NPR's College Podcast Challenge is back for 2026

On campus, there's that hum of excitement in the air as students find their way to classes, meet new roommates and scurry off to pep rallies and rush week.

And along with the brisk chill in the evening air, a hint of the coming fall, comes the seasonal excitement of intercollegiate competition:

Yes, it's that time of year for the NPR College Podcast Challenge.

Once again, students from campuses big and small will vie to win our $5,000 grand prize for the best college podcast in America. (And our $500 scholarship prize for finalists).

Now in its sixth year, the competition has engaged thousands of students from colleges in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

And it's brought to our audience a wide range of compelling stories – from personal narratives to sound-rich explorations of places and events to hard-hitting journalism on issues and topics that are important to students.

Our winners and finalists have come from a cross-section of campuses and fields of study:

The College Podcast Challenge grows out of our NPR Student Podcast Challenge , launched in 2018 for students in grades 4-12, and is joined this year by something entirely new: the Senior Podcast Challenge for people 65 and older.