FIRST PROFESSIONAL DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a first professional degree in Library Science and Administration worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 2 college programs with reportable data.

Personal baseline needed

$66,688 in median year-4 earnings

A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.

$66,688Median year-4 earnings
$29,998Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →
Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$66,688Typical earnings four years after completion
$68,648Average earnings five years after completion
Not availableTypical federal student debt
18thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
2College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Library Science and Administration

How much do Library Science and Administration first professional degree graduates earn?

The national median is $66,688 four years after completion across reportable first professional degree programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

A national median federal-debt figure is not reportable for this degree in the current release.

Does the college matter for Library Science and Administration?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $56,690 to $56,690 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Library Science and Administration?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 4 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.

Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.

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Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$32,301
Federal debt
$34,536
Programs in the comparison
3
3 report earnings →
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Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$57,780
Federal debt
$25,773
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →
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Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$55,958
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
54
54 report earnings →
CURRENT VIEW

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings
$66,688
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
2
2 report earnings →
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Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$56,119
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
5
5 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median
25th percentile$56,690National median$66,68875th percentile$56,690
2 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$56,69075th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
Not availableMedian federal debt across programs that report it
0Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION

Three useful places to start

Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.

Highest observed earnings

The Catholic University of America

$76,685 four years after completionWashington, DC · inspect the full program →
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Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

2 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 2 shown
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WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1The Catholic University of America$76,6852University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus$56,690

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

Jobs this degree may lead to

Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.

Pay and projected demand

Related careers do not share one outlook

Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection

Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.

Librarians and Media Collections Specialists$68,270 median wage133,790 jobs nationwide+2.6% projected growth through 2035 · 12,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$43,660–$103,990 typical wage rangeManagers, All Other$141,900 median wage622,190 jobs nationwide+4.9% projected growth through 2035 · 100,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$74,300–$238,270 typical wage rangeLibrary Science Teachers, Postsecondary$80,340 median wage3,630 jobs nationwide+2.7% projected growth through 2035 · 300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$57,200–$129,120 typical wage rangeArchivists$64,550 median wage7,970 jobs nationwide+3.4% projected growth through 2035 · 1,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$39,970–$110,550 typical wage range

BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.