USC continues to rank first in video game design

USC’s video game design program was ranked No. 1 by The Princeton Review for the third year in a row, the university announced Thursday.

Both the graduate and undergraduate programs have held the top spot since the Review began publishing the list in 2010. USC retained its spot as more video game programs formed around the country, and the list of top schools increased from 30 to 50.

The Games program is a joint program between the Interactive Media Division of the School of Cinematic Arts and the computer science department of the Viterbi School of Engineering, although the interactive entertainment degree is granted by the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences in conjunction with the School of Cinematic Arts.

Tracy Fullerton, chair of the SCA’s IMD and the USC Game Innovation Lab Director, said USC’s multidisciplinary approach has allowed the university to stay on top.

“USC comes out on top because of our focus on the artistry of game design,” Fullerton told USA Today. “Our faculty and students see beyond the trappings of technology and we are constantly driving the form forward.”

On the undergraduate list, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked second and the University of Utah ranked third. The graduate list ranked Rochester Institute of Technology second and MIT third. Other than MIT and USC, Carnegie Mellon (No. 6 on the graduate list) was the only other institution also in U.S. News and World Report’s top 25 universities.