by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 34 U.S. colleges awarded 578 degrees and certificates in School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist. College Factual ranks 25 schools in its 2027 Best School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $50,000 one year after completing, rising to $58,727 after four years.
Studying 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.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Across the country, school librarian/school library media specialist draws strong interest, with 578 degrees awarded annually. 34 colleges award school librarian/school library media specialist degrees, an average of 17 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 56.
All 578 of the awards are master’s degrees, the only level colleges reported.
Women earned 93% of school librarian/school library media specialist degrees and certificates in the latest year (535 of 578). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (443) and Hispanic or Latino (59).
College Factual ranks 25 schools in its 2027 Best School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist Schools ranking, including 24 for master’s degrees. It also ranks school librarian/school library media specialist schools within 8 states. In all, 34 colleges offer school librarian/school library media specialist programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
O*NET rates Reading Comprehension the most important skill for jobs related to school librarian/school library media specialist, at 3.9 out of 5. The key knowledge areas are Customer and Personal Service, English Language and Computers and Electronics. The most important abilities are Oral Expression, Written Comprehension and Oral Comprehension.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a school librarian/school library media specialist degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 578 |
Master’s degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to school librarian/school library media specialist, at 64.7%.
| 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% |
Source: O*NET Online.
1 occupations are related to School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist, with an average median salary of $67,096; the strongest outlook belongs to Librarians and Media Collections Specialists, at 9.4% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Audio Visual Coordinator (AV Coordinator), Audio Visual Aids Technician (AV Aids Tech), Classifier and School Library Media Specialist.
That occupation also has the most projected jobs of any related to school librarian/school library media specialist, at 298,768.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Librarians and Media Collections Specialists | 298,768 | 9.4% |
School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist graduates earn a median $50,000 one year after completing their program, $58,727 after four years and $56,439 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $50,000 |
| 4 years | $58,727 |
| 5 years | $56,439 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The same occupation is also the highest-paying one related to school librarian/school library media specialist, with a median salary of $67,096.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Librarians and Media Collections Specialists | $67,096 |
School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist has 37 similar majors in the Education field, which together award 39,817 degrees a year; the largest are Physical Education Teaching and Coaching (7,130), Reading Teacher Education (6,129) and Music Teacher Education (4,149). Browse all Education majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Physical Education Teaching and Coaching | 7,130 |
| Reading Teacher Education | 6,129 |
| Music Teacher Education | 4,149 |
| Mathematics Teacher Education | 3,405 |
| English/Language Arts Teacher Education | 2,933 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other | 2,470 |
| Social Studies Teacher Education | 2,020 |
| Art Teacher Education | 1,898 |
| Health Teacher Education | 1,560 |
| Agricultural Teacher Education | 1,054 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
