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University archivist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a university archivist. University archivists usually study history, library science, or music. 54% of university archivists hold a bachelor's degree, and 42% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 27 real university archivist resumes to see exactly what university archivist education sections show.

The most common colleges for university archivists are the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at Austin.

There are also many online university archivist courses to help get the education required to be a university archivist.

What education do you need to become a university archivist?

What degree do you need to be a university archivist?

  • Bachelor's, 54%
  • Master's, 42%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a university archivist?

You should major in history to become a university archivist. 42% of university archivists major in history. Other common majors for a university archivist include library science and music.

Most common colleges for university archivists

University archivists often get their degrees at University of Texas at Austin, Middle Tennessee State University, and University of California - Davis. Here are the most common colleges for university archivists in the US based on their resumes.
University archivist common collegePercentages
University of Texas at Austin14.29%
Middle Tennessee State University9.52%
University of California - Davis9.52%
Campbellsville University9.52%
University of the Sciences4.76%

Best majors for university archivists

RankMajorPercentages
1History41.7%
2Library Science8.3%
3Music8.3%
4Business4.2%
5Information Sciences4.2%

Best colleges for university archivists

The best colleges for university archivists are Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A university 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 university 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 university archivists.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

4. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

5. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

6. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

9. SUNY at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,099

Enrollment

21,404

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

20 best online courses for university archivists

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1. AWS: Data Collection Systems

coursera

AWS: Data Collection Systems Course is the first course of the AWS Certified Data Analytics Speciality Specialization. This Course is designed to describe data collection systems and their characteristics in detail. This course is basically divided into three modules and each module is further segmented by Lessons and Video Lectures. This course facilitates learners with approximately 3:30-4:00 Hours Video lectures that provide both Theory and Hands -On knowledge. Also, Graded and Ungraded Quiz...

2. Survey Data Collection and Analytics

coursera

This specialization covers the fundamentals of surveys as used in market research, evaluation research, social science and political research, official government statistics, and many other topic domains. In six courses, you will learn the basics of questionnaire design, data collection methods, sampling design, dealing with missing values, making estimates, combining data from different sources, and the analysis of survey data. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply the skills learned...

3. Java Collections from basics to Advanced

udemy
4.3
(1,279)

Data Structure using Java Collection Framework - Including Concurrent Collections, Streams, Generics, Parallel Streams...

4. Introduction to Collections, Generics & Reflection in Java

udemy
4.6
(3,059)

A Guide to Understand Generics, Collections Framework (Data Structures), Stream API and Reflection in Java!...

5. Ukraine: History, Culture and Identities

coursera

Explore the history, culture and society of the people of Ukraine from the Middle Ages to the present in this introductory course developed by the Ukrainian Institute, educational studio EdEra, and the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and offered on Coursera in cooperation with the University of Washington. The culture and identities of Ukrainian people have existed in this region for more than a thousand years. Like most Eastern European countries, Ukraine is a rather young country —...

6. Framework for Data Collection and Analysis

coursera

This course will provide you with an overview over existing data products and a good understanding of the data collection landscape. With the help of various examples you will learn how to identify which data sources likely matches your research question, how to turn your research question into measurable pieces, and how to think about an analysis plan. Furthermore this course will provide you with a general framework that allows you to not only understand each step required for a successful...

7. Java Collections Framework + Generics, Lambdas & Stream API

udemy
4.4
(750)

Learn Java Collections Framework from scratch to PRO level with practical exercises...

8. Art History Prehistory to the Renaissance

udemy
4.4
(735)

This is an actual college level course that is taught at several accredited colleges...

9. Algorithms, Data Collection, and Starting to Code

coursera

This course starts you on your journey learning about computational thinking and beginning C programming. If you’d like to explore how we can interact with the world in a rigorous, computational way, and would also like to start learning to program, this is the course for you! You may have heard lots of talk about computational thinking recently, but if you ask 10 different people what it is you’ll probably get 10 different answers. Rather than trying to define computational thinking, we’ll...

10. Enhance Student Learning through Kahoot

coursera

By the end of this project, you will have created a Kahoot collection that will engage your students during virtual learning or as a more engaging way to encourage practice and review at home or in the classroom. Teaching is constantly evolving. As we learn more about our students, we uncover new ways to ensure that they are not just learning - they are thriving. When we can connect our tech-savvy students to tech-connected learning, our students are more likely to enjoy learning. We can also...

11. US / United States History - Prehistory to Reconstruction

udemy
4.4
(568)

Uncover the political and social roots of the U.S. with this comprehensive guide to Early American History...

12. Classical Physics: Journey Through the Laws of the Universe

udemy
4.7
(304)

Peer beneath the surface of reality, understand how the universe works, and develop physics apps that make a difference!...

13. Teaching Impacts of Technology: Data Collection, Use, and Privacy

coursera

In this course you’ll focus on how constant data collection and big data analysis have impacted us, exploring the interplay between using your data and protecting it, as well as thinking about what it could do for you in the future. This will be done through a series of paired teaching sections, exploring a specific “Impact of Computing” in your typical day and the “Technologies and Computing Concepts” that enable that impact, all at a K12-appropriate level. This course is part of a larger...

14. The Changing Landscape of Ancient Rome. Archaeology and History of the Palatine Hill

coursera

Studying ancient - as well as medieval or modern - cities basically means telling local urban stories based on the reconstruction of changing landscapes through the centuries. Given the fragmentary nature of archaeological evidence, it is necessary to create new images that would give back the physical aspect of the urban landscape and that would bring it to life again. We are not just content with analyzing the many elements still visible of the ancient city. The connections between objects...

15. How To Create A Fashion Collection and Launch Your Own Brand

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4.5
(1,122)

Designing a Fashion Line. A step-by-step Comprehensive Guide for Mastering Fashion Designing: from Inspiration to Market...

16. Complete KoboToolbox Training Course

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4.5
(388)

Learn the basic & advanced techniques of developing & deploying mobile survey data collection forms with Kobo Toolbox...

17. Big History - From the Big Bang until Today

coursera

Welcome to this Big History course! In this course, renowned scientists and scholars from the University of Amsterdam and beyond will take you on a journey from the Big Bang until today while addressing key questions in their fields. After completing this journey you will have developed a better understanding of how you and everything around you became the way they are today. You will also have gained an understanding of the underlying mechanisms that have helped shape the history of everything...

18. Art History Renaissance to 20th Century

udemy
4.6
(2,545)

This is an actual college level course that is taught at several accredited colleges...

19. Materialize CSS From Scratch With 5 Projects

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4.6
(1,751)

Master HTML 5 & the Materialize CSS framework by building 5 real world responsive material design based themes...

20. Angular Material In Depth (Angular 16)

udemy
4.5
(1,842)

In-depth guided tour to the Angular Material component library (in Angular 16)...

Top 10 most affordable universities for university archivists

The most affordable schools for university archivists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for university 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 university archivists.

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for university archivists

The hardest universities for university archivists to get into are Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for university 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 university 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for university archivists

The easiest schools for university archivists to get into are Barry University, wayland baptist university, and the university of texas permian basin.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a university 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 university archivists.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

4. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

8. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average university archivist salary by education level

According to our data, university archivists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $52,735 annually. University archivists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $43,919.
University archivist education levelUniversity archivist salary
Master's Degree$52,735
Bachelor's Degree$43,919

University archivist education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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