{"id":27688,"date":"2021-08-24T17:39:12","date_gmt":"2021-08-24T17:39:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/?p=27688"},"modified":"2022-10-20T15:28:10","modified_gmt":"2022-10-20T15:28:10","slug":"higher-ed-social-media-engagement-report-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/blog\/higher-ed-social-media-engagement-report-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"2021 Higher Education Social Media Engagement Report"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Back-to-school can only mean one thing besides endless Target runs and twin extra-long sheets: our annual Higher Education social media rankings!<\/p>\n<div style=\"background:#E4F3FA; padding: 20px;margin-bottom: 20px;font-style:italic;\"><strong>\n The most up-to-date Higher Ed data is out: \n<\/strong> Get the latest version of the <a href=\"\/blog\/higher-ed-social-media-engagement-report\/\"> Higher Education Social Media Engagement Report<\/a>.<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Find out how your alma mater (or employer\u2013we see you, obsessive Higher Education social media professionals) performed on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Did you move up in the ranks this year, or at least defeat your biggest rival?<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve got every D1 school ranked plus tons of examples of top-performing posts and trends taken directly from the highest-ranking universities. Don\u2019t miss the free report download for the full rankings.<\/p>\n<p>Sharpen your pencils and let\u2019s start studying the top schools and universities on social for 2021!<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"blog-inline-cta-image light\" >\n  <img src=\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/fU4ke4Dg.png>\n  <div class=\"cta-wrapper\"> <p>\n   Spoilers! See the full Higher Education rankings.  <\/p><a class=\"x-btn ss-light x-btn-global\" target=\"_blank\" href=\/resources\/higher-education-social-media-engagement-report-2021\/ style=\"\">Grab your report here <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><!-- begin toc nav --><\/p>\n<style>\nbody{overflow:unset;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"nav-toc\">\n<h6>CONTENTS<\/h6>\n<ul>\n<li><a class=\"nav-toc__link\" href=\"#title-overall-rankings\"><i class=\"x-icon--circle-o\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-x-icon-s=\"\uf0a9\"><\/i>Overall Rankings<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"nav-toc__link\" href=\"#title-instagram-rankings\"><i class=\"x-icon--circle-o\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-x-icon-s=\"\uf0a9\"><\/i>Instagram Rankings<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"nav-toc__link\" href=\"#title-facebook-rankings\"><i class=\"x-icon--circle-o\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-x-icon-s=\"\uf0a9\"><\/i>Facebook Rankings<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"nav-toc__link\" href=\"#title-twitter-rankings\"><i class=\"x-icon--circle-o\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-x-icon-s=\"\uf0a9\"><\/i>Twitter Rankings<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"nav-toc__link\" href=\"#title-live-benchmarks\"><i class=\"x-icon--circle-o\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-x-icon-s=\"\uf0a9\"><\/i>Live Benchmarks<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"nav-toc__link\" href=\"#title-methodology\"><i class=\"x-icon--circle-o\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-x-icon-s=\"\uf0a9\"><\/i>Methodology<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- end toc nav --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"title-overall-rankings\">Top Overall Higher Education Institutions on Social<\/h2>\n<p>Colleges and universities really had their work cut out for them this year, so the top 10 deserve extra credit for creating engaging social posts through campus closures, COVID fluctuations, online classes, and so much more. <a href=\"https:\/\/uiowa.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">University of Iowa <\/a>is the D1 \ud83d\udc10 for the third year in a row, so good luck catching the Hawkeyes. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jmu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">James Madison University<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohio.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ohio University<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Georgia Institute of Technology<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.byu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Brigham Young University<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tamu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Texas A&amp;M<\/a>, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Utah State Universit<\/a>y all managed to hang onto top 10 slots again this year as well.<\/p>\n<table class=\"tg-data\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"tg-0lax\">University<\/th>\n<th class=\"tg-lqy6\">Overall Rank<\/th>\n<th class=\"tg-lqy6\"><i style=\"color: #507da2;\" data-x-icon-b=\"\uf16d\"><\/i> Rank<\/th>\n<th class=\"tg-lqy6\"><i style=\"color: #274b82;\" data-x-icon-b=\"\uf39e\"><\/i> Rank<\/th>\n<th class=\"tg-lqy6\"><i style=\"color: #62c2f5;\" data-x-icon-b=\"\uf099\"><\/i> Rank<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-buh4\">University of Iowa<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">1<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">9<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">1<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-0lax\">Utah State University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">2<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">19<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">13<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-buh4\">Texas A&amp;M University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">3<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">7<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">8<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">27<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-0lax\">Ohio University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">4<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">43<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">6<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-buh4\">Georgia Tech<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">5<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">25<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">3<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">30<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-0lax\">Abilene Christian University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">6<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">35<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">5<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">25<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-buh4\">Syracuse University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">7<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">7<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">47<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">20<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-0lax\">Brigham Young University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">8<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">14<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">62<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-buh4\">James Madison University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">9<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">1<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">21<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">57<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-0lax\">Michigan State University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">10<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">61<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">9<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>But who doesn\u2019t love a good rookie story? Welcome to the top 10, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.acu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Abilene Christian University<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/msu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Michigan State University<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.syracuse.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Syracuse University<\/a>. You\u2019re in excellent company.<\/p>\n<p>Is there one common thing all these schools have incorporated into their strategy to ace social media this year? Not exactly, but you can bet they\u2019re all dialed into what their followers want, even if that means diversifying content between channels. And yes, many of them also saw epic success by employing some or all of the Higher Education social media trends below.<\/p>\n<h3>Top Trend 1: Campus glamour shots<\/h3>\n<p>The most surefire way to inspire campus nostalgia for alumni, parents, and students suffering through online classes? Eye-catching shots of your school\u2019s campus at its very best. From sunsets to snow and so far beyond, this is an evergreen trend you need to jump on if you want to maximize your school\u2019s engagement on social. Bonus points if you enlist your on-campus population to help with these shots in the form of user-generated content (UGC).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border-no-caption aligncenter wp-image-27857 size-large-modern\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/JMU-glamour-shot-700x443.png\" alt=\"A sunset over James Madison University's campus\" width=\"700\" height=\"443\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/JMU-glamour-shot-350x221@2x.png 700w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/JMU-glamour-shot-300x190.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/JMU-glamour-shot-1024x648.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/JMU-glamour-shot-1536x972.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/JMU-glamour-shot-100x63.png 100w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/JMU-glamour-shot-350x221.png 350w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/JMU-glamour-shot-1170x740.png 1170w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/JMU-glamour-shot.png 1758w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/JMU-glamour-shot-700x443@2x.png 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The school to beat for campus glamour shots is undeniably James Madison University, whose Instagram top posts are just one giant ode to their breathtaking campus. From snowy sunset shots like the post above to portraits of on-campus buildings looking their best, James Madison University knows just how to engage its followers. This post rocked a 19.9% engagement rate on Instagram, which is more than 5x the D1 school Instagram average.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border-no-caption aligncenter wp-image-27858 size-large-modern\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Ohio-University-glamour-shot-700x389.png\" alt=\"A snowy aerial view over Ohio University's campus is a top-performing higher education social media post this year\" width=\"700\" height=\"389\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Ohio-University-glamour-shot-350x195@2x.png 700w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Ohio-University-glamour-shot-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Ohio-University-glamour-shot-1024x570.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Ohio-University-glamour-shot-1536x854.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Ohio-University-glamour-shot-100x56.png 100w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Ohio-University-glamour-shot-350x195.png 350w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Ohio-University-glamour-shot-1170x651.png 1170w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Ohio-University-glamour-shot.png 1758w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Ohio-University-glamour-shot-700x389@2x.png 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Ohio University also landed itself in the overall top 10 thanks to gorgeous campus glamour shots like this. This post earned a 3.13% engagement rate with more than 1,000 shares, suggesting students and alumni fell over themselves for the chance to share a snapshot of the Bobcat campus alongside this Ohio University birthday announcement.<\/p>\n<p>Colleges and universities work so hard to make campus life meaningful for students, so it makes total sense to use social media to remind anyone with a tie to the campus about what a special and memorable place it can be.<\/p>\n<h3>Top Trend 2: Contests and giveaways<\/h3>\n<p>Social media marketers in every industry from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/blog\/top-beauty-brands-on-social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">beauty<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/blog\/top-outdoor-brands-social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">outdoor retail<\/a> and beyond know that contests are a surefire way to gin up engagement on any channel. Some of the top posts from D1 colleges and universities featured giveaways by encouraging followers to like, comment, tag, and share. Contests are a great strategy for increasing engagement on a single post while also increasing follower counts.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border-no-caption aligncenter wp-image-27864 size-large-modern\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-giveaway-700x402.png\" alt=\"Instagram giveaway post featuring a grab bag of Utah State University swag\" width=\"700\" height=\"402\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-giveaway-350x201@2x.png 700w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-giveaway-300x172.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-giveaway-1024x588.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-giveaway-1536x882.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-giveaway-100x57.png 100w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-giveaway-350x201.png 350w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-giveaway-1170x672.png 1170w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-giveaway.png 1766w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-giveaway-700x402@2x.png 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Utah State\u2019s holiday giveaway post was the university\u2019s most engaging social post on Instagram last year with more than 10,000 engagements and a 29.8% engagement rate. The school made it extremely easy for followers to enter by requiring nothing more than a comment with a tagged friend. Add in a little Aggie swag and you\u2019ve got yourself a seriously compelling Instagram post.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border-no-caption aligncenter wp-image-27863 size-large-modern\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ACU-Insta-giveaway-700x650.png\" alt=\"Instagram giveaway post featuring Abilene Christian University swag is a top-performing higher education social media post this year\" width=\"700\" height=\"650\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ACU-Insta-giveaway-350x325@2x.png 700w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ACU-Insta-giveaway-300x278.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ACU-Insta-giveaway-1024x950.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ACU-Insta-giveaway-100x93.png 100w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ACU-Insta-giveaway-350x325.png 350w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ACU-Insta-giveaway-1170x1086.png 1170w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ACU-Insta-giveaway.png 1416w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ACU-Insta-giveaway-700x650@2x.png 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Abilene Christian University ran an Instagram contest in the spring that required a little more investment up front from followers but offered an epic payoff in the form of a swag bundle and AirPods. This post grabbed thousands of entries and a whopping 37.6% engagement rate while boosting follower counts for ACU and ACU graduate program accounts. Requiring entrants to follow related accounts is a smart outcome for contests and giveaways even if it means they need to take an extra step or two to win big.<\/p>\n<h3>Top Trend 3: Student, alumni, and school wins<\/h3>\n<p>Who doesn\u2019t love a win? Schools weren\u2019t afraid to shout the accomplishments of students and alumni, and of course also worked hard to feature campus achievements. Bragging about school-related achievements is another easy way to stir up school spirit, so it\u2019s no wonder this tactic is tried and true.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border-no-caption aligncenter wp-image-27852 size-large-modern\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-FB-winning-700x451.png\" alt=\"Instagram post featuring University of Iowa grad Morgan Kofold posing in U of I scrubs\" width=\"700\" height=\"451\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-FB-winning-350x225@2x.png 700w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-FB-winning-300x193.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-FB-winning-1024x659.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-FB-winning-1536x989.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-FB-winning-100x64.png 100w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-FB-winning-350x225.png 350w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-FB-winning-1170x753.png 1170w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-FB-winning.png 1764w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-FB-winning-700x451@2x.png 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Overall <i>and <\/i>Facebook winner University of Iowa wasn\u2019t afraid to keep the win ball rolling with a flex about Hawkeye grad and nurse Morgan Kofold\u2019s quest for the Miss Iowa USA crown. This Instagram post was the Hawkeyes\u2019 most engaging post of the year (with a little help from boosting) with more than 67,000 engagements and a 36.1% engagement rate. Followers turned out in droves to wish her well on her quest for the gold, but knew that her time as a Hawkeye set her up for success no matter the outcome of the pageant.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border-no-caption aligncenter wp-image-27860 size-large-modern\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Baylor-Insta-win-700x429.png\" alt=\"Members of the winning men's basketball team holding the NCAA trophy is an example of excellent higher education social media this year\" width=\"700\" height=\"429\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Baylor-Insta-win-350x215@2x.png 700w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Baylor-Insta-win-300x184.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Baylor-Insta-win-1024x628.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Baylor-Insta-win-1536x942.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Baylor-Insta-win-100x61.png 100w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Baylor-Insta-win-350x215.png 350w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Baylor-Insta-win-1170x717.png 1170w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Baylor-Insta-win.png 1758w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Baylor-Insta-win-700x429@2x.png 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baylor.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Baylor University<\/a> ranked 11th overall thanks in part to engaging Instagram posts like this one celebrating their NCAA championship win this year. Can every college replicate these killer engagement stats by winning March Madness? Sadly no, but that shouldn\u2019t stop you from celebrating every student and alumni achievement on campus you can find, especially when paired with gorgeous photography like in this post. Congrats on your winning basketball team and social, Bears.<\/p>\n<h3>Top Overall University: University of Iowa<\/h3>\n<p>Hawkeye pride is a force to be reckoned with on the playing field, in academic buildings, and on social. In case you\u2019ve been living under a Higher Education social media rock, the University of Iowa is <i>the <\/i>school to beat thanks to universally stellar engagement rates and totals across all three major social channels. With a first place finish on Facebook, and 9th and 13th place finishes respectively on Instagram and Twitter, the Hawkeyes prove you really can be good at everything if you put your mind to it.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border-no-caption aligncenter wp-image-27855 size-large-modern\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Instagram-professor-700x393.png\" alt=\"Instagram post from University of Iowa featuring a kindhearted note from a professor to his students\" width=\"700\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Instagram-professor-350x196@2x.png 700w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Instagram-professor-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Instagram-professor-1024x574.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Instagram-professor-1536x861.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Instagram-professor-100x56.png 100w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Instagram-professor-350x196.png 350w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Instagram-professor-1170x656.png 1170w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Instagram-professor.png 1762w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Instagram-professor-700x393@2x.png 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Instagram\u2019s engagement rates are many times higher than those on Facebook or Twitter, so it\u2019s an important channel to get right. Does the University of Iowa come out swinging with a showstopping image or video? Nope. The university\u2019s best post by engagement rate is a flippin\u2019 screenshot, indicating this school\u2019s confidence knows no bounds. This adorable and heartfelt UGC screenshot from a Hawkeye student about a professor\u2019s generosity over the holidays is too pure for this world, and Iowa\u2019s followers ate it up.<\/p>\n<div data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\" data-en-clipboard=\"true\">\n<div style=\"background:#E4F3FA; padding: 20px;margin-bottom: 20px;font-style:italic;\"><strong>\n  \n<\/strong>&#8220;Number one, our audience comes first. We believe in creating content that they value\u2013it&#8217;s not just about what we want to say. Next, we try to pay attention to every detail of a post. The specific time it&#8217;s shared, the channel, the text, the images, descriptions, video length, video dimensions&#8230; it all matters.&#8221; &#8211;<strong>Michael Benning, Director of Digital Marketing, University of Iowa<\/strong> <\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border-no-caption aligncenter wp-image-27854 size-large-modern\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Hawkeye-wave-FB-700x380.png\" alt=\"U of Iowa football fans turning to do the Hawkeye wave is an example of excellent higher education social media\" width=\"700\" height=\"380\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Hawkeye-wave-FB-350x190@2x.png 700w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Hawkeye-wave-FB-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Hawkeye-wave-FB-1024x555.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Hawkeye-wave-FB-1536x833.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Hawkeye-wave-FB-100x54.png 100w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Hawkeye-wave-FB-350x190.png 350w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Hawkeye-wave-FB-1170x635.png 1170w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Hawkeye-wave-FB.png 1766w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Hawkeye-wave-FB-700x380@2x.png 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>You can\u2019t talk about University of Iowa social media without talking about the #HawkeyeWave. This sports tradition started back in 2017 involves a stadium full of Hawkeye fans turning to the children\u2019s hospital that overlooks the field and waving at the kids and families watching from within. It\u2019s absolutely guaranteed to bring a tear to your eye while also garnering some serious social media engagement, and is a common theme running throughout University of Iowa\u2019s top posts on every channel. This Facebook post saw a 4.08% engagement rate, which was the third highest of the school year for the Hawkeyes.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border-no-caption aligncenter wp-image-27866 size-large-modern\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Twitter-wins-700x362.png\" alt=\"A member of the U of Iowa's men's basketball team pumps his fist in fictory\" width=\"700\" height=\"362\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Twitter-wins-350x181@2x.png 700w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Twitter-wins-300x155.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Twitter-wins-1024x529.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Twitter-wins-1536x794.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Twitter-wins-100x52.png 100w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Twitter-wins-350x181.png 350w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Twitter-wins-1170x605.png 1170w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Twitter-wins.png 1756w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Iowa-Twitter-wins-700x362@2x.png 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>For the Hawkeyes, Twitter is for sports wins, and in the case of the tweet above, sports taunts. Nearly all of the University of Iowa\u2019s top tweets by engagement rates feature Hawkeyes dominating on the basketball court, wrestling mat, or football stadium, and fans and followers are here for it. This tweet pokes fun at arch-nemesis Iowa State with a little Hawkeye heart thrown in for good measure. With an engagement rate of 3.58%, or about 20x University of Iowa\u2019s annual average, this tweet topped the University of Iowa charts. While the tweet likes and retweets speak for themselves, a number of the replies were less sunny, reminding everyone that good engagement isn\u2019t the only way for a tweet to grab attention on social.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"title-instagram-rankings\">Top Higher Education Institutions on Instagram<\/h2>\n<p>Instagram is a serious battleground for colleges and universities on social media since it\u2019s one of the most engaging social channels for their <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hootsuite.com\/instagram-demographics\/\">key 18-24 target audience<\/a>. With such high stakes, schools fight hard for a piece of the Instagram pie, and as such we see less movement in the top 10 on this channel than on Facebook and Twitter. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jmu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">James Madison University<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/vt.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Virginia Tech<\/a> repeated their 1-2 finish again this year, while <a href=\"https:\/\/uiowa.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">University of Iowa<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uvm.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">University of Vermont<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pitt.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">University of Pittsburgh<\/a> were also able to hold onto top spots in the top 10 again.<\/p>\n<table class=\"tg-data\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"tg-lqy6\">Rank<\/th>\n<th class=\"tg-0lax\">University<\/th>\n<th class=\"tg-lqy6\"><i style=\"color: #507da2;\" data-x-icon-b=\"\uf16d\"><\/i> Total Engagement<\/th>\n<th class=\"tg-0lax\" colspan=\"2\"><i style=\"color: #507da2;\" data-x-icon-b=\"\uf16d\"><\/i> Engagement Rate<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">1<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-buh4\">James Madison University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">703,819<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">7.26%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">2<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-0lax\">Virginia Tech<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">835,377<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">5.51%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">3<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-buh4\">University of Vermont<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">497,649<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">7.05%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">4<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-0lax\">University of Pittsburgh<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">605,396<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">5.98%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">5<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-buh4\">University of Connecticut<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">1,009,304<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">4.89%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">6<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-0lax\">Northern Arizona University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">886,730<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">4.94%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">7<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-buh4\">Texas A&amp;M University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">2,482,177<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">4.48%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">7<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-0lax\">Syracuse University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">670,311<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">5.43%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">9<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-buh4\">University of Iowa<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">822,674<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">4.89%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">10<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-0lax\">University of Dayton<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">333,179<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">6.84%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/udayton.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">University of Dayton<\/a> ascended 20 spots on the Instagram ranking to break into the top 10 but actually lost some ground in the overall rankings, suggesting that Instagram isn\u2019t everything after all.<\/p>\n<p>These top schools performed well above the median engagement rate for D1 schools of 3.56%, while keeping pace with or exceeding the median posts per week of 3.6. Top schools also carved out a lead by emulating the trends laid out above, and even setting a few of their own. Let\u2019s get into how Virginia Tech clinched the silver medal on Instagram for the second year in a row.<\/p>\n<h3>Top University on Instagram: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University<\/h3>\n<p>Virginia Tech has been an Instagram powerhouse for a number of years thanks to a consistently high follower count compared to other top universities and engagement rates about 50% higher than the average college or university on this channel. Virginia Tech saw finishes in 50th place on Facebook and 41st place on Twitter, suggesting \u200b\u200bInstagram is clearly an area of focus for the Hokie social media team.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border-no-caption aligncenter wp-image-27856 size-large-modern\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Puppy-Virginia-Tech-Insta-700x441.png\" alt=\"A cute dog in front of a Virginia Tech landmark\" width=\"700\" height=\"441\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Puppy-Virginia-Tech-Insta-350x221@2x.png 700w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Puppy-Virginia-Tech-Insta-300x189.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Puppy-Virginia-Tech-Insta-1024x646.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Puppy-Virginia-Tech-Insta-1536x969.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Puppy-Virginia-Tech-Insta-100x63.png 100w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Puppy-Virginia-Tech-Insta-350x221.png 350w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Puppy-Virginia-Tech-Insta-1170x738.png 1170w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Puppy-Virginia-Tech-Insta.png 1760w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Puppy-Virginia-Tech-Insta-700x441@2x.png 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Every savvy social media marketer knows puppies are the real secret to engaging content on social (kidding\u2013sorta). Chip\u2019s adorable mug in front of this Virginia Tech landmark delighted followers to the tune of a 13.6% engagement rate, which is more than 2.5x the school\u2019s average on Instagram. A <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dog_rates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">We Rate Dogs-style post<\/a>\u00a0with a campus tie-in is a simple but effective way to drive engagement that we\u2019re frankly all for. Now, what\u2019s stopping your college or university from showing off the best and the cutest of your own dog brigade?<\/p>\n<div data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\" data-en-clipboard=\"true\"><div style=\"background:#E4F3FA; padding: 20px;margin-bottom: 20px;font-style:italic;\"><strong>\n  \n<\/strong>\u201cWhile last year was especially challenging because of the pandemic, we were able to feature the joy of campus student life while also showing how the university was working to keep everyone safe. We also dipped our toe back into having fun and engaging non-COVID posts, and our audiences really seemed to love that respite.\u201d &#8211;<strong>Susan Gill, Director of New Media, Virginia Tech<\/strong> <\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border-no-caption aligncenter wp-image-27850 size-large-modern\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Virginia-Tech-BLM-Insta-700x553.png\" alt=\"A signage change to on-campus buildings at Virginia Tech is a top-performing higher education social media post this year\" width=\"700\" height=\"553\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Virginia-Tech-BLM-Insta-350x277@2x.png 700w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Virginia-Tech-BLM-Insta-300x237.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Virginia-Tech-BLM-Insta-1024x810.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Virginia-Tech-BLM-Insta-1536x1214.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Virginia-Tech-BLM-Insta-100x79.png 100w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Virginia-Tech-BLM-Insta-350x277.png 350w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Virginia-Tech-BLM-Insta-1170x925.png 1170w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Virginia-Tech-BLM-Insta.png 1576w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Virginia-Tech-BLM-Insta-700x553@2x.png 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A trend we approve of even more than puppies is universities taking a critical lens to how Black students and employees experience campus life in the past, present, and future. Thanks to the leadership of POC students and community members, we saw many universities stepping up last year in the wake of George Floyd\u2019s murder to right past wrongs and make campuses more inclusive, and Virginia Tech is no exception.<\/p>\n<p>This carousel post about the university\u2019s decision to rename residence halls after influential Black Virginia Tech community members was Virginia Tech\u2019s second most engaging Instagram post of the last school year. While the majority of the community engagement on this post was positive, it would be unfair to say that the decision to rename the residence halls was unilaterally supported. Taking a stand for what\u2019s right on social media isn\u2019t always easy, but Virginia Tech sent a powerful message to its community with this post about its priorities.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border-no-caption aligncenter wp-image-27865 size-large-modern\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Virginia-Tech-remembrance-Insta-700x338.png\" alt=\"Virginia Tech's campus lit up in honor of those who died on campus in 2007\" width=\"700\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Virginia-Tech-remembrance-Insta-350x169@2x.png 700w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Virginia-Tech-remembrance-Insta-300x145.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Virginia-Tech-remembrance-Insta-1024x495.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Virginia-Tech-remembrance-Insta-1536x743.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Virginia-Tech-remembrance-Insta-100x48.png 100w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Virginia-Tech-remembrance-Insta-350x169.png 350w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Virginia-Tech-remembrance-Insta-1170x566.png 1170w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Virginia-Tech-remembrance-Insta.png 1758w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Virginia-Tech-remembrance-Insta-700x338@2x.png 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>While many universities have the easy job of posting about move-in day, campus life, or even puppies, Virginia Tech faces the monumental challenge each year of remembering those lost in the campus shooting in 2007. Year after year, the Hokie community turns out in force to remember the 32 victims on campus and on social media, and this simple post is no exception. With more than 25,000 engagements and a whopping 22.5% engagement rate, this post serves to galvanize the campus and memorialize those lost in the shooting. This post was Virginia Tech\u2019s most engaging Instagram post of the year by a mile, reminding us that remembering campus history is a lot more important than sidestepping it.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"blog-inline-cta-image light\" >\n  <img src=\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/fU4ke4Dg.png>\n  <div class=\"cta-wrapper\"> <p>\n   See how your school measures up with the full rankings.  <\/p><a class=\"x-btn ss-light x-btn-global\" target=\"_blank\" href=\/resources\/higher-education-social-media-engagement-report-2021 style=\"\">Grab your report here <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 id=\"title-facebook-rankings\">Top Higher Education Institutions on Facebook<\/h2>\n<p>D1 colleges and universities saw a 20% decrease in Facebook engagement this year from 0.27% to 0.22% while posting frequency stayed quite flat at around one post per day. If you\u2019re feeling glum about that engagement rate decrease, just remember that Higher Ed is still <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/blog\/social-media-industry-benchmark-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">one of the best-performing industries on Facebook year after year<\/a>.<\/p>\n<table class=\"tg-data\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"tg-lqy6\">Rank<\/th>\n<th class=\"tg-0lax\">University<\/th>\n<th class=\"tg-lqy6\"><i style=\"color: #274b82;\" data-x-icon-b=\"\uf39e\"><\/i> Total Engagement<\/th>\n<th class=\"tg-0lax\" colspan=\"2\"><i style=\"color: #274b82;\" data-x-icon-b=\"\uf39e\"><\/i> Engagement Rate<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">1<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-buh4\">University of Iowa<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">681,913<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">1.00%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">2<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-0lax\">U.S. Military Academy<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">931,155<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">0.55%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">3<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-buh4\">Georgia Tech<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">278,760<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">0.69%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">4<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-0lax\">Jackson State University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">351,587<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">0.59%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">5<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-buh4\">Abilene Christian University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">183,181<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">0.60%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">6<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-0lax\">Ohio University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">329,582<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">0.46%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">7<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-buh4\">The Citadel<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">153,760<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">0.84%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">8<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-0lax\">Texas A&amp;M University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">1,177,632<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">0.39%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">9<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-buh4\">Michigan State University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">405,211<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">0.41%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">10<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-0lax\">Virginia Military Institute<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">128,373<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">0.97%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>As for Facebook rankings, <a href=\"https:\/\/uiowa.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">University of Iowa<\/a> absolutely dominated with an average engagement rate nearly double what second place finisher <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westpoint.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S. Military Academy<\/a> (West Point) managed. University of Iowa used this killer engagement rate to repeat its first place finish on this channel for the third year in a row. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Georgia Institute of Technology<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tamu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Texas A&amp;M University<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/msu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Michigan State University<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/go.citadel.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Citadel<\/a> held onto their spots in the top 10 again this year, while newcomers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vmi.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Virginia Military Institute<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohio.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ohio University<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jsums.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jackson State University<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.acu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Abilene Christian University<\/a> climbed the ranks to finish in the top 10 for the first time.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s get into how Georgia Institute of Technology finds success on Facebook year after year.<\/p>\n<h3>Top University on Facebook: Georgia Institute of Technology<\/h3>\n<p>Georgia Institute of Technology is embodying the adage \u201cwork smarter, not harder\u201d when it comes to Facebook. Georgia Tech rocks an extremely competitive average engagement rate of 0.69% while posting about half as often as the average D1 school with just 4.76 posts per week. We always encourage schools and brands to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/blog\/how-often-to-post-social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">focus on high quality content rather than posting for the sake of posting<\/a>, and this university definitely exemplifies that philosophy.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border-no-caption aligncenter wp-image-27862 size-large-modern\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-masks-700x394.png\" alt=\"Fans at Georgia Tech fully masked at a football game in 1918\" width=\"700\" height=\"394\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-masks-350x197@2x.png 700w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-masks-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-masks-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-masks-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-masks-100x56.png 100w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-masks-350x197.png 350w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-masks-1170x658.png 1170w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-masks.png 1760w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-masks-700x394@2x.png 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The backbone to Georgia Tech\u2019s winning social strategy? Taking what works on one channel and repeating that success on another. Georgia Tech posted this eerily reminiscent photo on Facebook shortly after posting it on Instagram and Twitter, and it grabbed 3.3x the average engagement on Facebook and fared even better on other channels. A timely message about coronavirus paired with this dynamic photo clearly resonated with Georgia Tech\u2019s followers no matter the channel. This post is one of many that can be seen ranking well on all three channels, suggesting Georgia Tech knows what their audiences want and see a fair amount of overlap in those desires between Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Diversifying your content makes sense only if your followers call for it, and that doesn\u2019t seem to be the case for Georgia Tech.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border-no-caption aligncenter wp-image-27859 size-large-modern\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-Caleb-700x400.png\" alt=\"Georgia Tech's youngest freshman at age 12 is an example of high-performing higher education social media in 2021\" width=\"700\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-Caleb-350x200@2x.png 700w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-Caleb-300x172.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-Caleb-1024x585.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-Caleb-1536x878.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-Caleb-100x57.png 100w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-Caleb-350x200.png 350w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-Caleb-1170x669.png 1170w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-Caleb.png 1756w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-Caleb-700x400@2x.png 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Not many universities can claim a 12-year-old MENSA freshman, but Georgia Tech can and took the opportunity to shout this Yellow Jacket\u2019s accomplishments from the social media rooftops. Georgia Tech\u2019s most engaging Facebook post of the year rocked a 3.67% engagement rate, which is more than 5x the university\u2019s already outstanding average engagement rate. This post grabbed tons of attention including oodles of positive reactions and comments. (And yes, this post also saw great engagement on Georgia Tech\u2019s Instagram and Twitter.) Celebrating the accomplishments of incoming and current students as well as alumni is a surefire engagement strategy for Higher Education social media.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border-no-caption aligncenter wp-image-27849 size-large-modern\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-Win-700x531.png\" alt=\"Plaque on the Georgia Tech campus\" width=\"700\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-Win-350x265@2x.png 700w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-Win-300x228.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-Win-1024x777.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-Win-1536x1165.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-Win-100x76.png 100w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-Win-350x265.png 350w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-Win-1170x887.png 1170w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-Win.png 1582w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Georgia-Tech-FB-Win-700x531@2x.png 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Who doesn\u2019t love celebrating a big win on social? From numerous top finishes in the coveted annual U.S. News &amp; World Report\u2019s rankings to winning the ACC championship, the Yellow Jackets turned out in force to celebrate together on social. This post saw more than 3x the engagement of the average Georgia Tech post, with lots of excited comments further galvanizing school spirit. It\u2019s no surprise that Higher Ed social media is all about the accolades, but your school doesn\u2019t necessarily need a March Madness win to celebrate big wins for students and alums on and off campus.<\/p>\n<div id=\"versus-app\" class=\"blog-inline facebook\"><\/div>\n<script>\n  jQuery( document ).ready(function() {\n    var freeToolsHasRun = false;\n    const appToWatch = document.querySelector('#versus-app');\n\n    function callback(entries, observer) {\n      if (!freeToolsHasRun && entries[0].isIntersecting) {\n        \n        \/\/ load the free tools css\n        var ftcss = document.createElement('link');\n\n        \/\/ set the attributes for link element  \n        ftcss.rel = 'stylesheet';\n        ftcss.type = 'text\/css';\n        ftcss.href = '\/\/d19n1ren9crl9v.cloudfront.net\/stylesheets\/public-marketing-free-tool-style.css?_cb=10';\n       \n        document.head.appendChild(ftcss);\n        \n        \/\/ now load the javascript\n        var ftscript = document.createElement('script');\n        ftscript.onload = function() {\n\n          \/\/do stuff with the script\n          RivalIQMarketing.apps.Versus.start({\n            subheadText: 'Run a free Facebook social comparison report against your main competition. Go head to head.',\n            disableSampleDisplay: true,\n            focusInputOnLoad:false,\n            channel: 'facebook'\n          });\n        };\n        ftscript.src = \"\/\/d19n1ren9crl9v.cloudfront.net\/js\/bundle-free-tool.js?_cb=10\";\n        document.head.appendChild(ftscript);\n        freeToolsHasRun = true;\n      }\n    }\n    \/\/ Instancing a new IntersectionObserver\n    const observer = new IntersectionObserver(callback);\n    \/\/ Adding a target to be observed\n    observer.observe(appToWatch); \n  });\n\n<\/script>\n\n\n<h2 id=\"title-twitter-rankings\">Top Higher Education Institutions on Twitter<\/h2>\n<p>D1 schools saw a slight engagement dip on Twitter this year from 0.14% to 0.11% while still remaining miles ahead of other industries on this channel. Does Higher Ed\u2019s tweet frequency of 9.5 tweets per week (which is more than 2x the all-industry average) help explain this engagement bump? It certainly doesn\u2019t hurt.<\/p>\n<table class=\"tg-data\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"tg-lqy6\">Rank<\/th>\n<th class=\"tg-0lax\">University<\/th>\n<th class=\"tg-lqy6\"><i style=\"color: #62c2f5;\" data-x-icon-b=\"\uf099\"><\/i> Total Engagement<\/th>\n<th class=\"tg-0lax\" colspan=\"2\"><i style=\"color: #62c2f5;\" data-x-icon-b=\"\uf099\"><\/i> Engagement Rate<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">1<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-buh4\">Brigham Young University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">110,872<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">0.41%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">2<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-0lax\">Indiana State University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">388,734<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">2.14%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">3<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-buh4\">Prairie View A&amp;M University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">80,060<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">0.35%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">4<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-0lax\">Ohio University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">105,324<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">0.22%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">5<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-buh4\">Utah State University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">49,100<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">0.35%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">6<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-0lax\">North Carolina A&amp;T State University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">71,980<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">0.27%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">7<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-buh4\">Oregon State University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">53,315<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">0.34%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">8<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-0lax\">University of Florida<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">242,220<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">0.19%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">9<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-buh4\">University of Houston<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">123,966<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\">0.21%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-p5oz\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">10<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-0lax\">Michigan State University<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">157,047<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\">0.19%<\/td>\n<td class=\"tg-lqy6\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The top-ranked colleges and universities on Twitter this year featured a few repeat winners like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.byu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Brigham Young University<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohio.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ohio University<\/a>, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Utah State University<\/a>, while<a href=\"https:\/\/www.indstate.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Indiana State University<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pvamu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prairie View A&amp;M University<\/a> outdid themselves with epic growth on Twitter from 2020 to 2021.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no one thing that makes a university shine on Twitter, but a great place to start when evaluating the Twitter greats is to look at tweet frequency. Top universities in this study on Twitter tweeted about 27x per week, or about triple the industry average. \u201cMore is more\u201d isn\u2019t a one-size-fits-all adage, but giving people more opportunities to engage with your tweets a few times a day works great as long as the quality is high.<\/p>\n<h3>Top University on Twitter: Utah State University<\/h3>\n<p>The Utah State University Aggies are consistently stellar performers on social across all three channels year over year. The Aggies ranked second overall by squeezing into fifth place for the second year in a row on Twitter while bringing up both Facebook and Twitter rankings. Like so many universities, the Aggies benefitted from having a beautiful campus to show off in photo posts and tweets, but this university had a few other tricks up its sleeve that helped it stand out on social, and especially on Twitter.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border-no-caption aligncenter wp-image-27851 size-large-modern\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Bernie-Twitter-700x294.png\" alt=\"Bernie Sanders in mittens photoshopped into the Utah State quad is an example of high-engagement higher education social media\" width=\"700\" height=\"294\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Bernie-Twitter-350x147@2x.png 700w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Bernie-Twitter-300x126.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Bernie-Twitter-1024x430.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Bernie-Twitter-1536x645.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Bernie-Twitter-100x42.png 100w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Bernie-Twitter-350x147.png 350w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Bernie-Twitter-1170x491.png 1170w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Bernie-Twitter.png 1768w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Bernie-Twitter-700x294@2x.png 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>This January tweet from USU was one of the most engaging tweets of the year with a whopping 14% engagement rate. This simple tweet is a good reminder for social media marketers that you can plan your content calendar to death, but the best posts and tweets are often reactive instead of proactive. USU managed to entertain and engage followers by uniting a campus glamour shot with the meme of the moment to earn 86x their average engagement on Twitter.<\/p>\n<div data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\" data-en-clipboard=\"true\"><div style=\"background:#E4F3FA; padding: 20px;margin-bottom: 20px;font-style:italic;\"><strong>\n  \n<\/strong>&#8220;Twitter is our favorite channel for humanizing the USU brand, so humor and memes are a big part of our strategy there. It keeps our audiences engaged with us, so when we actually have something important to say, we know they are paying attention. The shorter shelf life of Twitter content also gives us flexibility to experiment and get extra mileage out of content we originally created for other platforms, such as our super popular Instagram campus beauty shots.&#8221; &#8211;<strong>Matthew Gerrish, Director of Social Media, Utah State University<\/strong><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border-no-caption aligncenter wp-image-27847 size-large-modern\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Twitter-glamour-shot-700x349.png\" alt=\"The rolling hills of Utah State\" width=\"700\" height=\"349\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Twitter-glamour-shot-350x175@2x.png 700w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Twitter-glamour-shot-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Twitter-glamour-shot-1024x511.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Twitter-glamour-shot-1536x766.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Twitter-glamour-shot-100x50.png 100w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Twitter-glamour-shot-720x360.png 720w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Twitter-glamour-shot-350x175.png 350w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Twitter-glamour-shot-1170x584.png 1170w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Twitter-glamour-shot.png 1760w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Twitter-glamour-shot-700x349@2x.png 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Repurposing content is a tried and true strategy that has really benefited USU on Twitter, with many of the university\u2019s top tweets looking an awful lot like their Instagram feed of campus glamour shots, like this shot of a winding road and epic cliffs in Logan, Utah. This tweet performed about 10x better than USU\u2019s average tweet with a 3.63% engagement rate. This photo and caption also killed it on Instagram just a few hours after this tweet was posted, suggesting that USU\u2019s social media team isn\u2019t just posting and forgetting, but is paying attention to top performers and repurposing content.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border-no-caption aligncenter wp-image-27848 size-large-modern\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Twitter-pride-700x802.png\" alt=\"Utah State's campus lit up in rainbow lights for Pride is an example of effective higher education social media\" width=\"700\" height=\"802\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Twitter-pride-350x401@2x.png 700w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Twitter-pride-262x300.png 262w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Twitter-pride-894x1024.png 894w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Twitter-pride-100x115.png 100w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Twitter-pride-350x401.png 350w, https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/USU-Twitter-pride.png 1062w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>This Pride-themed tweet combined two of everyone\u2019s favorite things: campus glamour shots and love. This UGC retweet grabbed USU\u2019s third-highest engagement rate of the school year, which is more than 10x higher than the school\u2019s average tweet engagement. The Aggies posted about Pride and love for all on every channel, but saw the most success posting about this on Twitter, with a second <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USUAggies\/status\/1273272941753458688\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pride tweet<\/a> breaking into the top 15 for the university. This tweet reminds us that even in a more conservative state, it\u2019s okay for universities to take a stand for causes that matter to their students, alumni, and parents.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"title-live-benchmarks\">Live Higher Education Social Media Benchmarks<\/h2>\n<p>Comparing your school\u2019s social performance has never been easier. Browse our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/live-benchmarks\/higher-education-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Live Higher Education Social Media Benchmarks<\/a> for a real-time look at top Higher Education posts, engagement rates, high-performing hashtags, and tons more. You can even add these benchmarks directly into your Rival IQ account for always-on monitoring of these top brands.<\/p>\n<p>Need even more competitive analytics? Go <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/free-social-media-analytics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">head-to-head with a free report<\/a> on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to see how you stack up against your top competition. See what makes your competitors tick with key insights and actionable advice you can start using now to come out on top.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re hungry for even more stats, start a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/signup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">free 14-day trial<\/a> with Rival IQ.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"title-methodology\">Methodology<\/h2>\n<p>We surveyed all 353 D1 colleges and universities on social media between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021 on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Using this data and a weighted formula, we generated an overall engagement ranking for each school. The top-ranked colleges and universities on social media have high engagement rates with average or better audience size and posting volumes.<\/p>\n<p>We define engagement as measurable interaction on social media posts, including likes, comments, favorites, retweets, shares, and reactions. Engagement rate is defined as the total engagement divided by the number of followers.<\/p>\n<h2>The Case for Benchmarking<\/h2>\n<p>Why benchmark instead of just measuring how your school\u2019s individual performance changes over time? Because social success is relative. Benchmarking means figuring out what\u2019s working (and what isn\u2019t) in your industry and measuring your success against that.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s crucial to go beyond likes and favorites because audience size is hugely important: 100 likes is great engagement for a college or university with 1,000 followers but is a drop in the bucket to a school with 100,000 followers. Engagement rate helps us take audience size into account to see who\u2019s really reaching the highest percentage of their fans and followers with their social posts, which are the schools you need to beat.<\/p>\n<h2>Wrapping It Up<\/h2>\n<p>Congratulations to all the top finishers\u2013especially to those who were able to hold onto dynamite leads or break into the top 10 for the first time.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re wishing colleges and universities around the country a safe and happy return to school this fall. Between writing this report and being glued to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2021\/08\/17\/us\/rushtok-sorority-tiktok-recruitment-trnd\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#rushtok<\/a>, we feel like we\u2019re right back to Move-In Day \ud83c\udf93.<\/p>\n<p>Want to proclaim your school\u2019s success or argue with our rankings? Don\u2019t hesitate to drop us a line on <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/rivaliq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"blog-inline-cta-image light\" >\n  <img src=\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/why-benchmark-woman-jumping.png>\n  <div class=\"cta-wrapper\"> <p>\n   Start analyzing your school\u2019s social with a free Rival IQ trial.  <\/p><a class=\"x-btn ss-light x-btn-global\" target=\"_blank\" href=\/signup\/ style=\"\">Get my free trial <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<script>\njQuery(window).scroll(function() {\n\tvar scrollDistance = jQuery(window).scrollTop();\n\n\t\/\/ Assign active class to nav links while scolling\n\tjQuery('[id*=title-]').each(function(i) {\n\t\t\n\t\tif ((jQuery(this).position().top + 310) <= scrollDistance) {\n\t\t\tjQuery('.nav-toc__link.active').removeClass('active');\n\t\t\tjQuery('.nav-toc__link ').eq(i).addClass('active');\n\t\t}\n\t});\n}).scroll();\n\njQuery(document).ready(function() {\n  jQuery('a.nav-toc__link').on('click', function(e) {\n    var elem = this;\n\n    function delayedClick() {\n      var top = jQuery(jQuery(elem).attr('href')).offset().top;\n      var bodyTop = jQuery('body').offset().top;\n      jQuery([document.documentElement, document.body]).animate({\n        scrollTop: (top - 62 - bodyTop)\n      })\n    }\n    setTimeout(delayedClick, 1000);\n\n  });\n});\n\n<\/script>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Back-to-school can only mean one thing besides endless Target runs and twin extra-long sheets: our annual Higher Education social media rankings! Find out how your alma mater (or employer\u2013we see you, obsessive Higher Education social media professionals) performed on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Did you move up in the ranks &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":27706,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,24],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.4 (Yoast SEO v22.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>2021 Higher Education Social Media Engagement Report | Rival IQ<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The most comprehensive Higher Education social media benchmarks just in time for 2021. All D1 schools ranked plus tons of engagement data.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/blog\/higher-ed-social-media-engagement-report-2021\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"2021 Higher Education Social Media Engagement Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The most comprehensive Higher Education social media benchmarks just in time for 2021. All D1 schools ranked plus tons of engagement data.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/blog\/higher-ed-social-media-engagement-report-2021\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rival IQ\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"blairf@rivaliq.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-08-24T17:39:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-10-20T15:28:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/fU4ke4Dg.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"628\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Blair Feehan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/fU4ke4Dg.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Blair Feehan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"22 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/blog\/higher-ed-social-media-engagement-report-2021\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/blog\/higher-ed-social-media-engagement-report-2021\/\",\"name\":\"2021 Higher Education Social Media Engagement Report | Rival IQ\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/blog\/higher-ed-social-media-engagement-report-2021\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/blog\/higher-ed-social-media-engagement-report-2021\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/hero-higher-ed-2021.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-08-24T17:39:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-10-20T15:28:10+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rivaliq.com\/#\/schema\/person\/eb9423bcb4d94da1aa2513aa575c3d49\"},\"description\":\"The most comprehensive Higher Education social media benchmarks just in time for 2021. 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