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Library technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a library technician. Library technicians usually study business, english, or psychology. 59% of library technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,821 real library technician resumes to see exactly what library technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for library technicians are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.

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

What education do you need to become a library technician?

What degree do you need to be a library technician?

The most common degree for library technicians is bachelor's degree, with 59% of library technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 59%
  • Associate, 20%
  • Master's, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a library technician?

You should major in business to become a library technician. 15% of library technicians major in business. Other common majors for a library technician include english and psychology.

Most common colleges for library technicians

Library technicians often get their degrees at University of Maryland - College Park, University of the District of Columbia, and Strayer University. Here are the most common colleges for library technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Library technician common collegePercentages
University of Maryland - College Park11.43%
University of the District of Columbia8.10%
Strayer University6.67%
California State University - San Bernardino6.19%
University of Phoenix6.19%

Best majors for library technicians

RankMajorPercentages
1Business15.3%
2English9.3%
3Psychology8.6%
4Library Science7.8%
5History7.0%

Best colleges for library technicians

The best colleges for library technicians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and New York University.

A library technician 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 technicians. 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 technicians.

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. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,244

Enrollment

15,557

9. Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$13,478

Enrollment

979

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for library technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for library technicians

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

If the best universities for library technicians 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 technicians.

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. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Cost of attendance

22,990

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for library technicians

The hardest universities for library technicians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and New York University.

Some great schools for library technicians 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 technicians 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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

14%

SAT average

1,423

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

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

The easiest schools for library technicians 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 technician 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 technicians.

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. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

8. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

9. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average library technician salary by education level

According to our data, library technicians with a Associate degree earn the highest average salary, at $39,570 annually. Library technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $39,075.
Library technician education levelLibrary technician salary
High School Diploma or Less$38,052
Bachelor's Degree$39,075
Some College/ Associate Degree$39,570

Library technician 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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