The University of Houston has achieved its best-ever placement in Rival IQ’s 2025 Higher Education Social Media Engagement Report, ranking No. 22 nationally overall, No. 1 on X (formerly Twitter), No. 2 on Facebook and No. 9 on Instagram. The recognition underscores UH’s ability to drive meaningful engagement across platforms and outpace universities with far larger followings.
“These rankings are more than just numbers, they’re a reflection of the pride, excitement and energy of the UH community,” said Nick Pomes, UH’s director of social media.
“Every post is an opportunity to tell the University’s story, whether it’s a research breakthrough, a student achievement or a big win on the field. And we know people are paying attention.”
—Nick Pomes, Director of University Social Media
While some of UH’s most visible viral moments come from athletics — such as a witty post trolling a Purdue fan who mocked Kelvin Sampson’s name or a playful promise to “reveal the secret of the triangle” in the UH logo after 1,000 retweets — much of the University’s engagement among its 1.13 million followers is rooted in academics, news and campus events.
The name is KELVIN, and he just delivered the L that you forgot. pic.twitter.com/MYcwP4uhLx
— University of Houston (@UHouston) March 29, 2025
The moment you’ve been waiting for... https://t.co/dr8ow6qTM4 pic.twitter.com/LKH7fLhhwx
— University of Houston (@UHouston) September 13, 2025
“Some of our highest engagement comes from stories on institutional successes and national rankings, research breakthroughs, student success, and campus milestones and events that bring our community together,” Pomes said. “Athletics sparks passion, but it’s just one part of the larger story. Our audiences want to see UH making an impact across the spectrum.”
Strategy, Not Serendipity
Behind the humor and viral posts is a disciplined, data-driven strategy. Pomes and his team meticulously tag and track content performance across platforms, benchmarking UH against competitors each month and refining approaches based on algorithm changes and audience behavior.
“Social media isn’t just fun and games, it’s strategy and science,” Pomes explained. “We measure engagement rates, monitor growth trends and understand the nuances of each platform’s algorithm. For example, Instagram has both our highest engagement rate and our fastest audience growth, while LinkedIn has our largest audience. That’s not a guess, it’s data.”
Outperforming the Competition
Despite not having a TikTok account, which generates an automatic last-place score in Rival IQ’s rankings, UH finished ahead of peer institutions such as Baylor (No. 25), Texas A&M (No. 39) and UT Austin (No. 136). In the Big 12 Conference, only Oklahoma State ranks higher overall, and it does have TikTok presence.
“These results show the power of authentic engagement,” Pomes said. “We don’t rely on vanity metrics. We focus on telling real stories that resonate with our students, alumni, fans and the broader community.”
By the Numbers
- No. 22 Nationally Overall — UH’s highest placement ever
- No. 1 Nationally on X — up 30 spots from last year
- No. 2 Nationally on Facebook — up 26 spots
- No. 9 Nationally on Instagram — up 18 spots
- No. 1 across Texas schools and the Big 12 on Instagram, Facebook and X
“This success is the result of strategy, creativity and consistency,” said Lisa K. Holdeman, vice president for marketing and communications. “Nick and his team have built a powerful voice for UH — one that reflects the boldness of our students, the excellence of our faculty and the energy of our alumni and city we represent. UH’s digital presence is often the front door to the University, and we are proving it can stand out on the national stage.”
“It’s proof that the University of Houston can go head-to-head with anyone, anywhere,” Pomes added.