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Library manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a library manager. Library managers usually study business, library science, or english. 65% of library managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 621 real library manager resumes to see exactly what library manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for library managers are the New York University and the New York University.

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

What education do you need to become a library manager?

What degree do you need to be a library manager?

The most common degree for library managers is bachelor's degree, with 65% of library managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 65%
  • Master's, 20%
  • Associate, 7%
  • Doctorate, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a library manager?

You should major in business to become a library manager. 12% of library managers major in business. Other common majors for a library manager include library science and english.

Most common colleges for library managers

Library managers often get their degrees at New York University, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and San Jose State University. Here are the most common colleges for library managers in the US based on their resumes.
Library manager common collegePercentages
New York University10.13%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey7.59%
San Jose State University7.59%
University of North Texas6.33%
Pratt Institute6.33%

Best majors for library managers

Best colleges for library managers

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

A library manager 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 managers. 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 managers.

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 Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

6. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

7. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

8. Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,244

Enrollment

15,557

9. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

10. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

20 best online courses for library managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for library managers

The most affordable schools for library managers are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for library managers 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 managers.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

10. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for library managers

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

Some great schools for library managers 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 managers 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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

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 Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

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

The easiest schools for library managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

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

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

7. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

8. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

9. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

10. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

Average library manager salary by education level

Library managers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $74,095 annually. With a Master's degree, library managers earn a median annual income of $68,475 compared to $56,922 for library managers with an Bachelor's degree.
Library manager education levelLibrary manager salary
Master's Degree$68,475
Bachelor's Degree$56,922
Doctorate Degree$74,095

Library manager 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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