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Best MLIS Schools Near Athens, GA (2026)
Updated September 1, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Athens, Georgia is home to about 137,582 residents. In Georgia, the top-earning library science-related role is Library Science Teacher, Postsecondary at a median $72,510 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Library Science Schools to Athens
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer library science programs near Athens, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Athens city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
Average net price (lower is better) 20%
Retention rate 15%
Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Athens.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
BOC
Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Georgia schools on the Georgia library science page.
Library Science Wages Near Athens
Athens is part of the Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area (BLS area code 12020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Georgia statewide.
Occupation
Median Wage
Source
COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Librarian and Media Collections Specialist
$64,550
Athens-Clarke County, GA
$69,185
Library Technician
$41,040
Athens-Clarke County, GA
$43,987
Archivist
$59,010
GA statewide
$63,248
Library Science Teacher, Postsecondary
$72,510
GA statewide
$77,717
Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.
Athens at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Regional Price Parity (US=100)
93.3 (below U.S. average)
BEA RPP 2024
Other Athens-Area Cities With Library Science Programs
What are the highest-paying library science roles near Athens?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying library science-related roles near Athens are: Library Science Teacher, Postsecondary ($72,510), Librarian and Media Collections Specialist ($64,550), Archivist ($59,010). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Georgia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Winder instead of Athens?
Winder, GA is 20.4 miles from Athens and has its own set of local library science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
How do I verify a program is accredited?
Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.
Data verified: September 1, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
