Human-computer interaction is the theme of Trevin Morales’ short, 2D animated film as he prepares to graduate this month from New Mexico State University’s top-ranked animation program in the Creative Media Institute (CMI). His final project is titled “Mechanical Craving,” about an isolated man’s sacrifices for his AI companion.
“I’ve wanted to do animation ever since I was in high school and my brother participated in the CMI program,” Morales said. “I’m from Las Cruces, so seeing there was a chance for me to stay close to home and pursue a career that I'm very passionate about made me very happy.”
NMSU’s animation program continues to be ranked among the top programs in the country for the 15th year in a row. Animation Career Review evaluated more than 200 programs across the United States. In the 2026 rankings list, NMSU’s animation remains 17th nationally among public schools and colleges but rose 3 points to the top 25% among all university animation programs. NMSU’s program also rose to sixth regionally and remains first in New Mexico.
“As we add more permanent faculty, I think that rating will go up because that's one of the questions they ask about is the faculty-to-student ratio,” said Eddie Bakshi, CMI professor who specializes in teaching 2D animation production. “As prices keep going up at many larger schools, our students get a quality education that is more affordable. We have great teachers and offer a very competitive program for a very modest price.”
Animation Career Review rankings are driven by aggregated peer assessments contextualized by program scale and institutional performance metrics such as faculty size, retention rates, graduation rates, cost of attendance and student indebtedness. They are then validated through graduate employment outcomes, using third-party data to assess how successfully graduates move into professional animation-related roles. This helps ground the rankings in real-world results, ensuring that programs are not only well regarded, but also effective in preparing students for careers in the industry.
NMSU’s animation rankings drew Joshua Pettit to the program. He is a junior focused on 3D animation.
“I was previously a graphic design student several years ago and wasn't able to complete my degree, so when I did have the opportunity to come back and complete a degree, I wanted to really get the best bang for my buck,” Pettit said. “I found that NMSU’s CMI animation department is nationally ranked, and that was the factor that convinced me. ‘Yes, this is where I'm meant to be.’ This is an incredible opportunity here. It would be silly for me not to pursue it, and I'm so thankful that I did.”
“Our goal in the program is to allow the students to tell their own stories, to have their own voice, share their own perspectives and personal experiences,” said Derek Chase, CMI professor who specializes in 3D animation. “The way we do that in the classes is we give them the tools to be successful, then we encourage them to share their own ideas.”
Chase and Bakshi provide a studio classroom where students can help each other. They present their work to smaller groups and larger groups where the students critique one another in a supportive environment.
“We started doing a flipped model in the last several years where we do pre-recorded lectures. In class and we spend a lot more time on engagement,” Chase said. “They're spending time talking with each other about their projects. It's created a fun classroom culture because they're able to take advantage of that opportunity when they're together in the same space and discuss it with each other.”
Pettit hasn’t yet started pitching the animated film he will create in his senior year at NMSU, but he’s eager to begin.
“I am a lifelong storyteller,” Pettit said. “With these added tools from CMI, I'm so empowered to produce my own stories, my own 3D animation projects. For finals I’m doing 30-second 3D shorts and focusing on storytelling. I am so excited for my senior year when I'll be on that team working, pitching, promoting and finally executing a full-fledged short film.”
Looking beyond graduation, Morales plans to pursue a master’s degree. He wants to follow in his mentor Bakshi’s footsteps and teach others how to pursue careers in animation.
“I’m more of an in-person type student so it really helps to have professors who can be there over your shoulder to help you learn how to improve your skills,” Morales said. “And of course, the opportunity to engage with other students through critiques and getting that verbal feedback makes a big difference.”
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CUTLINE: Left: A still from "Mechanical Craving," a 2D animated short film by Trevin Morales. Right: A still from a 30-second 3D animation by Joshua Pettit. Both students are in New Mexico State University's top-ranked animation program, which rose both nationally and regionally on the 2026 list from Animation Career Review. For the 15th year in a row, the program in NMSU's Creative Media Institute is ranked in the top 20 nationwide. (Images courtesy Trevin Morales and Joshua Pettit.)
CUTLINE: From left: New Mexico State University 3D animation professor Derek Chase with NMSU junior animation student Joshua Petit. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)
CUTLINE: From left: New Mexico State University 2D animation professor Eddie Bakshi with NMSU graduating senior Trevin Morales. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)
CUTLINE: A clip from Trevin Morales’ 2D animated film called “Mechanical Craving.” (Film by Trevin Morales)
CUTLINE: A clip from Josua Petit’s 3D animated 30-second short. (Animation by Josua Petit)