[School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist](/majors/education/teacher-education-and-development/school-librarian-school-library-media-specialist/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for school librarian/school library media specialist students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the school librarian/school library media specialist degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in school librarian/school library media specialist, no school beat Saint Cloud State University this year. Set in the city of Saint Cloud, Saint Cloud State University is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,245. Students borrow a median of $30,795 to complete the school librarian/school library media specialist program here. Early-career school librarian/school library media specialist graduates make about $43,279. Set against $30,795 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 95%.
Minnesota State University Mankato is a great value for students pursuing a degree in school librarian/school library media specialist, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Mankato, Minnesota State University Mankato is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,572, with out-of-state students paying around $18,942. Students borrow a median of $26,082 to complete the school librarian/school library media specialist program here. Early-career school librarian/school library media specialist graduates make about $53,463. Set against $26,082 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in school librarian/school library media specialist will find it at St Catherine University, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Saint Paul, St Catherine University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $38,428. Typical student debt for school librarian/school library media specialist graduates is $28,000. Early-career school librarian/school library media specialist graduates make about $57,686. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. St Catherine University admits about 92% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- 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.
