by our College Data Analytics TeamStudying School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist involves the study of School Librarian/school Library Media Specialist. A Program That Prepares Individuals To Serve As Librarians And Media Specialists In Elementary And Secondary Schools As Well As Special Instructional Centers. Continue reading for the essential details every school librarian/school library media specialist student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering school librarian/school library media specialist programs.
Across the country, school librarian/school library media specialist draws strong interest, with 529 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist Schools ranking analyzes these 33 schools to determine the best overall colleges for school librarian/school library media specialist students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of school librarian/school library media specialist programs later in this article.
Coursework for School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist build a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations school librarian/school library media specialist graduates commonly enter.
Skills built by a school librarian/school library media specialist program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Per O*NET surveys, a school librarian/school library media specialist major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several school librarian/school library media specialist degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 529 |
People currently working in careers related to school librarian/school library media specialist tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s degree | 64.7% |
| Some college courses | 10.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 8.2% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 4.7% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 4.5% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 3.6% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 2.7% |
| Doctoral degree | 1.4% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in school librarian/school library media specialist careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying school librarian/school library media specialist prepares you for a variety of career paths. Here are some of the most common occupations related to school librarian/school library media specialist.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to school librarian/school library media specialist.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Librarians and Media Collections Specialists | 298,768 | 9.4% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of school librarian/school library media specialist graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $49,919 |
| 4 years | $50,204 |
| 5 years | $56,331 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for school librarian/school library media specialist graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers school librarian/school library media specialist grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Librarians and Media Collections Specialists | $67,096 |
With 33 different school librarian/school library media specialist programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased school librarian/school library media specialist school rankings to help you.
Students interested in school librarian/school library media specialist, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Physical Education Teaching and Coaching | 6,964 |
| Reading Teacher Education | 5,986 |
| Music Teacher Education | 4,544 |
| English/Language Arts Teacher Education | 3,018 |
| Mathematics Teacher Education | 2,993 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other | 2,352 |
| Social Studies Teacher Education | 1,963 |
| Art Teacher Education | 1,860 |
| Health Teacher Education | 1,472 |
| Agricultural Teacher Education | 1,051 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
