2022 Best Value Library Science Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Library Science Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 5,894 people earned their degree in library science, making the major the 35th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, library science graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $41,658 and had an average of $36,277 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 318 library science graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,600 and $33,408 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 289 library science graduates with average earnings and debt of $53,438 and $39,783 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Library Science Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 4 colleges that offer a degree in library science. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent library science programs, but they also 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 science program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 a Master’s in the Plains States Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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.

Best Value Library 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 science students.

Top 4 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Library 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 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 science degrees in 2019-2020.

ESU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Library Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at ESU are $22,058, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full ESU Library Science Report

#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 Science Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region. St. Kate’s is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 masters’s library science degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region master’s degree library science students list, St. Kate’s has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Library Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at St. Kate’s are $17,400, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full St. Kate’s Library Science Report

#3

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri

#4 in overall quality

$16,394 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Central Missouri. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Library Science Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region. UCM is located in Warrensburg, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 masters’s library science degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region master’s degree library science students list, UCM has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Library Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCM are $16,394, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Central Missouri Library 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 Science Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s library science degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Library Science Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Iowa are $27,613, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Library Science at Iowa

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Library 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 John Cummings.

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