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    Most Expensive Design Colleges in India: Are They Worth It?
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    • Most Expensive Design Colleges in India: Are They Worth It?

    Most Expensive Design Colleges in India: Are They Worth It?

    Sumeet SudarshanUpdated on 22 Oct 2026, 05:16 PM IST

    A career in design requires plenty of creative talent, but the design courses can be expensive as well and require students to spend a considerable amount of money to fund their studies.  Several top private design colleges offer admissions into their BDes programme, offering world-class facilities backed by qualified faculty and an industry-aligned curriculum. However, the fees at these private colleges can run into several lakhs of rupees. In this article, let’s understand if the most expensive design colleges in India are worth it.

    This Story also Contains

    1. Most Expensive Design Colleges in India
    2. Are the Expensive Design Colleges Worth It?
    3. ROI at Expensive Design Colleges
    Most Expensive Design Colleges in India: Are They Worth It?
    Most Expensive Design Colleges in India: Are They Worth It?


    Admissions at top private colleges are done through means of design entrance exams. Aspirants may have to appear for studio tests and interview rounds after appearing for the entrance exam to secure final admission.

    Most Expensive Design Colleges in India

    The fees at private design colleges are relatively higher than government colleges, which provide more affordable options. This makes private design colleges expensive. Bachelor of Design or BDes is the most common design programme available to students at UG level. On average, the BDes course fees at well- known colleges is in the range of Rs 25 to 30+ lakhs. The table below provides the approximate fee of the 4-year BDes programme at some of the well-known private colleges.

    4-year BDes Course Fee

    College name

    Approximate Fees

    Pearl Academy

    Rs 26 lakhs

    BITS Design School, Mumbai

    Rs 40 lakhs (including residential fee)

    MITID Pune

    Rs 30 lakhs

    UPES Dehradun

    Rs 26 lakhs

    IIAD Delhi

    Rs 25 lakhs

     Are the Expensive Design Colleges Worth It?

    Top private colleges are known to offer exceptional facilities and infrastructure. Although these facilities come at a cost, which makes the discussion about whether it is worth it, relevant. Whether the expensive design colleges are worth it can be understood by looking at the study outcomes and placements the students get. Most of the top private design colleges are able to attract a good number of companies during their placement season. BITS Design started the programme is August 2024 and the first batch is yet to pass out.


    The average salary figures for the placements show that students are able to recoup around 16-25% of the fees paid every year. 

    Facilities and Infrastructure at Top Design Colleges

    Given below is a list of facilities and infrastrucutre which is commonly found at expensive and top design institutes - 

    • Classrooms equipped with the latest audio-visual tools

    • Qualified faculty with doctorates and industry experience

    • Design studio

    • Garment construction lab

    • Photography studio

    • Workshops

    • Equipment and tools such as laser cutting tool, knitting machines, 3D printers etc

    • Wi-Fi-enabled campus

    • Auditorium and seminar halls

    • Library and resource centre with good collection of books and journals

    • Hostel facilities for boys and girls

    • Indoor and outdoor sports facilities

    • Cafeteria

    • Health centre

    Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai

    Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 18 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2026

    Birla Institute of Management Technology, Greater Noida

    AACSB Accredited | Highest CTC: 22 LPA

    Placements at Top Design Colleges 

    Pearl Academy offers upto 99% placements as per the data furnished by the institute. The average package is around Rs 5 to 8 lakhs p.a. Top companies recruiting from Pearl Academy include Amazon, Arvind, Craftsvilla, Biba, Anju Modi, Aditya Birla Fashion and more. With an alumni network of 15000+ students, many industry professionals belong to the institute. 


    The placement records at MITID Pune show that the average salary package offered is around Rs 8 lakhs p.a.While the minimum CTC is around 5 lakhs p.a., the highest CTC offered is Rs 27 lakhs p.a. The top recruiters at the institute include MakeMyTrip, Infosys, IBM, Decathlon, Ikea, Tata Motors and more.


    UPES Dehradun boasts a 100% placement record. The highest CTC offered in 2024-25 is around Rs 9 lakhs p.a. The top 10% CTC offered is around Rs 8.6 lakhs p.a.The top companies at UPES design placements include Biba, Maruti Suzuki, Daimler Truck, Infosys, TCS, Studio Carbon, Accenture, and more.


    At IIAD Delhi, the average salary package offered during the placements is around 7.2 lakhs p.a., with top salaries offered reaching 12 lakhs p.a. The institute regularly collaborates with companies such as  NDTV, Ogilvy Mather, House of Masaba, IBM, Anju Modi, Study Fry, Arvind Fashion,  Levi’s, Aditya Birla Fashion, and more.

    ROI at Expensive Design Colleges

    College name

    Approximate Fee (in rs)

    Average Package (in Rs)

    ROI

    Pearl Academy

    26L

    5-8L p.a

    20-25%

    MITID

    30L

    5L p.a.

    16%

    UPES

    26L

    5-8L p.a.

    20-25%

    IIAD

    25L

    7.2L p.a.

    30%

    Upcoming Design Exams
    Ongoing Dates
    ADEPT Application Date

    1 Sep'26 - 20 Dec'26 (Online)

    Ongoing Dates
    GLS DAT Application Date

    2 Sep'26 - 21 Jan'27 (Online)

    Ongoing Dates
    MIT WPU CET Application Date

    2 Sep'26 - 4 Dec'26 (Online)

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