Top 10 Design Colleges in India 2026

4 Career Paths

Among these four career pathways, we are here discussing the Creative and Design career pathway. Students who are not interested in pursuing engineering and other professional courses can also take admission in this program.

This image highlights key characteristics that creative and design aspiring students should have to pursue this course.

Creative & Design — Programs

Design courses have a broad array of specialisations across the Bachelor of Design, creative tech, media, and film. There are approximately 47 specialisations in design courses, but some of the key specialisations for B.Des Programs, Creative Technology, and Media and Film Design are listed in the above image. Look at the image for more information.

Jobs & Placements

What are the Top Roles in Design?

Design graduates can work as:

• UI/UX Designer

• Product Designer

• Industrial Designer

• Visual Communication Specialist

• Design Strategist

• Interaction Designer

• Service Designer

• Branding and Identity Expert

• Packaging Designer

• Film and Animation Artist

• Design Researche

What are the Top Industries Hiring Design Graduates?

Design graduates can work in various industries, including IT and software, consumer electronics, healthcare, automotive, education, FMCG, lifestyle and retail.

What are the Placement Opportunities for Design Graduates?

• Global recruiting companies visit premier institutions to hire design graduates.

• Alumni startups hire from the National Institute of Design campus.

• Internships play an important role in securing jobs. Securing the right internship can help design aspirants get PPOs (Pre-Placement Offers).

• Graduates can even open their own design studio or work as freelancers.

Top 10 Design Colleges in India in 2026

Now, we are exploring the top 10 government and private design colleges in India in 2026. The list is as follows:

National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad

The first college in the list of the top 10 design institutes in India is the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. This is the first design institute in India, established in 1961. NID is a government design college in Ahmedabad spread across 37 acres of land. The Careers360 Design Rating of NID Ahmedabad is AAAAA, and the faculty count is 57. The National Institute of Design offers eight specialisations in the Bachelor of Design through the NIT DAT exam (National Institute of Design - Design Aptitude Test).

NID Ahmedabad Programs, Seats, Fees & Exams

National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, offers eight B.Des courses and the duration of all the courses are four-year. Total fees for the courses at NID Ahmedabad are Rs. 15.83 Lakhs, and the admission is primarily based on the NID DAT exam. You can refer to the above table for the seat count across the offered courses.

NID Ahmedabad, NID-DAT Mains Closing Rank and Score 2025

This table highlights the category-wise ranks and scores required to get admission at NID Ahmedabad. The score listed in the table is out of 100. Based on the 2025 data, the NID-DAT Mains closing rank for open category students was 48, and the score was 59.6 to secure a seat in NIT Ahmedabad. Look at the table above to check the rank and score for other category students.

NIFT Delhi

NIFT Delhi is a deemed university and was established in 1986. The faculty count is 70, and NIFT Delhi provides admission through NIFT or UCEED. The National Institute of Fashion Technology offers six courses in the Bachelor of Design.

NIFT Delhi Programs, Seats, Fees & Exams

The list of the Bachelor of Design courses at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi, is listed in the above table. Total fees for the courses at NIFT Delhi are Rs. 13.97 Lakhs, and the admission is based on the NIFT and UCEED exams. You can check out the above table for the seat count across the offered courses.

NIFT Delhi, NIFT Entrance Exam Highest Closing Rank 2025

**Cutoffs are filtered based on Round 1,2,3 , Disability NA and All India Quota

This table highlights the category-wise highest closing ranks across various programs at NIFT Delhi based on the 2025 data. Refer to the table for the program-wise and category-wise highest closing ranks.

NIFT Bangalore

NIFT Bangalore is a government university and was established in 1986. This institute is spread across 5 acres and is well-known for its fashion education, and provides admission through the NIFT entrance exam. The National Institute of Fashion Technology Bangalore offers five specialisations in the Bachelor of Design and the fees is Rs. 13.97 Lakhs.

NIFT Bangalore Programs, Seats, Fees & Exams

NIFT Bangalore offers the listed design programs with specialisation in fashion design, knitwear design, accessory design, textile design, and fashion communication. All these are four-year programs, and the total fees for the program are Rs. 13.97 Lakhs. The college provides admission through the NIFT entrance exam.

NIFT Bangalore, NIFT Entrance Exam Highest Closing Rank 2025

**Cutoffs are filtered based on Round 1,2,3 , Disability NA and All India Quota

Follow this table for the category-wise and course-wise highest closing rank to enter NIFT Bangalore.

IIT Bombay

IIT Bombay is a government institute and was established in 1969.

The campus is spread across 543 acres and offers admission through the UCEED entrance exam. The faculty strength is 25.

IIT Bombay Programs, Seats, Fees & Exams

IIT Bombay offers a four-year program in Bachelor of Design, and the fees for this program are Rs. 8.59 Lakhs. A total of 32 seats are available for this program at IIT Bombay, and admission is based on the UCEED entrance exam.

IIT Bombay UCEED Entrance Exam Highest Closing Rank 2025

The highest closing rank for the general category students in the UCEED entrance exam was 14, for EWS was 4, for OBC was 13, for SC was 7 and for ST category students was 5.

IIT Guwahati

IIT Guwahati is a government institute and was established in 1994.

The campus is spread across 704 acres and the faculty members are 20. It provides admission through the UCEED entrance exam.

IIT Guwahati Programs, Seats, Fees & Exams

IIT Guwahati offers a four-year Bachelor of Design program, and the fees for this program are Rs. 8.91 Lakhs. A total of 56 seats are available for B.Des at IIT Guwahati, and admission is through the UCEED entrance exam.

IIT Guwahati UCEED Entrance Exam Highest Closing Rank 2025

The IIT Guwahati's highest closing rank for the general category students in the UCEED entrance exam was 96, for EWS was 21, for OBC was 50, for SC was 27 and for ST category students was 7.

Shrishti Manipal Institute, Bangalore

Shrishti Manipal Institute Bangalore, is a private institute and was established in 1996. The campus is spread across 5 acres, and the faculty strength is 30. It provides admission through the UCEED or SMEAT entrance exams and has an AAAA+ rating by Careers360.

Shrishti Manipal Program, Seats, Fees & Exams

Check out this table for the list of B.Des specialisations offered at Shrishti Manipal Program, course duration, and fees.

BITS Design School of Mumbai

BITS Design School of Mumbai is a private institute and was established in 2024. The campus is spread across 60 acres, and the faculty strength is 28. This design school offers admission through the UCEED or BITSAT entrance exams.

BITS Design School of Mumbai Program, Seats, Fees & Exams

BITS Design School of Mumbai offers six specialisation courses in Bachelor of Design, and the fee for the offered courses is Rs. 31.20 Lakhs.

CEPT University, Ahmedabad

CEPT University, Ahmedabad, is a private university and was established in 1962. The campus is spread across 16 acres, and the Careers360 Design rating is AAAA+. This university offers admission through the UCEED entrance exams.

CEPT University Program, Seats, Fees & Exams

CEPT University offers UG design courses in product design and communication design. The fees for these five-year programs are Rs. 22.75 Lakhs, and the seat intake is 40 students. B.Des admission at CEPT University is primarily based on the UCEED entrance exam.

MIT Institute of Design, Pune

MIT Institute of Design, Pune, is a private institute and was established in 2006. The campus is spread across 125 acres and offers two specialised UG design courses. MIT offers admission through the MIT Design Aptitude Test.

MIT Institute of Design Program, Seats, Fees & Exams

Check out this table for the MIT Institute of Design courses, fees, seat availability and accepted exams.

World Design University

World Design University is a state private university and was established in 2018. The campus is spread across 12 acres and offers two specialised UG design courses. This design university accepts various entrance exams, including NID DAT, NIFT Entrance Exam, and UCEED.

World Design University Program, Seats, Fees & Exams

Refer to this table for the World Design University courses, fees, seat availability and accepted exams.

Anant National University, Ahmedabad

Anant National University, Ahmedabad, is a private university and was established in 2016. The campus is spread across 30 acres and offers seven specialised UG design courses. This university offers admission to the Bachelor of Design through the ADEPT entrance exam.

Anant National University, Ahmedabad Program, Seats, Fees & Exams

This table highlights the list of courses, their fees, and exams accepted at Anant National University, Ahmedabad. Refer to the table for more.

If you are a creative person and want to pursue a degree other than engineering, then a Bachelor's degree in Design is a great fit for you.