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2023 Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

49 Ranked Colleges
5,950 Degrees Awarded
$9,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 5,950 people earned their degree in library and information science, making the major the 121st most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, library and information science graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $43,949 and had an average of $27,472 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 49 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Library & Information Science (Income $0-$30k)

1
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Queens College landed the #1 spot on the list. QC is a fairly large school located in Queens, New York that handed out 94 ’s library science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at QC, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Queens College is $1,344 for library science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Library & Information Science at Queens College

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 54 ’s library science degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” list. It costs about $3,753 for library science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Library & Information Science at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Maryland - College Park. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Maryland - College Park is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 103 ’s library science degrees to qualified students.

UMCP also made our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $6,067 for Library Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Library & Information Science Report

4

Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 90 ’s library science degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $3,981 for library science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Library & Information Science at University of Wisconsin - Madison

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $5,752 for library science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Library & Information Science at Indiana University - Bloomington

6

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 122 ’s library science degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $5,194 for library science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.

Read more about Library & Information Science at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

7

Texas Woman’s University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Denton, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s library science degrees to 347 students in 2020-2021.

TWU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” list. It costs about $6,041 for library science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend TWU.

Read full report on Library & Information Science at TWU

8
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 648 ’s library science degrees in 2020-2021.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $12,158 for Library Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.

Full San Jose State University Library & Information Science Report

9
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k 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 science degrees to qualified students.

Rutgers New Brunswick also took the #2 spot in our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rutgers New Brunswick is $14,935 for library science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Rutgers New Brunswick Library & Information Science Report

10

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 98 ’s library science degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $4,176 for Library Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 92%.

Full USF Tampa Library & Information Science Report

11

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this large public school awarded 102 diplomas to qualified ’s library science students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our library science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Louisiana State University has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is $11,318 for library science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.

Read more about Library & Information Science at Louisiana State University

12

University of North Texas came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNT is a large school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 314 ’s library science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our library science students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNT has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNT is $6,387 for Library Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Library & Information Science at University of North Texas

13

University of South Carolina - Columbia landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia, South Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s library science degrees to 121 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our library science students whose families make $0-$30k list, UofSC has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UofSC is $12,130 for library science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Library & Information Science at University of South Carolina - Columbia

14

Emporia State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Emporia, Kansas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s library science degrees to 165 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 $11,465 for Library Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%.

Read more about Library & Information Science at ESU

15

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a large school located in Knoxville, Tennessee that handed out 106 ’s library science degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Knoxville also took the #24 spot in our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is $10,433 for Library Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Library & Information Science at UT Knoxville

16
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Appalachian State University is located in Boone, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s library science degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State University is $7,354 for library science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Appalachian State University Library & Information Science Report

17
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Detroit, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s library science degrees to 169 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our library science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wayne State has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State is $11,060 for Library Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Library & Information Science at Wayne State University

18
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 36 ’s library science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $17,287 for Library Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Library & Information Science at University of Southern California

19
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s library science degrees to 92 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $8,987 for library science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Library & Information Science at University of Arizona

20
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Greenville, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 79 diplomas to qualified ’s library science students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend East Carolina University is $11,260 for library science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full ECU Library & Information Science Report

21

With a ranking of #21, University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus is a large public school situated in Denver, Colorado. It awarded 34 ’s library science degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CU Anschutz is $10,404 for Library Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CU Anschutz Library & Information Science Report

22
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school handed out 33 diplomas to qualified ’s library science students in 2020-2021.

Iowa also made our “Best Library & Information Science Schools” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $13,554 for library science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Library & Information Science at University of Iowa

23

With a ranking of #23, Northeastern State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tahlequah, Oklahoma is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s library science degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,086 for library science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NSU.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Library & Information Science at Northeastern State University

24
University at Buffalo crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York

University at Buffalo landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University at Buffalo is a large public school situated in Buffalo, New York. It awarded 47 ’s library science degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,098 for Library Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University at Buffalo.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Library & Information Science at University at Buffalo

25

Sam Houston State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Library Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Huntsville, Texas, this large public school awarded 66 degrees to qualified ’s library science students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for SHSU is $11,210 for library science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Library & Information Science at SHSU

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