Designing Courses After 12th: Fees, Eligibility, Admission Process, Career Options & Salary
If you intend to do a design course after class 12th, you must know the design programmes, specializations, best colleges, admission process, career options, etc. Here we bring you all the information on a platter. So, read on!
Designing Courses After 12th
Design as an academic program has gained momentum in recent years. Just take a look at the top institutions, like the IITs, which have introduced design courses. This indicates that design is no longer a fringe course but is on track to become a mainstream course. If you are also interested, then the best time, of course, is after Class 12th to pursue a design course.
And speaking of design courses after 12th, B.Des is the most popular. But there are also other undergraduate courses like B.F.Tech that the candidate can consider. Admission to design courses offered by institutes like the NIFTs and NIDs is done through entrance exams like NIFT and NID DAT. Meanwhile, admission to the B.Des course offered by the IITs and a few other participating colleges is done based on UCEED. Here, we discuss in detail everything you need to know about designing courses after Class XII.
- Eligibility Criteria for Design Courses After 12th
- Design Entrance Exams for Admission to Design Courses after 12th
- Designing Courses After 12th - Career Options & Salary
- Important points related to the B.Des Course
- Top Colleges to Study a Design Course after 10+2
- Design Exam IIRF Ranking
- Design Diploma After 10+2
- Career Opportunities After completing Design Course After 10+2
- Software for Design Courses
Eligibility Criteria for Design Courses After 12th
The eligibility criteria may differ from institute to institute. So, we intend to give the candidate only a general idea about the minimum requirements. Also, at the 10+2 level, B.Des and B.F.Tech is the most popular UG course. So, we discuss the eligibility criteria for these courses.
| Program |
Eligibility Criteria for admission to design courses after 12th |
|---|---|
| B.Des |
10+2 exam from any recognized institute. Age limit - There is also an age limit, which can differ for different colleges. |
| B.F.Tech |
10+2 exam from any recognized institute. Age limit - There is also an age limit, which can differ for different colleges. |
Commonly asked questions
Candidates will be able to check the cutoff for NIFT Delhi on the website of NIFT: nift.admissions.nic.in. The opening and closing rank of all the programmes is given on this page. This year, NIFT 2026 cutoff is expected to be on the lower side.
The expected cutoff for NIFT 2026 for B.Des is:
| Category | Expected Cutoff for B.Des |
|---|---|
| Open | 30-80 |
| EWS | 26-29 |
| OBC | 26-29 |
| SC | 22 |
| ST | 19 |
The cut-off of NIFT for the various academic courses is not fixed. This is because the cut-off depends on variables like seat intake, the performance of applicants in the NIFT exam, total number of applications received for admission, etc. Now these variables may change from year to year. For instance, the number of candidates appearing in NIFT and qualifying the exam may be different across the years. And when that happens, the cut-off also changes. Typically, if the seat intake increases, the cut-off goes down and vice versa. Likewise, if the number of applicants increases, expect a higher cut-off.
Design Entrance Exams for Admission to Design Courses after 12th
If the candidate is seeking admission to a B.Des or B.F.Tech program at any of the top institutes, say the NIFTs, then they will have to appear in an entrance exam. Some of the popular entrance exams for B.Des admission include NIFT, NID DAT, UCEED, and SEED.
NIFT exam includes the written exams - NIFT CAT and NIFT GAT - followed by a NIFT Situation Test. The final merit list will be prepared by giving weightage to GAT, CAT, and the Situation Test. Meanwhile, the NID DAT exam includes DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. The DAT Mains will comprise a NIFT Studio Test.
Designing Courses After 12th - Career Options & Salary
Candidates who have completed a design course after 12th can take a multitude of job roles like fashion designer, interior designer, or graphic designer, Vastu consultant, or fashion columnist. And, depending on the job role, experience, academic merit, and skill set, the student will be compensated differently.
The various job roles and salaries after designing courses after 12th are given below.
| Job Roles |
Average Salary (per annum) in INR |
|---|---|
| Industrial Designer |
4.3 LPA |
| Interior Designer |
5 LPA |
| Fashion Designer |
5 to 8 LPA |
| Fashion Stylist |
5 to 7 LPA |
| Jewellery Design |
4 LPA |
| Makeup Artist |
5 to 6 LPA |
| Textile |
5 LPA |
| Animator |
4.6 to 10 LPA |
| UI/UX Designer |
5 to 10 LPA |
| Interior Designer |
4.1 LPA |
According to various reports, fashion design is rapidly emerging as one of the top career choices for candidates after completing their 10+2 education. This is directly related to the emergence of new job opportunities across various sectors.
Commonly asked questions
NIFT cutoff for a participating NIFT is the last rank for which admission is offered in for a particular programme and category. This means, if a candidate fails to score a rank equal to or higher than the cutoff rank, they don't get admission. Typically, a higher ranked institute will invite: More applications Higher-ranked candidates This in turn pushes up the cutoff in higher ranked (or popular) institutes. Likewise, a lower-ranked institute will receive comparatively fewer number of applications, and mostly from lower-ranked candidates. This means, cut-off in these institutes are lower making it much easier to get admission.
NID Centre can be changed only at the time of NID Application edit Window. After this, no centre can be changed.
The category-wise cut-off for the Accessory Design programme for NIFT Bangalore campus is given below:
Category | Opening Rank | Closing Rank |
EWS | 1099 | 2179 |
OBC (NC) | 438 | 1333 |
Open | 35 | 482 |
SC | 2034 | 4214 |
ST | 2839 | 7286 |
Note that reserved category candidates will be considered for admission to both their reserved and open categories.
Candidates from any academic stream are eligible to apply for UCEED exam. However, for admission to IIT Guwahati it is mandatory for candidates to have passed Class 12 from Science stream. The candidate needs to carefully go through the eligibility criteria before they apply. It is because the candidate will not be considered for admission to the B. Des programme even if they get a rank in UCEED 2026 if they don't meet the prescribed eligibility criteria. Also, any candidate who is found to be using incorrect information about their eligibility stands to be disqualified if caught.
Explore colleges based on UCEED
Important points related to the B.Des Course
If you are planning to go for a design course after 10+2, you must definitely consider the B.Des course. Here are a few points you need to know about the course.
- The B.Des is the go-to course for candidates planning to pursue a course in fashion design.
- The B.Des course is offered by almost all the top design institutes, including the NIFTs, NIDs, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, Symbiosis Institute of Design, etc.
- Since B.Des is a degree course, typically of 4-year duration, it is more comprehensive and deals with the subject matter in greater detail.
- Along with theoretical aspects, the B.Des course will also have practical sessions to drive home the key concepts related to the program.
- Research and critical thinking are key to the program.
- During the course, the student will learn about global fashion trends and their relationship with ecology, environment, ethics, technology, aesthetics, and much more.
Also Read:
- Fashion Designing Courses After 12th: College List, Exams, Eligibility and Fees
- Graphic Design vs UI/UX Design; College List, Fees and Eligibility Criteria
- Toy Designer Salary in India: Average Salary based on Experience and Location
Top Colleges to Study a Design Course after 10+2
The NIDs and NIFTs are often the first choice of candidates to pursue a design course after 10+2. Here are some of the top design colleges in India
| Name of the College |
Design courses offered after 10+2 |
|---|---|
| B.Des, B.F.Tech |
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| B.Des, B.F.Tech |
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| B.Des, B.F.Tech |
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| B.Des, B.F.Tech |
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| B.Des, B.F.Tech |
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| B.Des, B.F.Tech |
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| B.Des, B.F.Tech |
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| B.Des |
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| B.Des |
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| B.Des |
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| B.Des |
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| B.Des |
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| B.Des |
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| B.Des |
Commonly asked questions
The Cut off for NIFT Mumbai 2025 for B.Des in Textile Design will be out soon. In the meanwhile, we can have a look at the Cutoff 2024 to get a rough idea.
The following table presents the Cutoff for Round 1 under All India Quota for NIFT Mumbai 2024:
Category | Opening Rank | Closing Rank |
|---|---|---|
| OBC | 722 | 2044 |
| Gen-EWS | 581 | 2653 |
| Open | 301 | 570 |
| Open (PwD) | 5654 | 5654 |
| SC | 3522 | 4385 |
| ST | 5076 | 5499 |
The Cutoff for NIFT Mumbai for B.Des in Fashion Design 2025 will be out soon once the Stage 2 Exams are over and the final results are declared. However, we can get a fair idea by looking at the Cut offs for NIFT Mumbai Fashion Design 2024.
The following table presents the Cutoff for Round 1 under All India Quota:
Category | Opening Rank | Closing Rank |
|---|---|---|
| OBC | 517 | 870 |
| OBC (PwD) | 5828 | 5828 |
| Gen-EWS | 937 | 1498 |
| Open | 3 | 170 |
| Open (PwD) | 3193 | 3193 |
| SC | 816 | 1275 |
| SC (PwD) | 4848 | 4848 |
| ST | 1736 | 2094 |
Design Exam IIRF Ranking
Check out the IIRF Ranking.
| AIR | Name of Institutes | State | State Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NID Ahmedabad - National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad | Gujarat | 1 |
| 2 | NID Madhya Pradesh - National Institute of Design, Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh | 1 |
| 3 | IIT Bombay - Indian Institute of Technology, IDC School of Design, Mumbai | Maharashtra | 1 |
| 4 | IIT Delhi - Indian Institute of Technology, Department of Design, Delhi | Delhi | 1 |
| 5 | NID Andhra Pradesh - National Institute of Design, Guntur | Andhra Pradesh | 1 |
| 6 | NID Haryana - National Institute of Design, Kurukshetra | Haryana | 1 |
| 7 | IIT Kanpur - Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur | Uttar Pradesh | 1 |
| 8 | IIT Roorkee - Indian Institute of Technology, Department of Design, Roorkee | Uttarakhand | 1 |
| 9 | IIT Guwahati - Indian Institute of Technology, Department of Design, Guwahati | Assam | 1 |
| 10 | NID Assam - National Institute of Design, Jorhat | Assam | 2 |
Design Diploma After 10+2
We need to treat the diploma courses in design a bit differently. This is because diploma courses tend to be of shorter duration and may offer admission directly based on 10th class scores. 10+2 is typically not required for Diploma admission unless the candidate is pursuing, say, an advanced Diploma. This means you may not need to appear in any entrance exams.
| Name of the course |
Admission Process |
Where to study |
Fees (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diploma, Advanced in Fashion Design |
Merit of Class 10 |
IIFD Chandigarh |
1 LPA onward |
| Diploma in Interior Design |
Merit of Class 10 |
IIFD Chandigarh |
1 LPA onward |
| Diploma in Textile Design |
Merit of Class 10 |
IIFD Chandigarh |
1 LPA onward |
| Diploma in Graphic Design |
Merit of Class 10 |
IIFD Chandigarh |
1 LPA onward |
| Diploma in:
Duration: 1 year. |
Direct admission based on merit of qualifying exam. Eligibility: 10+2 from a recognized institute |
JD Institute of Fashion Technology |
- |
| Diploma in Jewellery Design Duration: 1 year |
Direct admission based on merit of 10+2 exam. Eligibility: 12th Pass |
JD Institute of Fashion Technology |
- |
| Diploma in Jewellery Manufacturing and Production Duration: 1 year |
Direct admission based on merit of 10+2 exam. Eligibility: 12th Pass |
JD Institute of Fashion Technology |
- |
| Diploma in CAD Duration: 6 months |
Direct admission based on merit of 10+2 exam. Eligibility: 12th Pass |
JD Institute of Fashion Technology |
- |
Career Opportunities After completing Design Course After 10+2
The student, after completing their degree or diploma course in design, has a plethora of career opportunities in front of them. Most design schools also conduct placement sessions, wherein employers visit the campus and hire students directly.
Job roles after completing a design course after 12th
- Fashion Designers
- Entrepreneurs
- Fashion Merchandisers
- Design Curator
- Quality Control Managers
- Academician
- Sampling Coordinator Fashion Designer
- Apparel Production
- Fashion Business Analyst
- Retail Industry
- Design Curator Quality
- Control Managers Academician
- Apparel Production
- Fashion Business Analyst
- Fashion Columnist
- Vastu Consultant
- Retail Showroom Designer
- Landscape Designer
- Exhibition Designer
- Lighting Designer
Software for Design Courses
Some of the common software and tools for Designers are given below. Check them.
| Designers | Software and Tools |
|---|---|
| Graphic Designer | Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, CorelDRAW, Canva |
| UI/UX & Digital Product Designer | Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, Flowstep, Uizard |
| Fashion Design | Adobe Illustrator, Style 3D, CLO 3D, TUKAcad, Gerber AccuMark |
| Interior and Spatial Design | Auto CAD, SketchUP, Autodesk Revit, 3ds Max / Blender |
| Makeup Artist and Designers | Perfect365 PRO, Face Chart – Makeup Guru |
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Sayeba Naushad is a commerce postgraduate from Banaras Hindu University. She has over five years of experience in content writing and editing. She has a nose for current events in design field. At Shiksha.com, she s
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