Library Science graduates pursue 3 occupations, with top roles paying $68,270/yr or more. The career cards below break down wages, daily tasks, and 10-year job growth projections for each.
This page covers Library Science as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Library Science and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Library Science is a specialized field of study. You will not have trouble finding it: 18 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 131 students complete it each year, most walking away with a master's. The focus is on writing, analysis, and communication that transfer across industries.
Of the 131 students who complete Library Science programs each year, the majority (93%) earn a master's degree. The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
This degree does not lock you into one job. Library Science graduates show up in 3 different occupations, and Librarian pays the most at $68,270/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
The best-paid of these is what a Librarian earns and how fast the role is growing, though entry requirements vary across the list.
Only 7 colleges had enough verified data to appear here for Library Science. They are sorted by graduate volume, not selectivity, so use them as a starting point rather than a ranking.
Ranked by score, that list starts with the cost and outcomes at University of California-Los Angeles, and the rest follow the same measures.
| # | College | Graduates | Acceptance | Net Price/yr | Earnings 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA · Public | 77 | 9% | $12,548 | $82,511 |
| 2 | University of Central Arkansas Conway, AR · Public | 27 | 89.5% | $16,511 | $45,938 |
| 3 | Long Island University Brookville, NY · Nonprofit | 12 | 86.2% | $33,062 | $59,950 |
| 4 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA · Public | 5 | 39.2% | $14,091 | $78,466 |
| 5 | Marshall University Huntington, WV · Public | 4 | 95.7% | $7,502 | $46,354 |
| 6 | Emporia State University Emporia, KS · Public | 4 | 97.7% | $16,261 | $47,601 |
| 7 | Itawamba Community College Fulton, MS · Public | 1 | Open | $4,616 | $32,912 |
Ranked by Library Science graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats. Read our methodology →
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Library Science program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find schools that match your profile.
See if a Library Science degree pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings its graduates actually see.
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
The data on Library Science shows 1 measurable strengths and 2 real trade-offs. All points are sourced from College Scorecard earnings, BLS projections, and IPEDS graduate counts.
The highest-earning college major out-pays the lowest by a factor of two and a half. The full ranking of all 38 fields by median graduate earnings, with job growth alongside.
A popular claim holds that the applied engineering-tech degree pays more than the theoretical one. Across every program, engineering wins by about $10,000.
Across 88 STEM programs the top one out-earns the bottom by $65,000 a year. Operations research pays $122,531; environmental design pays $57,461.
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
Scout uses AI and can make mistakes. Verify important numbers on the page.
