Best Photography Colleges in Kolkata - Courses, Fees, Admissions 2026

There are about 25+ Photography colleges in Kolkata. Of these, 15 colleges are privately owned and 3 colleges are government-owned. Students can study Photography courses at these colleges at the certificate, UG/PG diploma, and degree levels. Admission to Photography colleges in Kolkata is based on merit. Some colleges also conduct interviews and select students based on skills, portfolio, and experience. Some of the top Photography course in Kolkata colleges include iLEAD Institute of Leadership, Reliance Education : VFX and Animation Academy, West Bengal State University, Surendranath College, The Indian Institute of Digital Art and Animation, National Academy of Media and Events, etc.

As per popularity basis, West Bengal State University emerged as the top Photography college in Kolkata. Listed below are the best Photography colleges in Kolkata:

College Name	Tuition Fee	Eligibility / Exams
West Bengal State University	INR 7,200	Merit-Based
ILEAD	INR 5,000 - INR 4.66 lakh	Merit-Based
Surendranath College	INR 1,000	Merit-Based
National Academy of Media and Events	INR 40,000 - INR 65,000	Merit-Based
NAP Kolkata	INR 4,200 - INR 18,000	Merit-Based

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.

It is estimated that joining the top Photography colleges in Kolkata can be affordable, as most colleges have tuition fees of less than INR 1 lakh. Listed below are the colleges along with their tuition fees:

Low-cost Colleges	Tuition Fee
West Bengal State University Fees	INR 7,200
Surendranath College Fees	INR 1,000
National Academy of Photography (NAP Kolkata) Fees	INR 4,000 - INR 18,000
National Academy of Media and Events, Kolkata Fees	INR 40,000 - INR 65,000
Gurukul Edutech Education and Research Foundation Fees	INR 12,000

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.

Given below are the best Photography colleges in Kolkata that offer part time courses to their students:

College Name	Tuition Fee	Eligibility / Exams
ILEAD	INR 5,000 - INR 9,000	Merit-Based
National Academy of Media and Events	INR 40,000	Merit-Based
National Academy of Photography	INR 4,200	Merit-Based
Gurukul Edutech Education and Research Foundation	INR 12,000	Merit-Based

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.

There are many colleges under the West Bengal State University. Many courses are provided by the college like Ph.D with the eligibility post-graduation, M.Sc with the eligibility graduation, MA with the eligibility graduation, BA with the eligibility 10+2, and BA (Hons) with the eligibility 10+2. The fee for Ph.D is 12,500.and for M.Sc is 15,450, for MA 12000 and for BA is 4500, for BA (Hons), is 5700. This is the information about the best courses in the West Bengal State University.

Yes, joining the top Photography colleges in Kolkata can be worthwhile for you. For that, you need to check its ROI. Listed below are some colleges along with their tuition fees and average placeent package:

College Name	Average Course Fees	Average Placement Salary
West Bengal State University Courses	INR 7,200	INR 4.95 LPA
iLEAD Kolkata Courses	INR 7.2 Lakh	INR 3.5 LPA

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.

Listed below are the standard Photography courses in Kolkata with their popular colleges:

Courses	No. of Colleges	Popular Colleges
Certificate	2	ILEAD, Reliance Education, Surendranath College, etc.
UG Diploma	2	The Indian Institute of DIgital Art and Animation, National Academy of Media and Events
PG Diploma	2	Swar Sangam and DreamZone School of Creative Studies
BSc	1	ILEAD
MA	1	West Bengal State University

Given below are the best Photography colleges in Kolkata  that offer the best placement opportunities to their students with their top recruiters:

College Name	Average Placement Salary	Top Recruiters
West Bengal State University Placement	INR 4.95 LPA	TCS, Larsen and Toubro, Nicco Ventures, Tech Mahindra, etc.
iLEAD Institute of Leadership Placement	INR 3.5 LPA	Airtel, ITC Limited, Zolo Stays, etc.

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.

Studying Photography can be considered affordable in Kolkata as most of the Photography colleges in Kolkata have tuition fees below 1 lakh:

Fee Range	No. of Colleges	Popular Colleges
< INR 1 lakh	5	West Bengal State University, ILEAD, Surendranath College, etc.
INR 3-5 lakh	1	ILEAD

iLEAD Institute of Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Development has a well-equipped campus. Some of the facilities available on the iLEAD Kolkata campus are smart classrooms, auditorium,  animation labs, an optometry lab, a pool room, a basketball court, etc. 

Students can go for the following careers after completing Photography course from Kolkata:

Job Profile	Average Annual Salary
Fashion Photographer	3-5 LPA
Advertising Photographer	5-6 LPA
Portrait Photographer	4-6 LPA
Editorial Photographer	3-6 LPA
Fine Art Photographer	4- 7 LPA

Please refer to the table below for the best Photography colleges in Kolkata that has the best infrastructure in Kolkata:

College Name	Tuition Fee	Eligibility / Exams
ILEAD	INR 5,000 - INR 4.66 lakh	Merit-Based
NAP Kolkata	INR 4,200 - INR 18,000	Merit-Based
National Academy of Media and Events	INR 40,000 - INR 65,000	Merit-Based
West Bengal State University	INR 7,200	Merit-Based
West Bengal State University	INR 1,000	Merit-Based

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.

Given below are the various specialisations offered by best Photography colleges in Kolkata:

Top Specialisations	No. of Colleges	Popular Colleges
Web Design	2	Swar Sangam and DreamZone School of Creative Studies
Direction	1	The Indian Institute of Digital Art and Animation
Fashion Design	1	National Academy of Media and Events
3DS Max	1	DreamZone School of Creative Studies
Graphic Design	1	DreamZone School of Creative Studies

It is important to have an impressive portfolio and an eye-catching body of work if you intend on becoming an independent photographer. There are many photography studios and companies that hire fresh as well as experienced candidates to meet the needs of its clients. You have two options I. e. job and higher studies. You can go either of the two. Thanks.

School of Media, Bhawanipur Global Campus offers UG and PG level courses. At the UG level, the college offers a BSc programme. At the PG level, the college offers MSc.

A photography career can be pursued by anybody who has an underlying passion for it. However, some of the skills that you need in order to be up in the game include:

Technical skills 

1. Understanding of all the settings and modes of a camera
2. Understanding the working of different lenses, tripods, covering videos, etc.
3. Editing skills

Soft skills 

1. A vision for what exactly a photographer wants to click
2. Artistic approach
3. Aesthetic taste
4. Creativity 
5. Good concentration
6. Communication skills
7. Attention to detail
8. Team working skills

Photography starts as a passion, becomes a hobby, and eventually, you learn and grow along the way. Actually, it is not the degree but the number of hours spent behind the camera that makes you a great photographer. Here are some of the ways you can pursue a career in photography.

1. Enroll in a photography course: To pursue a photography career, the first step should be enrolling in a course. With the technology evolving rapidly, you need to enroll in a photography course to understand the working of professional cameras and understand all other theoretical and practical parts of photography.
2. Take up an internship: Once you have understood all the basics of handling a camera and photography as a whole, pursue the internship. Taking an internship will help you explore the outside world and gain knowledge from professionals in the field.
3. Build an online portfolio: Apart from taking the internship, start building your online portfolio in the form of a blog or website to display your work to your potential employers or clients later.  

No, as most of the Photography colleges in India have an average tuition fee less than INR 1 lakh:

Fee Range	No. of Colleges	Popular Colleges
< INR 1 lakh	108	Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj University, University of Lucknow, CSJM, etc.
INR 1-2 lakh	19	MIT-WPU, Asian Academy of Film and Television, NIFT Delhi, etc.
INR 2-3 lakh	13	Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Creative Hut Institute of Photography, etc.
INR 3-5 lakh	17	Guru Nanak University, LPU, LPU Admission Office, etc.
> INR 5 lakh	13	UPES, MIT-WPU, Symbiosis School of Visual Arts and Photography, etc.

 

National Academy of Photography (NAP Kolkata) has below criteria for taking admissions to it's various courses:

Courses	Eligibility
Certificate	Candidate must have passed 10+2 from a recognised board.

National Institute of Fashion technology, Kolkata is a government college that provides various UG and PG courses. It offers  B.Des Fashion designing, B.Des fashion communication, B.Des accesory design, B.Des textile design, B.Des knitwear design, B.Des leather designing  and B.F.tech at UG level and MFM at PG levels, in total institution provides eight courses from different streams.

Fees for UG and PG courses in this college is between 5.5 - 12.3 Lacs.

International Institute of Photography Kolkata (IIPK) has below criteria for taking admissions to it's various courses:

Courses	Eligibility
UG Diploma	Candidate must have passed 10+2 from recognized board or graduation from recognized university.

Gurukul Edutech Education and Research Foundation has below criteria for taking admissions to it's various courses:

Courses	Eligibility
Certificate	Candidate who have completed 10+2 with Diploma in relevant subject / Polytechnic Diploma Holders are also eligible.
After 10th Diploma	Candidate must have completed 10th from a recognised baord.
B.Sc.	Candidate must have completed 10+2 with Science/Vocational from a recognised baord.
BBA	Candidate must have completed 10+2 in any disciplinefrom a recognised baord.
UG Diploma	Candidate must have completed 10+2 in any discipline from a recognised baord.
PG Diploma	Candidates must have done Graduation in any Stream from a recognised University.

Swar Sangam- A Birla Institute for Visual and Performing Arts is a well-known institution for PG Diploma, Certificate, After 10th Diploma, BVA courses, and these programs are delivered by highly experienced faculty. Swar Sangam- A Birla Institute for Visual and Performing Arts has course specializations in Visual Communication, Graphic Design, Jewellery Design.

DreamZone School of Creative Studies, Ultadanga provides programmes including After 10th Diploma, PG Diploma, UG Diploma, Certificate in streams such as Design, Animation, IT & Software, Mass Communication & Media, Arts ( Fine / Visual / Performing ), and are excellent for students to build their careers. The institute has specializations in Maya, 3DS Max, Game Design, Video Editing (Post Production), PHP, Apparel Design, Jewellery Design, Web Design, Editing, Illustration, Graphic Design, Fashion Design.

Birla Institute of Management and Futuristic Studies is a good institution for PG Diploma, UG Diploma, Certificate courses, and these programs are delivered by highly experienced faculty. Major specialisation at Birla Institute of Management and Futuristic Studies are Stock Analysis & Trading, HealthCare & Hospital.

PITE - Profex Institute of Technical Education offers placement support to its students. Notable organizations that visit the institute for recruitment include Phoenix It Solutions, Siddharth Technocrats, Hai Dent Cosmo Llp.

Zebra Institute offers Diploma and Certificate courses including 2 UG course. These programs are offerred in Full Time and Part Time mode. Zebra Institute has specializations such as Certificate specializations in Acting, Anchoring & Reporting.

Reliance Education, Ultadanga provides programmes including Certificate in streams such as Animation, IT & Software, Arts ( Fine / Visual / Performing ), and are excellent for students to build their careers. The institute has specializations in 3DS Max, Maya, Final Cut Pro.

MAAC Girish Park - Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics provides programmes including UG Diploma, Certificate in streams such as Animation, Design, and are excellent for students to build their careers. The institute has specializations in Maya, 3DS Max, Game Design.

Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics, Kolkata provides programmes including UG Diploma, Certificate in streams such as Animation, Architecture & Planning, Design, and are excellent for students to build their careers. The institute has specializations in Final Cut Pro, 3DS Max, Game Design.

Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics is a good institution for UG Diploma, Certificate courses, and these programs are delivered by highly experienced faculty. Major specialisation at Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics are 3DS Max.