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 National Institute of Design has announced the dates for NID DAT Mains for M.Des. The Studio Test was conducted on March 08, 2026. The NID Interview will be conducted from March 21, 2026, to April 01, 2026. NID Mains Admit cardwas released on February 24, 2026.
NID M.Des Prelims result were announced on February 12, 2026. NID DAT 2026 Exam was conducted on December 21, 2025, for B.Des and M.Des. The exam was conducted from 10 AM to 1 PM.
Latest Update:
- NID DAT M.Des Mains Schedule Out; Check Studio Test and Interview Dates Here
- NID DAT M.Des Prelims Result 2026 Declared; Check Now
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 2026 merit ranks.
- 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
- NID DAT 2026 Participating Institute - Seat Intake for B.Des program
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 will be prepared by giving weightage to DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. The merit rank will be 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 + specialization). The NID DAT 2026 seat allotment will be based on:
- Merit rank of the candidate in the NID DAT 2026 exam
- Choices opted
- Available seats
Commonly asked questions
No you can not join NID Ahmedabad directly since admissions are based on NID DAT scores only. NID DAT is two-step exam consisting:
Prelims: Objective-type CBT focusing on design aptitude, general knowledge, and observation skills.
Mains: Studio tests + PI to evaluate design thinking, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.
The candidate needs to report for the exam at 8 am. Gates closing time is 9:30 am. B.Des and M.Des exams were held from 10 AM to 1 PM.
National Institute of Design Assam cutoff ois based on NID DAT entrance exam scores for admission to the B.Des course. NID Jorhat cutoff 2023 has been concluded. As per the NID Assam cutoff 2023, the last round cutoff percentile was 60.3 for the B.Des course. In 2021, the cutoff percentile for the B.Des course was 86.87 for the General All India category students. Comparing the NID Assam cutoff 2023 with 2021, NID Jorhat witnessed a decling trend for B.Des as the cutoff percentile decreased from 86.87 in 2021 to 60.3 in 2023 for the General All India category students.
No, candidates who are looking for BDes course admission at NID Jorhat must sit and appear for DAT. Design Aptitude Test or DAT is that part of design exams that checks the creativity of the candidates. It is not easy to crack DAT section in a short period of time. One should have a good practice of drawing, sketching and on the spot design-solution to clear DAT.
NID DAT 2026 Counselling and Seat Allotment
The National Institute of Design (NID) will conduct the counseling-cum-seat allotment process for NID DAT 2026 in May 2026. B.Des candidates need to select campuses for NID counseling; however, M.Des candidates aren't required to select campuses. The seat allotment for the B.Des program will be declared on May 27, 2026. Allotment for the M.Des program will be announced on May 6, 2026. Candidates who are allotted seats will have to pay the seat-acceptance fee and confirm their seats. The Provisional Offer Letter for the B.Des program will be released on June 10; the letter for the M.Des program can 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 Bonafide 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
NID Ahmedabad's affiliated colleges offering B. Des specialisations through NID entrance exam. Taking into consideration, the last-round cutoff, getting a 70 rank is not sufficient to allow you to take admission at the institutes affiliated to NID Ahmedabad. Considering the NID Ahmedabad cutoff 2024, all the specialisations has the common rank of 43 for General AI category candidates. Similarly, for the OBC AI category, the common cutoff stood at 45.
There are 128 seats available for BDes at NID Ahmedabad. Seat allocation is done based on performance in accepted exam and selection round. The seats are reserved discipline-wise as follows:
| Courses | Seats |
|---|---|
| BDes in Furniture and Interior Design | 13 |
| BDes in Graphic Design | 19 |
| BDes in Animation Film Design | 19 |
| BDes in Product Design | 19 |
| BDes in Film and Video Communication | 13 |
| BDes in Textile Design | 19 |
| BDes in Ceramic and Glass Design | 13 |
| BDes in Exhibition Design | 13 |
NOTE: The seat intake is as per the official website/ sanctioning body. It can still be revised and hence, is indicative.
NID Ahmedabad offers a BDes programme at the UG level. It is offered in full-time mode for a duration of four years. The total tuition fee of BDes at NID Ahmedabad ranges around INR 18.04 lakh. There are other components included in the fee as well, such as hostel charges, security deposit, etc. The total course fee is INR 19.29 lakh. This given fee information is as per the official website/ sanctioning body. It is still subject to revision and hence, is indicative.
The overall cost of NID Ahmedabad is INR 13.18 lakh. The MDes fees might include mutiple other fee components that must be paid during admission. Admission to MDes is based on NID Design Aptitude Test (DAT). Therefore, candidates must register for the exam and pay the NIT DAT application fee. The application fee is tabulated below:
| Category | Application Fee | Application + Late Fees |
|---|---|---|
| General, Gen-EWS, OBC-NCL | INR 3000 | INR 3000 + INR 1500 = INR 4500 |
| SC, ST, PwD | INR 1500 | INR 1500 + INR 750 = INR 2250 |
| Overseas (Supernumerary) | INR 5000 | INR 5000 + INR 2500 = INR 7500 |
The mentioned application fee information is as per past records. Hence, is indicative.
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NID DAT Admission Schedule 2026
The dates for NID DAT Admission 2026 are:
| NID DAT B.Des Admission Stage | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Accepting Application Forms online begins | September 11, 2025 |
| Last date for submitting online applications | December, 01 2025 |
| Window to Edit the application forms | December 02, 2025 (till second week) |
| Download Admit Cards for DAT Prelims | December 04, 2025 |
| DAT Prelims Exam | December 21, 2025 |
| DAT Prelims Result | April 07, 2026 |
| Rechecking Request for DAT Prelims | April 07, 2026 to April 08, 2026 |
| Download Admit Card for DAT Mains | Second week of April 2026 |
| DAT Mains Exam | Last week of April 2026 – First week of May 2026 |
| DAT Mains Result | Third week of May 2026 |
| Window for submission of Campus Preference | Third week of May 2026 |
| Rechecking Request for DAT Mains | Third week of May 2026 |
| Seat Allotment, Payment of Token Fees & Uploading of Documents | Last week of May 2026 |
| Provisional Offer Letter | Second week of June 2026 |
| Payment of Remaining Semester Fees | Second week of June 2026 |
| Subsequent Round of Seat Allotment | To be announced later |
| Physical Verification of Documents at respective NIDs | To be announced later |
NID DAT 2026 Important Dates - M.Des
The tentative dates for NID DAT M.Des are:
| Admission Stage | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Accepting Application Forms online begins | September, 11, 2025 |
| Last date for submitting online applications | December 01, 2025 |
| Window to Edit the application forms | December 2- 4, 2025 |
| Download Admit Cards for DAT Prelims | December, 11 2025 |
| DAT Prelims Exam | December 21, 2025 |
| DAT Prelims Result | February 12, 2026 |
| Rechecking Request for DAT Prelims | February 12, 2026 to February 14, 2026 |
| Download Admit Card for DAT Mains | February 24, 2026 |
| DAT Mains Exam | March 08, 2026 for Studio Test March 21 to April 01, 2026 for Interview |
| DAT Mains Result | First week of May 2026 |
| Rechecking Request for DAT Mains | First week of May 2026 |
| Seat Allotment, Payment of Token Fees & Uploading of Documents | First week of May 2026 |
| Provisional Offer Letter | Third week of May 2026 |
| Payment of Remaining Semester Fees | Third–Fourth week of May 2026 |
| 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 fee structure of NID, Bengaluru is expensive as compared to the other design Institutes. The fee ranges between 1,80,000- 2,00,000 for the 1st semester in undergraduate course. The approximate fees for the master's degree is around 11 lakh. You can visit the official website of NID for the latest fee structure. Students have to pay the security fees of 10,000 at the starting of the course. Some fees like the security fees is refundable but the tuition fees is non refundable. There are other charges as well like hostel, mess, transportation. The fees is but high but it is worth it.
As per the information available online, NID Gandhinagar admissions are entrance-based. Hence, direct admission is not offered to the candidates. Candidates seeking admission to MDes programmes have to appear for the DAT prelims and DAT mains. The institute shortlist candidates for the Mains based on score in prelims. Further, in the Mains exam, candidates have to take the studio test followed by an interview round.
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. |
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NID DAT 2026 Participating Institute - Seat Intake for B.Des program
The B.Des program is offered at five institutes. Seat allotment will be merit-based.
| S. No |
NID 2026 Participating Institute |
Seat Intake 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
125 |
|
| 2 |
75 |
|
| 3 |
75 |
|
| 4 |
75 |
|
| 5 |
75 |
|
| Total |
425 |
NID DAT 2026 - Institute-wise Reservation of seats for B.Des
The expected 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 (Expected Seats) |
425 |
45 |
114 |
63 |
33 |
Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) at NID Ahmedabad
The faculty-wise seat intake expected at NID participating colleges is also given below.
Faculty of Communication Design
The expected seat intake is:
| Discipline | Seat Intake (expected) |
|---|---|
| Animation Film Design | 19 |
| Exhibition Design | 13 |
| Film & Video Communication | 13 |
| Graphic Design | 19 |
Faculty of Industrial Design
The expected 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 expected seat intake is:
| Discipline | Seat Intake (expected) |
|---|---|
| Textile Design | 19 |
Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) at NID Andhra Pradesh, NID Haryana, NID Madhya Pradesh, NID Assam
The expected seat intake is:
| Discipline | Seat Intake in each NID (expected) |
|---|---|
| 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 expected seats at the NID for M.Des 2026 are:
| S.No |
NID Campus |
Seat Intake (Expected) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 expected 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 expected 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 expected 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 expected 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 expected 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 month 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 a month 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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