Best Design Colleges in India - Courses, Fees, Admission 2026

Design colleges in India offer courses at UG, PG, Diploma, Doctorate, and Certificate level. Candidates interested Designing or creating products, can apply in these courses after completing Class 12 boards or by clearing entrance exams like NIFT exam, NID exam, UCEED, etc. Top design colleges in India are generally recognised as Institutions of National Importance or deemed universities, accredited by UGC or AICTE, ensuring high academic standards and recognised certifications. 

There are about 2,400+ best Design colleges in India. Of these, 1,400 colleges are privately owned, 300+ are government colleges and semi-government owned 100+ colleges. The top 10 Design colleges in India include NIFT Delhi, Amity University University Noida, NIFT Bangalore, NIFT Mumbai, NIFT Chennai, NIFT Hyderabad, NIFT Gandhinagar, Pearl Academy Mumbai, and many others.

Important Highlights of the Best Design Colleges in India 2026

Top Design colleges in India offer diverse specialisations like Game Design, Jewellery Design, Graphic Design, etc. Admission are usually based on tests scores like UCEED, NIFT, NID exam. Given below are the key highlights of the best Design colleges in India with all important info. -

Particulars	Statistics
Total no. of Design colleges in India	2,400+ colleges
Annual Fee range of the best Designing colleges in India	< INR 1 lakh: 490+  INR 1-3 lakh: 460+ INR 3-5 lakh: 470+ INR 5-7 lakh: 180+ INR 7-10 lakh: 100+ INR 10-15 lakh: 100+  INR > 15 lakh: 70+
Top Design Institutes in India	NIFT Delhi NIFT Bangalore NIFT Mumbai NIFT Hyderabad, etc.
Top Designing Specialisations offered in Indian colleges	Fashion Design Graphic Design Apparel Design Textile Design, etc.
Accepted Entrance Exams	CUET, UCEED, NIFT Exam, NID Exam, etc.

Source: Official site and may vary.

Eligibility Criteria to get Admission to Indian Design Colleges 2026

Given below is the eligibility criteria to get admission to the best Design colleges in India -

• For UG admission, candidates must complete their Class 12 in any stream Science, Commerce, and Arts with an aggregate of 45-60% marks.
• For PG admission, candidates must have Bachelor’s degree in Design with 55-60% aggregate marks.

Source: Official site and may vary.

Entrance Exams Accepted in top Design Colleges in India 2026

Admission to these Designing colleges in India will be based on merit or through entrance exams. Listed below are the top entrance exams accepted in the bachelor of design colleges in India with schedule -

Exam Name	Exam Schedule	Exam Cutoff Predictor
CUET	CUET Schedule	CUET Cutoff Predictor
UCEED	UCEED Schedule	UCEED Cutoff Predictor
NIFT Entrance Exam	NIFT Exam Schedule	NIFT Cutoff Predictor
NID Entrance Exam	NID Exam Schedule	NID Cutoff Predictor

Source: Official site and may vary.

NIFT Exam Accepting Design Colleges in India

About 40+ best Design colleges accepting NIFT entrance exam in India. Some of them are mentioned below along with their tuition fees:

Top Colleges	Tuition Fee
NIFT Delhi	INR 6 lakh - INR 12 lakh
NIFT Bangalore	INR 77,000 - INR 12 lakh
NIFT Mumbai	INR 6 lakh
NIFT Chennai	INR 9 lakh - INR 12 lakh
NIFT Hyderabad	INR 6 lakh - INR 12 lakh

Source: Official site and may vary.

Best Designing Institutes in India: Courses, Fees, Eligibility

There are many top courses offered by the top Designing colleges in India like BDes in Fashion Designing, Interior Designing, Animation Film Designing, etc with tuition fees and eligibility -

College Names	Courses Offered	Tuition Fee/ Eligibility
Amity University Noida	BDes in Fashion Design, Bachelor of Interior Design, Bachelor in User Experience Design, etc.	Fee: INR 2.88 lakh - INR 12.54 lakh CUET, Merit-Based, etc.
NID Ahmedabad	BDes in Animation Film Design, BDes in Graphic Design, MDes in Film and Video Communication, etc.	Fee: INR 11.43 lakh - INR 15.72 lakh Design Aptitude Test
NIFT Delhi	MDes, BDes in Fashion Design, MFM, etc.	Fee: INR 70,800 - INR 12.34 lakh NIFT Entrance Exam, CEED, etc.
MIT-ADT University	MDes in User Experience Design, BDes in Product Design, BDes in Animation Design, etc.	Fee: INR 4.9 lakh - INR 12.65 lakh MITID DAT
NIFT Mumbai	MDes, BDes in Fashion Communication, BFTech in Apparel Production, etc.	Fee: INR 1.64 lakh - INR 12.34 lakh NIFT Entrance Exam, CEED, etc.
UID Karnavati University	BDes (hons.) in Fashion Design and Styling, BDes (Hon.) in Product Design, MDes in Industrial Design, MDes in Fashion Design, etc.	Fees: INR 24 lakh - INR 40 lakh UID Design Aptitude Test

Source: Official site and may vary.

Best Private Design Colleges in India

There are about 1400+ private design colleges in India. Private colleges are somewhat expensive than government colleges as it has better infrastructure, more specialisations, and better facilities. Given below are the top private colleges with tuition fees and eligibility criteria -

Private Colleges	Total Tuition Fee	Eligibility/Exams
Amity University Noida Admission	INR 2.88 lakh – INR 16.72 lakh	CUET and Merit-Based
JD Birla Institute Admission	INR 1.57 lakh - INR 4.13 lakh	Merit-based
Parul University Admission	INR 25,000 - INR 13 lakh	PU DAT
Amity University, Mumbai Admission	INR 1.89 lakh - INR 11.68 lakh	CUET and Merit-Based
UID Karnavati University Admission	INR 1.65 lakh - INR 40 lakh	UID Design Aptitude Test

Source: Official site and may vary.

Best Government Design Colleges in India

Government colleges are affordable than private colleges as and it has well-established colleges with credible reputation, but with limited seats and tough competition for the seats. Given below are the top government colleges with tuition fees and eligibility criteria -

Public/Govt. Colleges	Total Tuition Fee	Eligibility/Exams
NIFT Bangalore Admission	INR 74,340 - INR 12.96 lakh	NIFT Entrance Exam and Merit-Based
NIFT Delhi Admission	INR 94,400 – INR 12.96 lakh	NIFT Entrance Exam and Merit-Based
NIFT Mumbai Admission	INR 47,200 – INR 12.96 lakh	NIFT Entrance Exam and Merit-Based
NIFT Chennai Admission	INR 5.86 lakh - INR 12.34 lakh	NIFT Entrance Exam and Merit-Based
NIFT Hyderabad Admission	INR 6.07 lakh - INR 12.96 lakh	NID Entrance Exam

Source: Official site and may vary.

Best Semi Government Design Institutes in India

Top semi government and government-affiliated design colleges in India with strong placements, and lower fees than private colleges. These top-ranked, government-funded institutes focus on specialised, high-quality, and research-driven design curricula. Given below are the top semi government colleges with tuition fees -

Semi-Govt. Colleges	Total Tuition Fee
Carmel College, Mala Admission	INR 36,000
St. Aloysius College Admission	INR 36,000
Arya Post Graduate College Admission	INR 23,890

Source: Official site and may vary.

Best Design Colleges in India Offering B Des Programme

Top 10 BDes colleges in India offering BDes programs include top institutes like Amity University Noida, NIFT Delhi, Amity University Mumbai, NIFT Bangalore, etc. These colleges provide specialisation in fields like Fashion, Communication, Product, and User Experience (UX) Design. Check the table below for the top colleges with tuition fees -

Top Colleges	Tuition Fee
Amity University Noida BDes	INR 7.92 lakh - INR 8.8 lakh
NIFT Delhi BDes	INR 12.34 lakh
Amity University Mumbai BDes	INR 4.88 lakh - INR 11.68 lakh
NIFT Bangalore BDes	INR 5.63 lakh - INR 12.34 lakh
NIFT Mumbai BDes	INR 5.63 lakh - INR 12.34 lakh
UID Karnavati University BDes	INR 24 lakh - INR 40 lakh

Source: Official site and may vary.

Location-Wise Best Design Colleges in India

Design colleges are spread all over India in major cities. You can enrol in government or private Design colleges in India. Given below is the region-wise distribution of the top Design schools in India:

Best Design Colleges in Delhi/NCR

Candidates can see the table below for the top Design colleges in Delhi NCR with their tuition fees and eligibility -

College Names	Tuition Fee	Eligibility/Exams
Amity School of Fashion Technology Courses	INR 2.88 lakh - INR 11.84 lakh	Merit-Based
Amity University Noida Courses	INR 2.9 lakh - INR 12.54 lakh	CUET and Merit-Based
DTU Courses	INR 2.88 lakh	UCEED, CEED
IIAD Entrance Exam Courses	INR 9.66 lakh - INR 21.08 lakh	IIAD Entrance Exam and Merit-Based
NIFT Delhi Courses	INR 70,800 - INR 12.34 lakh	NIFT Entrance Exam and Merit-Based
Pearl Academy Courses	INR 1.4 lakh - INR 3.2 lakh	Pearl Academy Entrance Exam, DAT
United World Institute of Design, GD Goenka University Courses	INR 24 lakh - INR 40 lakh	UID Design Aptitude Test

Source: Official site and may vary.

Best Design Colleges in Mumbai

Candidates can see the table below for the top Design colleges in Mumbai with their tuition fees and eligibility -

College Names	Tuition Fee	Eligibility/Exams
Amity University Mumbai	INR 1.68 lakh  -  INR 10.56 lakh	CUET and Merit-Based
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj University	INR 80,000 - INR 3.8 lakh	Merit-Based
IDC-IIT Bombay	INR 70,000 - INR 11.56 lakh	UCEED, CEED
IIAD-IIT Bombay	INR 1 lakh - INR 11.56 lakh	UCEED, CEED
NIFT Mumbai	INR 1.3 lakh - INR 11.74 lakh	NIFT Entrance Exam and Merit-Based
NMIMS School of Design, NMIMS	INR 17.8 lakh	UCEED, NMIMS DAT and Merit-Based
Pearl Academy Mumbai	INR 2.2 lakh - INR 21.52 lakh	Pearl Academy Exam and Merit-Based

Source: Official site and may vary.

Best Design Institutes in Bangalore

Candidates can see the table below for the top Design colleges in Bangalore with their tuition fees and eligibility -

College Names	Tuition Fee	Eligibility/Exams
NID Bengaluru	INR 9.97 lakh	NID Entrance Exam
NIFT Bangalore	INR 60,000 - INR 12.34 lakh	NIFT Entrance Exam and Merit-Based
Srishti Manipal Insitute of Art, Design and Technology	INR 1,35 lakh - INR 5.61 lakh	UCEED, SAT India and SMEAT
Vogue Institute of Art and Design	INR 1.36 lakh - INR 6 lakh	Merit-Based
RV University	INR 6 lakh - INR 15 lakh	UCEED

Source: Official site and may vary.

Best Design Colleges in Pune

Candidates can see the table below for the top Design colleges in Pune with their tuition fees and eligibility -

College Names	Tuition Fee	Eligibility/Exams
MIT-ADT University	INR 4.9 lakh - INR 12.65 lakh	MITID DAT
SID Pune	INR 17.6 lakh	SEED and Merit-Based
MIT-WPU Pune	INR 8 lakh - IR 14 lakh	NIFT Entrance Exam and Merit-Based
School of Design, MIT WPU	INR 14 lakh	NIFT Entrance Exam and Merit-Based
International School of Design	INR 62,000 - INR 5.85 lakh	Merit-Based

Source: Official site and may vary.

Highest Salary Offered by Best Design Colleges in India

Enrolling into the top Designing colleges in India can be worthwhile for you. To check the worth, candidates must check the ROI of each college by comparing tuition fees and eligibility criteria. Candidates can see some of the colleges in the table below -

College Names	Total Tuition Fee	Annual Average Package
NIFT Kannur Placement	INR 6.16 lakh - INR12.96 lakh	INR 4.11 LPA - INR 6.1 LPA
Amity University Mumbai Placement	INR 1.89 lakh - INR 11.68 lakh	INR 6.2 LPA - INR 7.2 LPA
PSG College of Arts and Science Placement	INR 1.4 lakh - INR 2.7 lakh	INR 3.5 LPA - INR 4 LPA
Indian Institute of Fashion Technology Placement	INR 75,000 - INR 6.9 lakh	INR 2.1 LPA - INR 3.5 LPA
Bon Secours College For Women Placement	INR 43,000 - INR 44,000	INR 2.76 LPA

Source: Official site and may vary.

Best Low-Cost Designing Colleges in India

Not everyone can afford a college with high fees and expenses. Candidates can check the table below for the top affordable Designing colleges in India with tuition fees of less than INR 1 lakh -

Affordable Design Colleges in India	Tuition Fee
NIFT Delhi Fees	INR 94,400
NIFT Bangalore Fees	INR 74,340 - INR 97,350
NIFT Mumbai Fees	INR 47,200 - INR 88,500
NIFT Kolkata Fees	INR 18,800 - INR 75,150
NIFT Patna Fees	INR 25,600 - INR 90,200

Source: Official site and may vary.

Top Specialisations for Best Designing Colleges in India

Fashion Design, Graphic Design and Apparel design are some of the top specialisations offered by the best Designing colleges in India. Candidates can check the table below for the top specialisations offered by top colleges -

Source: Official site and may vary.

Best Design Colleges in India: Comparison

Below is a comparison of the best Design colleges in India with other colleges -

• NIFT Mumbai Comparison with other Colleges
• NID Ahmedabad Comparison with other Colleges
• Symbiosis Institute of Design Comparison with other Colleges
• JD Institute of Fashion Technology Comparison with other Colleges

Tasbiya Khan02-17-2026 10:32