Top Design Colleges in India 2024

Top 10 Design Colleges in India 

Following is the list of the top 10 design colleges in India:

Specialisation-wise Design Colleges in India 

Top design colleges in India offer design courses in various specialisations such as textile design, fashion design, interior design, product design, graphic design, etc. Students can choose from the multiple specialisations based on career opportunities and placement packages. Below mentioned are some of the top specialisations from design colleges in India:

Top Fashion Design Colleges in India 

Fashion Design is one of the most popular and lucrative specialisations among students due to the increasing technology and growth of the fashion industry. Students can work in top MNCs, retail industry, or independent design houses as fashion designers. Listed below are some of the top colleges for fashion designing in India:

• National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi
• National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bengaluru
• Pearl Academy, Delhi
• National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad

Top Graphic Design Colleges in India 

Graphic design is a visual form of communication that uses words, images, videos, animation to create brochures and displays. Graphic designers are high in demand to work in advertising agencies, design studios, and design firms. Below mentioned are some of the top graphic designing colleges in India:

• Industrial Design Centre (IDC), IIT Bombay
• National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad

Entrance Exams for Top Design Colleges in India

The leading design colleges in India accept various entrance exams for admissions to their undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Below is an overview of the most popular exams:

1. CUET (Common University Entrance Test)
   Conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), CUET is a national-level entrance exam introduced in 2022. It provides a unified platform for candidates seeking admission to undergraduate programs across top colleges and universities in India.

2. UCEED (Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design)
   Organized by IIT Bombay, UCEED is a national-level exam for admission to Bachelor of Design (BDes) programs at participating institutes. It assesses design aptitude and creativity.

3. CEED (Common Entrance Exam for Design)
   Also conducted by IIT Bombay, CEED is a national-level exam for admission to Master of Design (M.Des) and Ph.D. programs at participating institutes. It evaluates a candidate's design thinking and analytical skills.

4. NIFT Entrance Exam
   Held annually by the National Institute of Fashion Technology, this exam selects candidates for various UG and PG programs such as BDes, B.F.Tech, MDes, and MFM. It assesses creative and managerial abilities relevant to the fashion and design industry.

5. NID Entrance Exam (Design Aptitude Test)
   Conducted by the National Institute of Design, this two-stage national-level exam evaluates candidates for Bachelor of Design (BDes) and Master of Design (MDes) courses.

   • DAT Prelims: Shortlists candidates for the next stage.
   • DAT Mains: A more comprehensive evaluation based on the Prelims scores.

6. IIAD Entrance Exam (Indian Institute of Art and Design)
   This exam involves a written test followed by a studio simulation for UG candidates or a personal interview for PG candidates. It can be taken offline or remotely via a computer-based platform.

   Exam Schedule for 2025

   Exam Name	Dates	Exam Schedule
   CUET	May '25 - Jun '25	CUET Schedule
   UCEED	19 Jan '25	UCEED Schedule
   CEED	19 Jan '25	CEED Schedule
   NIFT Entrance Exam	Feb '25	NIFT Exam Schedule
   NID Entrance Exam	05 Jan '25	NID Exam Schedule
   IIAD Entrance Exam	Jan '25	IIAD Exam Schedule

   These exams are crucial for aspiring design students, offering pathways to prestigious programs in India's top design institutes.

Best Designing Colleges in India: Entrance Exam Wise

Listed below are the top design colleges in India that accept the specified entrance exams for admission.

Best Designing Institutes in India: Courses, Fees, Eligibility

Top Fashion Design Colleges in India 

Fashion Design is one of the most popular and lucrative specialisations among students due to the increasing technology and growth of the fashion industry. Students can work in top MNCs, retail industry, or independent design houses as fashion designers. Listed below are some of the top colleges for fashion designing in India:

• National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi
• National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bengaluru
• Pearl Academy, Delhi
• National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad

  Fee Structure for Top Design Colleges in India 

  Design colleges in India offer undergraduate, post-graduate, diploma courses such as B.Des, M.Des, etc. The fee structure for these courses ranges from low to high, depending on the type of college and the amenities. Below listed is the fees in top private and public design colleges in India:

  B.Des Fees in Private Colleges

  Below mentioned is the B.Des fees in top private design colleges in India:

  College name	Fees
  Amity University, Noida	7,56,000
  Avantika University, Ujjain	8,90,000
  International Institute of Fashion Design, Pune	2,50,000
  School of Design, MIT WPU	11,00,000

  Best Government Design Colleges in India

  The government Design colleges in India along with their total tuition fee and eligibility criteria/entrance exams:

  College name	Total Tuition fee	Eligibility/Exams
  NIFT Mumbai Admission	INR 1.3 lakh – INR 11.74 lakh	NIFT Entrance Exam and Merit-Based
  NIFT Delhi Admission	INR 70,800 – INR 12.34 lakh	NIFT Entrance Exam and Merit-Based
  NID Gandhinagar Admission	INR 9.97 lakh	NID Entrance Exam
  NID Bengaluru Admission	INR 9.97 lakh	DAT
  NID Ahmedabad Admission	INR 10.68 lakh – INR 14.68 lakh	DAT

  Best Semi-Government Top Design Institutes in India

  Listed below are the public-private top 10 Designing colleges in India along with their total tuition fee and entrance exams/eligibility criteria:

  College Name	Total Tuition Fee	Eligibility/Exams
  INIFD Vashi Admission	INR 4.5 lakh	Merit-Based
  Carmel College, Mala Admission	INR 36,000	Merit-Based
  St. Aloysius College Admission	INR 36,000	Merit-Based
  Arya Post Graduate College Admission	INR 23,890	Merit-Based
  Hamidia Girls' Degree College	INR 30,000 - INR 40,000	Merit-Based

  B.Des Fees in Public Colleges

  Listed below is the B.Des fees in the top public design colleges in India:

  Name of Public Colleges	B.Des Fees Structure (Total Fees INR)
  National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Kolkata	7,00,000
  Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay	9,23,000
  Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad	8,00,000
  National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Chennai	9,00,000

  Best Design Colleges’ Placements 

  Graduates from top design colleges in India can secure excellent career and placement opportunities in leading companies and industries. These institutions provide a strong foundation in design principles, creative thinking, and industry-relevant skills, making their graduates highly sought after. According to PayScale, the average entry-level salary for designers in India ranges from ₹3 to ₹4 LPA. Below is a list of prominent recruiters associated with top design colleges, offering lucrative roles in various domains of design and creativity.

  Top Design Recruiters

  Listed below are some of the recruiters from the top design colleges in India:

  Name of the Colleges	Top Recruiters
  Arch College of Design and Business, Jaipur	Zara, Myntra, H&M, Lifestyle
  Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati	Microsoft, Myntra, Flipkart, Nutanix
  Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad	TCS, Snapdeal, Microsoft
  School of Design, MIT WPU, Pune	IBM, Ford Motors, Fujitsu, Amazon
  Symbiosis Institute of Design, Pune	Deloitte, Cognizant, Huawei, Microsoft, Mindtree, Whirlpool, BookMyShow