2026 Best School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist Schools in the The Plains States Region

School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for school librarian/school library media specialist students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

• Best School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist Schools in the The Plains States Region

Best Schools for School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist in the The Plains States Region

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the school librarian/school library media specialist degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist

1

University Of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, MO

Associate's Degree Highest Degree Type

16 School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist Degrees Awarded

$37,460 Median Starting Salary

Our analysis ranked University Of Central Missouri the best school in the country for a degree in school librarian/school library media specialist. Set in the town of Warrensburg, University Of Central Missouri is a large public institution. Roughly 54% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 16 school librarian/school library media specialist students who graduated with this degree at University Of Central Missouri in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, school librarian/school library media specialist degree recipients from University Of Central Missouri generally make around $37,460. Students borrow a median of $25,741 to complete this degree. See the full school librarian/school library media specialist program report for University Of Central Missouri

2

Missouri State University Springfield
Springfield, MO

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

25 School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist Degrees Awarded

$39,237 Median Starting Salary

Missouri State University Springfield came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best school librarian/school library media specialist schools. Located in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 58%. There were roughly 25 school librarian/school library media specialist students who graduated with this degree at Missouri State University Springfield in the most recent data year. Graduates of the school librarian/school library media specialist program make about $39,237 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $30,294 to complete this degree. Get the full school librarian/school library media specialist details for Missouri State University Springfield

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 8 schools evaluated.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.