MLIS Statistics
Statistics on recent MLIS students and alumni:
Retention Rate & Time to Degree*
MLIS Residential Students
| Cohort year | 1-year retention rate | 2-year graduation rate | Average time to degree (months) |
| 2018 | 95% | 93% | 21.5 |
| 2019 | 85% | 86% | 22.5 |
| 2020 | 88% | 96% | 20.7 |
| 2021 | 94% | 98% | 20.4 |
| 2022 | 94% | 84% | 22.1 |
| 2023 | 96.7% | 84% | 20.6 |
| 2024 | 96.% | NA | NA |
MLIS Online Students
| Cohort year | 1-year retention rate | 3-year graduation rate | Average time to degree (months) |
| 2018 | 95% | 88% | 27.0 |
| 2019 | 90% | 95% | 26.0 |
| 2020 | 94% | 96% | 25.2 |
| 2021 | 88% | 65% | 32.3 |
| 2022 | 96% | 79% | 30.6 |
| 2023 | 87.5% | NA | NA |
| 2024 | 93% | NA | NA |
MLIS Law Librarianship Students
| Cohort year | 1-year retention rate | 1-year graduation rate | Average time to degree (months) |
| 2018 | NA | 100% | 10.9 |
| 2019 | NA | 100% | 10.9 |
| 2020 | 80% | 60% | 11.6 |
| 2021 | NA | 100% | 10.6 |
| 2022 | NA | 89% | 10.6 |
| 2023 | 79% | 75% | 14.28 |
| 2024 | 83.6% | 66.7% | 11.3 |
Employment Data**
The majority of MLIS students graduate in June each year, and the employment survey remains open till December. Data reflects employment status anywhere from 1 to 6 months after graduation. *Due to a low response rate to the 2024 Next Destination Survey, 2023-2024 numbers were drawn from the iSchool’s Alumni Relations team utilizing LinkedIn data.
MLIS students graduating:
| 128 graduates were surveyed, 83 responded, 65% 65 of 83 respondents report being employed, 78% 52 of 65 report being employed in a degree-related field, 80% |
MLIS students graduating:
| 127 graduates were surveyed, 73 responded, 57% 56 of 73 respondents report being employed, 77% 49 of 56 report being employed in a degree-related field, 88% |
MLIS students graduating:
| 128 graduates were surveyed, 53 responded, 41% 26 of 53 respondents report being employed, 49% 22 of 26 report being employed in a degree-related field, 85% |
MLIS students graduating:
| 152 graduates were surveyed, 71 responded, 47% 53 of 71 respondents report being employed, 75% 45 of 53 report being employed in a degree-related field, 85% |
MLIS students graduating:
| 124 graduates were surveyed, 31 responded, 25% 15 of 31 respondents report being employed FT (30+ hours), 48% 12 of 31 are seeking employment, 39% |
MLIS students graduating:
| 134 students graduated, 123 self-reported 85 (69%) of 123 graduates report being employed. |
MLIS students graduating:
| 158 students graduated, 93 self-reported 35 (38%) of 93 graduates report being employed. |
Distribution of Students Self-Reported by Race/Ethnicity
Data on student population is tabulated in October of each year.
| Race / Ethnicity | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Black or African American | 3.4% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 3.1% | 3.2% | 2.7% | 2.3% |
| American Indian | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.8% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Asian American | 5.7% | 8.4% | 6.9% | 7.3% | 5.3% | 5.4% | 7.2% |
| Caucasian | 73.4% | 70.9% | 69.4% | 66.4% | 67.2% | 67.7% | 66.3% |
| Hispanic | 9.2% | 9.7% | 10.7% | 12.3% | 12% | 11.6% | 12.1% |
| Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| International (unspecified) | 1.7% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 2.8% | 3.2% | 3.5% | 2.1% |
| Two or more races | 5.4% | 6.3% | 7.9% | 6.4% | 6.9% | 7.3% | 7.4% |
| Unknown | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 0.8% | 1.8% |
* For graduation rates and time to degree, MLIS Residential only includes full-time students. For retention, it includes both full- and part-time students. MLIS Online is primarily part-time. Cohorts assume everyone starts in the fall.
** In 2025, the timing of send of the alumni survey did not result in adequate response numbers.
Admissions Statistics:
| Program | MLIS | MLIS Law |
| Total Applicants | 414 | 18 |
| Denied | 66 | 1 |
| Admitted | 330 | 17 |
| Acceptance Rate | 79.71% | 94.7% |
Admitted Student Profile:
| Program | MLIS | MLIS Law |
| Average Age | 25.65 years (Range: 19 – 62) | 31.5 years |
| Residency | In-State (WA): 29.1% Out-of-State/International: 70.9% | In-State (WA): Out-of-State/International: |
| Common Countries of Origin | United States, China, Canada, Ghana, Vietnam | United States, Singapore |
| Ethnicity |
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| Academic Background | Average GPA: 3.62 Students with Two Degrees: 17.27% Common Degree Types: Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), Master of Arts (MA), Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Certificates Common Majors: History, English, Anthropology, Sociology, English Literature, Psychology | Average GPA: 3.60 Students with Two Degrees: 100% (All admitted students hold a Juris Doctor (JD) degree). Common Degree Types: Juris Doctor (JD), Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), Master of Arts (MA) Common Majors: Law, Political Science, English. |
| Average Test Scores | TOEFL: 107.5 * Duolingo: 147.5 |