Design Colleges in India - Courses, Fees, Admissions

There are nearly 1,900 Design colleges in India. Out of these, over 1,000 are private, about 250 are public/government and 114 are public/private.

Design Colleges in India Highlights

Design is one of the most popular courses in India. Design is a career stream that can be pursued by candidates at undergraduate (UG), postgraduate (PG) or doctorate (PhD) level to become designers. It offers vast streams and several opportunities to the students from different backgrounds based on their skills and talent. The duration of Design programmes varies depending on the course pursued. The duration of UG-level degree Design programmes usually ranges from three to four years. On the other hand, the duration of PG-level degree programmes is usually two years.   

Some of the top Design entrance exams in India that are accepted by most of the colleges include National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance Exam (NIFT Entrance Exam), National Institute of Design Entrance Exam (NID Entrance Exam), Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design (UCEED) and Common Entrance Examination for Design (CEED). Popular cities in which maximum number of Design colleges are located include Delhi/NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Pune.

Design Courses and Colleges in India: Eligibility Criteria

Many Design colleges in India offer design courses at different levels. The candidates must fulfil the following eligibility criteria for admission to Design colleges in India:

UG Level

• Candidates must have completed Class 12 from a recognised board
• Candidates from any stream, that is, Science, Commerce and Arts, can apply for the course

PG Level

• Candidates should have completed graduation from a recognised college/university
• Most colleges prefer graduates with a Bachelor’s degree in Design stream only. However, candidates from other streams are also eligible to apply for the course based on the required skill-set and aptitude.

Note: The eligibility criteria might vary depending on the course and college opted by the candidate.

PhD Level

• Candidates should have completed their Master’s degree in Design or any equivalent degree with maximum 50 per cent aggregate from a recognised college

Note: The percentage of marks might vary from one college to another.

Top Design Colleges in India with Shiksha Rating

Shiksha rating is given to colleges based on student reviews. Here, students review the colleges based on five parameters including infrastructure, placements, curriculum, faculty & course, crowd & campus life and value for money.

Given below is the list of top 10 Design colleges in India basis Shiksha Rating (aggregate):

List of Top Private and Government Design Colleges in India

List of Top Government Design Colleges in India

List of Top Private Design Colleges in India

Location-Wise Design Colleges in India

There are various Design colleges in India with the maximum number in Delhi/NCR. Check out the infographic below for complete details on the top cities for Design colleges:

ROI of Top Design Colleges in India

ROI or Return on Investment is a metric that can be used to know how beneficial it is to pursue a particular course from a college in terms of the fee invested and the placement package got in return. As evident in the table below IIT Bombay followed by IIT Guwahati and NIFT Kolkata are the best colleges (ROI-wise) to pursue Design courses.

College Name	Average Annual Fee (in Rs)	Average Placement Package (in Rs)
IIT Bombay	1.67 L - 8.33 L	27.88 - 50.94 LPA
IIT Guwahati	55.15 K - 8.63 L	8.75 - 15 LPA
NIFT Kolkata	23.6 K - 11.09 L	5.7 LPA
NIFT Delhi	80 K - 11.09 L	5.5 LPA
NIFT Patna	5.03 L - 11.09 L	3.5 - 4.5 LPA
NIFT Gandhinagar	94.4 K - 11.09 L	3.96 LPA
Pearl Academy, Delhi	1 L - 26.75 L	3.5  - 4 LPA
Symbiosis Institute of Design (SID), Pune	16.2 L	4 - 6 LPA
Pearl Academy, Mumbai	4.53 L - 30.54 L	8 - 10 LPA

Note: Above statistics are based on the latest available data.

Top Recruiters for Design Graduates

The average salary package that a Design course graduate from a top college gets is Rs 5-10 lakh per annum. Check out the table below for insights on college-wise top recruiters for Design graduates along with their placement ratings on Shiksha.

Colleges	Placement Ratings (Based on Reviews)	Top Recruiters
IIT Bombay	4.6	Microsoft, Samsung, Google, Amazon
IIT Guwahati	4.2	Microsoft, DE Shaw, Sprinklr, Nutanix, AppDynamics, Myntra, Samsung and Flipkart
NIFT Kolkata	4.4	Adidas, Globus, Proline, Wills Lifestyle, Nike, GAP, Tommy Hilfiger, Raymond, Park Avenue
NIFT Delhi	3.8	Amore Magazine, H&M, Monte Carlo, Future Group,  Chitrakosh, Fabric Monde
NIFT Patna	3.7	Mura Fabrics, Tanishq, Indian Terrian, Triburg, Impulse, Pantaloon

How Affordable is Studying Design in India?

Refer the infographic below for detailed overview on the segregation of Design colleges in India basis fee:

As evident in the infographic above, majority of the Design colleges in India (35 per cent) are affordable with a fee structure of less than Rs 1 lakh. Check out some such colleges below:

• NIFT Delhi
• NIFT Gandhinagar
• NIFT Kolkata
• Parul University
• Arch College of Design & Business

About 20 per cent Design colleges in India have a fee structure of Rs 1-2 lakh. Check out some such colleges below:

• IIT Bombay
• IIT Delhi
• IDeA Worldwide
• JD Institute of Fashion Technology
• International Institute of Fashion Design

About 18 per cent Design colleges in India are expensive with a fee structure of over Rs 5 lakh. Check out some such colleges below:

• NIFT Delhi
• NIFT Chennai
• NIFT Patna
• NIFT Bengaluru
• CEPT University

Design Specialisations offered in India

Design colleges in India offer different specialisations at both UG and PG level. Some of the most popular Design specialisations in India include Fashion Design, Apparel Design, Graphic Design, Textile Design, Game Design, Web Design, Jewellery Design and UI/UX Design. Refer the infographic below for complete details.

Which are the most popular Design Exams accepted by colleges in India?

The most popular entrance exams for studying Design courses in India include NIFT Entrance Exam, NID Entrance Exam, UCEED and CEED. Through these exams, you can secure admission in different Design courses offered in varied specialisations.

Apart from these, Pearl Academy Entrance Exam, WLCI Aptitude Test, SEED and MITID DAT are few other popular Design entrance exams in India. Refer the infographic below for detailed overview.

Top Design Colleges in India: Cutoff

Different Design colleges in India consider scores of different exams and often release their own cutoff. Check cutoff for few top Design colleges in India below.

College Cutoff	College Cutoff
NIFT Kolkata	NIFT Delhi
NIFT Patna	NIFT Gandhinagar