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Special collections librarian education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a special collections librarian. Special collections librarians usually study business, general education, specific areas, or marketing. 46% of special collections librarians hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 125 real special collections librarian resumes to see exactly what special collections librarian education sections show.
The most common colleges for special collections librarians are the West Virginia State University and the West Virginia State University.
There are also many online special collections librarian courses to help get the education required to be a special collections librarian.
What education do you need to become a special collections librarian?
What degree do you need to be a special collections librarian?
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 15%
- High School Diploma, 14%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a special collections librarian?
- Business, 22%
- Marketing, 7%
- Liberal Arts, 7%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for special collections librarians
| Special collections librarian common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| West Virginia State University | 8.33% |
| North Carolina Central University | 8.33% |
| San Jose State University | 8.33% |
| The Art Institute of Pittsburgh | 8.33% |
| Bryant and Stratton College - Buffalo Campus | 4.17% |
Best majors for special collections librarians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 22.2% |
| 2 | General Education, Specific Areas | 11.1% |
| 3 | Marketing | 6.9% |
| 4 | Liberal Arts | 6.9% |
| 5 | Library Science And Administration | 6.9% |
Best colleges for special collections librarians
The best colleges for special collections librarians are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A special collections 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 special collections 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 special collections librarians.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
8. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Enrollment
32,072
10. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
20 best online courses for special collections librarians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for special collections librarians
The most affordable schools for special collections librarians are USF Sarasota-Manatee, baruch college of the city university of new york, and florida state university.
If the best universities for special collections 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 special collections librarians.
1. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for special collections librarians
The hardest universities for special collections librarians to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for special collections 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 special collections 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for special collections librarians
The easiest schools for special collections librarians to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a special collections 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 special collections librarians.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
8. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average special collections librarian salary by education level
| Special collections librarian education level | Special collections librarian salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $63,192 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $51,476 |
| Doctorate Degree | $68,973 |
Special collections 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