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Special library librarian education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a special library librarian. Special library librarians usually study library science, english, or history. 57% of special library librarians hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 197 real special library librarian resumes to see exactly what special library librarian education sections show.
The most common colleges for special library librarians are the University of North Texas and the University of North Texas.
There are also many online special library librarian courses to help get the education required to be a special library librarian.
What education do you need to become a special library librarian?
What degree do you need to be a special library librarian?
- Bachelor's, 57%
- Master's, 28%
- Associate, 9%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a special library librarian?
- Library Science, 20%
- English, 13%
- History, 10%
- Education, 6%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for special library librarians
| Special library librarian common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of North Texas | 8.11% |
| University of Florida | 5.41% |
| The University of Alabama | 5.41% |
| St. Olaf College | 5.41% |
| Wayne State University | 5.41% |
Best majors for special library librarians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Library Science | 20.0% |
| 2 | English | 12.7% |
| 3 | History | 10.0% |
| 4 | Education | 6.4% |
| 5 | Library Science And Administration | 6.4% |
Best colleges for special library librarians
The best colleges for special library librarians are New York University, University of Southern California, and Stanford University.
A special library 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 library 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 library 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 special library librarians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for special library librarians
The most affordable schools for special library librarians are Baruch College of the City University of New York, florida state university, and queens college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for special library 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 library 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. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
3. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
9. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
10. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for special library librarians
The hardest universities for special library librarians to get into are New York University, University of Southern California, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for special library 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 library 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
14%
SAT average
1,423
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
8. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,449
9. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
10. Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,465
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for special library librarians
The easiest schools for special library librarians to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, d'youville college, and nyack college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a special library 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 library librarians.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
4. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
7. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
8. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
9. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
10. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
Average special library librarian salary by education level
| Special library librarian education level | Special library librarian salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $60,839 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $50,908 |
| Doctorate Degree | $65,648 |
Special library 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