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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.
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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.
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.
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.
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
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.
On Question asked by student community
Hello student!
If you are preparing for NIFT 2027, it is important to know the syllabus and understand which subjects and areas you need to prepare. You can find the NIFT syllabus and preparation-related information through the resource below.
Given below are the links to access:
https://design.careers360.com/articles/nift-syllabus-2027
https://design.careers360.com/download/ebooks/nift-syllabus-of-ug-pg-programme
Study Materials:
Hello, you can stay updated on upcoming application forms for engineering and B.Des entrance exams through official exam websites and admission portals. You can also follow the latest exam notifications and application updates here:
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If you are inquiring about Interior Design at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), the university offers a 3-year Diploma in Interior Design through the University Polytechnic.
The curriculum covers various aspects of interior design, including CAD, furniture design,
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You can practise previous-year UCEED, NIFT and NID questions and check the correct answers or solutions after attempting them. For UCEED, Careers360 provides previous-year papers with answer keys, while NIFT papers are available with solutions. NID previous-year papers with solutions are also available for practice.
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