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Public services librarian education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a public services librarian. Public services librarians usually study library science, business, or library science and administration. 46% of public services librarians hold a bachelor's degree, and 31% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 387 real public services librarian resumes to see exactly what public services librarian education sections show.
The most common colleges for public services librarians are the University of North Texas and the University of North Texas.
There are also many online public services librarian courses to help get the education required to be a public services librarian.
What education do you need to become a public services librarian?
What degree do you need to be a public services librarian?
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Master's, 31%
- Associate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a public services librarian?
- Library Science, 19%
- Business, 9%
- History, 9%
- Other Majors, 54%
Most common colleges for public services librarians
| Public services librarian common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of North Texas | 14.55% |
| Kent State University | 9.09% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 7.27% |
| Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis | 7.27% |
| University of New Mexico | 5.45% |
Best majors for public services librarians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Library Science | 18.8% |
| 2 | Business | 9.1% |
| 3 | Library Science And Administration | 9.1% |
| 4 | History | 8.6% |
| 5 | General Studies | 8.1% |
Best colleges for public services librarians
The best colleges for public services librarians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
A public services librarian with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for public services librarians. 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 public services librarians.
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 public services librarians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for public services librarians
The most affordable schools for public services librarians are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for public services librarians 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 public services librarians.
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 public services librarians
The hardest universities for public services librarians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for public services librarians 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 public services librarians 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 public services librarians
The easiest schools for public services librarians 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 public services librarian 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 public services librarians.
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 public services librarian salary by education level
| Public services librarian education level | Public services librarian salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $58,444 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $48,426 |
| Doctorate Degree | $63,328 |
Public services librarian 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