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    NIFT Delhi vs NIFT Hyderabad: Which college is better for design courses?

    NIFT Delhi vs NIFT Hyderabad: Which college is better for design courses?

    Sumeet SudarshanUpdated on 31 Aug 2026, 12:45 PM IST

    Delhi and Hyderabad, two major commercial hubs in India, also house NIFT campuses. NIFT Delhi was set up in 1986 as the first among the 20 NIFT campuses in India today. On the other hand, NIFT Hyderabad was established in 1995. Both institutes are among the top fashion design colleges in India. There are many similarities and differences between the two, which may make aspirants wonder which campus to choose between the two. In this article, get the NIFT Delhi vs NIFT Hyderabad comparison.

    NIFT Delhi vs NIFT Hyderabad: Which college is better for design courses?
    NIFT Delhi vs NIFT Hyderabad: Which is Better for Design Coures?

    NIFT Delhi Vs NIFT Hyderabad: Quick Overview

    Particulars

    NIFT Delhi

    NIFT Hyderabad

    Entrance Exam

    NIFT entrance exam

    NIFT entrance exam

    Courses offered

    BDes, MDes, BFTech, MFTech, MFM

    BDes, BFTech, MFM

    Seats

    376 seats

    266 seats

    All India Ranking (as per India Today rankings)

    1

    4

    Fees

    Rs 14.09 lakhs (for 4 years)

    Rs 14.09 lakhs (for 4 years)

    Placements

    Centralised placements

    Centralised placements

    NIFT Delhi vs NIFT Hyderabad: Admission Process

    The admission process at NIFT Delhi and NIFT Hyderabad is the same. Candidates must appear for and clear all stages of NIFT 2027. The National Testing Agency conducts the NIFT entrance exam. Shortlisted candidates in Stage 1 are called to participate in Stage 2, which consists of the NIFT situation test for BDes admissions and interview rounds for NIFT PG admissions. For BFTech, there is no second stage.

    The NIFT seat allotment is done based on the candidate’s campus preference and rank in the final result through a centralised NIFT counselling process.

    NIFT Delhi vs NIFT Hyderabad: Courses and Seats

    NIFT Delhi offers a total of 376 seats while NIFT Hyderabad offers 266 seats. The difference in the number of seats at the two institutes is due to the absence of a few programmes at NIFT Hyderabad. The table given below provides the NIFT seat matrix at Delhi and Hyderabad.

    Programme

    Hyderabad

    New Delhi




    Bachelor Programmes - Bachelor of Design (B.Des)



    Accessory Design (AD)

    38

    38

    Fashion Communication (FC)

    38

    38

    Fashion Design (FD)

    38

    38

    Fashion Interior (FI)



    Knitwear Design (KD)

    38

    38

    Leather Design (LD)


    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

    Total

    266

    376

    NIFT Delhi Vs NIFT Hyderabad: Fees

    The course fee for design programmes at all NIFT campuses is the same. For regular students, the fee is around Rs 14.09 lakhs for a 4-year programme. The fee is proportionally reduced for a 2-year programme as candidates have to pay the fee prescribed only for the first two years of the 4-year course.

    However, the NIFT hostel fees vary across different campuses depending upon the type of accommodation chosen by the students - AC/Non Ac, single, two- or three-sharing. Students don't need to opt for hostel accommodation as the NIFT courses are not residential programmes.

    NIFT Delhi Vs NIFT Hyderabad: Course Fee Breakup

    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

    NIFT Delhi Vs NIFT Hyderabad: Hostel Fee

    Particulars

    Details

    NIFT Delhi

    NIFT Delhi Hostel Fee

    NIFT Hyderabad

    NIFT Hyderabad Hostel Fee

    NIFT Delhi Vs NIFT Hyderabad: Campus Rankings

    The NIRF rankings are not released for design colleges. But there are third-party rankings available, released by private entities. As per the India Today Rankings 2026 for top fashion design colleges in India, NIFT Delhi is ranked at No.1. NIFT Hyderabad occupies the 4th rank.

    NIFT Delhi vs NIFT Hyderabad: Infrastructure & Facilities

    The table below provides the notable infrastructure facilities for NIFT Delhi and NIFT Hyderabad.

    Facilities at NIFT Delhi and NIFT Hyderabad

    NIFT Delhi

    NIFT Hyderabad

    • 44 classrooms and labs and 3 seminar halls

    • Equipment such as 3D printers, laser cutting machine, Shima Seiki computerised knitting machine, ETON overhead material carrying system, digital printing machine, digital tablets and soft body dress forms to support practical learning

    • Resource Centre with over 15000 books and a big collection of fabric swatches, fashion garments, traditional costumes and accessories

    • Well qualified faculty

    • Fully air-conditioned, for girls with 200 intake.

    • 8 acres campus

    • Well-equipped laboratories and studios

    • Wi-Fi-enabled campus

    • Auditorium with 350 seating capacity

    • Spacious resource centre

    • Mini gym

    • Indoor and outdoor sports facilities

    • Canteen and mess facility

    • Hostel facility for girls

    • Qualified faculty

    NIFT Delhi Vs NIFT Hyderabad: Placements

    NIFT campuses conduct a centralised process. The centralised placement process ensures that all students from all campuses get equal opportunities. The trends in NIFT placements show that the average salary at NIFT placements ranges between Rs 5 and 6 lakhs p.a.Top companies at NIFT placements include names such as H&M, Artex Apparels, Silk Affairs Pvt. Ltd, Earthen Symphony, Branstory Solutions Pvt. Ltd. and more.

    NIFT Delhi Vs NIFT Hyderabad: Which is Better?

    NIFT Delhi and NIFT Hyderabad continue to remain very popular among design aspirants. However, looking at the courses offered, campus rankings and its rich history, NIFT Delhi appears to be a better choice than NIFT Hyderabad.

    The cities of Delhi and Hyderabad are major cities that are commercial centres with a booming industrial climate. Both campuses therefore are good options which will offer immense job opportunities. In terms of placements, fees, and facilities, both colleges are comparable.

    NIFT Delhi vs NIFT Hyderabad: Comparison

    Particulars

    NIFT Delhi

    NIFT Hyderabad

    Rankings

    Better

    Lower ranked than NIFT Delhi

    Fees

    Tie

    Tie

    Placements

    Tie

    Tie

    Courses

    Better

    Does not offer MFTech MDes and BDes leather design

    Seats

    Better

    Fewer seats than NIFT Delhi

    Facilities

    Tie

    Tie

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    Questions related to NIFT Entrance Exam

    On Question asked by student community

    Have a question related to NIFT Entrance Exam ?

    If your NIFT B.Des. entrance exam is approaching, focus on revision rather than learning new topics.

    • Revise design principles, colour theory, perspective, and composition.
    • Practise quick sketches within a time limit.
    • Solve previous years' question papers to understand the exam pattern.
    • Improve observation skills by sketching everyday objects.
    • Carry all

    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