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Library media specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a library media specialist. Library media specialists usually study library science, elementary education, or education. 54% of library media specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 37% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,401 real library media specialist resumes to see exactly what library media specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for library media specialists are the University of Central Missouri and the University of Central Missouri.
There are also many online library media specialist courses to help get the education required to be a library media specialist.
There are certain library media specialist certifications that you should consider. These library media specialist certifications include Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) and Educational Certificate: K-12 (Ed:).
What education do you need to become a library media specialist?
What degree do you need to be a library media specialist?
- Bachelor's, 54%
- Master's, 37%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a library media specialist?
- Library Science, 17%
- Elementary Education, 15%
- Education, 11%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for library media specialists
| Library media specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Central Missouri | 8.39% |
| Kent State University | 7.69% |
| Northeastern State University | 6.29% |
| Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | 5.59% |
| Southern Connecticut State University | 5.59% |
Best majors for library media specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Library Science | 17.2% |
| 2 | Elementary Education | 15.2% |
| 3 | Education | 11.2% |
| 4 | General Education, Specific Areas | 10.6% |
| 5 | English | 8.6% |
Best colleges for library media specialists
The best colleges for library media specialists are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
A library media specialist 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 media specialists. 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 media specialists.
1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
4. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
8. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
9. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,853
Enrollment
14,759
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for library media specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for library media specialists
The most affordable schools for library media specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, usf sarasota-manatee, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for library media specialists 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 media specialists.
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. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for library media specialists
The hardest universities for library media specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for library media specialists 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 media specialists 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. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for library media specialists
The easiest schools for library media specialists 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 library media specialist 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 media specialists.
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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
8. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
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 library media specialist salary by education level
| Library media specialist education level | Library media specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $47,443 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $40,533 |
| Doctorate Degree | $50,632 |
Library media specialist 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