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