2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Library & Information Science in the Plains States Region

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 for a Master’s in the Plains States Region” ranking.

Library & Information Science is the 141st most popular major in the country with 5,191 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Plains States region, there were 301 library and information science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 289 library and information science graduates with average earnings and debt of $53,438 and $39,783 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Library and Information Science Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 4 colleges that offer a degree in library and information science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality library and information science programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the library and information science program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Library and Information Science Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Library and Information Science Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region master’s degree library and information science students.

Top 4 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Library & Information Science in the Plains States Region

#1

Emporia State University

Emporia, Kansas

#1 in overall quality

$22,058 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Emporia State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Library and Information Science Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region list. ESU is a medium-sized public school situated in Emporia, Kansas. It awarded 148 masters’s library and information science degrees in 2019-2020.

ESU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Library & Information Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Emporia State University are $22,058.

Read full report on Library & Information Science at ESU

#2

St Catherine University

Saint Paul, Minnesota

#3 in overall quality

$17,400 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend St Catherine University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Library and Information Science Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region. St Catherine University is a small school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 34 masters’s library and information science degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Kate’s also made our “Best Library & Information Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #3. Average graduate tuition and fees at St Catherine University are $17,400, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Library & Information Science at St. Kate’s

#3

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri

#4 in overall quality

$16,394 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Central Missouri. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Library and Information Science Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Warrensburg, Missouri, this medium-sized public school awarded 22 degrees to qualified masters’s library and information science students in 2019-2020.

UCM also took the #4 spot in our “Best Library & Information Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Central Missouri are $16,394, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Central Missouri Library & Information Science Report

#4

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa

#2 in overall quality

$27,613 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Library and Information Science Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region. University of Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 37 masters’s library and information science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region master’s degree library and information science students list, Iowa has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Library & Information Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Iowa are $27,613, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Library & Information Science at University of Iowa

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Library & Information Science

Notes and References

References

• 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).
• Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

• *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
• Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

• Credit for the banner image above goes to Diliff.

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