The Broadcast Education Association, the premier international academic media organization, released its fourth annual rankings recognizing schools with consistent student success in its Festival of Media Arts. Elon University’s School of Communications once again secured a top-10 placement.
Elon University’s School of Communications has earned a top-10 spot in the Broadcast Education Association’s (BEA) annual school rankings for the fourth consecutive year, a recognition based on student success in the prestigious Festival of Media Arts.
Elon ranked ninth overall in 2025, buoyed by a strong showing in the Audio category, where the school jumped from unranked last year to seventh place. Elon students took home 11 awards from the 2025 festival, including seven that originated in Bryan Baker’s Audio for Sound and Digital Media class.
“Our grand success in the audio competition this year, thanks to Bryan and his students, was a large factor in keeping us in the top 10,” said Vic Costello, associate professor of cinema and television arts.
The school also ranked fourth nationally in the Film and Video category, and earned additional top-20 placements in Interactive Multimedia and Emerging Technology (No. 6), Sports (No. 12), and News (No. 13).
According to the BEA news release, the rankings – which are based on the past five-year period of student success – are not an overall evaluation of an academic program, but an evaluation of the quality and consistency of students’ creative works produced at one institution compared to those at other institutions.
The top 10 overall programs consisted of – in order – University of Oklahoma, Arizona State University, Syracuse University, University of Florida, Huntington University, Ball State University, Taylor University, Elon, and University of Miami.
“We’re in outstanding company once again, and our students should feel incredibly proud of their national recognition,” Costello said. “This ranking is a testament to the exceptional work they’re producing. They’re competing with – and matching – the best universities in the country at the BEA Festival of Media Arts.”
Costello added that while there are no overarching national rankings for communications programs, Elon’s continued success in the BEA rankings speaks to the high caliber of student work produced in the school.
The Broadcast Education Association is the leading international academic media organization, promoting innovation, excellence in media production, and professional development for educators, students, and industry professionals. The BEA Festival of Media Arts honors outstanding work by both students and faculty from institutions around the world.