MLIS Degree Programs by State

Featured Programs:

ALA-Accredited Library Science Master’s Programs

Accreditation by the ALA may not be required for every possible job opening, but it’s typically recommended, which is why our list here is limited to only ALA-accredited programs in each state.

A Guide to Choosing the Best MLS Program for You

For the average student, we think these are the most important factors to consider before making your list of finalist schools, but your mileage may vary when it comes to how important each of these factors is.

Accreditation

As we mentioned, our list above is limited to master’s degree programs that have earned accreditation by the American Library Association, or ALA. Programs earn this designation by meeting a series of requirements and undergoing thorough evaluation every few years to ensure they’re continuing to meet the ALA’s standards. The ALA review process includes investigating things like curriculum, faculty, student outcomes, physical and technological resources, and missions, goals and objectives.

ALA-accredited degrees are required in many states to earn the certifications necessary to work in schools as well as (potentially) in other public spaces like libraries, museums and government agencies. These rules vary by state, though, so it’s wise to consider your career goals and which state you intend to work in before making a firm commitment to a school.

Admissions

All MLS programs listed here require applicants to have earned an undergraduate degree, though it’s not necessary to have majored in library or information sciences or in any closely related field. In most cases, the minimum acceptable GPA for undergraduate degrees and any prior graduate degrees is 3.0/4.0, but a handful of programs do accept GPAs lower than that.

In some cases, applicants will be asked to provide a recent score on a standardized entrance exam like the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Most schools don’t publish minimum acceptable scores for these exams, and schools that do require these tests have suspended the requirement temporarily because of the coronavirus pandemic. It’s assumed they’ll re-establish the requirement after the pandemic is over, though.

Cost

As with any other higher education program, public institutions tend to be cheaper than private ones. In some cases, in-state residents can expect to spend as little as $9,000-$10,000 on tuition costs for their entire degree program. Library science degrees from private universities begin around $25,000, making them relatively affordable for the average student, though the most expensive ones cost about $50,000-$60,000 for tuition costs.

Degree Type

There are several types of ALA-accredited degrees in library and information science, though in many cases, they are more or less interchangeable when it comes to getting a job. Here’s a look at the most common degree types you’ll encounter:

Master of Library and Information Science, MLIS
Master of Library and Information Studies, MLIS
Master of Library Science, MLS
Master of Science in Information Science, MSIS
Master of Science in Library and Information Science, MSLIS
Master of Science in Library Science, MSLS
Master of Science in Information, MSI
Master of Science, MS
Master of Information Science, MIS
Master of Information Studies, MIS
Master of Information, MI
Master of Arts, MA
Master of Arts in Library and Information Science, MALIS
Master of Arts in Library Science, MALS
Master of Management in Library and Information Science, MMLIS

Generally, degrees with “science” in their titles will include more curriculum devoted to data science, technology and related areas, while those with an “arts” name are more likely to include humanities-heavy education.

Delivery Method

The majority of ALA-accredited programs offer the option to complete at least some coursework online, though some are only available in-person, while a few others offer a hybrid approach. For many students, this may be the deciding factor in what programs to consider, since there are more than a dozen states in which there are no ALA-accredited library science master’s degree programs. The good news for those students is that the vast majority of ALA-accredited degrees can be earned online.

Internship, Field Work & Thesis

Specifics of curriculum vary pretty widely by school, but in most cases, students will need to complete some sort of culminating project. In most programs, that’s an internship, a practicum or a thesis, and students often have the choice to pursue whichever path they want.

Specializations

Another crucial factor that for many students turns out to be the tipping point is the ability to declare a specialization. In some schools, they’re called concentrations, while others refer to them as clusters. Whatever the terminology, specializations allow students to tailor their educational pursuits to the area of this broad field they’re more interested in studying.

This is more than just picking a few electives and calling in a day. In most programs that offer specializations, students are immersed in courses that speak directly to their specialty area. What this means is that students who aren’t interested in, say, becoming school librarians don’t have to take courses that won’t appeal to them.

Not every specialty is offered at every school, so some students may use the specialty options to guide their decisions, narrowing their search to schools that offer specialties in their interest areas. The most common specialties are:

Academic Librarianship
Archival Studies
Children’s Services
Cultural Heritage Information Management
Digital Libraries
Health Informatics
Information Organization
Information Systems Design/Analysis
Knowledge Management
Law Librarianship/Legal Information Services
Management and Administration
Music Librarianship
Organization of Information
Public Librarianship
Records Management
Reference and User Services
School Librarianship
Science Librarianship
Special Collections
Young Adult Services

Some specialties may only be offered to students attending on campus, so if there’s a focus area your heart is set on, be sure you can complete in whatever method you’re taking classes. In some schools, school librarian specialties may require additional courses for students who don’t already have teaching certifications.

Time to Completion

The typical library science master’s degree requires 36 credit-hours to complete a degree. For full-time students, this can take as little as 18 months, though the average full-timer will probably need more like 24 months. Part-time students will generally need about 30-36 months, and some programs set maximum time limits by which students must complete their degrees.

A few programs require 40-50 credit-hours, and those will take at least another year or more.

Conclusion

If you’re planning to pursue a career in library and information science, the decision of whether to get a master’s degree has probably already been made for you. That’s because most jobs in the field require completion of a graduate program just to get a foot in the door. The good news is that there are dozens of options, and most Americans live in a state with at least one library science master’s program, while those who don’t can most likely pursue online education options.

Take the Next Step in Obtaining Your Degree in Library Science

The growing, thriving, and dynamic field of librarianship can open doors to a rewarding and inspiring career. Take the next step obtaining your master’s degree in library science from an accredited university and start your career journey today.

Why These Programs?

Our goal is to connect potential students with the best MLIS degree programs in the country. We scored all library science master’s degree programs in the U.S. on more than 15 variables across four categories to find the best of the best.

Reputation

How the university and programs are thought of by peers.

Credibility

How the program ranks in major ratings publications.

Value

Comparison of the educational quality ot total tuition costs.

Popularity

A measure of search volume about the university and degree program.