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!
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 scores.
Here, we discuss in detail everything you need to know about designing courses after Class XII.
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- Design Courses after 12th - Eligibility Criteria
- 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
- Diploma in Design after 10+2
- Career Opportunities after completing Design Course after 10+2
Design Courses after 12th - Eligibility Criteria
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 are the most popular UG courses. So, we discuss the eligibility criteria for these courses.
Minimum qualifying criteria for NID DAT are the minimum marks candidate needs to secure for admission. The category-wise cut-off would be released at the time of counseling and seat allotment. Cut-off would be prepared by considering factors like total number of applicants, merit ranks of applicants in NID DAT, seat intake of applied programme, etc.
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 eligibiity 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 eliigibity stands to be disqualified if caught.
| 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. |
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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.
The NIFT exam includes the written exams - CAT and 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 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.
Here we bring you the various job roles and salary after designing courses after 12th:
| Job Roles |
Average Salary (per annum) in INR |
|---|---|
| Industrial Designer |
4.3 lakh |
| Interior Designer |
5 lakh |
| Jewellery Design |
4 lakh |
| Textile |
5 lakh |
| Animator |
4.6 lakh |
| Interior Designer |
4.1 lakh |
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.
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:
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 |
Diploma in Design 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.
Note that 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 lakh onward |
| Diploma in Interior Design |
Merit of Class 10 |
IIFD Chandigarh |
1 lakh onward |
| Diploma in Textile Design |
Merit of Class 10 |
IIFD Chandigarh |
1 lakh onward |
| Diploma in Graphic Design |
Merit of Class 10 |
IIFD Chandigarh |
1 lakh 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. Note that 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
Yes, the National Institute of Fashion Technology will allow candidates with late fees. The late fee application window will open once the deadline to fill out the NIFT 2025 application form with regular fee closes. The start and last date to fill out the NIFT 2025 application form with late fee will be notified by the institute before the regular application form closes or sometime thereabout. The late fee for NIFT 2025 will be INR 5,000. The late fee has to be paid in addition to the application fee, which is INR 3000 for open category candidates.
No, you should not fill out NIFT 2026 application form if you do not meet the eligibility criteria because all documents and information provided by you in application form will be cross checked. And if any discrepancy is found, you can be disqualified at any stage of application process.
The results of the DAT Prelims will include the qualifying status of the candidate. If the candidate fails to qualify DAT Prelims, he or she will not be eligible to appear in DAT Mains.
Note that the Desing Aptitude Test (DAT) conducted by the National Institute of Design (NID) has two sub-exams: DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.
Both the exams are mandatory.
Also, the final merit list is prepared by giving weighatage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. So, if a can candidate fails to qualify DAT Prelims or doesn’t appear in DAT Mains, the candidate will be disqualified from the admission process.
Candidates applying for B. Des course need to have passed 10+2 exam from a recognised institute and should be less than 24 years as of August 1, 2026. Relaxation of 5 years in the upper age limit applies for candidates belonging to SC, ST and PwD categories.