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Best MLIS Schools Near Gainesville, GA (2026)
Updated September 6, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Gainesville, Georgia is home to about 44,051 residents. Median household income is $64,636 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Gainesville, GA metro area, the top-earning library science-related role is Librarian and Media Collections Specialist at a median $77,460 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Library Science Schools to Gainesville
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer library science programs near Gainesville, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Gainesville 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 Gainesville.
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 Gainesville
Gainesville is part of the Gainesville, GA metro area (BLS area code 23580). 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
$77,460
Gainesville, GA
$80,021
Library Technician
$37,320
GA statewide
$38,554
Archivist
$59,010
GA statewide
$60,961
Library Science Teacher, Postsecondary
$72,510
GA statewide
$74,907
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.
Gainesville at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Population
44,051
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income
$64,636
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+
26.2%
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)
96.8 (below U.S. average)
BEA RPP 2024
Other Gainesville-Area Cities With Library Science Programs
What are the highest-paying library science roles near Gainesville?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying library science-related roles near Gainesville are: Librarian and Media Collections Specialist ($77,460), Library Science Teacher, Postsecondary ($72,510), 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 Sugar Hill instead of Gainesville?
Sugar Hill, GA is 18.0 miles from Gainesville 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.
Is Gainesville an affordable place to study library science?
Gainesville’s median household income of $64,636 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gainesville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Georgia public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
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 6, 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.
