BEA Rankings Methodology

The BEA rankings are based on the recognition of student achievements through the BEA Festival of Media Arts.  The BEA Festival of Media Arts is the largest student and faculty media festival in the country participation representing over 300 Colleges and Universities.  Student achievements are measured through seven different competitions: audio, documentary, film and video, interactive media and emerging technologies, news, script writing, and sports.  Entries in each of these categories are individually viewed by a team of educators and professionals.  Approximately 20% are acknowledged through a series of awards including Awards of Excellence, First, Second and Third Places, as well as a Best of Festival for the top achievement in each competition. 

The rankings are based on the last five years of student achievement as compiled by the festival judges. Nearly 3,000 student winners form the ranking foundation. Results are compiled in each of the competitions that have a five-year track record. Newer categories without five years of results were not considered for this year’s rankings. The results for each school were calculated by both the number of winners and the level of the awards.  For instance, a First Place Award is given a higher value than an Award of Excellence.  Each school’s student achievements are then calculated and ranked for each of the competition categories. In addition, an overall ranking represents total achievements over the last five years across all the competitions.

The statistics are compiled and confirmed by the BEA festival advisory committee which is made up of past Festival Chairs and Creative Directors.