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Major · Library Science

A rare catch-all for library programs that don't fit anywhere else on the CIP list

Library Science, Other is a small catch-all category for library-related associate's programs that don't match a more specific CIP code. Only 3 degrees are awarded annually across 4 colleges, with no tracked earnings or dedicated career destination — most students pursuing library work enroll in Library and Archives Assisting or Library and Information Science instead.

Schools offering
4
Annual completions
3
Typical degree level
Associate's
Median earnings (5yr)
—

About this major

Library Science, Other is a CIP residual category — the federal classification system's way of capturing library-related instructional programs that don't fit a more specific code. The official definition is simply "any instructional program in library science not listed above," which tells you something important right away: there is no standardized national curriculum for this major. The content depends entirely on which of the 4 participating colleges you attend and what that school chose to put under the 25.9999 code.

The major is tiny. Only 3 degrees are awarded annually across those 4 colleges, and all reported completions are at the associate's level. Oakland Community College in Auburn Hills, Michigan accounts for all 3 annual completions in the current data; the other listed institutions — Monterey Peninsula College, Wartburg College, and Itawamba Community College — show zero completions in the tracked window. Against that backdrop, comparing outcomes to peers is effectively impossible: there aren't enough peers.

The practical reality for students is that this label carries less signal to future employers, transfer advisors, and graduate programs than the sibling majors in the same family. Library and Archives Assisting (25.0301) has 161 annual completions across 29 colleges and a clear BLS occupational destination in library technician. Library and Information Science (25.0101) has 123 completions across 15 colleges and preserves a path to the MLIS master's that professional librarian roles typically require. Library Science, Other doesn't have a dedicated earnings figure in the packet, doesn't map to a specific listed career, and doesn't exist as a coherent national program — all of which should factor into how a prospective student weighs it.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

No federal crosswalk data available for this major yet.

Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Earnings data is not yet available at this major's level of granularity. See the concentration hub for family-level figures.

Who this major is for

You may thrive here only in a narrow scenario: you've already vetted a specific local program (likely at Oakland Community College based on the data), you've confirmed the course list covers the library-operations or archives skills you actually want, the tuition and commute match your constraints, and you have no better-signaled sibling option — Library and Archives Assisting or Library and Information Science — available nearby. In that narrow case, an associate's credential with library-operations coursework is still an associate's credential with library-operations coursework, and the paraprofessional hiring market will generally treat you similarly to graduates of the better-documented sibling majors.

Think twice if you have access to a Library and Archives Assisting program instead — it has roughly 54 times the annual graduates (161 versus 3) and a tracked associate's earnings signal of $34,202, both of which carry more weight in a job search and in any transfer application. Think twice if you're hoping this will route you to a professional librarian role: no undergraduate library major is sufficient for that path, which typically requires an MLIS master's, and the thinner the undergraduate signal, the more lift the master's application needs to do. Think twice if earnings expectations matter to you, because the packet carries no dedicated wage data for this category and the adjacent library technician occupation BLS projects to decline 6.8% over the coming decade. A residual CIP code is not where you want to stake an outcome-driven college decision unless the specific program's merits justify it.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Library Science, Other

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Oakland Community College Auburn Hills, MI 3 0 3
Monterey Peninsula College Monterey, CA 0 0 0
Wartburg College Waverly, IA 0 0 0
Itawamba Community College Fulton, MS 0 0 0
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Science Technologies/Technicians, Other

2,437 completions/yr

Library and Archives Assisting

161 completions/yr

Library and Information Science

123 completions/yr

Data Science, Other

7 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do Library Science, Other majors actually study?
The CIP definition is deliberately open: any instructional program in library science not listed under a more specific code. In practice, that means the content at any given school is whatever that school's program chooses to emphasize — typically some mix of library operations, cataloging basics, patron services, and archives work that doesn't cleanly fit the Library and Archives Assisting mold. Because only 4 colleges report any enrollment in this category and only 3 completions are awarded nationally each year, there's no standardized curriculum to describe. The honest answer is: look at the individual program's course list, because the CIP label tells you very little.
Do I need a bachelor's, or is an associate's enough here?
This major is offered only at the associate's level in the institutions tracked here, and national completions are tiny — just 3 degrees annually. For any serious library career path, the degree level that matters is determined by the role, not this major: library technician work accepts a postsecondary nondegree award or associate's, while professional librarian roles typically require an MLIS master's. Given the thinness of this specific category, most students should look at the sibling majors Library and Archives Assisting (161 annual completions, 29 colleges) or Library and Information Science (123 completions, 15 colleges) for a better-documented path.
What jobs do these graduates end up in?
The data packet for this major doesn't list tied career destinations, which reflects how small and heterogeneous the category is. Realistically, graduates end up in the same paraprofessional roles that Library and Archives Assisting graduates enter — library technician, library assistant, archives assistant — since the underlying skillset overlaps. The sibling major tracks a BLS library technician median wage of $39,970, with projected employment decline of 6.8%. Without the category-specific earnings or occupation match, graduates should anchor their expectations to that comparable data rather than to this thin residual listing.
Why does this major even exist if so few people complete it?
CIP codes include residual categories like this one so the federal classification system can cover programs that a handful of institutions offer but that don't match any of the specific, enumerated codes. The existence of the code doesn't imply a coherent national major — it's an administrative bucket. For prospective students, that's a reason to be cautious: a program labeled under 25.9999 tells you less about curriculum and outcomes than one under the specific 25.0101 or 25.0301 codes, and the thin enrollment (3 annual completions) means peer-comparison and employer-recognition signals are weak.
Should I pick this or one of the sibling library majors?
In almost every case, the sibling majors are the better-supported choice. Library and Archives Assisting (161 annual completions, 29 colleges, $34,202 five-year median earnings for associate's completers) has a clear occupational destination and a transparent national footprint. Library and Information Science (123 completions, 15 colleges, bachelor's option, $33,809 five-year earnings for bachelor's completers) keeps open the pathway to an MLIS master's and professional librarian roles. Library Science, Other carries neither a dedicated earnings signal nor a dedicated career destination, and the 3 annual completions mean peer comparisons are effectively unavailable.
What's a common next step if I'm already in one of these programs?
Finish the credential, then treat the job search the same way a Library and Archives Assisting graduate would: target library technician and archives assistant roles, typically at public, school, or academic libraries. If the program's credits are transferable, consider a move into a bachelor's in Library and Information Science (123 annual completions nationally) or Information Science/Studies (10,334 annual completions, broader labor-market applicability). If a professional librarian career is the goal, plan for an MLIS master's, since that's the credential BLS lists as typical for librarians — not any specific bachelor's or associate's.