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    NIFT Fee Hike: Steep Increase Over Past 5 Years

    NIFT Fee Hike: Steep Increase Over Past 5 Years

    Himanshu ShekharUpdated on 02 Feb 2026, 06:16 PM IST

    National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), is one of the sought out design institutes in India. However, the past years have seen a steady increase in the NIFT fee structure. To understand the NIFT fee hike in depth, we have collated the same in this article.

    This Story also Contains

    1. NIFT Fees - Semester-Wise (2021-22 to 2025-26)
    2. NIFT Course Fees - Total Year-Wise
    3. Importance of Knowing NIFT Fees
    4. NIFT Fees vs NID Fees vs IIT Design Fees
    NIFT Fee Hike: Steep Increase Over Past 5 Years
    NIFT Fee Hike over Past 5 Years

    NIFT Fees - Semester-Wise (2021-22 to 2025-26)

    The semester-wise NIFT fee breakup indicates how fees have evolved from 2021-22 to 2025-26. This splitting of the fees helps students know in which semesters the maximum increases happen and budget accordingly.

    NIFT Fees for Non-NRI

    Semester Wise

    NIFT 2021-22

    NIFT 2022-23

    NIFT 2023-24

    NIFT 2024-25

    NIFT 2025-26

    Semester 1

    1,68,950

    1,77,500

    1,82,900

    1,84,700

    1,91,700

    Semester 2

    1,29,850

    1,36,000

    1,43,000

    1,43,000

    1,50,000

    Semester 3

    1,40,400

    1,61,650

    1,61,900

    1,59,800

    1,69,800

    Semester 4

    1,24,000

    1,42,850

    1,43,000

    1,50,000

    1,50,000

    Semester 5

    1,54,000

    1,47,350

    1,77,900

    1,69,800

    1,78,700

    Semester 6

    1,36,100

    1,30,150

    1,57,100

    1,50,000

    1,58,000

    Semester 7

    1,51,400

    1,73,900

    1,59,500

    2,00,950

    1,84,300

    Semester 8

    1,30,200

    1,49,700

    1,36,700

    1,72,850

    1,58,000

    Total

    11,34,900

    12,19,100

    12,62,000

    13,31,100

    13,40,500

    Semester 1 and Semester 2 depict consistent but moderate growth, while Semester 7 has the highest spike, especially in 2024-25, while Semester 8 fluctuates, reaching its peak in 2024-25 before decreasing slightly the next year.

    NIFT Semester-Wise Fees

    1757411102705

    Here's the semester-wise NIFT fee trend represented as a bar chart.

    • Each group of bars depicts a semester.
    • Various shades indicate the way the fees varied over the five academic years (2021-22 to 2025-26).
    • One can easily identify that Semester 7 registers the highest peak in comparison to the other semesters.

    NIFT Course Fees - Total Year-Wise

    The total NIFT course fees have been showing a consistent increase with each passing year, reaching Rs 13 lakh in 2024-25. The trend of increasing costs indicates the increasing expenditure on pursuing design education at NIFT campus in India.

    Academic YearFees in Rs% Changes in Fee (⬆)

    NIFT 2025-26

    13,40,500

    0.71%

    NIFT 2024-25

    13,31,100

    5.48%

    NIFT 2023-24

    12,62,000

    3.52%

    NIFT 2022-23

    12,19,100

    7.42%

    NIFT 2021-22

    11,34,900

    9.70%

    NIFT admission fees have increased by 9.70%, rising from Rs 10,34,552 in 2020-21 to Rs 11,34,900 in 2021-22. In the last five years, overall NIFT course fees have risen by over Rs 2 lakh, with Semester 7 having the greatest fluctuation by exceeding the Rs 2 lakh mark in 2024-25; as of 2025-26, the aggregate fees for Non-NRI students are just about Rs 13.4 lakh, and while there have been minimal fluctuations, overall there is a trend of steady growth.

    NIFT Year-Wise Fees

    1757411102792

    Here's a graphical representation of the NIFT fee hike trend from 2021-22 to 2025-26. The graph clearly depicts how the cumulative course fees have gone up year after year, breaching the Rs 13 lakh barrier in recent years.

    Importance of Knowing NIFT Fees

    • Financial Planning: Awareness of the semester-wise fee structure enables students to prepare for annual expenditure.
    • Admission Preparation: Aspirants appearing for NIFT 2026 should be aware of the increasing expenses.
    • Comparisons: Students compare the fee structure of NIFT with other best design colleges such as NID and IITs.

    NIFT Fees vs NID Fees vs IIT Design Fees

    While selecting a design college, most aspirants compare NIFT, NID, and IIT Design (IDC, IIT Bombay). Here is a brief comparison of the fees:

    College

    Approx. Total Fees (BDes)

    Highlights

    NIFT (2025-26)

    Rs 13.4 lakh

    Fashion-focused, multiple campuses, strong placement in apparel & textile industry

    NID (2025-26)

    Rs 18.09 lakh

    Specializes in industrial & communication design

    IIT Design (IDC, IIT Bombay) (2025-26)

    Rs 8.58 lakh

    Technology-driven design education with IIT brand value

    Out of the top three design colleges, IIT Design (IDC) is the most budget-friendly, while NID is the priciest with fees exceeding Rs 18 lakh. NIFT comes in the middle, making it a well-balanced option-particularly for fashion and textile design enthusiasts-whereas NID specializes in industrial and communication design, and IIT Bombay (IDC) has a special combination of technology and design thinking.

    If you are aiming for NIFT admissions 2026, then plan to spend approximately Rs 13-14 lakh on the entire course. If you are weighing your options, then NID is a comparable expense, and IIT Design is marginally lower. The decision among these institutions needs to be based on your career, specialization, and preferred campus.

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    Questions related to NIFT Entrance Exam

    On Question asked by student community

    Have a question related to NIFT Entrance Exam ?

    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

    Hello aspirant,

    The National Testing Agency (NTA) has determined the official date for NIFT 2026 applicant registrations, which is expected to open in November 2025. Online applications will be accepted through January 2026.

    For complete information, you can visit our site through following link:

    https://design.careers360.com/exams/nift-entrance-exam

    Thank you