TCU has climbed rankings in sports, academics and campus life during the past year, and now they can boast another ranked category: social media engagement. 

According to social media analytics firm Rival IQ, TCU ranked as the No. 3 Overall Higher Education Institution among Division I universities for social media engagement. The ranking was based on “engagement rates, engagement totals, and posting frequency across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter,” according to the firm. 

Jenny Moore, the assistant director of marketing at TCU, expressed her excitement with the achievement. 

“We are thrilled that TCU is ranked third in social media in the nation,” Moore said. “The Horned Frogs love cheering on all things TCU. So whether it’s winning a College Football Playoff game or seeing the first buds of tulip season, the social media team knows that our frog family wants to see everything happening at TCU. It’s part of the way our incoming students stay connected even when they’re far away.” 

Rival IQ said TCU’s activity on Facebook played a significant role in the university’s high ranking. TCU’s social media accounts on Facebook were posted twice as often as other Division I schools, boosting their online presence. 

“It’s important to us that our social media strategy involves capturing an authentic all-around TCU experience. We want to showcase our culture and community and showcase it proudly,” said Mya Thatsanaphon, social media coordinator for TCU.

The No. 3 ranking is a significant jump from the university’s standing in the same report from previous years. TCU climbed 39 spots this year, an improvement from its No. 42 ranking last year, said Rival IQ. 

TCU Assistant Director of Social Media Marketing Amy Peterson said the success of the university’s social media accounts is correlated with TCU’s abundance of newsworthy events over the past year.

“This was a historic year – we celebrated our 150th anniversary; cheered the football team at the College Football National Championship; graduated our first class of future physicians from TCU’s Burnett School of Medicine and welcomed new president Daniel Pullin,” Peterson said. “To capitalize on the momentum, the social team created an ambassador program, engaged social influencers, expanded our video content and leaned on social as part of an integrated communications strategy to share news that was meaningful and engaging.”

Junior journalism and communication studies double major Ryan Thorpe, who interns for TCU media, said in addition to an expanded media team, their strong sense of ambition and community propelled TCU’s social media to higher performance levels. 

“The cohesiveness of the team and the willingness and excitement to do so many awesome projects really contributed to the success of our team and its high ranking,” he said. 

Moving forward, the TCU social media team hopes to maintain strong engagement levels with their audiences to connect with future Horned Frogs, alumni and current students, Peterson said.