Thumbnail for 19020

These Are The Best Universities For Electronic Music

Each year, we’re bombarded with rankings of schools that are all about the books. But this year, thanks to the folks at Thump, Vice’s online video channel devoted to electronic music and culture, we now have a ranking of schools that are all about that bass.

That’s right, there’s a list of the best universities for electronic music.

The list included schools from across the United States, as well as two Canadian universities. In compiling its ranking list, Thump examined factors like local club life, regional festival access, electronic production choices at the schools of music, on-campus activities and dance music-specific course offerings.

The overall winner, the University of Southern California, combines books and beat-making in its Thornton School of Music course on electronic dance music. “We are constantly reevaluating our classes to keep up with the times,” Thornton’s dean, Robert Cutietta, told campus paper the Daily Trojan when the course was announced in 2013. “I am very excited to be part of a music school that is so nimble and quick to adapt to the times and reinvent itself in response to changes in our art form.”

For a full explanation of the ranking system — and more information on each school’s electronic music culture — take a look at Thump’s breakdown, here. The highest-ranked schools are listed below.