The National Institute of Design conducts the NID DAT exam to offer admission to B.Des and M.Des courses offered by participating colleges. But do you know about other colleges that accept NID DAT scores? If you don't, this article is for you.
The National Institute of Design (NID) conducts the NID Design Aptitude Test. The entrance exam is conducted every year to shortlist candidates for admission to the various design courses offered by NID DAT participating colleges, including the B.Des courses and the M.Des course.
The NID offers the BDes program at the five NID campuses. Meanwhile, the M.Des program is available at three NID institutes. Currently, there are 425 seats for the B.Des program, while there are 347 seats available for the M.Des program. Admission to the B.Des and M.Des programs will be based on NID DAT merit ranks.
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- NID Admission Process 2026
- NID DAT 2026 Counselling and Seat Allotment
- NID Admission 2026 - Document Checklist
- NID DAT Admission Schedule 2026
- NID DAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria for B.Des
- NID DAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria for M.Des
- Colleges Accepting NID DAT Scores for B.Des and M.Des
- NID DAT 2026 Participating Institute
- NID DAT 2026 - Institute-wise Reservation of seats for B.Des
NID Admission Process 2026
The NIDs offer B.Des and M.Des courses. Admission to these courses is conducted through the NID Entrance Test (DAT). The DAT has two parts:
- DAT Prelims
- DAT Mains
The NID DAT 2026 Final result is prepared by giving weightage to NID DAT Mains. The merit rank is used to shortlist candidates for NID DAT 2026 counselling and seat allotment.
As part of the NID counselling process, eligible candidates must fill in their academic choices (campus + specialisation). The NID DAT 2026 seat allotment is based on:
- Merit rank of the candidate in the NID DAT 2026 exam
- Choices opted
- Available seats
Commonly asked questions
National Institute of Design (NID) will release the NID DAT 2026 admission cut-off for the B.Des and M.Des programmes at the time of seat allotment, around May-June 2026. The cut-off will be released as the rank and score of the last candidate admitted to the M.Des program.
NID DAT cut-off for the B.Des programme will be released separately.
The cut-off will be released by considering factors like the number of applicants, seat intake, and category. Candidates who meet the cut-off for their category in their chosen programme will get admission.
The NIDs have a combined intake of 425 seats for the B. Des programme. Of these, 45 seats are earmarked for the Industrial Design programme. The candidate can select from specializations like Ceramic and Glass Design, Furniture & Interior Design, and Product Design. The candidate will be able to select the programme of specialisation at the time of counselling.
Total seats offered in B. Des courses at all the NID campuses is 425 seats. For M.Des course, NID seats on offer for admission are 347. The B. Des programme is offered at five institutes - NID Ahmedabad, NID Andhra Pradesh, NID Haryana, NID Madhya Pradesh, and NID Assam. The various faculty members under which the programme is available include Faculty of Communication Design, Faculty of Industrial Design, and Faculty of Textile, Apparel, Lifestyle, and Accessory Design. Meanwhile, the M.Des course is available at NID Ahmedabad, NID Bengaluru, and NID Gandhinagar. Admission to both the B. Des and M.Des courses will be through the NID DAT entrance exam.
NID DAT 2026 Counselling and Seat Allotment
The National Institute of Design (NID) conducts the counseling-cum-seat allotment process for NID DAT 2026 online after the results. B.Des candidates need to select campuses for NID counselling; however, M.Des candidates aren't required to select campuses. The seat allotment for the B.Des program was declared on May 27, 2026. Allotment for the M.Des program was announced on May 6, 2026. Candidates who are allotted seats had to pay the seat-acceptance fee and confirm their seats. The Provisional Offer Letter for the B.Des program was released on June 10; the letter for the M.Des program could be downloaded from May 20 onward.
NID Admission 2026 - Document Checklist
The candidate will need the following documents during the NID Admission 2026
- Mark Sheet of Class 10
- Mark Sheet of Class 12
- Marksheet of Graduation (in case of M.Des Admission)
- Graduation Mark Sheet and Certificates
- Birth Certificate
- Category Certificate (if applicable)
- PwD Certificate (if applicable)
- Passport (for overseas candidates)
- A bona fide certificate from the Principal of the college last attended (to be submitted by candidates awaiting their results)
Note that the candidate will be considered for admission only upon verification of the above documents.
Commonly asked questions
The Interior Design programme is offered both for the BDes and MDes courses. At the BDes level, the Interior Design programme is offered under the faculty of Industrial Design, with a specialisation in Furniture and Interior Design. There are currently 13 seats for the programme. At the master's level, MDes in Furniture & Interior Design course is offered at the NID Ahmedabad campus. The intake capacity for the MDes programme is currently 19 seats. Admission to the Interior Design programme (both Bachelor's and master's) at the NIDs will be through the NID DAT exam.
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NID DAT Admission Schedule 2026
The dates for NID DAT Admission 2026 are:
| S.N | Admission Stages | B.Des |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accepting Application Forms online begins | September 11, 2025 |
| 2 | Last date for submitting online applications | December 1, 2025 (11:59 pm, midnight) |
| 3 | Window to Edit the application forms | December 2, 2025 (4 pm) to December 4, 2025 (11:59 pm, midnight) |
| 4 | Download Admit Cards for DAT Prelims** | December 11, 2025 (4 pm) |
| 5 | DAT Prelims Exam | December 21, 2025 (Sunday) |
| 6 | DAT Prelims Result | April 2, 2026 (OUT) |
| 7 | Rechecking Request for DAT Prelims Exam | April 2, 2026 (4 pm) to April 4, 2026 (11:59 pm, midnight) |
| 8 | Download Admit Card for DAT Mains Exam | April 09, 2026 and April 23, 2026 |
| 10 | DAT Mains Exam Result | Out |
| 11 | Rechecking Request for DAT Mains Exam | May 26, 2026 at 4 PM |
| 12 | Admission Counselling, Payment of Fees & Physical verification of Documents | June 09, 2026 |
NID DAT 2026 Important Dates - M.Des
The following table shows the NID DAT 2026 Bachelor of Design (M.Des) dates:
| Admission Stages | M.Des |
|---|---|
| Accepting Application Forms online begins | September 11, 2025 |
| Last date for submitting online applications | December 1, 2025 (11:59 pm, midnight) |
| Window to Edit the application forms | December 2, 2025 (4 pm) to December 4, 2025 (11:59 pm, midnight) |
| Download Admit Cards for DAT Prelims | December 11, 2025 (4 pm) |
| DAT Prelims Exam | December 21, 2025 (Sunday) |
| DAT Prelims Exam Result | February 12, 2026 (4 pm) (OUT) |
| Rechecking Request for DAT Prelims Exam | February 12, 2026 (6 pm) to February 14, 2026 (11:59 pm, midnight) |
| Download Admit Card for DAT Mains Exam | February 24, 2026 |
| DAT Mains Exam Studio test | March 08, 2026 |
| DAT Main Interview | March 21, 2026 to April 01, 2026 |
| DAT Mains Exam Result | April 23, 2026 (OUT) |
| Seat Allotment, Payment of Token Fees & Uploading of Documents | May 5, 2026 (4 pm) to May 7, 2026 (11:59 pm, midnight) |
| Provisional Offer Letter | May 26, 2026 (4 pm) |
| Payment of Remaining Semester Fees | Between May 26, 2026 (Tuesday) to June 1, 2026 (Monday) |
| Subsequent Round of Seat Allotment | To be announced later |
NID DAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria for B.Des
The following table shows the eligibility criteria for NID B.Des.
| Parameters | B.Des |
|---|---|
| Age Limit |
Note: In case of foreign nationals applying for admission under the Overseas (Supernumerary) Category, the candidate must be born on or after 1 July 2005. |
| Educational Qualification | 10+2 in any discipline |
Commonly asked questions
The NID DAT exam is conducted for admission to the B.Des and M.Des courses. The B.Des course is currently offered at five campuses - NID Ahmedabad, NID AP, NID Haryana, NID MP, and NID Asaam. The combined intake for the B.Des is 425 seats. Meanwhile, the M.Des programme is offered at following three campuses - NID Ahmedabad, NID Gandhinagar, and NID Bengaluru. The M.Des programme currently has 347 seats.
The NIDs offer a full-time B.Des programme of 4-year duration, and a full-time M.Des programme of two-and-half years duration.
The institute, in addition, also offers a PhD program. The programme can be pursued full-time or part-time.
Admission to the design courses at the NID is conducted through a Design Aptitude Test (DAT). The exam comprises DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.
Cut-off for NID DAT will be prepared based on factors like total number of applications, seat intake for the applied programme, category under which admission is sought, and merit rank of the applicant in NID DAT 2026. Each of these factors are variables. For example, number of applications may vary from one category to another. Cut-off would also vary. The cut-off represents the minimum marks a candidate needs to secure in his or her category to get admission to the B. Des or M.Des programme.
Yes, all B.Des candidates who were shortlisted for NID DAT 2026 counselling had to submit their campus preferences within the allotted time. The preferences have to be entered in the order of priority.
The allotment of seats to the B.Des programme will be based on the campus option selected and merit rank of the candidate in NID DAT 2026 So, one must bear caution when entering their preferences.
NID DAT 2026 Eligibility Criteria for M.Des
The following table shows the eligibility criteria for NID M.Des.
| Parameters | M.Des |
|---|---|
| Age Limit |
Note: In case of foreign nationals applying for admission under the Overseas (Supernumerary) Category, the candidate must be born on or after 1 July 1994. |
| Educational Qualification | Bachelor's degree of minimum four years duration OR its equivalent. |
Colleges Accepting NID DAT Scores for B.Des and M.Des
Check out the list of colleges that accept NID scores. Candidates need to check with the individual institute for the admission process.
| College | Location | Courses |
|---|---|---|
| National Institute of Design | Multiple campuses | B.Des, M.Des |
| World University of Design | Haryana | B.Des, M.Des |
| IILM School of Design | Haryana | B.Des, M.Des |
| Shiv Nadar University | Uttar Pradesh | B.Des |
| Pearl Academy | Multiple campuses | UG & PG Design programmes |
| Symbiosis Institute of Design | Maharashtra | B.Des |
| CEPT University | Gujarat | Design programmes |
| BITS Design School | Maharashtra | B.Des |
| Avantika University | Madhya Pradesh | B.Des |
| ITM Institute of Design and Media | Maharashtra | B.Des, M.Des |
Commonly asked questions
The NIDs offer a full-time B.Des programme of 4-year duration, and a full-time M.Des programme of two-and-half years duration.
The institute, in addition, also offers a PhD program. The programme can be pursed full-time or part-time.
Admission to the design courses at the NID is conducted through a Design Aptitude Test (DAT). The exam comprise DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.
The final result or merit list is prepared by giving weightage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.
The admission to the NIDs is conducted through a Design Aptitude Test (DAT). The DAT is a two-stage exam.
The candidate has to first appear in DAT Prelims and then, if shortlisted, have to appear in DAT Mains. The final merit list for admission will be prepared by giving weightage to both DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. If a candidate appear in DAT Prelims, but doesn’t appear in DAT Mains, he or she will not be considered for admission.
Diploma candidates need to meet the following conditions for admission:
- Done full-time Diploma of 4-year duration after 10+2
- Diploma in the following subjects is accepted - Design/ Fine Arts/ Applied Arts/ Architecture.
- The Diploma must be done from a university or institute recognised by law in India.
Cut-off for NID 2026 Entrance exam will be prepared based on factors like total number of applications, seat intake for the applied programme, category under which admission is sought, and merit rank of the applicant in NID DAT 2026. Each of these factors are variables. For example, number of applications may vary from one category to another. Cut-off would also vary. The cut-off represents the minimum marks a candidate needs to secure in his or her category to get admission to the B. Des or M.Des programme.
NID DAT 2026 Participating Institute
The B.Des program is offered at five institutes. Seat allotment will be merit-based. NID DAT 2026 Participating Institute is given below.
| S. No |
NID 2026 Participating Institute |
Seat Intake 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
125 |
|
| 2 |
75 |
|
| 3 |
75 |
|
| 4 |
75 |
|
| 5 |
75 |
|
| Total |
425 |
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NID DAT 2026 - Institute-wise Reservation of seats for B.Des
The NID DAT 2026 institute-wise reservation for B.Des is:
| Institute |
Total seats (expected) |
GEN-EWS (10% |
OBC-NCL (27%) |
Scheduled Caste (15%) |
Scheduled Tribe (7.5%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NID Ahmedabad |
125 |
13 |
34 |
19 |
9 |
| NID Andhra Pradesh |
75 |
8 |
20 |
11 |
6 |
| NID Haryana |
75 |
8 |
20 |
11 |
6 |
| NID Madhya Pradesh |
75 |
8 |
20 |
11 |
6 |
| NID Assam |
75 |
8 |
20 |
11 |
6 |
| Total (Seats) |
425 |
45 |
114 |
63 |
33 |
Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) at NID Ahmedabad
The faculty-wise seat intake at NID participating colleges is also given below.
Faculty of Communication Design
The seat intake is:
| Discipline | Seat Intake |
|---|---|
| Animation Film Design | 19 |
| Exhibition Design | 13 |
| Film & Video Communication | 13 |
| Graphic Design | 19 |
Faculty of Industrial Design
The seat intake is:
| Discipline | Seat Intake (expected) |
|---|---|
| Ceramic & Glass Design | 13 |
| Furniture & Interior Design | 13 |
| Product Design | 19 |
Faculty of Textile, Apparel, Lifestyle, and Accessory Design
The seat intake is:
| Discipline | Seat Intake |
|---|---|
| Textile Design | 19 |
Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) at NID Andhra Pradesh, NID Haryana, NID Madhya Pradesh, NID Assam
The seat intake is:
| Discipline | Seat Intake in each NID |
|---|---|
| Communication Design | 25 |
| Industrial Design | 25 |
| Textile and Apparel Design | 25 |
Note:
- The number of seats reserved for Indian nationals is 125.
- Candidates selected for admission at NID Ahmedabad must attend a mandatory Design Foundation studies for 2 semesters.
Also Read:
The National Institute of Design (NID) offers a two-and-a-half-year years’ Master of Design (M.Des.) program at the following campuses:
- NID Ahmedabad
- NID Bengaluru
- NID Gandhinagar
NID DAT 2026- Institute-wise seat intake for M.Des
The seats at the NID for M.Des 2026 are:
| S.No |
NID Campus |
Seat Intake |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
NID Ahmedabad |
126 |
| 2 |
NID Gandhinagar |
126 |
| 3 |
NID Bengaluru |
95 |
| Total Intake |
347 |
NID DAT 2026 - M.Des programs, Program-wise Seat Intake
The National Institute of Design has five faculties:
- The Faculty of Communication Design
- The Faculty of Industrial Design
- Faculty of Information Technology-Integrated Programmes
- Faculty of Interdisciplinary Design Studies
- Faculty of Textile, Apparel, and Lifestyle Accessory Design
The various disciplines and the institute-wise seat intake can be checked from the tables below.
Faculty of Communication Design
The seats at the Faculty of Communication Design are:
| Discipline |
NID Campus |
Seat Intake |
|---|---|---|
| Animation Film Design |
Ahmedabad |
19 |
| Film & Video Communication |
Ahmedabad |
19 |
| Graphic Design |
Ahmedabad |
19 |
| Photography Design |
Gandhinagar |
19 |
Faculty of Industrial Design
The seats at the Faculty of Industrial Design
| Discipline |
NID Campus |
Seat Intake |
|---|---|---|
| Ceramic & Glass Design |
Ahmedabad |
12 |
| Furniture & Interior Design |
Ahmedabad |
19 |
| Product Design |
Ahmedabad |
19 |
| Toy & Game Design |
Gandhinagar |
12 |
| Transportation & Automobile Design |
Gandhinagar |
19 |
| Universal Design |
Bengaluru |
19 |
Faculty of Information Technology-Integrated Programmes
The seats at the Faculty of Information Technology-Integrated Programmes are:
| Discipline |
NID Campus |
Seat Intake |
|---|---|---|
| Digital Game Design |
Bengaluru |
19 |
| Information Design |
Bengaluru |
19 |
| Interaction Design |
Bengaluru |
19 |
| New Media Design |
Gandhinagar |
19 |
Faculty of Interdisciplinary Design Studies
The seats at the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Design Studies are:
| Discipline |
NID Campus |
Seat Intake |
|---|---|---|
| Design for Retail Experience |
Bengaluru |
19 |
| Strategic Design Management |
Gandhinagar |
19 |
Faculty of Textile, Apparel, and Lifestyle Accessory Design
The seats at the Faculty of Textile, Apparel, and Lifestyle Accessory Design are:
| Discipline |
NID Campus |
Seat Intake |
|---|---|---|
| Apparel Design |
Gandhinagar |
19 |
| Lifestyle Accessory Design |
Gandhinagar |
19 |
| Textile Design |
Ahmedabad |
19 |
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered a week ago
Both institutions offer the BDes course but with completely different admission processes. IIT Indore accepts admission based on the UCEED entrance exam, while BITS Pilani considers the NID Entrance exam/ BITSAT exam result.
See the table below to compare both insttutions on different factors:
| Institution | NIRF Ranking | Tuition Fee |
|---|---|---|
| BITS Pilani | 11 | ₹ 30.8L |
| IIT Indore | 12 | ₹ 8.5L |
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
Yes, the Admit card for B.Des In Person Sensitivity Test for 2026 has been released. It was released on April 23, 2026.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
Yes, the NID B.Des 2026 Studio Sensitivity Test Admit Card is out. It was out April 09, 2026. The link is active now.
S
Contributor-Level 10
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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