Top 20 Universities to Attend if you Want to Land a Job in Social Media

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You Tweet at your favorite celebrities. You “like” your favorite artists and restaurants and you “like” that your friend posted a brand new selfie on Facebook. You’re constantly Snapchatting throughout the day making sure you look oh so adorable in the infamous puppy filter. Ever consider taking your social media obsession and turning it into your dream job?

On average, as reported by CNN, Americans spends over ten hours a day looking at a screen, consuming media. That time is divided between cellphone use, computers, video games, and TV. Of that time, it is projected that the average person between the ages of 18-64 spends 3.5 hours a day on social media, where as teens nowadays spend up to nine hours a day on their favored social media platforms, according to Social Media Today.

Taking data from LinkedIn, Rent College Pads put together a list of universities you should attend if you want to land a job in the social media world. Listed below are the number of employees that work for Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter that graduated from that particular university, as well as, what that university is most known for!

20. University of Wisconsin-Madison

Facebook: 131

Snapchat: 8

Twitter: 25

The  University of Wisconsin-Madison, the largest and oldest public university in Wisconsin, is one of the nation’s Public Ivy universities. The university offers 130 undergraduate, 144 masters, and 109 doctoral programs and is classified as a university with the Highest Research Activity in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, spending $1.1 billion into research funding, in recent years.

The College of Letters and Science enrolls nearly half of the undergraduate class, but other popular majors include Economics and General Studies. The university was founded and strives to run the “Wisconsin Idea” which is the principle that “education should influence and improve lives beyond the classroom.”

 

19. University of Pennsylvania

Facebook: 149

Snapchat: 4

Twitter: 21

Founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin the University of Pennsylvania is a highly competitive private Ivy League research university. The University of Pennsylvania offers students double degree programs, academic flexibility, and has a strong interdisciplinary focus on research and studies.

The university offers 12 schools, each of which illustrates high research activity. The most popular amongst students are the Wharton School of Business and the School of Nursing. Each of these schools was the first of their kind in the nation and are nationally recognized as being some of the nation’s best. The “One University” policy gives all students at UPenn the option of courses in each of Penn’s undergraduate and undergraduate schools. Many CEOs and billionaires have graduated from UPenn. Some notable alumni include Google CEO Sundar Pichai and our current president, Donald Trump.

 

18. Georgia Institute of Technology

Facebook: 148

Snapchat: 7

Twitter: 27

The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university, located in Atlanta Georgia. Georgia Tech has 6 different colleges with 31 different departments. Being a tech school, the focus is on technology and science course. The university is nationally recognized for their engineering science, computing, business administration, and design programs.

The university also has satellite campuses in France, Ireland, and China. Georgia Tech consistently ranks in the top ten public universities in the United States by U.S. News and World Report, ranking number seven in the nation in 2016. Based off of standardized test scores, Georgia Tech has also been ranked as the “smartest” public college in America.

 

17. Columbia University

Facebook: 169

Snapchat: 10

Twitter: 22

Columbia University, located in Manhattan, New York City, is a private Ivy League research university. Columbia is the oldest university in New York offers students over 100 different majors of study. The most popular majors chosen are linguistics, foreign language, social sciences, and engineering, which is one of the oldest in America.  Columbia puts a large focus on having small class sizes so students and faculty are able to closely work together. They are the innovators of the Core Curriculum program that ensures all students are provided with the fundamentals of philosophy, science, literature, history, art and music.

For over 250 years Colombia has been a leading university in social and scientific advancements. Each year, Columbia awards individuals with the Pulitzer Prize for achievements in magazines, online journalism, musical composition, newspaper, and literature. Columbia has recently been recognized by both The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education ranked Columbia as the number one Ivy and 3rd overall in national universities.

 

16. New York University

Facebook: 158

Snapchat: 5

Twitter: 49

New York University, commonly referred to as NYU, has a student population of over 44,000 making it the largest Non-profit university in America. The university is considered to be of the most influential and has 17 colleges and over 150 different undergraduate programs. At NYU, the most popular majors include social sciences, marketing, business management, and visual and performing arts (the Tisch School of Arts is world-renowned).

The main NYU campus is located in New York City’s Greenwich Village but they also offer “study away sites” in eleven different cities around the world like Abu Dhabi and Shanghai, China. The university was ranked as the 18th best university overall by The Center for World University Rankings and holds the number five spot for universities with the highest number of alums that are worth over $30 million, as ranked by ABC News. The alumni and NYU faculty is made up of 30 Academy Award Winners, 30 Pulitzer Prize winners, astronauts, inventors, and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.

 

15. University of California-Santa Barbara

Facebook: 150

Snapchat: 23

Twitter: 46

The University of California Santa Barbara, one of the nation’s Public Ivy’s, is one of ten University of California public research universities. Originally founded as a small independent teachers college, UC Santa Barbara has grown to have five different colleges that offer more than 200 majors, the largest being the College of Letters and Science.

Popular majors at UC Santa Barbara include social sciences, psychology, and visual and performing arts. Graduate programs within the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education and the College of Engineering are highly ranked. The United States National Research Council ranked 10 UC Santa Barbara departments in the top ten of their kind. Some of these recognized programs include computer science and computer engineering.

 

14. Harvard University

Facebook: 188

Snapchat: 9

Twitter: 24

Founded in 1636, Harvard University is the nation’s oldest university. One of eight Ivy Leagues, Harvard is ranked number two by U.S. News & World Report, and QS World University Rankings, on their best universities in America lists. Harvard is made up of 13 different colleges and is notable for being “best-known” for its innovation and growth in education.

The Harvard Business School, Medical School, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the Law School are amongst the highly regarded in the nation. Beyond ranking for top universities overall, QS World University Rankings also ranked Harvard as the number one school for academic and 3rd when it comes to graduate employers. Amongst Harvard’s elite alumni are eight U.S. presidents, 62 living billionaires, and 359 Rhodes Scholars.

 

13. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Facebook: 174

Snapchat: 13

Twitter: 40

 

Often ranked as one of the world’s most prestigious technological universities, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Traditionally, MIT is known for their engineering and physical science programs. Every year, the School of Engineering ranks both nationally and internationally for various ranking lists. However, MIT does offer 34 different academic programs and more recently have becoming a favored choice for biology, economic, linguistics, and management studies.

Bill Clinton once stated that MIT has, “the best technology-transfer program in the country.” Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, is a professor at MIT, and it’s said that the companies started by MIT graduates would make up the 7th largest economy in the whole world. Between students, alumni, and faculty, MIT collectively has 58 National Medal of Science winners, 85 Noble honors, 29 National Medal of Technology and Innovation winners, and 45 MacArthur Fellows.

 

12. University of California-Davis

Facebook: 197

Snapchat: 11

Twitter: 49

The University of California-Davis, one of ten University of California public research universities, is considered to be one of the nation’s Public Ivies. Originally, in 1908, UC Davis was first opened as the University of California Berkeley farm extension which was to be dedicated to science and research.

Today, UC Davis offers 104 different undergraduate majors and 96 graduate programs to more than 35,000 students making it the most comprehensive of any of the University of California campuses. Economics and Business are amongst some of the most popular majors at UC Davis. The Graduate School of Management, School of Medicine, and College of Engineering have highly ranked graduate programs. In the most recent edition, U.S. News & World Report ranked UC Davis as the number 10th best public university in America.

 

11. University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign

Facebook: 216

Snapchat: 17

Twitter: 26

A member of the Association of American Universities, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is classified under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 Doctoral Research University, which is the highest level of research activity for any university to have. Offering 150 different undergraduate programs in 17 different colleges, The U of I has more than 80 laboratories and research centers, like the  Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications.

The university specializes in several programs like Digital Marketing and the College of Engineering is consistently ranked as one of the top five engineering schools in the world. U.S. News and World Report ranked the Accounting program, Computer Science, and Chemistry program in the top ten of their categories. Some U of I alumni includes YouTube co-founders Jawed Karim and Steve Chen. As well as, Marc Andreessen the Silicon Valley entrepreneur.

 

10. Cornell University

Facebook: 218

Snapchat: 7

Twitter: 43

Cornell University, one of three private land grant universities in America, is the newest member of the Ivy League. Located in Ithaca, New York, Cornell is divided into seven undergraduate and seven graduate colleges. The university’s most popular undergraduate colleges are the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences. Cornell’s highly ranked graduate schools include the S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management, Weill Cornell Medical College, and the College of Engineering.

Arguably, Cornell has the best engineering program out of all eight Ivy Leagues and has been ranked fourth in the world for having the largest amount of graduate students that pursue PhDs in engineering. Opening in 2017, Cornell is expanding and introducing their new Tech Campus which will teach prospective entrepreneurs to digitally transform advertising, publishing, and entertainment. Aggressive courses in natural sciences, engineering, and computer science will also be offered at their New York City location.

 

9. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Facebook: 207

Snapchat: 19

Twitter: 44

The University of Michigan is the state’s oldest public research university with locations in Flint and Dearborn and its main campus being located in Ann Arbor. The University of Michigan is viewed as one of the most prestigious research universities and is classified as being a Doctoral University with Very High Research by the Carnegie Foundation. The National Science Foundation even ranked Michigan as the number one public research university is the United States.

Some of the most popular majors chosen are business, administration, and management, and engineering, however, student have 19 different schools and over 265 degrees to choose from. Highly rated across the country are the Stephen M Ross School of Business, School of Education, and College of Engineering. Michigan has ranked as the number sixth school that recruiters for new hires look for by the Wall Street Journal. Both Google co-founder, Larry Page, and former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo are University of Michigan alumni.

 

8. University of California-San Diego

Facebook: 216

Snapchat: 16

Twitter: 46

What once was a military base, the University of California San Diego, has transformed into a highly respected research university that is recognized as a Public Ivy. Comprised of nine schools, six undergraduate, and three graduate, UC San Diego offers over 200 different degree programs. UC San Diego is only four decades old and has grown to be one of the most sought after public research universities, engineering, social sciences, and biology being the most popular majors.

UC San Diego is ranked 15th in the world by U.S. News & World Report for their global university rankings. Together, the UC San Diego faculty and alumni have started more than 650 companies and two of those alumni were original members of the Apple Macintosh development team.

 

7. University of Texas-Austin

Facebook: 268

Snapchat: 6

Twitter: 35

The crown jewel of the University of Texas System, the University of Texas at Austin, is one of the largest public research universities in the United States. With a student population of over 50,000, UT Austin offers over 100 different major in 18 different schools, the largest being the College of Liberal Arts. Engineering, business, communications, and marketing are amongst the most popular chosen majors.

After MIT, UT Austin receives the most federal research grants in the country. As a world-leader in computer science research, much of the research conducted at UT Austin is also focused on both physical science and engineering. Students at UT Austin are taught by professors who have received such awards like the Pulitzer Prize, Nobel Prize, National Medal of Science, and Emmy Awards. The university also just ranked 30th internationally in the 2017 edition of “Best Global Universities” by U.S. News & World Report.

 

6. University of Southern California

Facebook: 235

Snapchat: 38

Twitter: 36

Located in the heart of Los Angeles the University of Southern California is the state’s oldest private research university. Founded in 1880, USC began with 53 students and today has grown to have over 50,000 students offering about 150 different programs of study. The university has many highly ranked schools but is primarily known for its engineering, business, medicine, and cinematic studies. USC has the world’s most powerful quantum computer and the only other available quantum computing system is jointly operated by NASA and Google.

The Princeton Review ranked the USC video game design program as number one out of 150 schools in the country. Alumni of USC have founded companies like MySpace and Lucasfilm and between students and staff, there are 8 Rhodes Scholars, 5 Nobel Laureates, 129 Emmy Award winners and 82 Academy Award winners. In the 2017 edition, Niche ranked USC in their Best Colleges ranking as being the 10th best.

 

5. University of Washington

Facebook: 268

Snapchat: 9

Twitter: 33

Recognized as a cutting-edge public research university, the University of Washington is one of the West Coast’s oldest public schools. The University of Washington has three campuses in Tacoma, Bothell, and Seattle (which is where the main campus is located). The most sought after majors at UW are social sciences, biomedical sciences, business, management, and marketing, with the top schools being the College of Engineering, School of Medicine, and the Michael G. Foster School of Business.

The university has become the most successful public research facility and to better further their research institutions, they receive the most federal funding than any other public university.  Each year at the Undergraduate Research Symposium, students present their research to the community. Academic Ranking of World Universities put UW in the 15th spot amongst 500 other universities and internationally, was ranked number 15 by U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Global University.”

 

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Facebook: 337

Snapchat: 23

Twitter: 55

 

Carnegie Mellon University, an esteemed research university, is probably best known for its technology and science programs. Originally, the university was founded as the Carnegie Institute of Technology. The University is known for its STEM and visual performing arts programs and more than one-third of the study body student body is enrolled in engineering and computer sciences courses.

The College of Computer Science is world-renowned where students often place first in many national competitions like Microsoft’s programming contest Build the Shield. Beyond the technology and engineering programs, the Tepper School of Business is highly ranked and the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship gives students a place to develop and learn business concepts. Carnegie Mellon’s main campus is located in Pittsburgh, but there is also a campus located in Silicon Valley which offers full and part-time Masters programs in Computer Engineering and Software Engineering.

 

3. University of California-Los Angeles

Facebook: 313

Snapchat: 53

Twitter: 52

University of California Los Angeles, whose graduates are the most dominant at Snapchat,  is a highly desired public research university founded in 1919. The world-renowned staff teaches over 200 undergraduate and graduate degrees, and more than two dozen are within the top twenty in their field. Undergraduates begin their research their freshman year and more than half of UCLA graduates will have conducted research in social sciences and STEM.

The most popular majors are biology, mathematics, and economics and their Anderson School of Management and Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science are well known. Every year UCLA has ranked as a top public university worldwide for community involvement, research, academics and best value. Times Higher Education World University Rankings gave UCLA the number 14 spot for best academics and 13th place for reputation in the country.

 

2. Stanford University

Facebook: 635

Snapchat: 39

Twitter: 91

 

Stanford University, which has the highest number of Facebook employees out of any other university, is located in the technology and innovation hub, Silicon Valley, California. Stanford, which has been called the nation’s “it” school and the “Harvard of the 21st century,” offers seven different schools and is most known for its business, law, and STEM programs.

Forbes ranked Stanford the number one research university, and each year the university performs over 5,500 projects and has a $1.22 billion budget for research.  Between Stanford alumni and faculty they collectively make more than $2.7 trillion annually with companies they have founded, which is equal to the 10th largest economy worldwide.

 

1. University of California-Berkeley

Facebook: 628

Snapchat: 25

Twitter: 151

Coming in at our number one spot for having the most social media employees in total, and the most at Twitter is the University of California Berkeley.  A founding member of the Association of American Universities, Berkeley has 14 schools that offer over 350 different undergraduate and graduate programs, highly ranked are the Haas School of Business, College of Engineering, School of Journalism and the School of Law. Berkeley is the oldest of the ten research universities in the University of California system, and if often ranked as one of if not the top university both nationally and internationally.

UC-Berkeley, in 2016 was ranked as the number one public university by U.S News & World Report “Best Colleges,” and landed in the fourth spot for “Best Global University Rankings,” in 2017. Amongst the Berkeley staff and alumni are numerous winners and recipients of the Nobel Prize, Wolf Prize, MacArthur Fellows, Pulitzer Prize, Olympic gold medalists, and Academy Award, winners. Past Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, and Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple Inc., are both University of California Berkeley alumni.

Chips and salsa aficionado, Ali Bartmer joined the Rent College Pads team in the fall of 2016 as the Operations Assistant and has since become a Content crafter. Cat mom of one, Ali prides herself in being a Bloody Mary connoisseur and with her Masters from Hogwarts there’s nothing Ali can’t do.

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