2026 Design of the Year finalists
August 21, 2026
MINNEAPOLIS — The Associated Collegiate Press announces finalists in its 2026 Design of the Year competition.
The winners will be announced at the ACP Awards Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the National College Media Convention in Kansas City, Mo.
After the winners are announced on Nov. 7, 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 —
Individual Award finalists
Story of the Year
Reporter of the Year
Multimedia Story of the Year
Design of the Year
Photo of the Year
Cartoon of the Year
Broadcast Story of the Year
Please join us at the National College Media Convention Nov. 4-7 in Kansas City, Mo.
Newspaper/Newsmagazine Front Page
Kennedy Ray
Mustang News, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Rodeo Roots: Legacy Lives on at Cal Poly
Mark Hoover, Zoey Lawrence, Zoey Morse, Ben Westerhof
Central Michigan Life, Central Michigan University
Over Worked. Under Served.
Nicole Bharrat
Technician, North Carolina State University
Focused: Poe Hall
Molly Hoglund, Rida Kauser, Jack Schuler
The Daily Barometer, Oregon State University
Thin Ice
Staff
el Don, Santa Ana College (CA)
Cruel Summer
Andrea Aladin, Arianna Antillon, Josh Whitehead, Yanelli Zavina Robles
The Southwestern College Sun, Southwestern College (CA)
ICE Leaves South Bay in the Cold
Ilana Zahavy
The Daily Orange, Syracuse University (NY)
Admissions to 18 Majors Paused
Grace Davidson
The Daily Tar Heel, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The Shot
Adaleah Carman
Daily Emerald, University of Oregon
Two Down, Two to Go
Mikah Herzberg
The Sunflower, Wichita State University (KS)
Stronger Together
Newspaper/Newsmagazine Page/Spread
Staff
The Appalachian, Appalachian State University (NC)
Ellie Garrison
Ben Westerhof
Central Michigan Life, Central Michigan University
Ellie Garrison
Camille LeDuc
The Express, Las Positas College (CA)
Imposter Syndrome
Owen McCarthy, Alex Walters
The State News, Michigan State University
Whitmer’s MSU Board Decision
Staff
The Southwestern College Sun, Southwestern College (CA)
An Outbreak of Peace
Ilana Zahavy
The Daily Orange, Syracuse University (NY)
Chancellor Guide
Rachel Kristen Lee Yokota
Daily Bruin, University of California, Los Angeles
Two Schools, One City
Audrey Arnold
Kentucky Kernel, University of Kentucky
Keeneland: Day at the Races
Haley Walton
The Shorthorn, University of Texas at Arlington
The Heartbeat of UTA’s Running Programs
Zachary Ruth, Taliyah Winn
The Sunflower, Wichita State University (KS)
130 Years Timeline
Magazine Cover
Staff
The Auburn Circle, Auburn University (AL)
Fall 2025
Jordan Wyer
Drake Mag, Drake University (IA)
Junior Hockey Slams
Sydney Sakamoto
Warrior Life, El Camino College (CA)
Padded for Protection
Andrew Comparetta , Grace Hamilton
The Avion, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (FL)
Fall 25 Issue 2
Rehannah Bartley
Eagle Eye, Tennessee Tech University
Spring 2026
Emma Calabro
The Daily Iowan, University of Iowa
Year in Focus
Elizabeth Hunter, Ashleigh Jones
KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion, University of Kentucky
Spring 2026
Julia Campbell, Elizabeth Kristal, Sal Puma
Distraction, University of Miami (FL)
LGBGTQ+MIA
Brooklyn Brown, Sofia Milliner, Tara O’Toole
Garnet & Black, University of South Carolina
The World is on Fire
Staff
Pwatem, Virginia Commonwealth University
Pwatem
Magazine Page/Spread
Aviv Kesar, Linnaea Marks
Mustang News, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Isabel Hermann
Monica Gill
The Brookhaven Courier, Dallas College – Brookhaven (TX)
To Touch the Stars
Nemo Reveron
Foghorn News, Del Mar College (TX)
We Are Still Here
Marlowe Henderson
Roundabout, North Carolina State University
The Stones, the Bones, the Thrones and the Tones
Chloe Schmitz
Roundabout, North Carolina State University
Moth – Flytrap Moon
Mattie Buckner
Windhover, North Carolina State University
Mountain Sightings
Mason Fischer, Phoebe Jerome, Matt Polk, Kasey Schuler
Beaver’s Digest, Oregon State University
International Student
Ella Monte
Currents, Pepperdine University (CA)
A Home Reduced to Rubble
Landyn DeSpain
KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion, University of Kentucky
Homeless at 16, Crowned at 20
Staff
Flux, University of Oregon
Against the Current
Yearbook Cover
Kendra Kemp
Royal Purple, Kansas State University
Homage
Ravi Lal
The Tower, Loyola Marymount University (CA)
The Tower
Kennedy Knight, Therese Purugganan
Agromeck, North Carolina State University
Crossroads
Alora Bucey
Tower, Northwest Missouri State University
Flourish
Jake Sperling
Ibis, University of Miami (FL)
Crossroads
Yearbook Page/Spread
Allison Schnelle
Baylor Roundup, Baylor University (TX)
Forged for Greatness
Ella Sparks
Baylor Roundup, Baylor University (TX)
What Would You Tell Your Freshman Year You?
Madison Coulter, Zara Thomas
Royal Purple, Kansas State University
By the Horns
Haylee Haslett
Royal Purple, Kansas State University
Victory Frames
Delaney Birkett
The Tower, Loyola Marymount University (CA)
Humans of the Den
Martina Kiss Meyerfreund
The Tower, Loyola Marymount University (CA)
Setting the Standard
Samaria Dowling
Agromeck, North Carolina State University
Probates
Kennedy Knight
Agromeck, North Carolina State University
Art2Wear
Allison Verhulst
Tower, Northwest Missouri State University
Ambassadors Take the Stage
Jake Sperling
Ibis, University of Miami (FL)
The Eye of the Storm
Informational Graphic
Jackson Posey
The Baylor Lariat, Baylor University (TX)
Baylor’s Basketball Player Map
Derek Ellis
Beach TV News, California State University, Long Beach
Artemis Orion Capsule Explainer
Malak Elkady
Richland Chronicle, Dallas College – Richland (TX)
Propositions and What They Mean
Aaliyah Gholamipour
The Express, Las Positas College (CA)
6 Screenless Ways to Kill an Hour
Kate Mann
SCAN, Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta (GA)
A Guide to Going Out Safely
Hannah Kichline
The Clarion, Sinclair Community College (OH)
History of Disc Golf
Blake Leschber
The University Star, Texas State University
PAC 12
Reaghan Chen, Deklyn DeSpain, Lily Foster, Ashleigh Jones
KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion, University of Kentucky
These Jewelry Trends Might Be Here to Stay
Leah Bahamonde
Distraction, University of Miami (FL)
What’s on Your Plate?
Haley Walton
The Shorthorn, University of Texas at Arlington
Remarkable Rookie Season
Illustration
Rae Hanzlik
Ponder, Black Hills State University (SD)
Feed the Soul
Rae Hanzlik
Ponder, Black Hills State University (SD)
Section Pages
Celeste Munoz
Warrior Life, El Camino College (CA)
Embracing the Culture
Nikki Yunker
Warrior Life, El Camino College (CA)
Enchantment
Aaliyah Gholamipour
The Express, Las Positas College (CA)
Before You Go
Ella Wyman
The Nubian Message, North Carolina State University
Hookup University
Lily Ogburn
Daily Northwestern, Northwestern University (IL)
Greenwood Care’s Executive Director Resigned
Ashleigh Jones
KRNL Lifestyle + Fashion, University of Kentucky
Papa’s Treasure
Caitlin Hanson
Niner Times, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Dannye Powell
Amy Luo
The Daily Pennsylvanian, University of Pennsylvania
Penn Electric Racing