Lake Charles, Louisiana is home to about 81,679 residents. Median household income is $56,864 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Louisiana, the top-earning library science-related role is Archivist at a median $59,070 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Library Science Schools to Lake Charles
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer library science programs near Lake Charles, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lake Charles 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 Lake Charles.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,251
Avg net price
$19,151/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 122
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Louisiana schools on the Louisiana library science page.
Library Science Wages Near Lake Charles
Lake Charles is part of the Lake Charles, LA metro area (BLS area code 29340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Louisiana statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Librarian and Media Collections Specialist | $53,940 | Lake Charles, LA | $62,794 |
| Library Technician | $39,180 | LA statewide | $45,611 |
| Archivist | $59,070 | LA statewide | $68,766 |
| Library Science Teacher, Postsecondary | N/A | LA statewide | – |
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.
Lake Charles at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 81,679 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $56,864 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 29.4% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 85.9 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Lake Charles-Area Cities With Library Science Programs
- Sulphur, LA – 8.6 mi away (20,272 pop)
- Port Arthur, TX – 48.9 mi away (157,732 pop)
- Beaumont, TX – 56.2 mi away (147,935 pop)
- Abbeville, LA – 67.0 mi away (20,139 pop)
- Lafayette, LA – 70.7 mi away (267,376 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the highest-paying library science roles near Lake Charles?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying library science-related roles near Lake Charles are: Archivist ($59,070), Librarian and Media Collections Specialist ($53,940), Library Technician ($39,180). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Louisiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Sulphur instead of Lake Charles?
Sulphur, LA is 8.6 miles from Lake Charles 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 Lake Charles an affordable place to study library science?
Lake Charles’s median household income of $56,864 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lake Charles while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Louisiana 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.
Learn More About Library Science Programs
Other Programs Available in Lake Charles
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Lake Charles:
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- Public Health programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Human Resources programs in Lake Charles, LA
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- Special Education programs in Lake Charles, LA
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- Marketing programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Finance programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Kinesiology programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Sports Management programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Early Childhood Education programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Elementary Education programs in Lake Charles, LA
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- Communications programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Graphic Design programs in Lake Charles, LA
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- MBA programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Criminal Justice programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Nursing programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Business Administration programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Computer Science programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Psychology programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Education programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Engineering programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Technology programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Liberal Arts programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Healthcare programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Cybersecurity programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Accounting programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Healthcare Administration programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Social Work programs in Lake Charles, LA
- Counseling programs in Lake Charles, LA
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.
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