Top Fashion Design Colleges in India

As the name suggests, fashion design is a course dedicated to creating clothes and fashion accessories. It is a specialization that covers the study and application of fabrics, colours, patterns, styles, and trends. As the fashion industry is growing, fashion designing has opened up a plethora of opportunities for students. Fashion designing in India has emerged and made its place in the academic field with many courses available at the Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels. These courses groom and prepare students for the requirements of the fashion world. This stream is not only prosperous in India but abroad as well. 

Students learn different aspects of fashion design such as industries, management, trends accessories, and so on. The fashion design study is the combined study of these aspects. Students can choose a course depending on their interests and inclination. The top fashion design colleges in India have been listed in this article according to different zones i. e. North Zone, East Zone, South Zone, and West Zone. Also, the eligibility criteria, admission process, and queries have been given in this article. 

Fashion Design Colleges in India: Popular Specialisations

Various colleges offer different types of fashion designing in India. These specializations are at different levels such as Undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, and even certificate courses. Each course has different eligibility criteria and course structures. The list of these specializations has been provided below:

For Undergraduate courses:

• B. Des in Fashion Design

• B. A in Fashion Design

• BSc in Fashion Design

• B. Sc in Fashion Design and technology

For Postgraduate course:

• M. Des in Fashion Design

• M A in Fashion Design

• M. Sc in Fashion Design

• M. Sc in Fashion Design and Technology

• MBA in Fashion Design Management

• MBA in Fashion Management

For the Diploma course:

• Diploma in Fashion Design

• UG Diploma in Fashion and Apparel Design

• PG Diploma in fashion design

• Advanced Diploma in Fashion Designing

• Computer-Aided diploma in Fashion designing

For Certificate Course:

• Certificate course in Fashion Designing

• Certificate course in Creative Fashion Styling

• Certificate course in Fundamentals of Fashion Designing

• Certificate course in Fashion Illustration and design

Fashion Design Colleges in India: Eligibility Criteria

The Best fashion designing colleges in India have certain eligibility criteria that students need to meet before applying for admissions. The eligibility criteria for most fashion design colleges are the same. The criterion for each course is as follows:

For Undergraduate courses:

• Aspirants who have cleared their Std 10 + 2 from any stream from a recognized board with a minimum of 50% can pursue a fashion design course in India. 

• Students have to appear for entrance exams such as the National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance exam (NIFT), the National Institute of Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT), the Undergraduate Common Entrance Exam for Design (UCEED), and the Indian Institute of Art and Design Entrance Exam (IIAD). 

For Postgraduate courses:

• Aspirants must have pursued graduation in a design course for admission at the Postgraduate level with not less than 50% from a recognized college or university.

• Students have to appear for entrance exams like the National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance exam (NIFT), National Institute of Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT), Common Entrance Exams for Design (CEED), and Indian Institute of Art and Design Entrance Exam (IIAD). 

For Diploma courses:

• Students must have completed 10 +2 from a recognized university with not less than 40-50 % for admission in Diploma courses in Fashion Designing in India. 

• Graduates with minimum qualifying marks are also eligible for these courses.

For Certificate courses:

• Aspirants can apply after completing Std 10 + 2 in any stream.

Fashion Design Colleges in India: Admission Process

• Best fashion designing colleges in India prefer to test the aptitude of the students by conducting entrance exams for admission. 

• The aspirant needs to have a basic understanding and inclination of fashion trends to clear the exam. 

• Candidates need to pass Std 12 from any stream with minimum qualifying marks for admission in Undergraduate and diploma courses. Candidates who have completed their graduation are eligible for post-graduation courses. 

• The popular entrance exams for admission at the undergraduate level are:

• National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance exam (NIFT)

• National Institute of Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT)

• Undergraduate Common Entrance Exam for Design (UCEED)

• Indian Institute of Art and Design Entrance Exam (IIAD). 

• The popular entrance exams for admission at the postgraduate level are:

• National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance exam (NIFT)

• National Institute of Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT)

• Common Entrance Exams for Design (CEED)

• Indian Institute of Art and Design Entrance Exam (IIAD). 

Fashion Design Colleges in India: North Zone

Design is a vast field of work. It is important to choose a good design institute to be proficient in the specialization. These institutions train students to become talented designers. States in the north zone such as Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab hold some of the best institutes in the country. 

These colleges have different cut-offs, fees, and rankings and accept different entrance tests. For students who reside in the north or seek admission to a college in the north zone, top fashion design colleges in North Zone along with their important details have been listed below: -

Fashion Design Colleges in India: East Zone 

Fashion design requires students to have a natural inclination toward the subject. Students need to choose colleges wisely. The east zone holds some of the best fashion designing colleges in India. This zone is known for its ethnic culture and religious roots. It comprises states such as West, Bengal, Assam, Manipur, Jharkhand, and Arunachal Pradesh. 

One needs to have adequate training in the fashion design field, and that training is provided in colleges. For students who reside in the east or seek admission to a college in the east zone, top fashion design colleges in East Zone along with their important details have been listed below:

Fashion Design Colleges in India: South Zone

South India includes the states in Peninsular India and the islands Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar. The south zone is known for its culture and heritage and holds some of the reputed colleges in India. The top fashion design colleges in South Zone along with the details are as follows: -

Fashion Design Colleges in India: West Zone 

The language, culture, and weather of West India differ from other regions. The top fashion design colleges in West Zone along with the details are as follows: -

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the salary of Fashion designers in India?

The salary of a fashion designer depends on the college and knowledge. They draw 50,000- more than 1 lakh per month.

2. What are the necessary things needed for a fashion designer?

To become a fashion designer, you will need to have a combination of drawing, sewing, and design skills, a knowledge of the fashion industry, and unparalleled perseverance. You will also need to create a strong fashion portfolio and strengthen your knowledge of business and finance in general.

3. How does NIFT evaluate students in regular programmes?

The institute continuously evaluates and assesses the students throughout the semester by way of assignments, projects, internships, and presentations. Academicians and industry professionals assess the work and capabilities of students. They closely monitor their evolution as competent professionals and provide critical feedback on their performance and development.

4. What type of companies visit for the campus placement in Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design) in NIFT?

Some of the popular recruiters in Bachelor of Design (Fashion Design) in NIFT are Arvind Garments, Benetton, Freelook, Indus League Clothing, ITC Ltd, Levis, Lifestyle, Madura Garments, Modelama Exports, Omega Designs, Orient Craft, Pantaloon, Proline, Shahi Exports, Span India, Spykar, Swarovski India, Uni Style India, Designers like Rohit Bal, Gaurav Gupta, etc.

5. What is the percentage of placement in the JD Institute of Fashion Technology?

JD Institutes' placement record is almost 100%.

6. What are the facilities provided by the Symbiosis Institute of Design?

Symbiosis Institute of Design provides an Academic zone, AV lab, and auditorium facilities.

7. What are the annual fees of the MIT School of Design?

The annual fees of the MIT School of Design are 2.9 lakhs.

8. What are the fees for NIFT in India?

Generally, the fee for all NIFTs in India is 11.09 lakhs.

9. How many NIFT campuses are present in India?

NIFT currently has 18 campuses spread across the country.

10. Can a student from the science stream also take admission to fashion design colleges?

Yes, a student of any stream aspiring to seek admission can apply for the entrance exam and seek admission to fashion design colleges.

Also, check -

• How to Become a Fashion Designer
• Fashion Designer Salary in India