Higher Education social media marketers, it’s officially time to unveil who ascended the ranks and who didn’t quite make the cut in our latest edition of the report you blow up our DMs about every year.
We’ve analyzed every D1 and D2 school across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok to bring you engagement numbers, key trends, case studies and campaigns from top schools, and of course rankings for each division.
We won’t blame you if you skip right to the rankings, but read on for all the Higher Ed social media intel your school needs to trounce the competition this year.
Higher Education Social Media Trends
We’re the first to shout from the rooftops about the importance of research and experimentation in your social media content, but there’s no denying that Higher Education social media had a few key themes emerge this year that are definitely worth covering. These themes bubbled to the top across divisions, regions, and channels to dominate many of Higher Ed’s top posts by engagement rate this year.
Top Trend 1: #Winning
Everyone loves a win, and colleges and universities are some of the best at showing off about everything from sports blowouts to alumni achievements to academic excellence and beyond. These posts are a surefire bet for stoking community enthusiasm and excitement, not to mention a fun way to remind parents and alumni about all the good things happening on campus.
Virginia State University rounded out our D2 top 10 thanks in part to a silver medal-worthy performance on Twitter with videos like these about Trojan dominance on the football field. The tweet blew the D2 Twitter engagement rate median out of the water (much like VSU’s epic victory over rival Bowie State seen in the video) by more than 100x at 7.17%. The video featuring slick footage from the big game and between the football, cheerleaders, and marching band really had something for everyone in the Trojan community. VSU wasn’t afraid to get a little sassy by calling out the fact that the win put a damper on Bowie State’s homecoming week 💅🏻. Playing up rivalries and going hard at a brag can make a post about a big win even more fun, and in the case of VSU, resonate with your community on and off campus.
One win is great, but how about two at the same time? D1 school Arkansas State University ranked 10th on Instagram this year thanks in part to the smashing success of this post about drum major Alandria snagging the homecoming queen crown and still going on to conduct the band. The celebratory Reel earned more than 529K engagements and nearly 9 million estimated impressions, with fans crowding the comments to congratulate Alandria on her big night. Telling the story of Alandria’s big win via Reels helped ASU’s fans feel like a part of her success even if they couldn’t be in the stadium that night.
Top Trend 2: Famous alums
A recognizable alum can go a long way towards catching attention on social outside of your school’s immediate sphere of influence, and colleges and universities weren’t afraid to remind their followers about just how far you can go in the world with a degree from their institution. From throwback posts to reunion footage to keeping fans up to date on alumni accomplishments, D1 and D2 schools leaned hard into their celeb alums this year.
D1 school North Carolina Central University ranked 25th on Facebook thanks in part to the success of posts like this one about famed NCCU alum artist Ernie Barnes. The painter was famous for both his art and his NFL career, and NCCU never missed a chance to post about his accomplishments during and after his time at the school with nearly two dozen posts about the artist throughout the school year. This Facebook photo in particular encouraged followers to learn more about Barnes’ legacy via a New York Times article and earned an impressive 18% engagement rate and nearly half a million estimated impression. NCCU is a shining example of reaching back a few generations in your alumni catalogue to show off your school’s legacy while also educating current students and followers about notable celebs they might not know owe a thing or two to their alma mater.
Spoilers: University of Nebraska at Kearney’s posting about pro wrestler Tyrus’ triumphant return to campus years after he couldn’t afford the commencement gown helped propel the D2 school to 6th overall and 2nd on Facebook. With nearly 25K engagements and more than two million estimated impressions, the post highlighting what Tyrus’ time at UNK meant to him resonated far beyond UNK’s 24K page fans and helped the school reach new fans and followers previously unfamiliar with the school. It’s worth noting that our boosted post detection picked up some $$$ behind the post, reminding us that pay-to-play is an important tool in the HESM toolbox, even with a famous wrestler to feature in your posts.
Top Trend 3: Authentic campus moments
From glamour shots to behind-the-scenes of move-in day, nearly every D1 and D2 school we studied this year worked hard to make campus life accessible to all the prospective students, parents, and alumni unable to participate in person as part of the day-to-day.
D2 school Oklahoma Baptist University ranked 11th on TikTok this year thanks in part to fun and fresh videos like this one asking faculty and staff about the last time they’d thought about the Roman Empire, which trended on TikTok this year. Many schools’ TikTok feeds are filled with Gen-Z and Gen Alpha faces, but OBU won big with featuring a slightly older demographic. Campus giggles like these require both a creative social team and willing participants, but as seen with this OBU post, combining the two can bring about true social magic.
Hilarious viral posts like this one about different types of campus dads on move-in day propelled Bryant University to 10th on D1 TikTok. The video is a compilation of clips from move-in day on the Rhode Island campus with some cheeky labels about dads who always have a snack ready or are more than a little eager to pose with Bryant’s bulldog mascot Tupper. Capturing campus life by sending your social media team out to actually live it alongside parents and students goes a long way towards authentically representing your school’s signature experience, and this TikTok is a great example of strong content that doesn’t need to be professionally produced to succeed.
Top D1 Higher Education Institutions on Social (overall)
Epic, heartfelt congrats to the University of South Carolina for beating out their social media rivals University of Iowa to clinch the overall gold! The Gamecocks have been hovering near the top of our overall top 10 for years, but they channeled stellar finishes across the board into dethroning the reigning champ for the ultimate social media bragging rights.
| Overall Rank | Company | Rank | Rank | Rank | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of South Carolina, Columbia | 29 | 10 | 3 | 1 |
| 2 | University of Connecticut | 8 | 34 | 38 | 29 |
| 3 | Oklahoma State University | 21 | 63 | 12 | 16 |
| 4 | Michigan State University | 13 | 19 | 34 | 56 |
| 5 | James Madison University | 5 | 2 | 4 | 128 |
| 6 | Bowling Green State University | 11 | 21 | 61 | 53 |
| 7 | Colorado State University | 24 | 8 | 95 | 41 |
| 8 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 34 | 54 | 27 | 46 |
| 9 | The Ohio State University | 48 | 47 | 62 | 9 |
| 10 | Ohio University | 28 | 43 | 86 | 49 |
It was definitely a year of shake-ups in our top 10: University of Connecticut, Oklahoma State University, Michigan State University, Colorado State University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, The Ohio State University, and Ohio University all managed to break into the top 10 after scoring lower last year, while James Madison University and Bowling Green State University were the only other universities to repeat their top 10 finishes.
Top school: University of South Carolina
The Gamecocks had a huge year on social, with three top 10 finishes on Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, and a still-impressive 29th finish on Instagram. USC seriously improved on all three of the channels on which they finished in the top 10 while sliding slightly on Instagram, proving there’s always room for improvement even if you’re at the top. USC struck the perfect balance between school spirit and heartfelt campus storytelling to engage fans on and off campus. Let’s get into University of South Carolina’s stellar school year on social.
Speaking of beating Iowa, University of South Carolina had a lot to brag about this year, including beating the Hawkeyes in the NCAA women’s final. USC finished 10th on Facebook by centering celebrations like this photo post which rocked a 6.41% engagement rate by follower, with fans turning out to congratulate their alma mater on going all the way. The Gamecocks scored 3x the engagement total and 50% more engagement rate by follower than their average D1 competitor on Facebook. Not every school has a championship like this to brag about (though it sure does help), but centering wins is a surefire engagement strategy for colleges and universities year after year.
Reels have never been more important than in this past school year, and USC definitely made the most of this medium by being 7x more likely to post a Reel than any other post type. This dedication to Instagram’s favorite post type helps the app’s algorithm distribute USC’s content to followers and new fans alike.
Picking the right post type helps, as does super-engaging content like the moment Gamecocks wait all year for: the reveal of the top-secret identity of this year’s mascot Cocky the Gamecock. USC always makes a big deal about this reveal by having Cocky attend the ceremony in cap, gown, and rooster shoes. Fans went wild in the stadium and online watching the full student body cheer on the symbol for USC’s rabid school spirit to the tune of an 18.6% engagement rate by follower.
There’s never been a more confusing time to be on Twitter, but USC has cracked the code and actually improved their position from last year by grabbing the bronze. The Gamecocks earned 8x the engagement total and 2x the engagement rate of their average D1 competitor and are generally quite active on Twitter, treating it like the conversational social media channel it is. Not every college and university pours time into Twitter these days, but USC keeps up a steady stream of tweets throughout the week, and is especially dedicated to retweets to keep the conversation going.
This video tweet asking followers about their experience during the 2024 solar eclipse featured a USC Easter egg about the Gamecocks securing a spot in the Final Four had something for everybody and absolutely cleaned up on retweets. The success of this tweet reminds us that social media doesn’t have to be highly produced or even strategic to resonate with followers–sometimes, you just need a GIF with a topical event and your basketball team in it.
Did someone say “gold medal”? University of South Carolina does an awesome job balancing their sports content with more campus-focused content like this video, which helps explain how the Gamecocks finished first on TikTok this year. USC dominates here, with 3x the videos per week, 3x the engagement rate by view, 10x the views, and 27x the engagement total of their average D1 competitor. This video of Gamecocks saying farewell to their younger siblings earned an unbelievable 19.6% engagement rate by view and more than 84K views by tugging at heartstrings.
A strong hashtag game also helped the Gamecocks exponentially increase their engagement on TikTok, with the #OffToCollege and #SayingGoodbye hashtags used here helping the post earn an engagement rate lift of 1.26x.
Top D1 Higher Education Institutions on Instagram
Good news for Higher Ed social media managers everywhere: this industry’s most popular channel by a mile actually increased its median engagement rate this year to 2.92%. Schools are also posting just as frequently on Instagram as they were last year at around 4 posts per week, suggesting investment in this channel really hasn’t flagged.
| Rank | University | Total Engagement | Eng. Rate by Follower |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of North Texas | 2,141,490 | 8.50% |
| 2 | Oral Roberts University | 2,162,045 | 5.36% |
| 3 | High Point University | 1,348,309 | 6.32% |
| 4 | Miami University (Ohio) | 1,395,026 | 5.65% |
| 5 | James Madison University | 1,173,585 | 7.79% |
| 6 | University of Iowa | 1,420,990 | 5.24% |
| 7 | Gonzaga University | 891,833 | 12.29% |
| 8 | University of Connecticut | 1,493,995 | 4.33% |
| 9 | Georgia Institute of Technology | 1,284,442 | 4.48% |
| 10 | Arkansas State University | 614,139 | 17.03% |
Speaking of good news, University of North Texas is surely pumping their metaphorical fists after finally dethroning reigning Instagram champ James Madison University (who still landed safely in the Instagram top 10). Oral Roberts University and High Point University rounded out the winner’s podium, while University of Connecticut joined JMU as the only overall top 10 finishers in the Instagram top 10. Miami University, University of Iowa, Gonzaga University, Georgia Tech, and Arkansas State University all managed impressive finishes on Instagram but couldn’t quite eke out a spot in the overall top 10.
Featured school: University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut earned silver overall thanks to a big year on Instagram, coming in 8th. The Huskies’ only top 10 finish was on Instagram, proving that being well-rounded can still help you win big. UConn earned 1.49 million engagements, which is about 3x the competitor median, and an impressive engagement rate of 4.33% that was about 50% higher than the competitor median. The school had plenty of engaging strategies to catapult them towards Instagram greatness, but posting a little more frequently than their competitors at 5.5 posts per week definitely helped.
The Huskies’ top post of the year by engagement rate was a Reel all about winning–or more specifically, snagging a spot in the NCAA men’s basketball finals. To casual fans, this might look like another sea of Huskies cheering on their favorite team, but insiders would know UConn superfan Big Red anywhere, who helped inspire school spirit during his tenure in the 90s and is still buoying the team in the stands today. The Reel rocked a 31% engagement rate and more than 38K engagements, with fans jumping into the comments to both express their excitement about their team’s success and shower praise upon Big Red for his continued support of the team.
If Big Red is the Huskies’ biggest fans, new mascot Jonathan XV is the smallest (but cutest!). UConn revealed their latest mascot with this adorable Reel that earned an impressive 24% engagement rate. The school was all about the puppy content this year, with this top-performing Reel bringing fans to the comments to share their excitement and ask how they could snag a chance to meet the newest member of the pack. UConn’s content featured Jonathan XV consistently throughout the school year to hype him up, while of course honoring his predecessor’s retirement.
The takeaway? If you have a cute mascot, you probably can’t tell your fans about it enough.
While we’re on the topic of mini-campaigns, there’s clearly a Swiftie behind this school’s winning Instagram feed. Some of UConn’s most engaging posts had a little Taylor to them, including this one showing off what campus looked like in 1989 complete with Taylor-themed hashtags. The carousel snagged an 11.6% engagement rate and more than 228K impressions, with alums commenting all about their memories of being at UConn in the 80s. This refreshing take on #TBT content was a fun way to throw it back while managing to ride the oh-so-modern Taylor wave of 2024.
Top D1 Higher Education Institutions on Facebook
Big news for colleges and universities on Facebook: engagement actually increased this year to 0.24%, up from 0.19% last year. Schools are posting just about as frequently as last year with 6.4 posts per week, or just under one post per day.
| Rank | University | Total Engagement | Eng. Rate by Follower |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Iowa | 1,170,273 | 1.439% |
| 2 | James Madison University | 349,593 | 0.910% |
| 3 | Georgia Institute of Technology | 279,025 | 0.836% |
| 4 | Alabama A&M University | 218,363 | 1.062% |
| 4 | South Carolina State University | 199,583 | 2.036% |
| 6 | Grambling State University | 204,564 | 0.975% |
| 7 | Mississippi Valley State University | 173,301 | 1.607% |
| 8 | Colorado State University | 254,126 | 0.524% |
| 9 | Longwood University | 137,296 | 1.202% |
| 10 | University of South Carolina, Columbia | 301,131 | 0.453% |
| 10 | University of West Georgia | 131,238 | 1.954% |
University of Iowa grabbed its preferred #1 spot on Facebook again this year, with Georgia Tech falling from first to third and James Madison University elbowing its way into 2nd. Overall top 10 finishers Colorado State Univeristy and University of South Carolina also earned a coveted spot in the Facebook top 10. Big ups to Alabama A&M University, South Carolina State University, Grambling State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Longwood University, and University of West Georgia all managed to break into the Facebook top 10 this year 🎉.
Featured school: University of Iowa
Readers familiar with past versions of this report won’t be surprised to see the University of Iowa dominating, but we can bet you will be shocked to see they’ve fallen out of the top 10 for the first time since we started writing this report seven years ago. Iowa is one of the states that banned TikTok for state-run agencies including universities, which has to be devastating for the Hawkeyes who came in first overall and 35th on TikTok last year.
Iowa still has plenty to be proud of on social, including coming in first overall on Facebook yet again. The Hawkeyes earned 10x the total engagement of their average competitor and 4.6x the engagement rate thanks to stellar content and more than a few mentions of beloved women’s basketball player Caitlin Clark. Iowa was all about sports content this year, which is no surprise for a record-breaking year of playing ball.
When 9 out of 10 of your top Facebook posts by engagement rate are about superstar Caitlin Clark, you know your social media team is onto something. Clark dominated both the court and Hawkeye social media this year, with celebrations and tributes to the star all season long, including this one about how she’s inspiring basketball fans young and old with her incredible talent. The tear-jerking video earned an eye-popping 19.1% engagement rate and nearly 4 million estimated impressions as fans engaged any way they could with their favorite player. Not every school has a phenom like Clark to feature, but telling the stories behind players to help fans connect off the field is a surefire strategy every time.
Are you even on Hawkeye social media if you don’t see the famous Wave featured at least once? This beloved campus tradition features fans and players taking a break from the big game to wave at kids and families receiving treatment at the renowned children’s hospital that overlooks the stadium and remains a staple of Hawkeye goodwill on and off the field. The post rocked a 3.18% engagement rate, which is about 13x the Higher Education Facebook median this year. Connecting off-campus fans to tried-and-true campus traditions helps keep school spirit alive (and results in epic engagement).
If you only looked at the top 20 most engaging Facebook posts by rate in the University of Iowa feed, you might think all of campus life takes place on the basketball court or the football field, but snowy photos like this one will help you remember you’re in Iowa. This beautiful snowy carousel of campus life in the winter earned a 4.7% engagement rate and three quarters of a million impressions, with tons of alumni talking about their snowiest campus walks ever in the comments (and, okay, more than a few were stoked to be residing in warmer climes).
Top D1 Higher Education Institutions on Twitter
George Mason University ran away with the win on Twitter this year, which is an impressive glow-up from 38th last year. University of Iowa grabbed the silver for the second year in a row, and first-place overall winner University of South Carolina snagged the bronze. James Madison University was the only other school to reprise its role in the Twitter top 10, with the U.S. Military Academy, Alabama A&M University, University of Nebraska (Lincoln), University of Nevada (Las Vegas), Jackson State University, and Morgan State University all upsetting last year’s Twitter top 10 in a big way.
| Rank | University | Total Engagement | Eng. Rate by Follower |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Mason University | 68,566 | 0.50% |
| 2 | University of Iowa | 284,972 | 0.19% |
| 3 | University of South Carolina, Columbia | 151,816 | 0.21% |
| 4 | James Madison University | 63,727 | 0.29% |
| 5 | U.S. Military Academy | 100,575 | 0.19% |
| 6 | Alabama A&M University | 41,869 | 0.54% |
| 7 | University of Nebraska, Lincoln | 56,832 | 0.20% |
| 8 | University of Nevada, Las Vegas | 41,434 | 0.34% |
| 9 | Jackson State University | 68,822 | 0.16% |
| 10 | Morgan State University | 30,143 | 0.26% |
Engagement rates on Twitter signify more good news for Higher Education social media marketers, with a 16% increase from last year to 0.07%. Schools kept their tweet frequency about the same at one tweet per day on average.
Featured school: James Madison University
James Madison University’s consistently stellar social presence has landed them in our top 10 for several years running. The Dukes finished in the top 10 on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, but we’re going to hone in on their 4th place Twitter finish that shows other schools how it’s done. JMU moved up from 10th to 4th on Twitter this year by cracking the code on balancing campus glamour shots, school traditions, and more than a little D1 rivalry. The Dukes can brag about earning three times the engagement total and engagement rate of their average D1 competitor despite similar follower counts and tweets per week, proving they’re working smarter not harder than their peers.
We’re just gonna say it: nobody does campus glamour shots like JMU. Many colleges and universities employ talented photographers who help keep their social media feeds feeling fresh, but JMU combines unique vantage points, stunning skies, and more than a few lens flares for the ultimate in eye-catching content. This photo tweet featuring 26,000 fans in the JMU quad earned a 3.9% engagement rate and more than 100K impressions, proving that JMU seamlessly translates their visual content to more text-heavy channels like Twitter.
JMU’s marching band the Marching Royal Dukes are a force to be reckoned with as seen in this video tweet that garnered an impressive 2.9% engagement rate, which is more than 40x the D1 competitor average. JMUMRD helped fans on and off campus get ready for the College Game Day broadcast, which translates to seriously high-profile coverage from ESPN for top college sports teams like the Dukes. A special vantage point above the event captured the excitement and enticed alumni and parents off campus to tune in and follow along on Twitter as well.
JMU always puts a ton of stock in campus traditions like the annual Quad Lighting on their social feeds, and this top-performing tweet celebrating the tradition’s 40th anniversary is no exception. The video tweet featuring JMU’s signature purple washing over the Quad earned an impressive 1.09% engagement rate and more than 20K impressions thanks to stunning visuals and more than a little campus coziness. Tweets about beloved campus traditions like this help bring far-flung alumni or JMU parents who weren’t able to attend right to the action.
Top D1 Higher Education Institutions on TikTok
It was a weird year for colleges and universities on TikTok, with several states around the country banning TikTok on state-funded campuses including state universities (with more than a few schools defying the ban). There’s a strong mix of colleges that have gone all in on TikTok and schools that don’t even have their TikTok handle reserved (note: we highly recommend reserving your school’s TikTok handle if you haven’t yet). As Higher Ed social media continues to target the next generation, going where they hang out is more important than ever, so TikTok remains a huge player in this industry.
| Rank | University | Total Engagement | Eng. Rate by View* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of South Carolina, Columbia | 1,893,619 | 12.84% |
| 2 | Temple University | 636,496 | 14.06% |
| 3 | Pennsylvania State University | 1,661,255 | 11.19% |
| 4 | University of Alabama | 637,439 | 11.22% |
| 5 | University of Michigan | 1,397,918 | 10.71% |
| 6 | Northeastern University | 912,786 | 10.82% |
| 7 | Boston College | 611,636 | 11.06% |
| 8 | Auburn University | 712,725 | 10.51% |
| 9 | The Ohio State University | 1,051,041 | 10.03% |
| 10 | Bryant University | 421,466 | 11.41% |
Overall winner University of South Carolina, Columbia finished first on TikTok, narrowly beating out Temple University and Pennsylvania State University for the top spot. The Ohio State University was the only other overall top 10 school in the TikTok top 10. The rest of the TikTok top 10 was all-new from last year, with University of Alabama, University of Michigan, Northeastern University, Boston College, Auburn University, and Bryant University busting onto the scene (and FYP) with style.
The median TikTok engagement rate by view for Higher Education dropped just 6% this year to 4.75%, while schools posted about as often as last year at 1 video per week. These engagement rates still dramatically outpace other channels, so it’s a good bet that TikTok will remain hyper-relevant for colleges and universities into the next school year and beyond.
Featured school: The Ohio State University
The Buckeyes are at it again, moving up from 12th place overall last year to 9th this year thanks in part to a stellar TikTok record. The Ohio State University nailed the right mix of Buckeye pride, big sports wins, and touching behind-the-scenes campus happenings. How do we know they nailed it? More than 10x the total engagement of their average competitor and 3x the engagement rate by view. Combine that with an above-average number of videos per week and 20x (!) the followers gives other schools plenty to aspire to on TikTok.
The Buckeyes’ most engaging post by view earned an impressive 13.9% engagement rate by view, which is about 3x the competitor average. Non-Buckeyes might look at the plethora of ❌ emojis throughout Ohio State’s TikTok feed and wonder what’s going on, but any Buckeye will know the school would rather do just about anything than feature an M for archrival Michigan State anywhere on campus. OSU goes so far as to cover every M on a campus building with red tape every year for Beat Michigan Week, and the Buckeye social media team was sure to do the same throughout the year. The dedication to the ❌ emoji (seen in this post as The Ga❌e instead of The Game) helped fan the flames of the rivalry for fans on and off campus.
While we’re on the topic of “obscure OSU campus traditions,” TBDBITL, or “The Best Damn Band in the Land,” also dominated OSU’s TikTok feed this year. Is there anything more fun than video compilation of a superb marching band trolling their rival? Fans ate up the video to the tune of more than 1.5 million views and an impressive 11.1% engagement rate. They also jumped into the comments to dunk on Michigan, wish OSU well, and even used TikTok a little like Twitter for conversations about big games in real time. Marching bands are a consistent content machine for colleges and universities, and OSU’s band is one of the best.
Slices of campus life can be a powerful way for schools to connect with alumni and parents hoping for a glimpse of the Buckeye spirit, and this video tribute to dads who helped with campus move-in grabbed a ton of attention in the OSU feed. The video earned a 6.52% engagement rate by view and oodles of comments from OSU alums and current parents bragging about how helpful their own dads were during their move-ins. Heartwarming content like this can help break up the sports-heavy TikTok feeds that are especially prevalent at D1 schools.
Top D2 Overall Higher Education Institutions on Social
The D2 rankings held more than a few shakeups this year, but fans of this report a few years running won’t be surprised to see the winner’s podium comprising Carson-Newman University, Michigan Technological University, and Southern Connecticut State University all reprising their top 10 finishes from last year. Angelo State University was bumped from 1st to 5th after falling victim to the Texas TikTok ban. The rest of the top 10 was all new, though: Harding University, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Morehouse College, Texas Woman’s University, Assumption University, and Virginia State University all climbed the ranks in a major way this year. Congrats to all the D2 schools for another strong school year in spite of TikTok bans, algorithm changes, and the constant need to stay one step ahead on TikTok trends.
| Overall Rank | University | Rank | Rank | Rank | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carson-Newman University | 24 | 12 | 6 | 20 |
| 2 | Michigan Technological University | 18 | 32 | 24 | 39 |
| 3 | Southern Connecticut State University | 10 | 77 | 61 | 4 |
| 4 | Harding University | 30 | 20 | 37 | 78 |
| 5 | Angelo State University | 11 | 7 | 11 | 175 |
| 6 | University of Nebraska at Kearney | 28 | 2 | 1 | 175 |
| 7 | Morehouse College | 104 | 6 | 5 | 21 |
| 8 | Texas Woman’s University | 8 | 28 | 22 | 175 |
| 9 | Assumption University | 25 | 91 | 16 | 85 |
| 10 | Virginia State University | 34 | 3 | 2 | 175 |
Top D2 school: Carson-Newman University
It was a big year for Carson-Newman University, who managed to clinch the overall D2 gold after narrowly missing it by just one rank last year. C-N is a top performer consistently across all four channels, which is critical for grabbing the gold. Last year’s top D2 school also had tons of top 30 ranks to brag about without actually winning outright on any one channel. Consistently knowing your audience on every channel is a stronger overall strategy than being really great on one channel (at least for the purposes of this report), and nobody does it like the Eagles.
Famous alums can help grab attention from folks online who might not be familiar with your school in particular, and is there a more famous alum than Dolly Parton? The Instagram photo post earned a 15% engagement rate by follower and more than 22K estimated impressions, reaching far beyond C-N’s follower list. C-N posts less frequently on Instagram than the median D2 school with nearly 2x the engagement rates, suggesting they’re making the most of their efforts on what is arguably Higher Education social media’s most essential channel.
Winning and graduation photos always play well on social, and this Facebook link post combining both is no exception. With an awe-inspiring 4.22% engagement rate and more than 50K estimated impressions, the C-N community turned out to congratulate the school on being accorded a big honor from the Princeton Review. Many schools we studied made the most of awards like this on social, never missing a chance to brag about having the most beautiful campus or being the best in their region like Carson-Newman. Winning can look like all sorts of things for colleges and universities, but the best of ‘em on social never fail to include all the big campus wins in their social feeds.
Footage from C-N’s summer baptism of Eagle footballers topped the charts for engagement on all four channels, very much including this TikTok video with a 15.4% engagement rate by view and nearly 10K engagements. Fans flooded (no pun intended) the comments to offer their excitement, with the video reaching far beyond C-N’s modest follower count to officially achieve viral status. Carson-Newman’s social feeds saw consistent success with religious-themed posting like this, which is a great example of working within your niche. Religious content doesn’t work at all schools, but this joyful baptism clearly resonated with C-N’s followers.
C-N’s strongest channel in our rankings was Twitter, where the Eagles beat out hundreds of other D2 schools to grab 6th. Tweets about campus happenings like a new head football coach (not to mention football content in general) helped the Eagles soar on Twitter, grabbing a 4.76% engagement rate and more than 32K impressions. Updates like this one can take just a few minutes to put together but help connect those off campus with major events and updates.
Top D2 Higher Education Institutions on Instagram
Congrats to Cedarville University and Bemidji State University for tying for first on Instagram this year, narrowly beating out Valdosta State University for the top spot. University of New Haven and Southern Connecticut State University stayed in the top 10 from last year, but Lee University, University of North Georgia, Western Colorado University, University of Texas (Permian Basin), and Texas Woman’s University were all new to the Instagram top 10.
| Rank | University | Total Engagement | Eng. Rate by Follower |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bemidji State University | 768,803 | 62.03% |
| 1 | Cedarville University | 844,666 | 9.26% |
| 3 | Lee University | 353,802 | 8.94% |
| 3 | Valdosta State University | 428,897 | 8.08% |
| 5 | University of North Georgia | 171,210 | 6.83% |
| 5 | Western Colorado University | 174,521 | 6.62% |
| 7 | University of Texas Permian Basin | 179,899 | 6.03% |
| 8 | Texas Woman’s University | 205,296 | 5.14% |
| 9 | University of New Haven | 258,239 | 5.07% |
| 10 | Southern Connecticut State University | 327,394 | 4.85% |
D2 schools rocked a 3.02% median engagement rate on Instagram this year, which is a very slight uptick from last year. Colleges and universities posted about 4 times per week, or about every other day. These numbers are quite similar to D2 numbers last year, suggesting engagement and posting frequency are keeping steady–always good news for Higher Education social media marketers.
Featured school: Texas Woman’s University
Texas Woman’s University had a huge year on social, going from 54th in our 2023 rankings to 8th this year. Instagram has always been their strongest channel, but the Pioneers still managed to jump from 21st to 8th on arguably the most relevant channel for Higher Ed social media. This co-ed university earned 2.5x the engagement total and 50% higher engagement rates than their average D2 competitor by making their Instagram feed feel up close and personal for followers both on and off campus.
TWU made strong use of carousels this year to show off campus happenings like funny and heartfelt graduation caps, and followers ate it up to the tune of a 16.5% engagement rate, which is nearly 6x the D2 median. Thanks to graduates’ cleverness and more than a few Taylor Swift references, followers hopped into the comments to congratulate students and ask for more. In an era where Reels reign supreme, this post is a good reminder that carousels can still resonate strongly with followers with the right content.
Did you even live through summer 2023 without at least one Barbie movie reference in your Instagram feed? TWU jumped on the bandwagon with the Barbie-fication of campus landmark Hubbarb Hall, and fans loved it. The photo post rocked a 14% engagement rate and more than 41K estimated impressions, with fans dropping their impressions of the Barbie movie or favorite memories from their time in Hubbard Hall in the comments. Creativity can go a long way toward social media success even without a huge production budget or scripted Reel, so don’t be afraid to match your own famous campus landmarks with the latest trend or movie.
The Pioneers also found oodles of success with day in the life Reels like this one featuring TWU junior Lizette. The Reel earned an impressive 11.5% engagement rate and more than a few encouraging comments from Lizette superfans. User-generated content (UGC) is relevant in any industry, but with Higher Education social media needing to constantly pivot as the latest generation rises to college age, having your target audience create your content is always a good idea. TWU had a number of high-flying videos like this in its Instagram feed this year, and we can bet their TikTok feed would’ve been filled with them as well if Texas hadn’t banned all state universities from TikTok ☹️.
Top D2 Higher Education Institutions on Facebook
D2 schools pulled off yet another engagement rate increase this year on Facebook, coming in hot at 0.4% over last year’s 0.29% finish. Schools are posting just as frequently as they were last year at about 5.4 posts per week, which is more than they post on any other channel.
| Rank | University | Total Engagement | Eng. Rate by Follower |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Point Loma Nazarene University | 447,641 | 1.362% |
| 2 | University of Nebraska at Kearney | 167,394 | 1.206% |
| 3 | Virginia State University | 85,279 | 1.433% |
| 4 | Albany State University (Georgia) | 114,097 | 1.148% |
| 5 | Allen University | 56,475 | 8.421% |
| 6 | Morehouse College | 178,551 | 0.789% |
| 7 | Angelo State University | 68,696 | 1.004% |
| 8 | Elizabeth City State University | 68,710 | 0.951% |
| 8 | Miles College | 62,671 | 1.036% |
| 10 | Wayne State College (Nebraska) | 61,229 | 1.000% |
Point Loma Nazarene University clinched the gold after finishing second last year. University of Nebraska at Kearney slipped into second and Virginia State University hung onto the bronze for the second year in a row. Albany State University (Georgia), Morehouse College, and Angelo State University all repeated their finishes squarely in the top 10, while Elizabeth City State University, Miles College, and Wayne State College (Nebraska) broke in as newbies.
Featured school: Angelo State University
The Angelo State Rams are a social media powerhouse year after year and consistently dominate on Facebook, moving up to 7th after last year’s 10th place finish. Angelo State posted about half as often as the median D2 school with more than 2x the engagement total and engagement rate by follower, indicating the Rams are prioritizing quality over quantity. Rams fans love a win, and Angelo State delivers that year after year, with a big football win propelling them to social media fame last year and an epic baseball win exciting Rams fans everywhere this year.
Winning is such a consistent theme in Higher Education social media, and the Rams’ victory in the baseball National Championship definitely won big with Angelo State’s Facebook followers. The photo post announcing the win earned an eye-popping 14.7% engagement rate, which is more than 35x the D2 Facebook median engagement rate. The photo post also earned nearly 300K estimated impressions and hundreds of comments from Rams fans wishing the team well. You don’t have to pull off a win on this scale to rustle up engagement like this (though it sure helps)–finding small wins around campus can be just as powerful for current students and alumni alike.
Angelo State has cracked a code that almost no one else manages to pull off: finding consistent engagement with link posts on Facebook. The post about being named one of the nation’s best colleges by the Princeton Review excited fans to the tune of a 9.32% engagement rate and more than 220K estimated impressions to reach way more than Angelo State’s 34K followers.
60% of Angelo State’s Facebook posts were links including this top performer, which is fairly surprising for a channel that traditionally hates when posters send their followers off-site. It’s worth noting that photo posts earned 2x the engagement rate as link posts for Angelo State, should they wish to widen their lead on Facebook even more next year.
Angelo State regularly vies for the prettiest campus glamour shots (we’re looking at you, James Madison University) like in this stunning vantage after a spring thunderstorm. The shot of Angelo State’s iconic belltower with a backdrop of thunderclouds dazzled fans to the tune of a 2.85% engagement rate and nearly 900 reactions. Knowing where and when your campus looks most enticing buoys many of the top D1 and D2 schools on social, and Angelo State definitely knows its angles. No budget for a staff photographer? Don’t be afraid to pull UGC or even run a contest to generate student-shot photos to inject new flavor into your school’s Facebook feed.
Top D2 Higher Education Institutions on Twitter
Top marks to the University of Nebraska at Kearney for moving from third to first on Twitter this year, knocking back Virginia State University to second place. Johnson C. Smith University also moved from 6th to 3rd this year to round out the winner’s podium.
| Rank | University | Total Engagement | Eng. Rate by Follower |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Nebraska at Kearney | 19,577 | 0.60% |
| 2 | Virginia State University | 14,729 | 1.24% |
| 3 | Johnson C. Smith University | 10,634 | 0.36% |
| 4 | Limestone University | 5,735 | 0.41% |
| 5 | Morehouse College | 41,161 | 0.23% |
| 6 | Carson-Newman University | 5,458 | 0.45% |
| 7 | Fort Valley State University | 5,540 | 0.24% |
| 7 | Bowie State University | 9,969 | 0.21% |
| 9 | Colorado School of Mines | 4,311 | 0.29% |
| 10 | Delta State University | 4,707 | 0.23% |
There were lots of other familiar faces in the Twitter top 10 from Morehouse College to Carson-Newman University to Bowie State University. Limestone University, Fort Valley State University, Colorado School of Mines, and Delta State University should all be proud of their top 10 finishes, which represent moving up the ranks in a big way.
D2 schools rocked an average engagement rate of 0.09% on Twitter this year and tweeted about three times per week, or every other day. Both of these represent a very small dip from last year, but engagement and tweeting frequency are basically flat in Higher Ed. It’s worth mentioning that schools are seeing engagement totals orders of magnitude lower on Twitter than on any other channel we studied, suggesting colleges and universities are putting less effort into content and engagement on Twitter. There are still plenty of impressive campaigns and strategies to profile on Twitter in spite of these smaller engagement numbers, though.
Featured school: University of Nebraska at Kearney
Between snagging the gold on Twitter and their second-place Facebook finish, an overall top 10 spot was a foregone conclusion for University of Nebraska at Kearney. UNK invests consistently in its Twitter content, and those efforts have definitely paid off. The Kearney Lopers had about the same number of followers as their average competitor, but tweeted about twice as often and earned 10x the engagement total and 4.5x the engagement rate–impressive stats to be sure.
UNK boasted the top tweet by engagement rate of any D2 school last year featuring Kearney alum and pro wrestler George “Tyrus” Murdoch’s big return to campus. We mentioned the success of this campaign in our top trends section up above, but it was so engaging across all of UNK’s channels that it’s worth dissecting further. The video earned more than 194K views and an incredible 87.5% engagement rate, suggesting strong virality that reached far beyond UNK’s followers. Everyone loves a heartwarming redemption arc, and Tyrus’ story about the impact Kearney had on him as a young man brought everyone in the room and UNK’s Twitter feed alike to tears. Not every school has a famous wrestler alum, but finding the unique and occasionally tearjerking stories about your school’s impact on its students is an important engagement strategy for any Higher Education social media marketer.
Speaking of epic brags, UNK set a new world record for the largest attendance at a women’s sporting event this year thanks to the Kearney community’s rabid support of all things volleyball. Setting the women’s sporting event attendance record was a HUGE deal, and UNK made sure to shout it from the rooftops. The video tweet showed off the full stadium’s reaction to setting the record in real-time and helped fans at home be a part of the excitement as well. With more than 6K views and an impressive 3.74% engagement rate, UNK’s social media team knows how to be in the right place at the right time and curate on-campus moments for their fans and followers. Video tweets earned about 4x the engagement of any other tweet type for UNK and were a strong focus for the Loper social media team this year, which definitely paid off.
In another top-notch video tweet, UNK wasn’t afraid to get a little playful even outside of April Fool’s Day with a little help from AI to reimagine campus as one giant interconnected bounce house. The short clip reached far beyond Kearney’s Twitter follower count and earned a 1.11% engagement rate. Some of Kearney’s other super-successful tweets this year involved a secret sauce that not every college can replicate, but the success of this fun and funny tweet is within reach for anyone with a ChatGPT login.
Top D2 Higher Education Institutions on TikTok
Southwest Minnesota State University went from 64th last year to 1st this year on TikTok to snag our channel gold. Slippery Rock University moved from 13th to 2nd on TikTok while Elizabeth City State University maintained its bronze for the second year in a row. Southern Connecticut State University, University of Tampa, University of Minnesota Duluth all hung onto their TikTok top 10 spots from last year as well, while Valdosta State University, Cedarville University, Pittsburgh State University, and Shepherd University were all fresh on the top 10 scene this year.
| Rank | University | Total Engagement | Eng. Rate by View* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southwest Minnesota State University | 257,891 | 17.17% |
| 2 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 1,655,831 | 13.38% |
| 3 | Elizabeth City State University | 120,587 | 16.91% |
| 4 | Southern Connecticut State University | 410,801 | 13.04% |
| 5 | The University of Tampa | 1,184,921 | 10.51% |
| 5 | Valdosta State University | 85,864 | 16.60% |
| 7 | Cedarville University | 89,138 | 14.56% |
| 8 | Pittsburg State University | 686,375 | 9.52% |
| 9 | University of Minnesota Duluth | 97,162 | 10.48% |
| 10 | Shepherd University | 35,671 | 14.64% |
TikTok engagement rates by view for D2 schools stayed basically flat at 3.69% compared to 3.86% in 2023. Schools are posting just as (in)frequently as they were last year at around two videos per month.
Featured school: Southern Connecticut State University
Southern Connecticut State University was a force to be reckoned with on TikTok this year, and their 4th place finish on this channel was no surprise. With twice the followers, 18x the videos, 23x the engagement total, and 14x the views as their average D2 competitor, it’s safe to say the Owls knocked it out of the park on nearly every metric we studied. With fresh takes on content and doubling their videos per week over the course of the school year, SCSU is one to watch for Higher Education TikTok inspo.
Sure, it’s cool to get a sitting U.S. President to speak at your commencement (we’re looking at you, Morehouse College), but sometimes a Gen Z icon can bring down the house just as hard. SCSU invited Disney channel alum Corbin Bleu to speak at graduation, and the actor dropped the mic with more than a few High School Musical references. Southern Connecticut’s TikTok feed is filled with clips from Bleu’s speech including this one, which earned an incredible 20.3% engagement rate by view and nearly a million views. Securing an awesome graduation speaker is only half the battle for colleges and universities, and SCSU was up to the challenge of making the most of the actor’s speech on social, especially TikTok.
Every school has graduation videos in their TikTok feed, but can you boast a graduation engagement? SCSU upped the ante this year with this heartwarming video of two undergraduates promising to tie the knot in their caps and gowns. The video rocked a 19.6% engagement rate by view, which is about 5x the D2 median. Fans and followers commented on the post with their congratulations and more than a few tears.
Finding unique ways to represent annual events on campus like move-in and graduation can be tough, but SCSU definitely cracked the code with this post.
From graduation proposals to 4th graders wishing SCSU students good luck during finals week, Southern Connecticut State University was all about the heartwarming (and occasionally tear-jerking) content on TikTok this year. New Haven nine-year-olds penned encouraging notes to stressed Owls and took the time to bundle up and hand them out on campus, bringing more than a little holiday cheer during finals week. The video touched the hearts and minds of Owls everywhere, resulting in a 14% engagement rate by view and more than 12K views. Community-focused content like this can bolster connection to fans on and off campus while bringing in mondo engagement and represents true Higher Education social media creativity.
Live Higher Education Social Media Benchmarks
Comparing your school’s social performance has never been easier. Browse our D1 and D2 live benchmarks 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 schools.
Need even more competitive analytics? Go head-to-head with a free report on TikTok, 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.
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Methodology
We surveyed all D1 and D2 colleges and universities on social media between June 1, 2023 and May 31, 2024 on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, 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.
We define engagement as measurable interaction on social media posts, including likes, comments, favorites, retweets, shares, and reactions. We used engagement rate by follower to measure engagement on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, which is defined as the total engagement divided by the number of followers. We used engagement rate by view to measure engagement on TikTok, which is defined as the total engagement divided by the number of views.
Please note: If you haven’t grabbed your school’s TikTok handle yet, consider doing so now even if you’re not ready to post there yet. There are a ton of imposters on TikTok snapping up handles, and we’d hate to see you struggle for a handle that matches your university’s brand by waiting too long.
The case for benchmarking in Higher Education social media
Why benchmark instead of just measuring how your school’s individual performance changes over time? Because social success is relative. Benchmarking means figuring out what’s working (and what isn’t) in your industry and measuring your success against that.
It’s 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’s really reaching the highest percentage of their fans and followers with their social posts, which are the schools you need to beat.
Wrapping it up
Congrats to all the D1 and D2 schools rocking it on Higher Education social media this year! We love seeing HESM trends change over time and secretly relish shake-ups in the rankings, and can’t wait to see what colleges and universities get up to next year.
Want to continue the #HESM conversation? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us on Twitter!
