Living the college experience is no longer just about studying and partying — students are also filming, sharing and building a life online. With its modern social media minors and course, the University of Miami can be a place to build a following and turn social media into a career, giving applicants new reasons to want to become a Cane.
Creators have built platforms based on documenting their campus lives in recent years, shifting the school’s reputation from a party school to one where students can build their own brand. In a 2025 article, The Washington Post called UM America’s “college of influencers.”
This reputation can become part of what attracts students to the University.
Isabella Diaz Escobar, a freshman and content creator, began making TikToks in her dorm during her first week at UM. One of her first videos has 1.7 million views and 215.6K likes. She currently has 11.6K followers on TikTok, most of whom she said she gained during her time as a Cane.
Diaz Escobar said social media didn’t initially influence her to apply, but as UM gained more popularity online, the creator culture became more appealing to her.
“As UM gained online traction, it made me want to apply even more,” Diaz Escobar said. “I strongly resonated with UM influencers, which led me to the conclusion that I would thrive in this environment.”
Similarly looking at social media during admissions, freshman Melissa Maselli said she was able to decide if the University was the right place for her.
“I found that when evaluating college fit, in terms of where I would be happiest, videos students posted made it really easy to picture myself as a student here,” Maselli said.
One of the most recognizable examples is Alix Earle, who began building her platform at UM.
Earle began posting lifestyle content as a freshman in February of 2020, including videos of herself doing her makeup and choosing an outfit to go out, a format widely known as “Get Ready With Me” videos. A viral TikTok of Earle getting ready for her first day of senior year has 1.2 million likes.
By her sophomore year, she built a following of about 40K, and by the summer before her senior year, her videos were getting millions of views.
Since graduating in 2023, Earle’s platform has soared, earning 1.7 billion likes on TikTok and millions of followers.
She recently launched Reale Actives, her own skin care brand, and stars alongside her family in the Netflix show “Earle Meets World.”
Diaz Escobar explained why students with a following, or the desire to have one, might be attending UM.
“I think we can probably blame the ‘Alix Earle’ effect for this trend,” Diaz Escobar said. “The influencer lifestyle that is portrayed online seems fabulous: free items, exclusive events and fame. In today’s age, ‘I want to be a pop star’ has become ‘I want to be an influencer.’”
Earle’s career shows what can happen when ordinary college experiences become content. For students watching her rise while considering where to attend college, UM appears to be more than a place to just earn a degree.
The opportunity is particularly relevant in Miami, where social media and the creator economy have become increasingly connected to the city’s identity.
Miami ranks No. 3 among U.S. metropolitan areas for the number of top Instagram creators — behind Los Angeles and New York — according to 2025 research shared with Business Insider. The city has more than 6,000 top Instagram influencers, and the report found that Miami has more top influencers per capita than Los Angeles.
The city’s events, brands and entertainment industry give creators opportunities to turn their surroundings into content. For students considering UM, those opportunities extend beyond campus. They are choosing a university in a city where the creator economy is already visible.
Freshman Aubrey Levitan said she chose a social media course to study communication. But, she was surprised to learn skills applicable to her personal social media use.
“I really like how the class is structured because I’m learning more about how platforms shape the way awareness and information spread,” Levitan said. “Learning how social media movements can get lost has made me more careful about the rhetoric I see online and aware of how I interpret things.”
Professor Howard Cohen, who teaches a social media course, said one student’s work on campus trends impressed a retired Miami Herald publisher and former Knight Foundation president. After observing the class, the former publisher told Cohen that, if he were still in the position, he would “hire her as a marketer immediately.”
Becoming a Cane is no longer just about getting your degree and living in Miami. In a city where the creator economy is part of its identity, UM offers students the chance not only to watch that culture, but to become part of it.