Instagram has become a fundamental tool for information, communication and interaction, especially among younger individuals. The literature has analysed user interactions on this social network to determine the extent to which they are capable of generating engagement. The purpose of this study is to explore the ability of the official Instagram accounts of the world top 5 universities to generate engagement among their users. All posts on Instagram over the course of one academic year by these 5 universities (758 posts) were encoded and a comparative analysis carried out using multivariate modelling. This study aims to help identify which variables generate greatest engagement among users, providing strategic proposals for marketing management on this social network. Social network managers at higher education institutions will discover in the findings of this research patterns behind the posts and communication strategies that can generate greatest engagement, thus generating more valuable relationships with stakeholders.