SUNY Oswego recently continued its climb on the performance-based Broadcast Education Association rankings of media programs, rising 13 spots to #35. The ranking incorporates the success of students like, from left, Benjamin Goldblatt, Quinn Galuski and Michael Lavalette, who all earned national recognition at the 2026 BEA Festival of Media Arts. They stand together in the Collaborative Core of the newly renovated Hewitt Hall.
SUNY Oswego continued its impressive climb on the performance-based Broadcast Education Association rankings of media programs, rising to #35 (up 13 spots) and ranking as the top public school in New York state.
“We are far and away the top-ranked SUNY and are now tied for third among all colleges and universities in New York state,” said Michael Riecke, chair and associate professor of communication studies. “We’re also up an incredible 48 spots from our initial ranking in 2022.”
“This is a fitting way to end one of the most exciting years for the College of Communication, Media and the Arts (CMA),” said Jennifer Knapp, dean of CMA. “With the $127 million in renovations to Hewitt and Tyler Halls, our students now have world-class facilities to match their world-class talent and ambition.”
Riecke noted that the rankings are a direct reflection of student success, most notably in BEA’s annual Festival of the Media Arts, where three SUNY Oswego broadcast and digital media students earned honors this year to continue a track record of success.
“BEA rankings are based on cumulative student success in the Festival of Media Arts, a highly competitive national juried competition recognizing excellence in audio, video, news, scriptwriting, sports, documentary and interactive media,” Riecke noted. “Programs earn points based on student placements across categories over a multi-year period.”
This year, Michael Lavalette earned first place in Instructional/Education Video for "State Social Media Bills and How They Affect a Minor's Freedom of Speech"; Benjamin Goldblatt took third place in Non-Narrative Audio for “2025 OCO Radiothon - Interview with Lucas Jassak"; and Quinn Galuski captured an Award of Excellence/Honorable Mention in Short Narrative Film for "Sweetest Ambrosia."
The ranking reflects strength for Oswego across multiple BEA categories: 13th in Audio (second in the Northeast), breaking into the Scriptwriting rankings at #21 and sitting at #31 in News.
The multi-year period factors in as Oswego has had multiple winners for several years running. Riecke attributed this to ongoing excellence among the students, faculty and administrators in CMA.
“This is more than just climbing the rankings, this is about recognizing the ways in which CMA staff and faculty promote the university’s mission of ‘learning by doing’ every single day,” Knapp said. “The moment they arrive, we want our students creating, performing, and chasing their dreams. We also want them to learn the value of hard work, perseverance and communicating their point of view, and the BEA Media Arts Festival is a great outlet for that.”
Classroom experience
Moreover, the students’ winning work started as classroom assignments, showing that Oswego students have opportunities to shine and produce national-level work on a daily basis.
In addition, SUNY Oswego students previously have won national and regional awards through campus media organizations such WTOP-10 TV, WNYO 88.9 FM and The Oswegonian newspaper.
“This is a reflection of the outstanding work happening across all of our CMA programs, classrooms and student media organizations,” Riecke said. “I especially want to thank anyone who has encouraged a student to enter the festival. We owe special credit to Dr. David Crider for spearheading our annual award submission effort.”
“When you review the list of ranked schools, you probably don’t expect to see SUNY Oswego among these giants, and the competitor in me lives for that,” Knapp said. “Professors Riecke and Crider have a tested and proven recipe for success, yet every year they refine it and improve it.”
The Broadcast Education Association is an international academic media organization focused on electronic media and multimedia enterprises. Its annual rankings carry national recognition across higher education and the media industry.
“More than anything, it reminds our students that they are among the best,” Riecke said. “Sometimes at Oswego, we’re a humble bunch, and I love that about our culture. But I love it when our students get to celebrate the fact that they are really good and passionate about the work they’re producing.”
“I have full confidence our students will continue to produce better and better work to not just maintain our ranking as the best public institution in New York state, but help us climb our way to being one of the best public institutions in the country,” Knapp said.
About SUNY Oswego
SUNY Oswego is a dynamic public university on the shores of Lake Ontario, committed to providing a transformative, affordable education. Guided by Vision 4040, the university is focused on expanding access, advancing innovation and preparing students for success in a rapidly changing world.
With more than 110 undergraduate and graduate programs and growing strength in STEAM, SUNY Oswego combines rigorous academics with hands-on learning to prepare students to lead, contribute and make an impact.