Apparel Production, Fashion Communication, and Fashion Design Emerge as Preferred Choices at Top NIFTs

Apparel Production, Fashion Communication, and Fashion Design Emerge as Preferred Choices at Top NIFTs

Sumeet SudarshanUpdated on 09 Sep 2025, 05:23 PM IST

The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) is among the top design colleges in India. An analysis of the NIFT cut-off data for 2025-26 admissions provides some interesting insights about the preferred NIFT specialisation and programme choices. Candidates with high ranks in the NIFT entrance exam often go for B.FTech Apparel Production and B.Des programmes in Fashion Design and Fashion Communication. For this analysis, the five NIFT campuses that have been considered are Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai.

This Story also Contains

  1. How Many Seats at NIFTs for Each Specialisation?
  2. Preferred Specialisation Choices at Top NIFT Campuses
  3. Which are the Most Preferred and Least Preferred Specialisations at Top NIFTs?
Apparel Production, Fashion Communication, and Fashion Design Emerge as Preferred Choices at Top NIFTs
Preferred Specialisations at Top NIFTs

In this article, let’s look at the opening and closing NIFT cut-off ranks for the first round of NIFT counselling for the open category at the top 5 NIFTs to understand the top specialisation choices among students. A higher cut-off rank indicates a stronger preference and vice versa. At present, there are 19 NIFT campuses in India offering various UG and PG design entrance exams.

How Many Seats at NIFTs for Each Specialisation?

As per the existing NIFT seat matrix, there are 38 seats for each available specialisation at all five NIFTs under consideration. Candidates have to provide their NIFT campus choices during the counselling process.

Preferred Specialisation Choices at Top NIFT Campuses

The data given below provides the NIFT cut-off data for the open category, arranged in the ascending order of closing ranks for each programme/specialisation.

A higher closing rank indicates that these specialisations/ programmes are often opted for by the NIFT toppers. A lower closing rank indicates it is not the most preferred choice by top-ranked candidates.

Top Specialisations at NIFT Delhi as per Round 1 Cut-Off

Programme

Opening Rank

Closing Rank

Bachelor of Fashion Technology (Apparel Production)

2

41

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Communication)

2

54

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design)

8

86

Bachelor of Design (Accessory Design)

47

151

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Communication)-NRI Sponsored

269

269

Bachelor of Design (Textile Design)

92

302

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design)-NRI Sponsored

147

322

Bachelor of Design (Knitwear Design)

142

446

Bachelor of Design (Leather Design)

183

800

Bachelor of Fashion Technology (Apparel Production)-NRI Sponsored

413

1781

Bachelor of Design (Accessory Design)-NRI Sponsored

682

1925

Bachelor of Design (Knitwear Design)-NRI Sponsored

996

2466

Bachelor of Design (Textile Design)-NRI Sponsored

1141

3198

Bachelor of Design (Leather Design)-NRI Sponsored

2478

3565

Top Specialisations at NIFT Mumbai as per Round 1 Cut-Off

Specialisation

Opening Rank

Closing Rank

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Communication)

3

79

Bachelor of Fashion Technology (Apparel Production)

5

93

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design)

16

141

Bachelor of Design (Accessory Design)

30

187

Bachelor of Design (Textile Design)

206

477

Bachelor of Design (Knitwear Design)

199

577

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design)-NRI Sponsored

360

1225

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Communication)-NRI Sponsored

457

1946

Bachelor of Design (Accessory Design)-NRI Sponsored

899

2312

Bachelor of Design (Textile Design)-NRI Sponsored

2115

4366

Bachelor of Design (Knitwear Design)-NRI Sponsored

1917

4871

Top Specialisations at NIFT Bengaluru as per Round 1 Cut-Off

Programme

Opening Rank

Closing Rank

Bachelor of Fashion Technology (Apparel Production)

51

119

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Communication)

5

127

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design)

35

232

Bachelor of Design (Accessory Design)

103

313

Bachelor of Design (Textile Design)

331

652

Bachelor of Design (Knitwear Design)

578

856

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Communication)-NRI Sponsored

623

2007

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design)-NRI Sponsored

1252

2074

Bachelor of Design (Accessory Design)-NRI Sponsored

2491

4223

Bachelor of Design (Knitwear Design)-NRI Sponsored

3655

6447

Bachelor of Design (Textile Design)-NRI Sponsored

3699

6863

Top Specialisations at NIFT Hyderabad as per Round 1 Cut-Off

Course

Opening Rank

Closing Rank

Bachelor of Fashion Technology (Apparel Production)

70

202

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Communication)

93

209

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design)

229

370

Bachelor of Design (Accessory Design)

338

452

Bachelor of Design (Textile Design)

439

945

Bachelor of Design (Knitwear Design)

518

1146

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Communication)-NRI Sponsored

1510

2259

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design)-NRI Sponsored

947

3722

Bachelor of Design (Knitwear Design)-NRI Sponsored

3511

5306

Bachelor of Design (Textile Design)-NRI Sponsored

2200

5714

Bachelor of Design (Accessory Design)-NRI Sponsored

2683

5984

Top Specialisations at NIFT Chennai as per Round 1 Cut-Off

Programme

Opening rank

Closing rank

Bachelor of Fashion Technology (Apparel Production)

32

253

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Communication)

185

299

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design)

90

471

Bachelor of Design (Accessory Design)

361

551

Bachelor of Fashion Technology (Apparel Production)-NRI Sponsored

650

650

Bachelor of Design (Textile Design)

18

972

Bachelor of Design (Knitwear Design)

585

1220

Bachelor of Design (Leather Design)

843

1420

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design)-NRI Sponsored

2216

3885

Bachelor of Design (Fashion Communication)-NRI Sponsored

2994

4384

Bachelor of Design (Textile Design)-NRI Sponsored

5099

5099

Bachelor of Design (Accessory Design)-NRI Sponsored

5079

6963

Which are the Most Preferred and Least Preferred Specialisations at Top NIFTs?

Among all the top NIFTs except one, the most preferred programme or specialisation is the B.FTech (Apparel Production), as evidenced by a higher closing rank. B.Des courses in Fashion Communication and Fashion Design emerge as the next two preferred choices.

Conversely, Textile Design and Knitwear Design emerge as the least preferred programmes, as can be inferred through the low closing ranks.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Which are the top specialisation choices among NIFT aspirants?
A:

The top specialisation choices are B.FTech in Apparel Production, and B.Des in Fashion Communication and Fashion Design.

Q: What are the UG programmes offered by NIFT?
A:

NIFT campuses offer B.Des and B.FTech programmes for their undergraduate courses.

Q: Which are the top NIFTs under consideration?
A:

The NIFT campuses that have been considered are NIFT Delhi, NIFT Mumbai, NIFT Bengaluru, NIFT Hyderabad, and NIFT Chennai

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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 Neharika

These are the topics which are most important in the Current affairs section in respect to NIFT Entrance Exam:

1. National and International Awards and Honors
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To know more about NIFT Entrance Exam: NIFT Entrance Exam by CAREERS360

Hope this answer helps! Thank You!!!


Hello,

According to the sources, the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) entrance exam for 2026 will be held in February 2026. Also, the registration period may open from November 2025.

I hope it will clear your query!!

Hello,
It’s completely understandable to feel disheartened after not getting a seat in the first and second rounds, especially when you’ve filled all the colleges and have your hopes set on a particular course like Fashion Communication . With an OBC rank of 1910 and CMR 7192, your chances can improve in the upcoming counselling rounds as more students withdraw or shift to other colleges.
So make sure to check the further rounds of counselling and don’t lose hope. Many students get seats in the 3rd, 4th, and mop-up rounds. You can also consider updating your preference list or keeping a wider range of courses and campuses open in case you're okay with related fields.
Keep checking the official NIFT website for updates on seat allotment and further counselling instructions.
Thank you

Dear Candidate ,
Yes , you are eligible for NIFT - UG 2026 . Based on your birthdate , you will be 19 years old as of August 1 , 2026 , which is well within the age limit .
NIFT requires applicants to be under 24 years of age on August 1 of the admission year , with a 5 year relaxation for SC/ST/PwD candidates .

Hello

The syllabus of NIFT 2026 will be released on October 2025 by Nift officials on their official website nift.ac.in . The syllabus comprises of topics General Ability Test (GAT) and Creative Ability Test (CAT). The syllabus is different for UG and PG programmes. The GAT syllabus consists of :

  • Communication ability and English comprehension
  • Quantitative ability
  • Analytical and Reasoning
  • Case study
  • General knowledge and current affairs

The CAT syllabus consists important topics like

  • Creative ability
  • Observation power
  • Discernment ability
  • Design ability
  • Colour combination ability

To download the complete syllabus kindly refer this

https://design.careers360.com/articles/nift-syllabus

Good luck !