Design Colleges In India

Top Design Colleges in India

Ayush Sharma

Content Writer |

May 28, 2025 04:52PM IST

India is now a popular place for design education, providing many courses in Fashion Design, Communication Design, Industrial Design, Interior Design and Animation at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Because creativity and innovation are so important in today’s industries, design colleges in India are teaching students the skills and experience needed to succeed in India and abroad.

There are more than 400 design colleges in India, some government, some private, that help students with different interests. You can study for a Bachelor of Design (B.Des), a Master of Design (M.Des) or a diploma, with specialization in product design, fashion communication, visual arts, UI/UX or textile design.

Most leading design colleges in India provide advanced facilities, solid support from teachers, connections with industries and job opportunities. A number of these colleges run their own entrance exams, but some also take scores from recognized design tests.

Top Design Colleges in India: Highlights

Below are the highlights of top design colleges in India, including entrance exams, courses offered, and fee structure.

Feature	Detail
No. of Colleges	400+
Course Duration	3 to 4 years (UG), 2 years (PG)
Courses Offered	B.Des, M.Des, BFA, Diploma, Certificate
Entrance Exams	NID DAT, UCEED, CEED, NIFT Entrance Exam
Top Specialisations	Fashion Design, Product Design, Animation, Graphic Design, Interior Design
Top Colleges	NID Ahmedabad, NIFT Delhi, IIT Bombay (IDC), Pearl Academy, MIT Institute of Design
Average Fees	INR 1,00,000 to INR 5,00,000 annually

Admission Process for Top Design Colleges in India

The admission process for design colleges in India usually involves clearing an entrance exam followed by a studio test, group discussion or personal interview.

Undergraduate Courses (B.Des, BFA)

Students must have passed Class 12 from a recognised board in any stream (Science, Commerce or Arts). A minimum of 50% marks may be required by some colleges. For admission to institutes like NID, NIFT or IITs, candidates must qualify entrance exams like NID DAT or UCEED.

Postgraduate Courses (M.Des)

Candidates should hold a bachelor’s degree in design, architecture, engineering or related fields. Entrance exams such as CEED or NID DAT Mains are required.

Top Design Colleges in India with NIRF or General Ranking

Name of the College	City	NIRF/Other Ranking
National Institute of Design (NID)	Ahmedabad	One of the top design colleges in India
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay – IDC School of Design	Mumbai	3
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT)	Delhi	Ranked in top positions through various ranking organizations
MIT Institute of Design	Pune	11-50
Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology	Bangalore	NA
Indian Institute of Art and Design (IIAD)	Delhi	34 (IIRF Ranking)
Pearl Academy	Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur	9 (India Today 2024)
UID - Unitedworld Institute of Design	Gandhinagar	151-200
Symbiosis Institute of Design	Pune	31
Woxsen University – School of Arts and Design	Hyderabad	2 (IIRF Ranking)

Top Government Design Colleges in India

Government institutes are often the most sought-after due to affordable fees and strong academic standards. Here are the top government design colleges:

Name of the College	Annual Fee (Approx)
NID, Ahmedabad	INR 3,50,000
NID, Gandhinagar	INR 3,00,000
NID, Bengaluru	INR 3,00,000
IDC, IIT Bombay	INR 2,00,000
IIT Guwahati – Department of Design	INR 1,80,000
NIFT, Delhi	INR 2,20,000
NIFT, Mumbai	INR 2,20,000
IIT Hyderabad – Department of Design	INR 2,00,000

Top Private Design Colleges in India

Several private institutes also offer excellent design education with modern labs, faculty and strong industry ties.

Name of the College	Annual Fee (Approx)
MIT Institute of Design, Pune	INR 3,20,000
Pearl Academy, Delhi	INR 6,00,000
Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology	INR 4,50,000
Unitedworld Institute of Design (UID), Gandhinagar	INR 3,00,000
Indian Institute of Art and Design (IIAD), Delhi	INR 5,00,000
ISDI School of Design and Innovation, Mumbai	INR 5,50,000
Woxsen School of Arts and Design, Hyderabad	INR 4,00,000
Lovely Professional University, Punjab	INR 1,90,000

Specialisations Offered at Top Design Colleges

Design is a vast domain with various specialisations that cater to different industry needs. Some of the popular ones are:

Fashion Design: Clothing, textiles, accessory design
Communication Design: Graphic design, UI/UX, branding
Industrial/Product Design: Consumer product innovation
Interior and Space Design: Residential, commercial interiors
Animation & VFX: Motion graphics, character design
Game Design: Game development and 3D modelling
Textile Design: Fabric patterns and surface design
Jewellery Design: Accessories, ornamentation

Popular Design Entrance Exams

NID DAT (Design Aptitude Test)
Conducted by the National Institute of Design for admission to B.Des and M.Des courses across all NID campuses.
UCEED (Undergraduate Common Entrance Exam for Design)
Conducted by IIT Bombay for admission to B.Des courses in IIT Bombay, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, and IIITDM Jabalpur.
CEED (Common Entrance Exam for Design)
Conducted by IIT Bombay for admission to M.Des and Ph.D. programs in design.
NIFT Entrance Exam
Conducted by the National Institute of Fashion Technology for UG and PG design courses in fashion and apparel design.
Pearl Academy Entrance Exam
Held by Pearl Academy for admissions into its UG and PG design courses.