Top 10 Design Colleges in India 2025: Ranking, Courses, Fees, Admission, Placements
Call 8585951111Got Doubts?
Some of the popular Design colleges in India include NIFT, Amity University, Pearl Academy, Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design And Technology, World University of Design, and MIT Institute of Design. As far as rankings are concerned, the NIFTs continue to dominate. For instance, in the India Today rankings, eight of the top ten positions are occupied by NIFTs.
Design is a diverse field that covers numerous elements including Fashion, Textile, Graphics, Apparel, Web, Games, UI/UX, Jewellery, and so on. With the rising popularity and introduction of new concepts related to aesthetics, the yearly turnover of the Design industry has surpassed every other sector.
- Top 10 Design Colleges in India
- Top Fashion Design Colleges in India 2024 - India Today Rankings
- Best Designing Colleges in India: Eligibility Criteria 2025
- Top Design Colleges in India: Exam Schedule 2025
- Best Private Design Colleges in India
- Best Govt. Design Colleges in India
- Best Designing Institutes in India: Courses, Fees, Eligibility
- Top Design Career Options After Graduation
- Design Career Scope: Top Recruiters in India
Top 10 Design Colleges in India
Here is a list of top 10 Design colleges in India along with their details of admission, tuition fees, courses, placements, etc.
- National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Delhi:
The National Institute of Fashion Technology in Delhi is ranked 1 for Fashion Design by The Week 2023 and Business Today 2023. NIFT Delhi courses include BDes, BFTech (Bachelor of Fashion Technology), MDes, and MFM (Master of Fashion Management), among others. NIFT Delhi fees range from INR 64,900 to INR 12.34 lakh. Many top recruiters such as Myntra, Nike, Aditya Birla Group, Fab India, and others, participate in the NIFT Delhi placements.
- National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Bangalore:
The NIFT Bangalore has been ranked 2 for Fashion Design by The Week 2020 and India Today 2020 rankings. NIFT offers BDes, MFM, MFT and MDes in various specialisations. The total tuition fee for all the courses offered here ranges between INR 60,000 - INR 1,234,000.
- National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Mumbai:
NIFT Mumbai College is ranked 2 and 3 by India Today 2023 and The Week 2023, respectively under the Fashion Design category. NIFT Mumbai offers UG, PG, Continuing Education programme, and diploma courses to students. These courses are provided across the Fashion and Apparel streams. NIFT Mumbai is famous for its flagship courses such as BDes and MDes. Admission to NIFT Mumbai is through the NIFT Entrance Exam. Some of the top recruiters that have visited the NIFT Mumbai campus for placements include Bata India Limited, H&M and Monte Carlo, among others.
- National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Chennai:
The National Institute of Fashion Technology Chennai offers UG, PG, and diploma courses to students across Design, Management, Technology, and other streams. NIFT College Chennai is ranked 2nd by The Week 2024 for Fashion Design. The total tuition fee charged for the various courses ranges between INR 59,000 - INR 1,234,000. NIFT Chennai famous for its flagship courses such as B.Des, MFM, B.FTech, and many others.
- National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad:
This Institute of Design in Ahmedabad is declared as an Institution of National Importance by the Act of Parliament. National Institute of Design Paldi Ahmedabad is known for its MDes and BDes courses.
- Pearl Academy, New Delhi:
Pearl Academy Rajouri Garden is one of the top Fashion institutes in India. Pearl Academy of Fashion Delhi offers UG, PG, and other courses to students. These courses are provided across the Fashion Design, Interior Design, and various other streams. Pearl Academy Delhi provides BDes and MDes as flagship courses.
- World University of Design:
With a total of 39 courses offered at WUD, the college offers education in the field of Arts ( Fine / Visual / Performing ), Design, and Business & Management Studies, among other streams to the students. WUD provides undergraduate, postgraduate, and diploma programmes. The courses include B.Des, M.Des, and many others.
- Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology:
Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design And Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education offers UG and PG courses, including B.Des, B.Voc, BFA, M.Des, M.Plan, MFA and PG Diploma.
- MIT Institute of Design, MIT-ADT University:
MIT Institute of Design (MITID) is a private institution which is a part of MIT ADT University. The institute offer various courses include B.Des, M.Des, and many othes.
- Symbiosis Institute of Design (SID), Pune:
SID offers high-quality design education with a focus on creative and practical learning in fields such as product design, graphic design, and animation. Symbiosis Design is ranked as the second-best Private Fashion Design College by the India Today & Outlook I-Care Rankings for 2022. The institute offer various courses like B.Des and M.Des.
Commonly asked questions
Candidates will be able to check the cutoff for NIFT Delhi on the website of NIFT: nift.admissions.nic.in. The opening and closing rank of all the programmes is given on this page. This year, NIFT 2026 cutoff is expected to be on the lower side.
The cut-off of NIFT for the various academic courses is not fixed. This is because the cut-off depends on variables like seat intake, the performance of applicants in the NIFT exam, total number of applications received for admission, etc. Now these variables may change from year to year. For instance, the number of candidates appearing in NIFT and qualifying the exam may be different across the years. And when that happens, the cut-off also changes. Typically, if the seat intake increases, the cut-off goes down and vice versa. Likewise, if the number of applicants increases, expect a higher cut-off.
The NIFTs currently offers the following specializations at the B.Des level - Fashion Design,
Leather Design, Accessory Design, Textile Design, Knitwear Design, and Fashion Communication.
Admission to the above courses will be on the basis of NIFT 2025 scores. Currently, there are 18 participating institutes that offer a combined intake of 5,289 seats (including domestic and NRI/Foreign national seats). Note that NRI/Foreign national don’t need to appear in the NIFT entrance exam.
The program-wise total seat intake for the B.Des programme is given below:
Program | Seat Intake |
Fashion Design | 742 |
Leather Design | 172 |
Accessory Design | 654 |
Textile Design | 743 |
Knitwear Design | 346 |
Fashion Communication | 742 |
Total | 3,399 |
Top Fashion Design Colleges in India 2024 - India Today Rankings
| Name of the Institute |
India Today 2022 Ranking |
India Today 2023 Ranking |
India Today 2024 Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
1 |
1 |
|
| 2 |
2 |
2 |
|
| 3 |
3 |
3 |
|
| 4 |
4 |
5 |
|
| 5 |
6 |
6 |
|
| 6 |
7 |
8 |
|
| 7 |
5 |
4 |
|
| 8 |
8 |
7 |
|
| 9 |
9 |
9 |
|
| 10 |
11 |
12 |
Disclaimer: This information is official website of ranking body listed and may vary.
Best Designing Colleges in India: Eligibility Criteria 2025
Here’s a general overview of the minimum eligibility requirements every candidate must fulfil to get admission to a Design course in India’s colleges:
| Course Level |
Eligibility Criteria |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate/UG Diploma |
|
| Postgraduate/PG Diploma/PGDM |
|
| Doctorate |
|
| After 10th Diploma/Certification |
|
Note: The Design courses eligibility criteria mentioned above may vary depending on the college policies.
Links useful for Design Courses:
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 B.Des programme will be released separately.
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 expected cutoff for NIFT 2026 for B.Des is:
| Category | Expected Cutoff for B.Des |
|---|---|
| Open | 30-80 |
| EWS | 26-29 |
| OBC | 26-29 |
| SC | 22 |
| ST | 19 |
Shift | NIFTEE Stage 1 2026 Exam | Registered (expected) | Appeared (expected) |
|---|---|---|---|
Shift 1 | General Ability Test (GAT) | 18000+ | 17000+ |
Shift 2 | Creative Ability Test (CAT) | 16000+ | 15000+ |
Total |
| 34000+ | 32000+ |
NIFT cutoff for a participating NIFT is the last rank for which admission is offered in for a particular programme and category. This means, if a candidate fails to score a rank equal to or higher than the cutoff rank, they don't get admission. Typically, a higher ranked institute will invite: More applications Higher-ranked candidates This in turn pushes up the cutoff in higher ranked (or popular) institutes. Likewise, a lower-ranked institute will receive comparatively fewer number of applications, and mostly from lower-ranked candidates. This means, cut-off in these institutes are lower making it much easier to get admission.
Explore popular B.A. colleges for you
Want better recommendations?
There is a 90% more chance of getting best college recommendations by sharing preferences.
- Chat with our counselor
- Get your personalised list of colleges & exams matching your preferences
Top Design Colleges in India: Exam Schedule 2025
Given below are Popular Design entrance exams through which candidates can get admission to Design courses along with their schedule:
| Entrance Exams |
Exam Dates |
Exam Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| NIFT Entrance Exam |
over for 2025 |
|
| UCEED |
over for 2025 |
|
| CUET |
over for 2025 |
|
| CUET-PG |
over for 2025 |
|
| GATE |
over for 2025 |
Note: The Design entrance exam dates and schedules mentioned above may vary depending on the latest updates.
Best Private Design Colleges in India
The table below shows the top private Design colleges in India along with their tuition fees and their accepted entrance exams:
| Private Colleges |
Tuition Fee |
Entrance Exams |
|---|---|---|
| INR 2 lakh – INR 30 lakh |
Pearl Academy Entrance Exam, MAT, XAT, etc. |
|
| INR 2 lakh – INR 11 lakh |
CUET |
|
| INR 1 lakh – INR 16 lakh |
NIFT Entrance Exam, NID Entrance Exam, UCEED, etc. |
|
| INR 35,000 – INR 5 lakh |
JDIFT GAT |
|
| INR 3 lakh – INR 17 lakh |
CUET |
|
| INR 17 lakh |
NIFT Entrance Exam, NID Entrance Exam, UCEED, etc. |
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website/counseling body and may vary.
Commonly asked questions
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.
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.
The expected cutoff for NIFT M.Des is given below:
| Category | Expected Cutoff M.Des |
|---|---|
| Open | 26-70 |
| EWS | 22 |
| OBC | 22 |
| SC | 16 |
| ST | 16-18 |
The fee structure for the design courses offered by the NIFTs is published in the information brochure. The NIFT fee structure includes components like tuition fees, library fees, exam fees, mediclaim, etc. Additional, the fee may also be divided into refundable and non-refundable types.
We can have a look at 2025 fee structure and understand the NIFT fee structure (Regular):
Academic Fee Semester Wise For Non-NRI Category (In INR) | ||||||||
| 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | ||||
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 | Semester 3 | Semester 4 | Semester 5 | Semester 6 | Semester 7 | Semester 8 |
Tuition Fee (Non-Refundable) | 143000 | 143000 | 150000 | 150000 | 158000 | 158000 | 166000 | 166000 |
Library Fee (Non-Refundable Per Year Payment) | 9500 | 0 | 10000 | 0 | 10500 | 0 | 11000 | 0 |
Mediclaim & Student Development Fee (Non-Refundable Per Year Payment) | 4700 | 0 | 4900 | 0 | 5100 | 0 | 5400 | 0 |
Exam Fee (Per Year) | 4700 | 0 | 4900 | 0 | 5100 | 0 | 5400 | 0 |
Total | 161900 | 143000 | 169800 | 150000 | 178700 | 158000 | 187800 | 166000 |
One Time Payments | ||||||||
Security Deposit (Refundable) | 12000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Alumni Association Membership Fee (Non-Refundable) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5900 | 0 |
Registration Fee (One Time) | 9300 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 21300 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5600 | 0 |
Total | 183200 | 143000 | 169800 | 150000 | 178700 | 158000 | 193700 | 166000 |
Best Govt. Design Colleges in India
The table below shows the top government Design colleges in India along with their tuition fees and their accepted entrance exams:
| Public/Govt. Colleges |
Total Tuition fee |
Eligibility/Exams |
|---|---|---|
| INR 10.68 lakh – INR 14.68 lakh |
DAT |
|
| INR 70,800 – INR 12.34 lakh |
NIFT Entrance Exam and Merit-Based |
|
| INR 1.3 lakh – INR 11.74 lakh |
NIFT Entrance Exam and Merit-Based |
|
| INR 9.97 lakh |
DAT |
|
| INR 9.97 lakh |
NID Entrance Exam |
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website/counseling body and may vary.
Best Designing Institutes in India: Courses, Fees, Eligibility
Please refer to the table below for some of the top Design schools in India with their courses offered and tuition fees:
| 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. |
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website/counseling body and may vary.
Top Design Career Options After Graduation
See table below:
| Job Profiles | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Graphic Designers | INR 3.9 LPA |
| User Experience (UX) Designers | INR 11.9 LPA |
| User Interface (UI) Designers | INR 6.1 LPA |
| Photographers | INR 3.8 LPA |
| Interior Designers | INR 4.2 LPA |
| Art Directors | INR 9.3 LPA |
| Advertising and Promotions Managers | INR 8.3 LPA |
| Fashion Designers | INR 4.3 LPA |
| Textile Designers | INR 5.1 LPA |
| Animation Designers | INR 4.2 LPA |
Note: The salary information is sourced from Ambitionbox.com.
Recommended Links for Design Career Scope:
Explore more Design exams with upcoming dates
1 Sep '25 - 22 May '26
22 May '26
22 May '26
19 May '26 - 27 May '26
30 May '26
1 Nov '25 - 31 May '26
8 Sep '25 - 4 Jun '26
1 Jun '26 - 8 Jun '26
Design Career Scope: Top Recruiters in India
For businesses to hire people for senior positions, these recruiters provide job offers to recent graduates. The companies that recruit the most designers every year are:
| Design Top Recruiters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Arvind Garments | ITC Ltd | Myntra |
| Nykaa | Ubisoft | EA Sports |
| Vir Mueller Architects | Wallmakers | Talati and Partners |
| Art-n-Glass Inc. | Satyam Gartex | Monkey Business |
| Microsoft | IBM | |
| Lifestyle | Swarovski | Raymond Apparel Ltd. |
Note: The information is from external sites and may vary.
Click here to learn every detail related to the NIFT Entrance Exam:
Tasbiya Khan is a content writer with 3+ years of experience in content writing in education department. At Shiksha.com, her job is helping students nationa-wide choosing the right colleges and courses based on thei
Read Full Bio