NID Colleges in India - Campuses, Branches, Institutes, Fee, Eligibility

NID Colleges in India - Campuses, Branches, Institutes, Fee, Eligibility

#Prelims
Rajyalaxmi VenkatapuramUpdated on 03 Sep 2025, 02:21 PM IST

National Institute of Design colleges in India offers UG, PG and doctoral degrees for the design aspirants. The NID campuses in India are located at Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Bengaluru, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Assam. Candidates who wish to get 2026 admission to the best NID colleges in India must be qualified in the NID DAT entrance exam. Apart from NID campuses, candidates can also get admission to other design colleges in India using NID 2026 scores. Continue to read for more details on top NID institutes in India, NID locations, centres and more.

This Story also Contains

  1. NID Campuses in India
  2. NID Colleges in India List Apart from NID Campuses
  3. NID Campus Ranking as per Careers360
  4. Courses Offered by NIDs in India
  5. Seat Intake of UG and PG Design Courses Offered at NID 2026
  6. NID Colleges in India Fee Structure
  7. How to get admission in NID campuses in India?
  8. Who is eligible for admission to best NID colleges in India?
NID Colleges in India - Campuses, Branches, Institutes, Fee, Eligibility
List of NIDs in India

NID Campuses in India

NID branches in India offer design courses in UG as well as PG level. The National Institute of Design has 7 NID branches in India, or NID centres: Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Bengaluru, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Assam. Candidates can refer to all the information about the top NID colleges in India in the table given below:

NID Branches in India

NID Locations

Brief Description

NID Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Bengaluru

The National Institute of Design (NID) in Ahmedabad, along with its extension campuses in Gandhinagar and Bengaluru, holds the status of an 'Institute of National Importance' as outlined in the NID Act of 2014. Operating autonomously under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India.


It is empowered by statutory authority to confer its own degrees. Presently, the institute offers a four-year full-time Bachelor of Design (BDes), a two-and-a-half-year full-time Master of Design (MDes), and a PhD in Design. NID is also a recognised member of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

NID Andhra Pradesh and Haryana

NID Andhra Pradesh, established in September 2015, is the second autonomous multi-disciplinary design institute under DPIIT, adhering to the National Design Policy of the Government of India.


NID Haryana, established in November 2016, aims to be a pioneer in innovative design across industry, commerce, and development sectors.

NID Madhya Pradesh

NID Madhya Pradesh attained the status of an Institute of National Importance through the National Institute of Design (Amendment) Act, 2019, on November 29, 2019.

NID Assam

NID Assam, also an autonomous Institution of National Importance, focuses on design education, research, and practice. It provides a full-time four-year BDes program with specialization streams in Industrial Design, Communication Design, and Textile & Apparel Design, embracing a multidisciplinary approach to design education.

NID Colleges in India List Apart from NID Campuses

Apart from NID branches, there are many design colleges in India accepting NID DAT scores. Top institutes in India such as the World University of Design, LPU Jalandhar, and BITS Design School are some of the top NID DAT colleges in India. Candidates can below check the list of private colleges accepting NID DAT score.

Top Colleges Apart From NID Branches

S. No

NID colleges in India ListNID college locations

1

World University of Design

Sonipat

2

Lovely Professional University

Jalandhar

3

BITS Design School

Mumbai

4

ITM Institute of Design and Media

Mumbai

5

MIT University

Shillong

NID Campus Ranking as per Careers360

The National Institute of Design has 7 NID branches in India, or NID centres: Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Bengaluru, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Assam. Candidates can below check the NID campus ranking as per Careers360.

NID Colleges in India List As Per Careers360 Ranking

NID Institutes in India

NID Centres in India Ranking by Careers360

NID Ahmedabad

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NID Kurukshetra

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NID Bhopal

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NID Assam

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NID Bangalore

-

NID Gandhinagar

-

NID Andhra Pradesh

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Courses Offered by NIDs in India

Programmes Offered

Duration

Admission Process

Bachelor of Design (BDes)

4 Years

Through Design Aptitude Test (DAT) Prelims and Mains.

Master of Design (MDes)

2.5 Years

Through Design Aptitude Test (DAT) Prelims and Mains.

PhD. in Design

Full-time and part-time available

Typically includes an interview and assessment of the research proposals.

Seat Intake of UG and PG Design Courses Offered at NID 2026

Aspirants planning to obtain NID 2026 admission can go through the table below that provides the NID seat matrix. As the NID 2026 official seat intake is yet to be released for each campus, meanwhile candidates can go through the NID seat intake as per the previous year.

Total seats in NID Ahmedabad

Faculty of Communication Design

Discipline

Number of Seats

Animation Film Design

19

Exhibition Design

13

Film & Video Communication

13

Graphic Design

19

Faculty of Industrial Design

Discipline

Number of Seats

Ceramic & Glass Design

13

Furniture & Interior Design

13

Product Design

19

Faculty of Textile, Apparel, Lifestyle and Accessory Design

Discipline

Number of Seats

Textile and Apparel Design

19

Overseas supernumerary seats

19

Total seats in NID Andhra Pradesh

Discipline

Number of Seats

Communication Design

25

Industrial Design

25

Textile and Apparel Design

25

Overseas supernumerary seats

11

NID seats in Haryana Campus

Discipline


Number of seats

Communication Design

25

Industrial Design

25

Textile and Apparel Design

25

Overseas quota Category

11

NID Seats in Madhya Pradesh Campus

Discipline

Number of Seats

Communication Design

25 + 4 for Overseas

Industrial Design

25 + 4 for Overseas

Textile and Apparel Design

25 + 3 for Overseas

Supernumerary seats

11

NID Seats in Assam Campus

Discipline

Number of Seats

Communication Design

25

Industrial Design

25

Textile and Apparel Design

25

NID Colleges in India Fee Structure

NID fee structure varies for Indian nationals, SAARC and African countries and the rest of the world students. Students have to pay the NID tuition fee every semester whereas other components of the NID fee are to be paid on yearly basis. Also, the best NID colleges in India fees structures vary for different programmes and NID branches in India. All the NID colleges in India fees are arranged according to NID courses and fees.

Fee Structure for NID Campuses in India

How to get admission in NID campuses in India?

NID is an autonomous institute falling under the ambit of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (GOI), and it is famous for offering design specialisations like communication, industrial, textile, and IT-Integrated (Experiential) Design. NID full form is National Institute of Design. Total NID colleges in India are seven (7) in number. Candidates who obtain valid score in NID DAT will be eligible to gain admission at NID institutes in India. The NID admission process includes two stages: the Prelims exam and the Mains exam.

Eligible candidates need to fill out the NID DAT application form 2026 online by visiting the official website - admissions.nid.edu. Aspirants need to keep the required documents beforehand to avoid chaos and last-minute hiccups at the time of filling out the application form. Candidates have to choose the NID exam centres as per their preference while filling out the NID application form. The NID centres in India are the cities where the entrance exam of NID will be conducted.

Successfully registered candidates have to download the NID DAT 2026 admit card that has to be carried to the NID exam centre on the examination day. Candidates who qualify in NID DAT Prelims will be eligible for NID DAT Mains. The shortlisted candidates will be called for counselling and seat allotment at their preferred NID branches in India.

Who is eligible for admission to best NID colleges in India?

Candidates seeking admission at the National Institute of Design need to clear the NID Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT). To get admission to NID colleges in India list, candidates have to meet the prescribed eligibility. NID DAT is the only gateway to gain admission at NID. NID DAT eligibility criteria 2026 for BDes and MDes are as follows.

BDes eligibility for NID campuses in India

  • General and general EWS category candidates must be up to 20 years of age, OBC-Non Creamy Layer/ST/SC candidates get a relaxation of 3 years. Whereas PwD reserved category candidates get an exemption of 5 years.

  • Aspirants who have passed or currently appearing in the class 12 examination in any discipline (Science, Arts, Commerce, Humanities etc) from any recognized board such as CBSE, IB, ICSE or its equivalent are eligible to appear for NID DAT.

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MDes eligibility for NID branches in India

  • Candidates born on or after July 1, 1994 belonging to the general category are eligible to apply. However, 3-year relaxation is given to the reserved category candidates.
  • Aspirants who have a bachelor's degree from any recognised university or institute can apply for NID MDes admission.
  • Candidates who have completed a full-time diploma of a minimum of four years in design/ fine arts/ applied arts/ architecture after Class 12 from a recognised institute or university are also eligible to apply for NID DAT and NID branches in India.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What are the factors that determine NID DAT cutoff?
A:

The factors that determine NID DAT cutoff are as follows:

  • Number of candidates appearing for NID DAT
  • Seat intake
  • Difficulty level of the exam
  • Previous year cutoff trends
  • Category reservations
Q: How many NID Colleges in India?
A:

There are 7 National Institute of Design (NID) campuses in India, located in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Bengaluru, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Assam. NID is a premier design institute that offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in various design disciplines.

Q: What are the best NIDs in India for design education?
A:

The best NIDs in India for design education are the National Institute of Design (NID) campuses located in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Bangalore, Kurukshetra, Jorhat, Bhopal, and Vijayawada.

Q: How can I get admission to the top 10 NID colleges in India?
A:

To get admission to the top 10 NID colleges in India, candidates need to appear for the Design Aptitude Test (DAT) that is conducted by NID. The DAT consists of two stages: prelims and mains. Based on the performance in the DAT prelims, candidates will be shortlisted for the DAT mains, which includes a studio test and a personal interview

Q: How many NIDs are in India?
A:

There are seven NID campuses in India, each offering different design specialisations and programmes. The main campus is in Ahmedabad, which was established in 1961. The other six NID campuses are in Gandhinagar, Bengaluru, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Assam locations.

Q: What is the highest package in NID placements?
A:

The highest package in NID placements was approximately Rs. 30 LPA.

Q: Which are the top 5 NIDs in India?
A:

The top 5 NIDs in India are NID Ahmedabad, NID Gandhinagar, NID Bengaluru, NID Andhra Pradesh, NID Haryana.

Q: Which is the number one NID in India?
A:

NID Ahmedabad is at the top in India. 

Q: What is a good NID rank?
A:

The NID good rank varies according to the category. Hence the authorities decides the cutoff ranks based on certain factors of the NID cutoff.

Q: How can I check the NID ranking in india for different courses and campuses?
A:

Candidates can check the NID ranking in India for different courses and campuses by visiting the official NID website or the websites of various ranking agencies. Candidates can also compare the NID ranking in India with other design colleges in the country.

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Questions related to Prelims

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to Prelims ?

Hello,

If you forgot to write the question paper code and date on your NID DAT prelims OMR sheet, contact the exam authorities immediately. They may have procedures in place to handle such situations. According to me there should be no problem for you even if you have not filled paper code as you filled all the other necessary details.

Hope this helps you,

Thank you






Hello Dear,

NID DAT is a national level entrance exam conducted by National Institute of Design (NID) for various B.Des/ GDPD and M.Des Courses. After qualifying the exam candidate can get admission in prestigious design institutes such as NID Ahmedabad, NID Gujarat, NID Bangalore, NID Kurukshetra, and NID Vijayawada. NID DAT exam is a 3-hour long exam conducted in pen-paper mode. Candidates qualifying the written tests (Prelims and Mains) will be invited for the studio test and personal interviews.

You can download the previous year cutoff and papers through this link:

https://design.careers360.com/articles/nid-dat-cutoff

Good Luck

Hello,

National Institute of Design will release the application form of NID DAT 2021 anytime soon in online mode. Aspirants can fill the NID DAT 2021 registration form by providing the required documents and details.  The exact date is not yet announced. Keep an eye on the official website for the latest information. NID DAT entrance exam consists of two exams  prelims exam and mains exam. The officials have not yet declared the schedule for NID DAT 2021.

Hello,

The syllabus of NID DAT prelims and mains exam are different.

Please check the link below for NID DAT prelim 2021 syllabus

https://design.careers360.com/articles/nid-dat-syllabus

From this link you can also find the main exam syllabus and exam pattern of these two exams.

Good luck!

Hey friend!

Best books for NID DAT preparation=>

NID DAT book by R.S. Aggarwal (aptitude section)

NID Workbook

Design drawing by Francis D.K.Ching

NID (B.Des.) Entrance Books and Test Series

Basic Rendering from Robert W.Gill

Guide for NID

NID Mock Test Series

Success Master- NID entrance Examination