Manipal School of Architecture and Planning: Courses, Fees, Admission 2025, Placements, Cutoff

Manipal School of Architecture and Planning (MSAP) is a constituent of the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), which is ranked 14th overall by NIRF 2020. MSAP offers B.Des in four disciplines: Fashion Design, Interior Design, Product Design, and User Experience Design. MSAP has a well-organized placement team comprising faculty, students, and the associate director, which is responsible for the placement and entrepreneurship opportunities for the students. MSAP claims that over 200 firms across India and abroad recruit UG and PG students every year, both on-campus and off-campus. MSAP also offers a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Lab program, which is recognised as the 3rd college in India to do so. MSAP has a fee structure of INR 2.6 Lacs per annum for the B.Des course.

NITTE Institute of Architecture (NIA) is a part of Nitte University, Mangalore, which is not ranked by NIRF 2020. NIA does not offer B.Des course, but only B.Arch course. NIA does not provide campus placements for its students, as it is a 5-year course with 10 semesters. Students have to search and apply for internships and jobs themselves . NIA has a vision of building a learning campus that supports creative exploration and nurtures the journey of students towards a meaningful architectural practice. NIA has a fee structure of INR 2.5 Lacs per annum for the B.Arch course.

At MSAP, there is only 1 specialisation of BDes course available at MSAP which is BDes in Interior Design. The BDes in Interior Design is a 4 year course with 8 semesters which is offered in fulltime mode only. The BDes in Interior Design course can be exited at MSAP within 3 years at the option of the students. However, they will be awarded a BA in Interior Design degree upon doing so with no option of taking readmissions into the same BDes course.

MSAP batch-placed data is not released. However, as per the Manipal School of Architecture and Planning NIRF report 2024, the placement rate recorded during MArch placements over the past three years was 100%.

The course-wise number of students placed over the past three years during BArch and MArch placements are presented below:

 The fees of MSAP vary from one course to another. The fees include many components, such as tuition fees, registration fees and many more. Applicants who want to be admitted to any of the courses in the Manipal School of Architecture and Planning can go through the table given for fees of different courses offered by the college:

Note: This information is sourced from the official website/ sanctioning body and is subject to change.   

The eligibility criteria for Manipal School of Architecture and Planning (MSAP) vary from one course to another. To be eligible for a UG course, a candidate must have completed Class 12 with 50% aggregate from a recognised board. For PG courses, however, students must have completed their undergraduate degree with at least 50% aggregate. Given below is a table giving a brief overall of all MSAP courses and their eligibility criteria:

According to data gathered from unofficial sources, the Education sector has placed the most number of MSAP Manipal students. The sector-wise MSAP Manipal alumni placement statistics are presented below:

Note: The “Others” category includes the sectors of Media and Communication, Research, Business Development, Community and Social Services, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Human Resources, Marketing, Sales and Engineering.

The above-mentioned alumni data is gathered from unofficial sources and, hence may vary.

To be eligible for the M.Des (Interior Design) programme at Manipal School of Architecture and Planning (MSAP) in 2023, you need to have a bachelor’s degree in B.Des (Interior Design) / B.Arch / B.Tech (Civil / Electrical / Mechanical) from a recognised university, with minimum 50% aggregate marks or equivalent. You also need to submit a Curriculum Vitae (CV), a Statement of Purpose (SOP), and a Portfolio of Work (POW) as part of the admission process. The selection is based on merit and the quality of your CV, SOP, and POW. There is no entrance exam for this program.

No, according to the available data, the course fee for BDes courses at MPAS is less than or on par with most other similar institutes. The course fees for BDes course at MPAS is INR 7.2 lakh. The average BDes course fee in other similar colleges is close to INR 10 lakh. Candidates are advised to do comparisons of course fees before filling the application form.

No, the only BDes course available at MPAS is BDes in Interior Designing. MPAS does offer a BA course in Fashion Designing which is a 3 year course instead of a typical 4 year BDes course. Candidates who are interested in applying BDes in Interior Designing course at MPAS are required to wait for the admissions to open for the year 2026.

The tuition fee structure followed at MPAS for BDes course is a per annum model. The total tuition fee for BDes course at MPAS BDes is INR 7.2 lakh. Each instalment of BDes course fees is INR 1.8 Lacs in 2025. Candidates who are unsure about the admission fee payable for the BDes course are advised to contact the college officials.

The curriculum of certificate courses at MPAS is a 1 year plan which is divided into 2 semesters. In both of these semesters, there are 2 sessional exams conducted for student assessment before the final exams conducted at the end of the year. The final exams include an exam for each subject taught during the certificate course of MPAS. There is also formative and summative assessment for practical subjects taghut during the curriculum.

No, according to the available data on certificate course fees at MPAS, the tuition fee either charges on par with or less than other similar institute. The MPAS course fees for certificate courses is INR 1.1L while the other institutes charge between INR 1 lakh - 1.5 lakh. Candidates are advised to do comparison of course fees themselves to confirm the tuition fee amount of MPAS in comparison to other similar institutes.

The admission fees for certificate courses at MSAP is currently unknown. Generally, the admission fees at MSAP includes the caution deposit, first instalment of tuition fees and first instalment of other fees. There is no caution deposit for certificate course admissions at MSAP. The first instalment of tuition fee at MSAP for certificate courses is INR 84,000 while the first instalment of other fees is 26,000.

The admissions timeline for the MSAP certificate courses has not been revealed by the institute. The official website for MSAP contains a widget that shows the application status of its certificate courses. WHen the application status is open, the widget shows the link to the admission forms. At this point, the admission status for certificate courses has been closed for the year 2025.

The list of top recruiters during Manipal School of Architecture and Planning placements in recent past is presented below:

Yes, Manipal School of Architecture and Planning (MSAP) accepts ISC scores for admission to its B.Arch and B.Des courses. The candidates must have passed Class 12 and Class 10 or equivalent examinations with Mathematics as a compulsory subject with minimum of 50% marks in aggregate. The candidates must also qualify for NATA) for B.Arch and Home Based Test followed by PI for B.Des. The candidates can apply online through the official website of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) before the last date of application. 

Hi students,

The Manipal School of Architecture and Planning (MSAP) offers 10 courses, including five undergraduate courses, five postgraduate courses, and one certificate course. Some of the top courses offered include:

Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch)

Bachelor of Design (B.Des) in Interior Design or Fashion Design

Master of Architecture (M.Arch) in Urban Design and Development

Master of Design (M.Des) in Sustainable Design and Interior Design

Master of Arts in Fashion Management 

In 2020, MSAP was ranked 12th among top architectural schools in NIRF. In 2022, Outlook-ICARE ranked it 3rd among the top colleges for architecture and 6th among the top colleges for fashion design in the all India private category.

Hello Nishar Ahmed, Manipal School of Architecture and Planning has a great deal of history. It started in the year 1978 under Mysore University but within a few years came under Mangalore University in 1980. Since the year 2010 it has been part of Mahipal Academy of higher Education or MAHE in short. 

Yes you can definitely get admission for undergraduate courses, in this Institute with just about 70% marks in your 12th examination. However for getting admission in Bachelor of architecture, a student has to pass an examination conducted nationally called NATA. As per the data available, to get admission into Manipal a student has to score above 120 in this examination. For getting admission into design there is no entrance exam whatsoever. MSAP is ranked quite high amongst its peers across the country. In fact the NIRF ranking of this institute is #6. It also has NAAC grading of A+. Both these facts make students flock to this institute in large numbers and as a result even though there is no entrance examination a student need to score quite high in 12th examination. Of course 70% marks that you are quoting is also quite good and it may be but I have good enough to get you admission.

Best wishes to you.

I can help you compare the two institutes based on some criteria, such as ranking, accreditation, curriculum, facilities, and placement. However, the final decision depends on your personal preferences and goals. Here is some information that might be useful for you:

• Ranking: According to IIRF-2023, Manipal School of Architecture and Planning (MSAP) is ranked 2nd among all top architecture colleges in private, while NITTE Institute of Architecture (NIA) is not in the top 50 list. According to NIRF-2021, MSAP is ranked 18th among top architectural schools in the country, while NIA is not in the top 100 list.
• Accreditation: Both MSAP and NIA are approved by the Council of Architecture (CoA) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). MSAP is a constituent college of Nitte (Deemed to be University), which has been accredited with an ‘A+’ grade by the National Assessment & Accreditation Council (NAAC). NIA is affiliated with VTU Belagavi and the Indian Institute of Architects, Mumbai.
• Curriculum: MSAP offers a 5-year Bachelor of Architecture programme and a 2-year Master of Design (Interior Design) program. The curriculum at MSAP is designed to incorporate hands-on practical training with theory-based education so that students learn by ‘doing’. They can explore design through materials such as clay and wood. Structures are taught using models and real-life scenarios and students work with design professionals and learn under their supervision. NIA offers a 5-year Bachelor of Architecture programme and a 2-year Master of Planning (Urban Design) program. The curriculum at NIA is focused on urban planning, conservation, interior design, arts and product design. It also emphasizes on experiential learning, research, and innovation.
• Facilities: MSAP has a world-class campus with state-of-the-art facilities such as studios, workshops, labs, library, auditorium, cafeteria, hostel, sports, and healthcare. It also has an institutional membership of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), New Delhi. NIA has a modern campus with facilities such as studios, labs, library, auditorium, cafeteria, hostel, sports, and healthcare. It also has a partnership with Institute of Town Planners, India.
• Placement: MSAP has a dedicated placement cell that helps students find internships and jobs in reputed firms and organizations. The average salary package offered to MSAP graduates is around 6.5 LPA. Some of the top recruiters are Hafeez Contractor, CnT Architects, RSP Design Consultants, Gensler, and Arup. NIA does not have a placement cell, but it provides career guidance and mentorship to students. The average salary package offered to NIA graduates is around 4.5 LPA. Some of the top recruiters are Ar. B.V. Doshi, Ar. Charles Correa, Ar. Sanjay Mohe, Ar. Christopher Benninger, and Ar. Raj Rewal.

You can get admission to B.Des at Manipal School of Architecture and Planning (MSAP) with 75 percentile in ISC, as the minimum eligibility criterion is 50% aggregate marks or equivalent in 10+2 or 3 year Diploma from a recognised Board/ University. However, you will also have to clear a Home Based Test followed by a Personal Interview conducted by MSAP. The Home Based Test will assess your creativity, drawing skills, and design aptitude.

MSAP is a reputed institute that offers courses in Architecture, Urban Design, Interior Design, Fashion Design & Management and Sustainable Design at undergraduate and post-graduate level1. It is ranked 12th in the Architecture category by NIRF ranking 2020. It is also recognised by the Council of Architecture (CoA), New Delhi, India and is an Institutional Member, of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), New Delhi.