Social Media Benchmarks for Education
See how education brands perform across Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and LinkedIn—with fresh data, actionable insights, and smart strategies for 2024.
The way students, alumni, and prospective learners interact with educational institutions online is changing fast. This benchmark report reveals what’s really working in education digital marketing today. Based on 12 months of performance data, it highlights the real engagement metrics, platform trends, and content strategies that are moving the needle for education marketers.
Executive Summary
- Top-performing platforms for education engagement—and how to optimize your strategy for each
- Comparison of content types by engagement across Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and LinkedIn
- Breakdown of post formats used most frequently vs. those that actually perform
- Content pillars that drive the strongest engagement across platforms
- Data-backed insights to boost follower growth and improve your social media performance in education marketing
Averages Across All Platforms
Looking at the big picture, TikTok and Instagram clearly lead in engagement, but in very different ways.
TikTok boasts an average engagement rate of 4.2% by followers, with video storytelling leading the way. TikTok education engagement rates show massive upside for small and mid-sized educational brands.
Instagram follows with an average engagement rate of 2.2%, where carousels and Reels drive high interaction. Instagram benchmarks for education highlight the need for a balanced content mix to avoid scroll fatigue.
Facebook and LinkedIn average around 0.4% and 0.2% engagement by followers respectively, while X (formerly Twitter) struggles with reach and video interaction. However, niche audience engagement remains possible with the right content focus.
These averages provide a clear benchmark for evaluating your own higher education marketing metrics.
Engagement Rates by Content Type (Per Platform)
Despite photos and albums making up the bulk of posts, videos achieve the highest engagement. Reels, though underused, offer strong potential for organic reach when used strategically.
Carousel posts and single images outperform Reels in many education accounts. Balancing formats is essential to maintain strong engagement rates.
X (formerly Twitter)
Animated GIFs and photos deliver stronger engagement compared to video and links. X benchmarks for the education sector show that quick, visual, resource-driven updates resonate best.
TikTok
Video is everything. Almost 99% of posts are video, pulling huge engagement numbers even for smaller institutions. Carousels, while rare, show promising interaction when tested.
Text updates, documents, and articles outperform visual formats. LinkedIn metrics for universities reveal that deep storytelling and leadership content drive better engagement.
Post Formats by Volume (Per Platform)
Still dominated by photo (45%) and album (22.7%) posts, even though videos achieve better results. Brands should pivot to short-form storytelling to maximize impact.
Reels make up 44.1% of content, but carousels and static images hold strong engagement advantages. A diversified content approach is key to sustainable performance.
X (formerly Twitter)
Photos (30.3%) and links (34.1%) dominate, but animated GIFs—despite low volume—consistently outperform. There’s a real opportunity for brands to differentiate here.
TikTok
Nearly 99% of posts are videos. Short-form, authentic storytelling remains the only game in town, though carousels show some untapped potential.
Images dominate (53.9%), but documents and text posts deliver higher engagement. Posting whitepapers, reports, and impact stories can significantly lift interaction rates.
Top Content Pillars (Per Platform)
Parent & Teacher Resources, Campus Life, and Educational Tips drive the highest engagement, far outperforming pure promotional posts.
Parent & Teacher Resources, Student Achievements, and Campus Life consistently perform best. Human-centered storytelling wins over polished promos.
X (formerly Twitter)
Parent & Teacher Resources, Classroom Activities, Educational Tips, Campus Life, and Admission & Scholarships top the list. Resource-focused, timely updates build the most traction.
TikTok
Teacher & Staff Highlights, Student Achievements, and Educational Technology spark the strongest engagement. Authentic, emotionally charged short-form videos perform best.
Admissions & Scholarships, Student Achievements, and Teacher & Staff Highlights drive the highest interaction rates, emphasizing the value of trust-building narratives.
Ready to download the full report?
The full PDF includes detailed benchmarks, platform-specific breakdowns, and actionable strategies tailored for education brands.
Whether you’re growing an online learning platform or building a higher education social media strategy, this report is packed with insights to help you win in 2024.
Download the PDF now and find out how your education brand measures up!
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