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2023 Best Value Library & Information Science Schools

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

48 Colleges
$27,379 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$43,949 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Library & Information Science School for You

In 2020-2021, 5,809 people earned a degree or certificate in library and information science, making the major the #44 most popular in the United States.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Grad Degree Search has developed this Best Value Library & Information Science Schools ranking. This report analyzed 48 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value programs for library science students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Library & Information Science Schools in the United States

Check out the library science programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 10 Best Library & Information Science Schools

$18,752 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Sam Houston State University to be the best value school for library and information science students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. Located in the town of Huntsville, SHSU is a public college with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at SHSU are $18,752 a year.

Full Library & Information Science at Sam Houston State University Report

$26,376 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus is a great value for library and information science students. CU Anschutz is a fairly large public school located in the city of Denver.

CU Anschutz undergraduate students pay an average of $26,376 in tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Library & Information Science at University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

Out of the 48 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jose State University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the large city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public college with a very large student population.

San Jose State undergraduate students pay an average of $19,732 in tuition and fees each year.

San Jose State also claimed a spot on our Best Library & Information Science Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.

Read More…

$22,266 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Texas A&M University - Commerce helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best library and information science schools in the United States. Texas A&M Commerce is a fairly large public school located in the distant town of Commerce.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Texas A&M Commerce are $22,266 per year.

Read full report on Library & Information Science at Texas A&M University - Commerce

$18,186 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Texas Woman’s University is a great value for library and information science students. TWU is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Denton.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at TWU are $18,186 a year.

Read full report on Library & Information Science at Texas Woman’s University

#6

LIU Post

Brookville, NY
$39,290 Average Tuition & Fees

LIU Post landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value library and information science programs. Located in the suburb of Brookville, LIU Post is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at LIU Post are $39,290 per year.

Read full report on Library & Information Science at LIU Post

$16,052 Average Tuition & Fees

Clarion University of Pennsylvania did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for library and information science students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the town of Clarion, Clarion University is a public college with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Clarion University are $16,052 per year.

Full Library & Information Science at Clarion University of Pennsylvania Report

$15,755 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #8, Northeastern State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for library and information science students. NSU is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Tahlequah.

NSU undergraduate students pay an average of $15,755 in tuition and fees each year.

Full Library & Information Science at Northeastern State University Report

#9

Queens College

Queens, NY
$15,488 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #9, Queens College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for library and information science students. Located in the city of Queens, QC is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at QC are $15,488 per year.

Read More…

$20,906 Average Tuition & Fees

University of North Texas landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value library and information science programs. UNT is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Denton.

UNT undergraduate students pay an average of $20,906 in tuition and fees each year.

Full Library & Information Science at University of North Texas Report

Library & Information Science by Region

View the Best Value Library & Information Science Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

Library & Information Science is one of 2 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Other Library & Archives Assisting 120

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Diliff.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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