Park, and University of Washington.
Some great schools for 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 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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
2. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
3. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,347
4. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
Admissions rate
50%
SAT average
1,284
5. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
59%
SAT average
1,367
6. University of Denver
Denver, CO • Private
Admissions rate
56%
SAT average
1,300
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
9. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
56%
SAT average
1,250
10. Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,281
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for librarians
The easiest schools for librarians to get into are Fresno Pacific University, kutztown university of pennsylvania, and washington adventist hospital.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a 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 librarians.
1. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
2. Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Kutztown, PA • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,058
3. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
958
4. Emporia State University
Emporia, KS • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,118
5. St. Catherine University
Saint Paul, MN • Private
Admissions rate
73%
SAT average
1,124
6. Northeastern State University
Tahlequah, OK • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,064
7. Marshall University
Huntington, WV • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,100
8. Long Island University
Brookville, NY • Private
Admissions rate
76%
SAT average
1,167
9. Trevecca Nazarene University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
64%
SAT average
1,121
10. University of Colorado Denver
Denver, CO • Private
Admissions rate
64%
SAT average
1,132
Average librarian salary by education level
| Librarian education level | Librarian salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $61,866 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $51,617 |
| Doctorate Degree | $66,840 |
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