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Library specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a library specialist. Library specialists usually study english, business, or history. 62% of library specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 649 real library specialist resumes to see exactly what library specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for library specialists are the Arizona State University and the Arizona State University.
There are also many online library specialist courses to help get the education required to be a library specialist.
What education do you need to become a library specialist?
What degree do you need to be a library specialist?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Master's, 18%
- Associate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a library specialist?
- English, 14%
- Business, 10%
- History, 9%
- Library Science, 7%
- Other Majors, 60%
Most common colleges for library specialists
| Library specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Arizona State University | 7.14% |
| University of Utah | 7.14% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 6.12% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 6.12% |
| San Jose State University | 6.12% |
Best majors for library specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 13.9% |
| 2 | Business | 10.4% |
| 3 | History | 9.1% |
| 4 | Library Science | 7.4% |
| 5 | Psychology | 6.8% |
Best colleges for library specialists
The best colleges for library specialists are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
A library 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 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 specialists.
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 specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for library specialists
The most affordable schools for library specialists are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for library 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 specialists.
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 specialists
The hardest universities for library specialists to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for library 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 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. 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 specialists
The easiest schools for library specialists 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 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 specialists.
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 specialist salary by education level
| Library specialist education level | Library specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $35,224 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $32,935 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $34,709 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $33,586 |
Library specialist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025