Best Design Colleges in India - Courses, Admissions, Fees 2023 Placements
Explore top design colleges, admission criteria, fees, courses, and more. Start your design journey today with us.
Design colleges in India are crucial in nurturing creative talent and preparing students for careers in various design fields. India has around 2127 of the top design colleges. Of these universities, 1,165 are privately held, 315 are owned by the government or the public sector, and public-private organizations own 121. One of the most popular courses in India is design. Candidates can pursue a profession in design at the undergraduate, graduate, or doctorate levels to become designers. Students from diverse backgrounds can choose from various opportunities and streams depending on their abilities and aptitudes.
Course Overview
Particulars |
Parameters/Statistics |
No. of Design colleges |
2127 |
Annual Fees |
INR < 1 lakh: 594 colleges INR 1-2 lakh: 304 colleges INR 2-3 lakh: 214 colleges INR 3-5 lakh: 243 colleges INR > 5 lakh: 258 colleges |
Top Specialisations |
Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Apparel Design, Textile Design, Web Design, Game Design, etc. |
Accepted Entrance Exams |
Entrance Based: IIAD Entrance Exam, CUET, UCEED, NIFT Entrance Exam, NID Entrance Exam, etc. |
IIAD 2024 is also the most popular exam accepted by Design colleges in India. The written test has a time limit of two hours and thirty minutes, and it will evaluate a candidate's abilities in communication and visual and inventive design, innovative and creative expression, observation, and drawing. Candidates must appear in a studio simulation (for UG candidates) or a personal interview (for PG candidates) round after taking the written portion of the IIAD entrance exam. Students have the choice of taking the IIAD Entrance Exam in computer-based offline mode or from home.
How can I take admissions to Best Design Colleges in India?
Several top design colleges in India offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in various design disciplines. The overall eligibility requirements for design programs in India are as follows, while the precise requirements may differ from college to college:
UG Level: To apply for the program, Candidates must have completed Class 12 from an accredited board from any stream, that is, Science, Arts, and Commerce.
PG Level: Applicants must have graduated from an accredited college or university. Most colleges select graduates with a Bachelor's degree in Design stream only. However, candidates from other streams may also be eligible for the course.
Which are the Popular Exams Accepted by Best Design Colleges in India?
NIFT Entrance Exam: Every year, the National Institute of Fashion and Technology (NIFT) holds a nationwide entrance exam to choose applicants for enrollment in its various UG and PG level programmes. Students can enroll in the B.Des, B.F.Tech, M.Des, and MFM programmes after passing the entrance test.
NID Entrance Exam: The NID Design Aptitude Test (DAT) is a national-level entrance test conducted by the National Institute of Design (NID) for admitting candidates to the Bachelor of Design (BDes) and Master of Design (MDes) courses offered by the participating institutes. The Design Aptitude Test comprises two steps:
- DAT Prelims - The candidate first appears in the Prelims exam.
- DAT Mains - The scores of DAT Prelims are used to shortlist candidates for DAT Mains.
Entrance Exams accepted by Best Design colleges in India
Exams |
Number of Colleges |
CUET |
67 |
UCEED |
60 |
NIFT Entrance Exam |
31 |
CEED |
31 |
Fee Structure of Design Colleges
Sr.No |
College Name |
Annual Fees |
1 |
IIT – Indian Institue of Technology (UCEED) |
₹ 1,60,000 |
2 |
IIT – Indian Institue of Technology (CEED) |
₹ 1,60,000 |
3 |
Chitkara University, Punjab |
₹ 1,60,000 |
4 |
SOFT – School of Fashion & Technology, Pune |
₹ 1,60,000 |
5 |
SGU – Sanjay Ghodawat University, Kolhapur |
₹ 1,82,500 |
6 |
Sandip University, Nashik |
₹ 2,00,000 |
7 |
Parul University, Vadodara |
₹ 2,75,000 |
8 |
GLS – Institute of Design, Ahmedabad |
₹ 2,94,000 |
9 |
NIFT – National Institute of Fashion Technology |
₹ 3,10,000 |
10 |
MITAOE – School of Design, Alandi – Pune |
₹ 3,50,000 |
11 |
NID – National Institue of Design |
₹ 3,74,000 |
12 |
Anant National University, Ahmedabad |
₹ 3,75,000 |
13 |
Avantika University, Ujjain |
₹ 3,90,000 |
14 |
ITM – Design Institute, Mumbai |
₹ 4,00,000 |
15 |
Symbiosis Institute of Design, Pune |
₹ 4,40,000 |
16 |
WWI – Whistling Woods International, Mumbai |
₹ 4,75,000 |
17 |
IIAD – Indian Institute of Art and Design, Delhi |
₹ 5,00,000 |
18 |
Ecole Intuit Lab – Mumbai |
₹ 5,00,000 |
19 |
TDV – The Design Village Delhi |
₹ 5,50,000 |
20 |
UID – UnitedWorld Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, Delhi NCR |
₹ 6,00,000 |
21 |
Pearl Academy, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Jaipur |
₹ 6,00,000 |
22 |
ISDI – Indian School of Design & Innovation, Mumbai |
₹ 6,07,000 |
Best Private Best Design Colleges in India
Private Colleges |
Total Tuition fee |
Symbiosis Institute of Design Admission |
INR 17.6 lakh |
Amity University Noida Admission |
INR 2.6 lakh – INR 8.4 lakh |
Pearl Academy, Rajouri Garden Admission |
INR 2.2 lakh – INR 21.8 lakh |
Parul University Admission |
INR 2 lakh – INR 9 lakh |
Amity School of Fashion Technology Admission |
INR 2 lakh – INR 11.8 lakh |
Best Government Design Colleges in India
Public Colleges |
Total Tuition fee/Seat Intake |
NIFT Mumbai Admission |
INR 5.6 lakh – INR 11.7 lakh |
NID Ahmedabad Admission |
INR 10.7 lakh – INR 14.7 lakh |
NIFT Delhi Admission |
INR 70,800 – INR 12.3 lakh |
NIFT Hyderabad Admission |
INR 5.9 lakh – INR 12.3 lakh |
Best Semi- Government Best Design Colleges in India
Public - Private Colleges |
Total Tuition fee/Seat Intake |
Carmel College, Mala |
INR 36,000 |
Arya Post Graduate College |
INR 24,000 |
St. Aloysius College |
INR 36,000 |
Jayoti Vidyapeeth Women's University |
INR 2 lakh |
What is the cost of studying in Design Colleges in India?
College Name |
Total Tuition Fee |
Annual Average Package |
Symbiosis Institute of Design |
INR 17.6 lakh |
INR 8.9 LPA |
Amity University Noida |
INR 2.6 lakh – INR 8.4 lakh |
INR 5.5 LPA |
MIT Institute of Design |
INR 2.8 lakh – INR 12.8 lakh |
INR 4.54 LPA – INR 5.15 LPA |
Chandigarh University |
INR 4.1 lakh – INR 6.9 lakh |
INR 2.7 LPA – INR 7.5 LPA |