NPR's College Podcast Challenge is back for 2026
NPR has announced the return of its College Podcast Challenge for 2026, inviting students to submit audio stories for a chance to win scholarship prizes. The competition is expanding this year to include a new category for participants aged 65 and older.
Why it matters
This initiative encourages intergenerational storytelling and provides a platform for amateur audio journalists to gain national exposure.
Enlarge this image LA Johnson/NPR LA Johnson/NPR Student Podcast Challenge 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.
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