How two campuses turn data into posts· Oct. 15Save your seat
Q3 2026 rankingsData through Sep 30, 2026

Top Illinois College Instagram Accounts

Illinois schools ranked on follower growth and median engagement rate for Q3 2026.

Illinois

54 ranked schools

Follower growth against schools their size, Jul 1 to Sep 30, 2026

  1. 1BC
    Blackburn College
    @blackburn_college
    3.5 times the typical follower growth for a school this size (+4.36%)+15.37%1,945 followers on Jun 28, 2026, 2,244 on Oct 1, 2026
  2. 2UC
    University of Illinois Chicago
    @thisisuic
    2.2 times the typical follower growth for a school this size (+4.24%)+9.47%37,506 followers on Jul 1, 2026, 41,056 on Sep 30, 2026
  3. 3EC
    Eureka College
    @eurekacollege1855
    1.9 times the typical follower growth for a school this size (+4.22%)+8.06%1,203 followers on Jun 28, 2026, 1,300 on Oct 1, 2026
  4. 4VM
    VanderCook College of Music
    @vandercook_college
    1.5 times the typical follower growth for a school this size (+4.00%)+6.10%1,788 followers on Jul 1, 2026, 1,897 on Oct 1, 2026
  5. 5IU
    Illinois Wesleyan University
    @il_wesleyan
    1.4 times the typical follower growth for a school this size (+4.65%)+6.63%9,232 followers on Jun 28, 2026, 9,844 on Sep 30, 2026

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Median engagement rate against schools their size, Jul 1 to Sep 30, 2026

  1. 1EC
    Eureka College
    @eurekacollege1855
    3.7 times the typical engagement rate for a school this size (1.85%)6.78%
  2. 2DU
    Dominican University
    @dominicanu
    2.8 times the typical engagement rate for a school this size (2.26%)6.27%
  3. 3PC
    Principia College
    @principiacollege
    2.6 times the typical engagement rate for a school this size (2.04%)5.37%
  4. 4SU
    Saint Xavier University
    @sxucougars
    2.4 times the typical engagement rate for a school this size (2.05%)4.92%
  5. 5AC
    Augustana College
    @augustana_illinois
    2.1 times the typical engagement rate for a school this size (1.91%)4.00%

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How the rankings work

Two metrics, ranked separately each quarter. Follower growth across the quarter, and the median engagement rate per post.

How rankings work

Reach ranks every eligible US college Instagram account once a quarter. Results are frozen when they publish and change only through a dated correction.

1,000

followers minimum at quarter end

6

posts minimum for engagement

3 sizes

by full-time enrollment

Sep 30, 2026

data through

Computed Oct 1, 2026

  • Small, under 3,000 students
  • Medium, 3,000 to 9,999
  • Large, 10,000 or more

Follower growth

Growth is the change in followers across the quarter as a percent of the starting count. It uses the counts closest to the first and last day, within 7 and 3 days.

Engagement rate

Engagement is the median of each post's likes plus comments divided by followers. The median keeps one viral post from winning a list.

Compared with schools their size

Large accounts grow and engage at lower rates, so each school is compared with the 100 schools nearest it in followers. A score of 2.0× means double the typical result for that size.

Turn the size switch off on any list to rank on the raw percentages instead.

Who qualifies

  • A US school account with at least 1,000 followers at quarter end
  • At least 6 posts in the quarter for engagement lists
  • A follower count near the quarter start for growth lists
  • Size lists include 4-year schools only, grouped by IPEDS full-time enrollment
  • Standalone law, MD and DO schools are left out

Tied schools share a rank and are listed alphabetically.

The two metrics are ranked separately and never blended.

Badges

A badge marks a school that keeps showing up. Two or more quarters in a row in a list's top 10, repeat #1 finishes, or repeat top-10 finishes.

Corrections

  • Corrected Oct 5, 2026 Rankings now compare each school with the schools nearest it in size. Turn off the size switch on any list to see the original raw-percentage ranks.

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