Two popular NIFT campus options for aspirants are NIFT Delhi and NIFT Chennai. The NIFT campuses are among the top design colleges in India, especially for candidates aspiring to pursue design specialisation in fashion design and allied fields. When it comes to NIFT Delhi and NIFT Chennai, which ones should students choose? In this article, let’s get the college comparison between the two to help make the right decision.
Particulars | NIFT Delhi | NIFT Chennai |
Entrance Exam | NIFT entrance exam | NIFT entrance exam |
Courses offered | BDes, MDes, BFTech, MFTech, MFM | BDes, BFTech, MFTech, MFM |
Seats | 376 seats | 338 seats |
All India Ranking (as per India Today rankings) | 1 | 5 |
Fees | Rs 14.09 lakhs (for 4 years) | Rs 14.09 lakhs (for 4 years) |
Placements | Centralised placements | Centralised placements |
The admission process is similar for all NIFT campuses. NIFT Delhi and NIFT Chennai admit students based on the performance in the NIFT entrance exam - stage 1 and stage 2. The entrance exam consists of GAT and CAT sections as per the applicable programme. Stage 2 of the selection process consists of the NIFT situation test for BDes and interview rounds for NIFT PG programmes.
Shortlisted candidates after both stages of the exam must register online for the NIFT counselling process and provide their campus choices. The NIFT seat allotment is done based on the candidate’s rank and campus preferences.
NIFT Delhi offers more courses and seats as compared to NIFT Chennai. Both the campuses offer BDes, BFTech, MFTech and MFM programmes. However, NIFT Delhi also offers MDes, which is not offered by NIFT Chennai. The seat intake at NIFT Delhi is 376, while it is 338 seats at NIFT Chennai. The table below provides the specialisation-wise seat matrix for both NIFT campuses for different programmes.
Programme | Chennai | New Delhi |
Bachelor Programmes - Bachelor of Design (B.Des) | ||
Accessory Design (AD) | 38 | 38 |
Fashion Communication (FC) | 38 | 38 |
Fashion Design (FD) | 38 | 38 |
Knitwear Design (KD) | 38 | 38 |
Leather Design (LD) | 38 | 38 |
Textile Design (TD) | 38 | 38 |
Bachelor Programme - Bachelor of Fashion Technology (B.F.Tech) | ||
Apparel Production (AP) | 38 | 38 |
Master Programmes | ||
Master of Design (M.Des) | 38 | |
Master of Fashion Management (M.F.M) | 38 | 38 |
Master of Fashion Technology (M.F.Tech) | 34 | 34 |
Total | 338 | 376 |
The fee structure is the same for all NIFT campuses. However, the NIFT hostel fees may vary across different campuses depending on the facilities offered, location, and accommodation type opted by the students. The NIFT fees is specified in the admission prospectus at the time of admission notification.
Particulars | ||||||||
2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 | 2029-30 | |||||
Sem 1 | Sem 2 | Sem 3 | Sem 4 | Sem 5 | Sem 6 | Sem 7 | Sem 8 | |
Tuition fee (Non-refundable) | 150000 | 150000 | 158000 | 158000 | 166000 | 166000 | 174000 | 174000 |
Library fee (per year) (non-refundable) | 10000 | 0 | 10500 | 0 | 11000 | 0 | 11600 | 0 |
Mediclaim & student development fee (Per year) (non-refundable) | 4900 | 0 | 5100 | 0 | 5400 | 0 | 5700 | 0 |
Exam fee (per year) | 4900 | 0 | 5100 | 0 | 5400 | 0 | 5700 | 0 |
Total | 169800 | 150000 | 178700 | 158000 | 187800 | 166000 | 197000 | 174000 |
One-time payments | ||||||||
Security deposit (one-time) (refundable) | 12600 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Alumni association membership fee (One-time) (Non-refundable)* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6200 | 0 |
Registration fee (One-time) | 9300 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 21900 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6200 | 0 |
Total | 191700 | 150000 | 178700 | 158000 | 187800 | 166000 | 203200 | 174000 |
Particulars | Details |
NIFT Delhi | |
NIFT Chennai |
The Govt. of India does not release NIRF rankings for design colleges. However, there are third party rankings for fashion design colleges in India released by private entities. As per the India Today Rankings 2026 for top fashion design colleges, NIFT Delhi is ranked at the No.1 spot. NIFT Chennai has been ranked at the fifth spot in the rankings.
The table below provides the notable infrastructure facilities for NIFT Delhi and NIFT Chennai.
NIFT Delhi | NIFT Chennai |
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The placements at NIFT campuses are conducted in a centralised manner. Candidates from all campuses can participate at the same time in the NIFT placements. This is to ensure that all students get equal opportunities. The average salary at NIFT placements ranges between Rs 5 and 6 lakhs p.a.
Top recruiters at NIFT placements include companies such as Vymo, H&M, Artex Apparels, Hi-Fashion Pvt. Ltd, Silk Affairs Pvt. Ltd, and more.
Both NIFT Delhi and NIFT Chennai are among the top design colleges in India. Both offer comparable facilities. However, NIFT Delhi offers more courses and seats and is ranked higher than NIFT Chennai. Also, NIFT Delhi is the oldest NIFT campus and continues to be the top NIFT campus choice. Additionally, the city of Delhi is one of the top fashion destinations in India as the city regularly hosts fashion weeks. However, it must be noted that both Delhi and Chennai are industrial hubs with companies that provide good career opportunities for fashion design students.
Particulars | NIFT Delhi | NIFT Chennai |
Rankings | Ranked at no. 1 | Ranked at no.5 |
Fees | Tie | Tie |
Placements | Tie | Tie |
Courses | Better | Does not offer MDes |
Seats | Better | Lesser seats |
Facilities | Tie | Tie |
On Question asked by student community
If your NIFT B.Des. entrance exam is approaching, focus on revision rather than learning new topics.
Hello Student,
To attempt the mock test of BDes, click on the link given below
Link
https://design.careers360.com/download/ebooks/10-free-mock-tests-of-bdes-detailed-solutions
Please refer to the link - https://design.careers360.com/articles/nift-sample-papers
HELLO,
I am providing you the link below through which you will be able to download the NIFT Question papers with solutions PDF
Here is the link :-
https://design.careers360.com/articles/nift-question-paper
In the above link , you will get the direct links to download the year vise question papers with solutions ,
Hello,
Yes, a diploma holder in Computer Engineering can apply for the NIFT entrance exam , but only through the lateral entry route.
NIFT allows candidates with a 3-year or 4-year engineering diploma from a recognized board to apply for B.F.Tech (Fashion Technology) through lateral entry. The diploma must be
Among top 100 Universities Globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2026
Courses offered in- Fashion Design, Product Design, Communication Design, Interior & Spatial Design & Animation & VFX Design
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