Top Design Colleges in India 2026 - Ranking, Placements, Courses, Admission

Updated: Aug 20, 2025 16:25 IST

Design is a diverse field that integrates elements from various disciplines. It encompasses a wide range of specialisations, including fashion, interior design, graphic design, animation, advertising, product design, and more. Design colleges in India offer a variety of programs, such as bachelor's degrees, diplomas, master's degrees, short-term courses, and certificate courses. Admission requirements can differ depending on the program, but typically, a 10+2 qualification with a minimum of 50% is required. Applicants should carefully review the course details and college offerings, as some programs may include entrance exams or interviews.

The National Institute of Design (Ahmedabad), Indian Institute of Art and Design (New Delhi), Indian Institute of Fashion & Design (Chandigarh), National Institute of Fashion Technology (Navi Mumbai), Lovely Professional University (Phagwara), and Indian Institute of Technology Delhi are considered among the top design colleges in India. The following list provides detailed information that can assist candidates in their search for the right design college.

Top Design Colleges in India: Admissions 2025

Many design colleges in India offer undergraduate and postgraduate programs. The eligibility criteria can vary between colleges; however, here are the general requirements for admission to top design colleges in India.

For undergraduate programs, students from any stream (Science, Commerce, Arts) can apply after completing Class 12 from a recognised board.

For postgraduate programs, a graduation degree from a recognised college/university is required, preferably in Design, but other streams can also apply if they have the necessary skills and aptitude.

Top Design Colleges in India: Entrance Exam

Here are top design institutes in India that accept these entrance exams.

Exam Name	Popular Colleges
CUET	Amity University Noida, UPES, Amity University Mumbai, etc.
UCEED	UPES. FLAME University, IDC-IIT Bombay, etc.
CEED	NIFT Delhi, UPES, IDC-IIT Bombay, etc.
NIFT Entrance Exam	Northern India Institiyte of Fashion Technology Mohali and Career Design School

Top Design Colleges in India: Fees and Eligibility

Check the table below for the top design schools in India, along with their tuition fees and eligibility

College Names	Tuition Fee/ Eligibility
Amity University Noida	Fee: INR 2.88 lakh - INR 12.54 lakh CUET, Merit-Based, etc.
NID Ahmedabad	Fee: INR 11.43 lakh - INR 15.72 lakh Design Aptitude Test
NIFT Delhi	Fee: INR 70,800 - INR 12.34 lakh NIFT Entrance Exam, CEED, etc.
MIT-ADT University	Fee: INR 4.9 lakh - INR 12.65 lakh MITID DAT
NIFT Mumbai	Fee: INR 1.64 lakh - INR 12.34 lakh NIFT Entrance Exam, CEED, etc.

Top Private Design Colleges in India

Here are the top private design colleges in India, including their total tuition fees and admission criteria.

Private Colleges	Total Tuition Fee	Eligibility/Exams
Amity University Noida	INR 3 lakh – INR 17 lakh	CUET and Merit-Based
JD Birla Institute	INR 2 lakh - INR 4 lakh	Merit-based
Pearl Academy	INR 2 lakh - INR 30 lakh	Pearl Academy Entrance Exam and Merit-Based
Parul University	INR 25,000 - INR 13 lakh	PU DAT
Hindusthan College of Arts and Science	INR 80,000 - INR 2 lakh	Merit-based

Top Government Design Colleges in India

Here's the list of government design colleges in India, including their total tuition fees and admission criteria.

Public/Govt. Colleges	Total Tuition Fee	Eligibility/Exams
NIFT Bangalore	INR 60,000 - INR 12 lakh	NIFT Entrance Exam and Merit-Based
NIFT Delhi	INR 94,000 – INR 12 lakh	NIFT Entrance Exam and Merit-Based
NIFT Mumbai	INR 2 lakh – INR 12 lakh	NIFT Entrance Exam and Merit-Based
NIFT Chennai	INR 6 lakh - INR 12 lakh	NIFT Entrance Exam and Merit-Based
NIFT Hyderabad	INR 6 lakh - INR 12 lakh	NID Entrance Exam

Highest Salary Offered by Best Design Colleges in India

Here's the table below featuring top design colleges in India, including their placement packages and top recruiters.

College Names	Total Tuition Fee	Annual Average Package
Amity University Mumbai	INR 2 lakh - INR 11 lakh	TCS, Infosys, Amazon, Deloitte, Wipro, Samsung, etc.
NIFT Kannur	INR 6 lakh - INR 12 lakh	Raymond, Nike, Lifestyle, Fab India, Trident Hotels, etc.
JD Institute of Fashion Technology	INR 35,000	Zara, Pantaloons, Calvin Klein, Blackberry, H&M, Tommy Hilfiger, etc.
PSG College of Arts and Science	INR 1 lakh - INR 3 lakh	Federal Bank, EY, Deloitte, TCS, EY, etc.
Indian Institute of Fashion Technology	INR 95,000 - INR 7 lakh	Diesel, Flying Machine, Reliance Retail, Aditya Birla Fashion, etc.

Top Low-Cost Design Colleges in India

Check out the table below for affordable design colleges in India that offer quality education at a low cost.

Low-cost Colleges	Tuition Fee / Eligibility
Kalindi College DU	Fee: INR 540 - INR 74,000 CUET and Merit-Based
NIELIT Ranchi	Fee: INR 708 Merit-Based
DEI Women's Polytechnic, Dayalbagh Educational Institute	Fee: INR 750 - INR 3,000 Merit-Based
Tamil Nadu Open University	Fee: INR 800 - INR 20,800 Merit-Based
Aligarh Muslim University	Fee: INR 800 Merit-Based

Specialisations offered by Design Colleges in India

Following are the Top 10 Design specialisations offered by the Design colleges in India-

Specialisation
Textile Design
Graphic Design
Apparel Design
Game Design
Jewellery Design
UI/UX Design
Web Design
Lifestyle Accessory Design
Fashion Design
Visual Merchandising

Recruiting Companies for Design Colleges in India

Following are the Top Recruiting Companies for Design Graduates in India-

College	Recruiting Company
NIFT Kolkata	Tommy Hilfiger Adidas Park Avenue Globus Wills Lifestyle Proline Raymond GAP Nike
IIT Bombay	Samsung Amazon Microsoft Google
NIFT Patna	Tanishq Triburg Pantaloon Mura Fabrics Impulse Indian Terrain
IIT Guwahati	DE Shaw Flipkart Microsoft Myntra Sprinklr AppDynamics Nutanix Samsung
NIFT Delhi	H&M Amore Magazine Chitrakosh Fabric Monde Monte Carlo Future Group