UC ranks 12th in nation for social media

Social media analytics platform Rival IQ ranked UC No. 12 among NCAA Division-I schools in its annual Higher Education Social Media Engagement Report. The ranking represents a major move for the university, up from No. 179 in 2021. Notably this year, UC’s Instagram presence ranked No. 7.

Rival surveyed 358 Division-I colleges and universities between June 1, 2021, and May 31, 2022, on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok to generate an overall engagement ranking for each school that blends total engagement and engagement rates. The top-ranked colleges and universities on social media have high engagement rates with average or better audience size and posting volumes.

The jump in engagement comes on the heels of the university welcoming its largest-ever student body, pointing to UC being more popular than ever.

"Over the past year we've really leaned into creating content that resonates with our audiences and aim to create content specific to each platform, which has helped contribute to our jump in ranking,” says UC Social Media Manager Kelly Bennett.

Overall: 12 
Instagram: 7 
Facebook: 40 
Twitter: 27 
TikTok: 102

Rival IQ featured UC’s Instagram in its top 10, recognizing @uofcincy’s ability to tap into “FOMO” — fear of missing out — by posting about festivities in which not everyone could participate, such as College GameDay, and by using dynamic videos to bring the action closer to friends, fans and followers.

"It's a remarkable time to be a Bearcat, and our social media shows it,” says Bennett. “Something I love about my job is that I get to celebrate both the small moments and big moments of the UC community. From students getting their acceptance letters to the Bearcats making history in the College Football Playoffs, the university's social media helps share those stories in an authentic way."

According to Rival IQ:

• The median engagement rate for all Instagram users is .067%
• Instagram users in the top 25% have a 1.39% median engagement rate
• Schools and universities have the highest Instagram engagement rate across all industries at 2.99%
• UC’s Instagram engagement rate is 4.46%

Ellie Hartranft is a media production student in UC’s College-Conservatory of Music. As a social media co-op student for the university, she has a unique perspective on UC’s social presence and performance.

"It has been so cool to see UC's social accounts gain more engagement because it really creates a collective experience on campus,” Hartranft says. “Being both a student and worker for UC, I love seeing and trying to make content that resonates with the students but also parents, alumni or prospective students."