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Library associate education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a library associate. Library associates usually study english, history, or business. 70% of library associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,439 real library associate resumes to see exactly what library associate education sections show.

The most common colleges for library associates are the University of North Texas and the University of North Texas.

There are also many online library associate courses to help get the education required to be a library associate.

What education do you need to become a library associate?

What degree do you need to be a library associate?

The most common degree for library associates is bachelor's degree, with 70% of library associates earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 70%
  • Master's, 13%
  • Associate, 11%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 1%

What should I major in to become a library associate?

You should major in english to become a library associate. 16% of library associates major in english. Other common majors for a library associate include history and business.

Most common colleges for library associates

Library associates often get their degrees at University of North Texas, Florida State University, and University of New Orleans. Here are the most common colleges for library associates in the US based on their resumes.
Library associate common collegePercentages
University of North Texas7.61%
Florida State University7.61%
University of New Orleans6.52%
Southeastern Louisiana University5.98%
Ohio State University5.98%

Best majors for library associates

RankMajorPercentages
1English16.4%
2History10.7%
3Business10.1%
4Psychology7.8%
5Communication5.4%

Best colleges for library associates

The best colleges for library associates are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

A library associate with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for library associates. 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 library associates.

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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

6. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

9. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

20 best online courses for library associates

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Top 10 most affordable universities for library associates

The most affordable schools for library associates are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for library associates 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 library associates.

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 - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

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. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

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 library associates

The hardest universities for library associates to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for library associates 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 library associates 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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

14%

SAT average

1,423

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for library associates

The easiest schools for library associates to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a library associate 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 library associates.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

8. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

9. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

10. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

Average library associate salary by education level

According to our data, library associates with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $38,239 annually. Library associates with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $37,714.
Library associate education levelLibrary associate salary
Master's Degree$38,239
High School Diploma or Less$35,903
Bachelor's Degree$37,714
Some College/ Associate Degree$36,568

Library associate 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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