Good Design Colleges Besides NID & NIFT: Admission 2026, Courses & More Updates
We all certainly want the best for ourselves in whatever we aim for...and why not? If we have it in us and work hard enough, we deserve it! However, the fact of the matter is that even though we desire and deserve to secure admissions at a good college, sometimes we may not be able to achieve it because there is a third ‘D’ that plays an equally important role, if not bigger, in shaping our lives – Destiny! Indeed, sometimes certain things may just not be destined for us. A major reason why it is so difficult to get admission to the NIDs and NIFTs is that they have very limited seats, especially if we are speaking of the top institutes like NIFT Delhi and NIFT Ahmedabad. So, it is not a bad idea to look beyond the NIFTs and NIDs. After all, many private colleges have come up in recent years that offer good education.
About NID DAT and NIFT
The National Testing Agency (NTA) is expected to conduct the NIFT 2026 exam in the second week of February 2026. The exam included the CAT and GAT written exams. Candidates applying for the B.Des course and the M.Des course need to take both the CAT and GAT, whereas B.F.Tech, M.F.Tech, and M.F.M. candidates need to take only the GAT. Meanwhile, the National Institute of Design (NID) is expected to conduct the NID DAT 2026 (Prelims) exam in the first week of January 2026.
Let us thoughtfully plan our course of action if you are not selected for admission to NID or NIFT. Some equally good design colleges of repute in the industry are as follows:
Explore colleges based on NIFT Entrance Exam
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
- Footwear Design Development Institute (FDDI)
- Northern India Institute of Fashion Technology (NIIFT)
- Indian Institute of Craft Design (IICD)
- Pearl Academy
- MIT Institute of Design (MITID)
- Symbiosis Institute of Design (SID)
- JD Institute of Fashion Technology
- School Of Fashion Technology (SOFT)
Design Admission 2026 for Top Entrance Exams
The entrance exam for Design in top design colleges are:
| Institute |
Location |
Programmes |
Forms Expected |
Exam date |
| National Institute Of Design (NID) |
Ahmedabad (UG) Gandhinagar(PG) Bangalore (PG)
|
BDes MDes |
September 12, 2025 |
DAT Prelims - December 21, 2025
|
| National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) |
Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata Hydrabad, Gandhinagar Bangalore, Raibareli, Patna, Bhopal, Shilong, Kannur, Kangra, Bhubaneswar & Jodhpur
|
Bachelor’s in Design/ technology Master’s in design/technology & management |
Opening soon |
Second week of February 2026
|
| Pearl Academy Of Fashion (PAF) |
Delhi, Noida, Jaipur, Mumbai
List of colleges accepting Pearl Academy Entrance Exam scores |
M.A In FD PGD In Am/ FRM B.A. In FDT/CD/FMPM/TDM UGD In FRMM/ APP/FDT/ FD
|
Opening soon | Third week of June 2026 |
| Footwear Design Development Institute (FDDI) |
Noida, Raibareli, Chennai, Kolkata, Jodhpur, Rohtak , Chindwara , Guna
|
Masters in FTM/ RM, CAD/ CAM Bachelors in DFT, LGAD, FD/ RM
|
Opening soon |
Second week of May 2026 |
| Northern India Institute of Fashion Technology (NIIFT)
|
Mohali, Ludhiana, Jalandhar |
Master’s in FRM/G.M.T/ KDT/TD |
Open |
First week of June |
| MIT Institute of Design (MITID) |
Pune |
Product Design, Communication , Industry & Furniture, Design, Retail,
|
Open
|
Second-third week of May 2026 |
| Symbiosis Institute of Design (SID)
|
Pune |
Bachelor’s in Design in CD/PD/FC/FD |
August 01, 2025 |
January 11, 2026 |
| JD Institute of Fashion Technology |
Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Guwahati |
Fashion Design, Interior Design, Fashion Communication, Fashion Business Management |
Open |
- |
| School of Fashion Technology (SOFT) |
Pune |
Master’s in FDAT/APMM Bachelor’s in FAD
|
Open |
- |
All the above-mentioned colleges follow an entrance process similar to that of NIFT. Therefore, if you have prepared for NIFT and NID, you will be well-equipped to attempt these entrance exams with continued practice. I would also like to emphasize that, regardless of the NIFT/NID written results, you should begin preparing for the second stages, such as the Situation Test and Personal Interview, as these skills are essential for other entrance processes as well.
About the Author:
Shipra Anand is the Founder Director of Academy for Fashion Careers in Lucknow
Explore more Design exams with upcoming dates
1 Aug '25 - 30 Nov '25
11 Sep '25 - 1 Dec '25
1 Sep '25 - 7 Dec '25
1 Nov '25 - 19 Dec '25
1 Jan '26
2 Jan '26
22 Nov '25 - 6 Jan '26
8 Sep '25 - 13 Jan '26
17 Oct '25 - 28 Feb '26
1 Sep '25 - 15 Jan '26
Comments
(1)
n
7 years ago
If you are seeking admission to the B.Des program, you can opt for SEED and NIFT. NIFT is the most important national level entrance exam in the country for design. NIFTs are ranked among the top design colleges in the country. So, NIFT should be your first preference. Keep SEED as a backup option.