The Broadcast Education Association (BEA) is pleased to announce the first annual rankings of schools based on the creative achievement of their students. The rankings are founded on the results from the BEA Festival of Media Arts. The BEA Festival is the preeminent international media competition focused on student and faculty creative endeavors. In the last five years alone, over 5,000 student creative works were submitted from BEA’s more than 300 member institutions around the globe. Entries go through a blind-juried review in the following competitions: Audio, Documentary, Film & Video, Interactive Multimedia & Emerging Technologies, News, Scriptwriting, and Sports.

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BEA Background

The Broadcast Education Association is the premiere international academic media organization, driving insights, excellence in media production, and career advancement for educators, students, and professionals. The Festival of Media Arts was created and is organized by BEA faculty across the globe to honor the amazing works of both students and faculty. Over $19,000 in prizes is awarded each year, thanks to the generous longtime sponsorship of the Charles & Lucille King Family Foundation and the continued Diana King Memorial Endowment.

Ball State Ranked

• #7 Overall (out of 101 ranked national programs)
• #7 Top Documentary (out of 25)
  • Short-Form Documentary Category Award of Excellence: Dear Miss Conrad: Capital University in WWII; Betsy Pike, Mary Clare Kunkel, Andy Carlson & Rocky Jorgenson
• #27 Top Film & Video (out of 36)
• #2 Top Sports (out of 30)
  • Promotional Video/Tease/PSA Category
    • 1st Place (Best of Festival): Ball State Sports Link: 2021 Men’s Basketball Intro; Faith Denig ’22
  • Audio/Video Sports Event: Play by Play Talent
    • 3rd Place: Ball State Sports Link: Charlie Maurer Play by Play
    • Award of Excellence: Ball State Sports Link: Lexi Eblen ’23 Play by Play
  • Video Story/Feature (short) Category
    • Award of Excellence: Ball State Sports Link: Bryce Behrendt (Men’s Volleyball); Faith Denig & Nick Lawler ’24
  • Video Sports Talent (Anchor/Host) Category
    • 2nd Place: Ball State Sports Link: Hudson French Hosting; Hudson French ’23
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      “I think our presence in these awards reflects on the ability of the Media Department as a whole. I’m personally aiming for a few more first places next year.” – Hudson French ’23

  • Video Sports Live Game Production Category
    • 1st Place: Ball State Sports Link: Women’s Volleyball vs. NIU; Sarah Akins, Cameron Surdyk ’22, Ryan Klimcak & Lexi Eblen ’23
  • Video Sports News Program Category
    • Award of Excellence: Ball State Sports Link: Gameday LIVE (Homecoming vs. Miami); Dennis Collier, Charlie Hammock  & Hudson French ’23
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      “This award was given to the director, producer, and talent of the broadcast, but in reality it belongs to everyone on the crew as well. Live television is a team effort because everyone’s job is critical to the success of the broadcast.” – Cameron Surdyk ’22

  • Esports Coverage Category
    • 1st Place: Ball State Sports Link: 2021 Esports Intro; Jordan Nemeth ’21

Rankings Explained

The rankings 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. While the BEA has been evaluating student work for nearly 20 years in competition, the rankings are based on the past five-year period of student success. Because of the breadth of media taught at participating institutions, individual rankings are provided in each of the seven different media competitions that have at least a five-year history. Additionally, there is an Overall Ranking based on a combined achievement across the multiple media creative disciplines.

The Festival winners represent approximately the top 20% of entries. There are five levels of awards: Best of Festival, First Place, Second Place, Third Place, and Award of Excellence. The rankings take into account both the quantity and quality of student work. For instance, Best of Festival winners are given a higher weight than Awards of Excellence. While the BEA honors outstanding achievements of both faculty and students, the rankings focus solely on student accomplishments. In the “2022 BEA Festival Student Achievement Rankings,” 170 schools are represented with student winners.