The University is ranked the ninth-most influential institution among the nation’s schools because of social media used to connect with the public, according recent findings by ranking site Klout.
The organization compiled a list of the 10 most influential schools in the country based on how people share the content that schools post online, according to the Klout web site. If more people retweet or share content with friends, the school has a higher influence.
The site gives a score based on a scale of 0 to 100. LSU received a 65, compared to schools like top-ranked Texas A&M with a 73, and Stanford University which ranked fifth with a 67.
This is the University’s first break into Klout’s top 10.
The site claims social media usage is becoming an important measure of schools’ influence in American society.
“The most influential ones must be both tech-savvy enough to have a well-managed Twitter account and have the most influential professors, [alumni] and others engaging with them,” the site said.
As of Oct. 5, the University (@lsu) had nearly 7,000 Twitter followers.
With the large number of rankings released each year, it’s hard to determine the standings’ legitimacy, but receiving a high ranking is always good, according to LSU Media Relations Director Ernie Ballard.
“It’s good exposure for the University to be ranked and be considered as a top institution in the nation,” Ballard said in an e-mail.
Other schools ranked included Harvard University at No. 3 and the University of Oklahoma at No. 4.
The University of California at Berkeley and Marquette University both tied LSU with a score of 65.
Megan Everett, political science and international studies senior, said the ranking is not a true portrayal of how influential the University is.
Everett said the University is unique because it has a strong following outside of the student population, such as people who attend other schools but go to games in Death Valley.
She said the only reason she has ever visited the University’s social media pages is to find out if school was cancelled.
Brad Norwood, history senior, said he agreed with the ranking because the University has increased its online presence since he became a student in 2008.
Norwood said he follows the University’s Facebook page and remembers a contest the University entered with Texas A&M to see who could get the most “likes.”
Amanda Bucher, biology senior, said she’s not surprised the University ranked highly because of its large size.
Bucher said more academically prominent schools like Harvard may not be as influential as LSU, which has such a big following. Bucher said she noticed the University’s social media sites informing people about parking problems and other issues.
 
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Contact Brian Sibille at [email protected]