Buzzworthy Schools: Which Universities Have The Largest Internet Presence?
share this story
University of Wisconsin-Madison students must be all atwitter with the news that theirs is the most buzzed about university, at least according to the Global Language Monitor.
The Monitor rated schools according to their online presence -- or internet brand equity -- in their 2011 TrendTopper MediaBuzz rankings. The Monitor collected data from the last day of 2009 to the last week of December 2010 from blogs, social media and 75,000 print and electronic media sources to select their top schools -- a method which, according to a press release, results in a "non-biased analytical tool that provides a gauge of relative values among various institutions, as well as measures of how that value changes over time."
By focusing on online presence, the Monitor hopes to avoid the biases that characterize other rankings, which commonly rely on the opinions of university officials and college counselors rather than that of the greater public. But some question the legitimacy of ranking in this way. AgencySpy points out that although the Monitor claims to "normalize" data, it doesn't explain how their mathematical model differentiates between promotional content and genuine buzz, and mentions that internet presence might include rather arbitrary metrics like YouTube hits.
Below, check out the ten universities with the largest internet presence (the Monitor has the top 20 and the full guide available for purchase). Did your school make the list? Let us know in the comments section.
Post a Comment
Loading comments… 
First Posted: 01/10/11 01:12 PM ET Updated: 05/25/11 07:25 PM ET