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School librarian education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a school librarian. School librarians usually study library science, elementary education, or education. 58% of school librarians hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 742 real school librarian resumes to see exactly what school librarian education sections show.
The most common colleges for school librarians are the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh.
There are also many online school librarian courses to help get the education required to be a school librarian.
What education do you need to become a school librarian?
What degree do you need to be a school librarian?
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Master's, 27%
- Associate, 7%
- High School Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a school librarian?
- Library Science, 16%
- Elementary Education, 14%
- Education, 10%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for school librarians
| School librarian common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Pittsburgh | 6.25% |
| Drexel University | 6.25% |
| The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler | 6.25% |
| University of North Texas | 6.25% |
| SUNY Buffalo State | 6.25% |
Best majors for school librarians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Library Science | 16.3% |
| 2 | Elementary Education | 14.3% |
| 3 | Education | 10.1% |
| 4 | General Education, Specific Areas | 9.1% |
| 5 | Business | 7.1% |
Best colleges for school librarians
The best colleges for school librarians are New York University, University of Southern California, and University of California - Los Angeles.
A school 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 school 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 school librarians.
1. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
3. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
4. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
5. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,853
Enrollment
14,759
6. University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,267
Enrollment
23,410
7. Louisiana State University and A&M College
Baton Rouge, LA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,950
Enrollment
23,468
8. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
10. New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$6,686
Enrollment
11,139
20 best online courses for school librarians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for school librarians
The most affordable schools for school librarians are Baruch College of the City University of New York, queens college of the city university of new york, and florida state university.
If the best universities for school 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 school librarians.
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. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
3. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
7. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
8. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
San Juan, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
11,299
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for school librarians
The hardest universities for school librarians to get into are New York University, University of Southern California, and University of California - Los Angeles.
Some great schools for school 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 school 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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
14%
SAT average
1,423
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
7. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
8. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,347
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for school librarians
The easiest schools for school librarians to get into are Nyack College, d'youville college, and texas woman's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a school 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 school librarians.
1. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
4. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
5. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
10. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
Average school librarian salary by education level
| School librarian education level | School librarian salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $61,209 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $49,541 |
| Doctorate Degree | $66,992 |
School 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