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Reference archivist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a reference archivist. Reference archivists usually study history, library science and administration, or information sciences. 52% of reference archivists hold a master's degree, and 43% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 26 real reference archivist resumes to see exactly what reference archivist education sections show.
The most common colleges for reference archivists are the Clark Atlanta University and the Clark Atlanta University.
There are also many online reference archivist courses to help get the education required to be a reference archivist.
What education do you need to become a reference archivist?
What degree do you need to be a reference archivist?
- Master's, 52%
- Bachelor's, 43%
- High School Diploma, 4%
What should I major in to become a reference archivist?
- History, 35%
- Information Sciences, 13%
- Library Science, 9%
- Other Majors, 26%
Most common colleges for reference archivists
| Reference archivist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Clark Atlanta University | 9.52% |
| Dickinson College | 4.76% |
| Southern Connecticut State University | 4.76% |
| Florida State University | 4.76% |
| University of South Carolina - Columbia | 4.76% |
Best majors for reference archivists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | History | 34.8% |
| 2 | Library Science And Administration | 17.4% |
| 3 | Information Sciences | 13.0% |
| 4 | Library Science | 8.7% |
| 5 | Historic Preservation And Conservation | 4.3% |
Best colleges for reference archivists
The best colleges for reference archivists are Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A reference archivist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for reference archivists. 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 reference archivists.
1. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
7. University of Delaware
Newark, DE • Private
In-state tuition
$13,680
Enrollment
19,060
8. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for reference archivists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for reference archivists
The most affordable schools for reference archivists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - fullerton.
If the best universities for reference archivists 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 reference archivists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for reference archivists
The hardest universities for reference archivists to get into are Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for reference archivists 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 reference archivists 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for reference archivists
The easiest schools for reference archivists to get into are Barry University, the university of texas permian basin, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a reference archivist 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 reference archivists.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
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. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
9. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
10. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
Average reference archivist salary by education level
| Reference archivist education level | Reference archivist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $38,099 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $33,975 |
Reference archivist 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