2025 Design of the Year finalists
August 26, 2025
MINNEAPOLIS — The Associated Collegiate Press announces finalists in its 2025 Design of the Year competition.
The winners will be announced at the ACP Awards Ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 18, at MediaFest25, the Fall National College Media Convention, in Washington, D.C.
After the winners are announced on Oct. 18, a gallery of the winners and honorable mentions will be shared on this website allowing student journalists and advisers to see all of the entries recognized in the competition.
Congratulations to the finalists in the following Design of the Year contests —
Please join us at MediaFest in Washington, D.C., Oct. 15 – 18. Register online.
This convention provides a unique opportunity to network with industry professionals, learn from seasoned journalists, and gain valuable insights into the ever-evolving world of media and journalism.
Newspaper/Newsmagazine Front Page
Jessica Bergfors, Titus Slaughter
The Ball State Daily News, Ball State University (IN)
Breaking the Mold
Naomi Brown, Kelsey Mason
The Arbiter, Boise State University (ID)
Breaking the Cycle: The Fight for Menstrual Equity
Roxanne Alsop
Technician, North Carolina State University
LGBTQ History Month
Betsy Burrow
The Graphic, Pepperdine University (CA)
“Based On the Color of My Skin?”
Brandon Rowley
el Don, Santa Ana College (CA)
The Nobody’s Are Coming
Alex Hoben
The Collegian, Tarrant County College (TX)
Nation Divided
Mathias Cubillan, Pranay Dhoopar
The Battalion, Texas A&M University
Rivalry Rebooted
Charlotte DeAngelis, Sovannreach Po
The Miami Hurricane, University of Miami (FL)
University of Miami Turns 100
Savannah Nagy, Grant Richa
The Daily Gamecock, University of South Carolina
Restoring the Old Ball Game
Emma Wilks, Taliyah Winn
The Sunflower, Wichita State University (KS)
Remembering Lives Lost
Newspaper/Newsmagazine Page/Spread
Brenden Rowan
The Ball State Daily News, Ball State University (IN)
100 Years On the Field
Kelsey Mason
The Arbiter, Boise State University (ID)
The Five Best Shows from Each Day of Treefort Music Fest
Luis Castilla, Ethan Cohen
Long Beach Current, California State University, Long Beach
Los Angeles Wildfires
Paige Jackowski, Zoey Lawrence, Ben Westerhof
Central Michigan Life, Central Michigan University
The Science of Love
Emma Liu
The Huntington News, Northeastern University (MA)
Massachusetts Ballot Measure Results
Scott Hwang, Paloma Leone-Getten, Danny O’Grady
Daily Northwestern, Northwestern University (IL)
Fall 2024 Undergraduate Poll
Alex Hoben
The Collegian, Tarrant County College (TX)
Heal the Soil, Heal the Soul
Meg Boles, Kate Maddison, Nathan Moya
The University Star, Texas State University-San Marcos
Life & Arts: From Front Event
Eva Andrews, Sam Butler
Daily Emerald, University of Oregon
Everything Students Should Know if UOSW Votes to Strike
Ryan Ehrhart
Daily Emerald, University of Oregon
The Power of a Signature
Magazine Cover
Guen Ramirez Platon
Ke Alaka’i, Brigham Young University-Hawaii
Winter 2025
Erika Castro
The Collegian/Paw Print, California State University, Fresno
Skate FSU
Javier Angulo, Tyler Diltz, Zoey Ryan, Keaton Weyer
Pulse, Central Washington University
Winter 2025
Eve Kelly
Drake Mag, Drake University (IA)
Fall 2024
Caitlin Hess
Iowa State Daily, Iowa State University
The Soul of Iowa State
Kamryn Fleischer
Manhappenin’, Kansas State University
Fall 2024
Alfonso Julián Camacho, Alexa Lima, Nicolette Monique Luna, Ivan Medida
El Sol, Southwestern College (CA)
All Heaven Breaking Loose
Staff
KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion, University of Kentucky
Spring 2025
Staff
KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion, University of Kentucky
Fall 2024
Staff
Flux, University of Oregon
Anchored in Community
Magazine Page/Spread
Cho (Ben) Yong Fai, Moevai Tefan
Ke Alaka’i, Brigham Young University-Hawaii
The Heart of Storytelling: Compiling Kula Manu
Kaitlin Dou
Dig Mag, California State University, Long Beach
Existing is Power
Ma. Gisela Ordenes
Warrior Life, El Camino College (CA)
Faith in Fashion
Matthew Erboza
Inside Fullerton, Fullerton College (CA)
Prize Picked Apart
Ruiyu Chen
SCAN, Savannah College of Art and Design-Atlanta (GA)
Shadow of My Grey Grandma
Ashleigh Jones
KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion, University of Kentucky
Trixie Mattel’s College Survival Guide
Aubrey Riddick
KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion, University of Kentucky
Masai Russell: More Than a Medal
Staff
Flux, University of Oregon
Bigfoot Seekers
Staff
Flux, University of Oregon
A Fight for Change
Insia Haque, Melody Zhang
34th Street Magazine, University of Pennsylvania
Doge’s Wake of Destruction
Yearbook Cover
Ashleigh Anema
Baylor Roundup, Baylor University (TX)
Never Quite Like
Staff
Angelos, California Baptist University
Essence
Jenna Fiscus
Royal Purple, Kansas State University
Signature
Sophia Sanchez
The Tower, Loyola University (CA)
Tower 2025
Violet Beesley, Jermaine Hudson, Emma Scott
Agromeck, North Carolina State University
Unveiled
Staff
Tower, Northwest Missouri State University
In Motion
Cara Hudson, Avery Kramer, Rachel Reyes
Aggieland, Texas A&M University
While You’re Here
Jake Sperling, Ava Stroshane
Ibis, University of Miami (FL)
Ibis 2025
Mishal Charaina, Carly Nicholas
Michiganensian, University of Michigan
Michiganensian 129
Yasmin Garcia
Cactus, University of Texas at Austin
Legacy in Burnt Orange
Yearbook Page/Spread
Ashleigh Anema
Baylor Roundup, Baylor University (TX)
Don’t You Forget It
Gianna Bolla
Baylor Roundup, Baylor University (TX)
Finals Fuel
Jermaine Hudson
Agromeck, North Carolina State University
Meet the Divine Nine
Kennedy Knight
Agromeck, North Carolina State University
Red or Blue? NC Elections
Adriano Espinosa, Hannah Harrison, Cara Hudson, Avery Kracmer, Chris Swann
Aggieland, Texas A&M University
The Great Divide
Adriano Espinosa, Hannah Harrison, Theresa Lozano, Rachel Reyes
Aggieland, Texas A&M University
Queen Of The Campus
Ashleigh Jones
Kentucky Kernel, University of Kentucky
Kentucky Kernel YIP 2
Grace Paliseno, Jake Sperling
Ibis, University of Miami (FL)
Turning 21
Carly Nicholas
Michiganensian, University of Michigan
Journey Through Africa
Carly Nicholas
Michiganensian, University of Michigan
Dream Big, Focus Small
Informational Graphic
Robert Vertiguel
The Et Cetera, Dallas College Eastfield Campus (TX)
Baseball Stats
Kim McGill
The Union, El Camino College (CA)
Got Weed?
Jakob Arnarsson, Ian Kapsalis, James Sevilla
The Express, Las Positas College (CA)
Elite Eight
Zoe Rich
The Battalion, Texas A&M University
Amid Ring Day’s 25th Anniversary, Four Editors Get Their Bling
Madeline Carpenter
The University Star, Texas State University-San Marcos
Hays County Polling Locations Deemed Inaccessible for Disabled Voters
Ashley Heeseon Choi, Gina Namkung
Daily Bruin, University of California, Los Angeles
Avigating Korea: K-Drama Filming Locations
Marandah Mangra-Dutcher
The Daily Iowan, University of Iowa
Who Owns Downtown Iowa City?
Jake Sperling
Ibis, University of Miami (FL)
Widespread Influence
Jake Sperling
Ibis, University of Miami (FL)
Demographics
Lizzie Kristal
The Miami Hurricane, University of Miami (FL)
Eating for the Seasons
Illustration
Bao Duong
Richland Chronicle, Dallas College Richland Campus (TX)
Howdy, Big Tex
Lukas Petrina Morrison
Inside Fullerton, Fullerton College (CA)
Sports Better Illustration
Lukas Petrina Morrison
Inside Fullerton, Fullerton College (CA)
Situationships Illustration
Nika Harrington
District, Savannah College of Art and Design (GA)
Connection Horoscopes
Laura Garcia Gomez
SCAN, Savannah College of Art and Design-Atlanta (GA)
My Twenty Seconds of Courage This Week
Flynn Ledoux
The Daily Orange, Syracuse University (NY)
Election Guide 2024
Aisha Virk
M: Ink, Virginia Commonwealth University
Trans Girls Love Slint
Gillian Grunenfelder
Pwatem, Virginia Commonwealth University
The Cycle of Paris and Helen
Killian Goodale Porter
The Commonwealth Times, Virginia Commonwealth University
I Can’t Afford to Regret My Abortion
Wren Johnson
The Sunflower, Wichita State University (KS)
Poem For Kiah Duggins