Got mojo? The University of Michigan does... on the Internet. In a national analysis of universities, UM beat out some pretty prestigious schools (that's not to say UM isn't prestigious) to get the No. 1 ranking when it comes to net coverage, traffic, and social media shout-outs.
The University of Michigan has topped Harvard
University and all other universities in the United States for the
amount of public interest measured by media coverage, Internet traffic
and social media mentions, according to an independent national
analysis released this week.
Michigan (previously ranked fourth) was followed by MIT, Harvard
(previously No. 1), Columbia University, the University of Chicago, the
University of California-Berkley, the University of Wisconsin, Stanford
University, the University of North Carolina and Cornell University.
The survey was part of Austin, Texas-based Global Language Monitor's
newest Predictive Qualities Indicator survey using word analysis to
measure media trends and "buzz.''
Global Language Monitor President Paul Payack attributed the shift
in public sentiment to the 2008 financial markets meltdown that cost
Harvard's endowment $11 billion, forcing Harvard and other elite
privates that relied on endowments to make major cuts in 2009.
"There's been a flight to quality with increased interest in the
Public Ivies like Michigan and Wisconsin as well as more interest in
technology, which helped MIT climb from 16th in the previous survey,''
Payack said. "We look at this as a branding analysis, looking at the
perceived attributes people are most interested in."