NIFT Eligibility Criteria 2026 - Check Program-wise Eligibility, Age Limit, Qualifying Exam, Marks
National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance Exam 2026 ( NIFT Entrance Exam )
Candidates seeking admission to the various courses offered by the NIFTs must meet the program-specific eligibility criteria before applying for admission. These criteria may relate to age, qualifying exam passed, marks obtained, etc. If the candidate fails to meet the criteria, his or her candidature can be canceled. Read detailed NIFT 2026 eligibility criteria here.
The application form for NIFT 2026 can be out anytime on the website of NIFT. The application will be out for all the UG and PG programmes.
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Candidates seeking admission to the design courses needs to meet the program-specific NIFT 2026 eligibility criteria. The eligibility criteria for NIFT will be outlined in the NIFT 2026 exam prospectus. You can download the prospectus from the NIFT admission portal - nift.ac.in/admission. It will outline tage limit, academic qualification, number of attempts, etc. that the candidate needs to meet for admission. If the candidate doesn't meet the requirements, he or she could be disqualified at any stage of the admission process. So, before filling out the NIFT application form, it is wise to go through the eligibility requirements. NIFT 2026 entrance exam will be conducted in the second week of February 2026.
- NIFT 2026 Eligibility Criteria - Why is it important?
- NIFT Eligibility Criteria 2026 - Bachelor Programs
- NIFT 2026 Eligibility Criteria for Master's Programs
NIFT 2026 Eligibility Criteria - Why is it important?
NIFT institutes offer the following design courses - B.Des, M.Des, M.F.M, B.F.Tech, and M.F.Tech. NIFT eligibility criteria for admission to each of these courses are different. This means if you are applying for admission to the B.Des program, you need to meet the eligibility criteria specific to that program. This goes for all the other courses.
So, when applying for admission at NIFT, you must carefully check that you meet the eligibility conditions for your chosen program. If not, the candidate may not be considered for admission.
Candidates are urged against using counterfeit documents to fake one's eligibility because it could lead to disqualification; further, legal action may also be taken against candidates adopting such practices.
Note that all originals will be cross-checked during the NIFT counseling process. Any candidate found to be using fake information in the application form will be disqualified.
The candidate will be shortlisted for counseling on the basis of their NIFT scores. You can check your eligibility status by logging into the result portal.
The National Institute of Fashion Technology will conduct fresh registrations for NIFT counseling.
For the current academic session, NIFT 2024, the counseling registration was conducted from June 5-15, 2024. As part of the registration process, the candidate also needed to fill in and lock choices.
The program-wise eligibility criteria for the design courses are given below.
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NIFT Eligibility Criteria 2026 - Bachelor Programs
The National Institute of Fashion Technology offers a B.Des and a B.F.Tech program at the undergraduate level.
NIFT Eligibility Criteria for B.Des is given below.
| Parameter |
Eligibility Criteria (expected) |
|---|---|
| Age Limit |
The candidate should be less than 24 years on August 1, 2026. Relaxation in the upper age limit of FIVE years is applicable for candidates belonging to SC, ST, and PwD categories. |
| Qualifying exam |
The candidate needs to meet any of the criteria given below.
Candidates appearing in board exams in the admission year may also apply, provided they fulfill the eligibility conditions at the time of counseling/admission. |
| Number of Attempts |
There is no limit on the number of attempts |
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NIFT Eligibility Criteria for B.F Tech is given below.
| Parameter |
Eligibility Criteria (expected) |
|---|---|
| Age Limit |
The candidate should be less than 24 years as on August 1, 2026. Relaxation in the upper age limit of FIVE years is applicable for candidates belonging to SC, ST, and PwD categories. |
| Qualifying exam |
The candidate must have completed ANY of the following.
Candidates appearing in board exams in the admission year may also apply, provided they fulfill the eligibility conditions at the time of counseling/admission. |
| Number of attempts |
There is no limit on the number of attempts |
NIFT 2026 Eligibility Criteria for Master's Programs
The National Institute of Fashion Technology currently offers three programs at the master’s level.
- M.Des (Master of Design)
- M.F.M (Master of Fashion Management)
- M.F.Tech. (Master of Fashion Technology)
The eligibility criteria for each of these programs are given below.
NIFT 2026 Eligibility - M.Des (Master of Design)
| Parameter |
Eligibility Criteria (expected) |
|---|---|
| Age Limit |
There is no upper or lower age bar for admission. |
| Qualifying exam |
|
| Understanding of fundamentals in design |
M.Des being an advanced course, demands an understanding of the fundamentals of design. Consequently, the candidate should be familiar with the basic skills and theories for the successful completion of the program. Further, the course will not provide any basic knowledge and skill development in design as part of the program. |
| Number of attempts |
No limit on the number of attempts |
NIFT 2026 Eligibility - M.F.M (Master of Fashion Management)
| Parameter |
Eligibility Criteria (expected) |
|---|---|
| Age Limit |
There is no upper or lower age bar for admission. |
| Qualifying exam |
|
| Number of attempts |
No limit |
NIFT 2026 Eligibility - M.F.Tech. (Master of Fashion Technology)
| Parameter |
Eligibility Criteria (expected) |
|---|---|
| Age Limit |
There is no upper or lower age bar for admission. |
| Qualifying exam |
The candidate needs to meet any of the following criteria.
|
| Number of attempts |
No limit |
Candidates appearing in board exams in the admission year may also apply, provided they fulfill the eligibility conditions at the time of counseling/admission.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 months ago
The fee for M.Des programme offered at NIFT is around INR 8 Lakhs.
| Fee Components | Fee Amount (2 Years) (2025) |
|---|---|
| Tuition Fees | 5.86 Lakhs |
| Hostel Fees* | 2.21 Lakhs |
| One-time payment* | 27,200 |
| Total fees | 8.35 Lakhs |
* Hostel fee is calculated on the basis of 1st year. Actual amount may vary. The fees might include components other than hostel fees. Meal Plan is not included in the mentioned fee.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
The fee of the B.Des programme at NIFT is around INR 14 lakhs.
| Semester | NIFT Fees 2024 (INR) | NIFT Fees 2025 (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | 1,83,200 | 1,91,700 |
| Semester 2 | 1,43,000 | 1,50,000 |
| Semester 3 | 1,69,800 | 1,78,700 |
| Semester 4 | 1,50,000 | 1,58,000 |
| Semester 5 | 1,78,700 | 1,87,800 |
| Semester 6 | 1,58,000 | 1,66,000 |
| Semester 7 | 1,93,700 | 2,03,200 |
| Semester 8 | 1,66,000 | 1,74,000 |
| Total (4 Years) | 13,42,400 | 14,09,400 |
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi, is the best based on the India Today ranking (2025).
NIFT Delhi is considered the best NIFT campus in India because of the following:
It consistently ranks No. 1 among all NIFTs (India Today Ranking: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021)
It has
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
The NIFT entrance exam is considered moderately difficult. The level of difficulty of the exam depends on a student's strengths and preparation. Since seats are limited and competition is high, even average questions feel tougher due to the pressure.
B.Des exam tests creativity, design aptitude, obse
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
The educational qualification for NIFT admissions varies from course to course:
| Programme | Educational Qualification Required |
|---|---|
| B.Des (Bachelor of Design) | Passed 10+2 (Class 12) in any stream (Science, Commerce, Arts, Humanities) from a recognised board |
| B.FTech (Bachelor of Fashion Technology) | Passed 10+2 (Class 12) in any stream, but Mathematics as a subject in 10+2 is compulsory |
| M.Des (Master of Design) | Undergraduate degree in any discipline from a recognised university |
| M.FTech (Master of Fashion Technology) | B.FTech from NIFT or B.E./B.Tech from a recognised university |
| MFM (Master of Fashion Management) | Undergraduate degree in any discipline from a recognised university |
S
Contributor-Level 10
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.