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by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Library and Information Science Schools” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 5,696 people earned their degree in library and information science, making the major the 134th most popular in the United States.
This year’s “Best Value Library and Information Science Schools” ranking analyzed 49 colleges that offered a degree in library and information science. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great library and information science programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the library and information science program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Library and Information Science Schools” list to help you make the college decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for library and information science students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas Woman’s University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Library and Information Science Schools. Located in Denton, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 347 diplomas to qualified ’s library and information science students in 2020-2021.
TWU also made our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Texas Woman’s University is $9,684 for library and information science students.
Read full report on Library & Information Science at Texas Woman’s University
Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Library and Information Science Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Emporia State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Emporia, Kansas, this medium-sized public school handed out 165 diplomas to qualified ’s library and information science students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at ESU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Emporia State University is $14,794 for Library and Information Science students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Library & Information Science at Emporia State University
Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Library and Information Science Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Texas landed the #4 spot on the list. UNT is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 314 ’s library and information science degrees in 2020-2021.
UNT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Texas is $14,122 for library and information science students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Library & Information Science at University of North Texas
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Jose State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Library and Information Science Schools list. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s library and information science degrees to 626 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our library and information science students list, San Jose State has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,542 for library and information science students per year to attend San Jose State.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Library & Information Science at San Jose State
Clarion University of Pennsylvania ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Library and Information Science Schools list. Clarion, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s library and information science degrees to 163 students in 2020-2021.
Clarion University also took the #25 spot in our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Clarion University of Pennsylvania is $19,452 for Library and Information Science students.
Full Clarion University of Pennsylvania Library & Information Science Report
Simmons University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Library and Information Science Schools ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 124 ’s library and information science degrees in 2020-2021.
Simmons did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” list. It costs about $27,920 for Library and Information Science students per year to attend Simmons.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
With a ranking of #8, Queens College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Library and Information Science Schools list. Queens, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s library and information science degrees to 94 students in 2020-2021.
QC also took the #10 spot in our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for QC is $3,469 for Library and Information Science students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Dominican University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Library and Information Science Schools ranking. Dominican U is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 66 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Dominican U also made our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican U is $18,645 for Library and Information Science students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Library & Information Science at Dominican University
LIU Post did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Library and Information Science Schools ranking, coming in at #10. LIU Post is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Brookville, New York. It awarded 82 ’s library and information science degrees in 2020-2021.
LIU Post did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend LIU Post is $26,069 for Library and Information Science students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Library & Information Science at LIU Post
With a ranking of #11, Sam Houston State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Library and Information Science Schools list. This large school is located in Huntsville, Texas, and it awarded 66 ’s library and information science degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Sam Houston State University is $15,035 for library and information science students.
Read more about Library & Information Science at Sam Houston State University
With a ranking of #12, Northeastern State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Library and Information Science Schools list. NSU is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s library and information science degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for NSU is $10,094 for Library and Information Science students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
East Carolina University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Library and Information Science Schools ranking. Greenville, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s library and information science degrees to 79 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend ECU is $16,550 for Library and Information Science students.
With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Library and Information Science Schools list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s library and information science degrees to 90 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our library and information science students list, UW - Madison has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $17,234 for Library and Information Science students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Library & Information Science Report
With a ranking of #15, Texas A&M University - Commerce did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Library and Information Science Schools list. This fairly large school is located in Commerce, Texas, and it awarded 54 ’s library and information science degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M Commerce is $13,515 for library and information science students.
Read more about Library & Information Science at Texas A&M Commerce
With a ranking of #16, University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Library and Information Science Schools list. University of South Carolina - Columbia is a large school located in Columbia, South Carolina that handed out 121 ’s library and information science degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our library and information science students list, UofSC has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” ranking. It costs about $20,559 for library and information science students per year to attend UofSC.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Library and Information Science Schools ranking. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 54 diplomas to qualified ’s library and information science students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our library and information science students list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $12,469 for Library and Information Science students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read full report on Library & Information Science at UNC Chapel Hill
With a ranking of #18, University of Central Missouri did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Library and Information Science Schools list. University of Central Missouri is a public institution located in Warrensburg, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,058 for Library and Information Science students per year to attend UCM.
Read full report on Library & Information Science at University of Central Missouri
Rutgers University - New Brunswick landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Library and Information Science Schools ranking. Rutgers University - New Brunswick is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 194 ’s library and information science degrees to qualified students.
Rutgers New Brunswick did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” list. It costs about $23,035 for Library and Information Science students per year to attend Rutgers New Brunswick.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Rutgers New Brunswick Library & Information Science Report
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Library and Information Science Schools list. This large school is located in Norman, Oklahoma, and it awarded 96 ’s library and information science degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is $21,122 for Library and Information Science students.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Library & Information Science at University of Oklahoma
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Library and Information Science Schools ranking, coming in at #21. CU Anschutz is located in Denver, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 ’s library and information science degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $14,470 for Library and Information Science students per year to attend University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Library & Information Science Report
With a ranking of #22, Appalachian State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Library and Information Science Schools list. Appalachian State University is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 27 ’s library and information science degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,989 for library and information science students per year to attend Appalachian State University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Library & Information Science at Appalachian State
University of Maryland - College Park landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Library and Information Science Schools ranking. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s library and information science degrees to 103 students in 2020-2021.
UMCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - College Park is $18,048 for Library and Information Science students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Maryland - College Park Library & Information Science Report
Kent State University at Kent came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Library and Information Science Schools ranking. Kent State is a large public school situated in Kent, Ohio. It awarded 173 ’s library and information science degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Kent State is $19,117 for library and information science students.
Read full report on Library & Information Science at Kent State University at Kent
University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Library and Information Science Schools ranking. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 98 ’s library and information science degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,346 for Library and Information Science students per year to attend USF Tampa.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Library & Information Science at University of South Florida - Main Campus
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
