Grad school ยท Library science
Library Science and Administration graduate programs: earnings and debt by school
61 colleges award master's degrees in library science and administration. Graduates of the typical program earned $48,952 a year after finishing, and those who borrowed left with a median of $32,593 in federal loans taken at the school.
Master's programs61
Graduates in 2023-245,747
Typical median debt$32,593
Typical earnings 1 yr after$48,952
Typical earnings 4 yrs after$55,782
Earnings to debt1.5x
Official field: Library Science and Administration. Admission figures such as LSAT, MCAT or GRE scores are not part of this federal data, so check each school.
| Degree level | Programs | Typical earnings 1 yr after | Typical median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master's | 61 | $48,952 | $32,593 |
| Doctoral | 7 | n/a | n/a |
Is it worth it? Debt vs first-year pay
Each dot is one master's program. Dots above the dashed line have graduates earning more in their first year than the program's median debt.
Master's programs in library science and administration
Highest first-year earnings
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusDenver, CO | 37 | $67,849 | $74,359 | n/a |
| University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA | 25 | $50,946 | $70,398 | $88,150 |
| CUNY Queens CollegeQueens, NY | 74 | $61,876 | $70,373 | $21,500 |
| Long Island UniversityBrookville, NY | 29 | $58,223 | $67,680 | n/a |
| University of Houston-Clear LakeHouston, TX | 18 | $64,693 | $65,861 | $25,171 |
| St. John's University-New YorkQueens, NY | 46 | $49,716 | $65,858 | $56,873 |
| University of Maryland-College ParkCollege Park, MD | 106 | $57,238 | $65,261 | $41,000 |
| Sam Houston State UniversityHuntsville, TX | 45 | $61,147 | $64,781 | $35,556 |
| Rutgers University-New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJ | 144 | $53,955 | $64,520 | $33,593 |
| University of Washington-Seattle CampusSeattle, WA | 126 | $53,898 | $63,736 | $64,484 |
| East Texas A&M UniversityCommerce, TX | 37 | $59,510 | $62,242 | $33,273 |
| Appalachian State UniversityBoone, NC | 38 | $52,720 | $59,631 | $22,551 |
| University of Missouri-ColumbiaColumbia, MO | 83 | $45,795 | $58,856 | $25,683 |
| The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN | 115 | $46,484 | $58,578 | $29,050 |
| Simmons UniversityBoston, MA | 266 | $49,246 | $58,512 | $41,000 |
| East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC | 54 | $54,939 | $58,122 | $39,060 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC | 77 | $51,179 | $57,675 | $56,600 |
| Texas Woman's UniversityDenton, TX | 221 | $52,582 | $57,458 | $30,237 |
| University of North TexasDenton, TX | 238 | $52,986 | $57,395 | $32,493 |
| Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA | 52 | $47,854 | $56,671 | $40,967 |
| University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY | 130 | $43,148 | $56,619 | $31,708 |
| University of DenverDenver, CO | 90 | $49,572 | $56,359 | $55,250 |
| North Carolina Central UniversityDurham, NC | 69 | $46,924 | $56,291 | $40,276 |
| University of Rhode IslandKingston, RI | 55 | $47,322 | $56,115 | $30,500 |
| University of ArizonaTucson, AZ | 72 | $48,660 | $55,970 | $41,175 |
| University of IowaIowa City, IA | 48 | $45,344 | $55,946 | $23,200 |
| Pennsylvania Western UniversityCalifornia, PA | 155 | $48,568 | $55,619 | $32,149 |
| Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY | 107 | $50,754 | $55,160 | $65,997 |
| Wayne State UniversityDetroit, MI | 122 | $47,445 | $54,979 | $37,933 |
| University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, WI | 97 | $47,650 | $54,976 | $37,310 |
| Dominican UniversityRiver Forest, IL | 114 | $47,911 | $54,946 | $40,819 |
| University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI | 109 | $46,502 | $54,925 | $38,182 |
| Emporia State UniversityEmporia, KS | 162 | $48,384 | $54,843 | $25,566 |
| St Catherine UniversitySaint Paul, MN | 29 | $49,934 | $54,584 | $45,913 |
| Valdosta State UniversityValdosta, GA | 102 | $45,679 | $53,915 | $22,483 |
| University of Hawaii at ManoaHonolulu, HI | 17 | n/a | $53,802 | n/a |
| Indiana University-BloomingtonBloomington, IN | 53 | $47,044 | $53,119 | $41,000 |
| University of South Carolina-ColumbiaColumbia, SC | 146 | $49,919 | $52,842 | $34,191 |
| The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL | 120 | $45,348 | $52,520 | $26,062 |
| Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KY | 30 | $49,245 | $52,390 | $12,360 |
| University of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboro, NC | 138 | $48,092 | $52,258 | $26,983 |
| University of South FloridaTampa, FL | 112 | $50,493 | $52,161 | $24,007 |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA | 180 | $45,645 | $50,960 | $30,750 |
| University of KentuckyLexington, KY | 98 | $42,808 | $50,534 | $30,467 |
| Middle Tennessee State UniversityMurfreesboro, TN | 32 | $49,312 | $50,169 | n/a |
| Kent State University at KentKent, OH | 147 | $41,795 | $49,948 | $33,454 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA | 68 | $46,775 | $49,625 | $30,326 |
| Indiana University-IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN | 140 | $45,571 | $49,513 | $31,000 |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusNorman, OK | 65 | $47,955 | $49,361 | $23,125 |
| University of Southern MississippiHattiesburg, MS | 108 | $42,783 | $48,769 | $41,000 |
| University of Central MissouriWarrensburg, MO | 27 | $46,090 | $48,021 | $40,430 |
| Northeastern State UniversityTahlequah, OK | 27 | $48,069 | $47,552 | n/a |
| Old Dominion UniversityNorfolk, VA | 68 | $60,574 | n/a | $21,929 |
| Trevecca Nazarene UniversityNashville, TN | 16 | $55,603 | n/a | $27,333 |
| Southern Connecticut State UniversityNew Haven, CT | 47 | $52,210 | n/a | $32,593 |
| Chicago State UniversityChicago, IL | 21 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Fresno Pacific UniversityFresno, CA | 1 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Kutztown University of PennsylvaniaKutztown, PA | 5 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA | 742 | n/a | n/a | $31,123 |
| The Catholic University of AmericaWashington, DC | 23 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Northern IowaCedar Falls, IA | 24 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Doctoral programs in library science and administration
| College | Graduates (2023-24) | Earnings 1 yr after | Earnings 4 yrs after | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominican UniversityRiver Forest, IL | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Emporia State UniversityEmporia, KS | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Indiana University-BloomingtonBloomington, IN | 3 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Simmons UniversityBoston, MA | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY | 2 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| University of South Carolina-ColumbiaColumbia, SC | 0 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Frequently asked questions
How much do library science and administration graduates earn?
Graduates of the typical master's program earned a median of $48,952 one year after finishing, in 2024 dollars.
How much debt do library science and administration graduate students take on?
The typical program's graduates who borrowed left with a median of $32,593 in federal loans taken at that school. Undergraduate loans are not included.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field of study file, data release of October 15, 2026. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working, not enrolled. One-year figures: graduates of 2020-21 and 2021-22, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Four-year figures: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. More on the data.