NIFT Gandhinagar Admissions: Eligibility, Exam Pattern, and Important Dates
Published by Shikha Kumari on Jan 24, 2025
NIFT Gandhinagar has consistently ranked 5th or 6th over the last four years among the top fashion colleges in India, as per India Today rankings. It offers Bachelor of Design courses with various specializations such Fashion Design (FD), Accessory Design (AD), Textile Design (TD) & Fashion Communication (FC). With affordable fees and multiple scholarships to support students, NIFT Gandhinagar is one of the most sought-after colleges for pursuing a Bachelor of Design. In this article, we will cover the admission process for 2025, including eligibility criteria, exam structure, schedule, and available scholarships at NIFT Gandhinagar.
NIFT Gandhinagar Admission Process 2025
The process for the NIFT Entrance Exam began on November 22, 2024, with the launch of online applications. The last date to apply is February 28, 2025. This process may extend until June 2025, when all seats are expected to be allotted tentatively for the Bachelor of Design programme. Candidates can apply for admission while sitting at home, to apply online, follow these steps:
Step 1: Register using your personal email ID and mobile number. Note down the system-generated application number.
Step 2: Complete the online application form and note the system-generated application number. Upload the required documents
Step 3: Pay the prescribed fee via Net Banking, Debit Card, Credit Card, or UPI, and keep proof of payment for future reference.
IFT Gandhinagar Admission Eligibility 2025
Candidates can meet any of the following eligibility criteria to apply for NIFT Gandhinagar. Additionally, candidates applying under the artisan category must possess an Artisan Card issued to themselves or their father/mother by the Development Commissioner.
| Passed the 10+2 level examination from any recognized Central/State Board of Secondary Examination (e.g., CBSE, State Board, or Council for Indian School Certificate Examination, New Delhi). |
| A pass grade in the Senior Secondary School Examination conducted by the National Open School with a minimum of five subjects. |
| 3 or 4 years diploma recognized by AICTE or a State Board of Technical Education after the secondary examination/10th standard. |
How to prepare for the NIFT Exam Pattern
Specifically, for B.Des., the GAT, CAT, and Situation Test are organized to assess the candidates’ suitability for the design field. The situation test is the second stage of the entrance exam, conducted only if the candidate qualifies in GAT and CAT. Similarly, for an artist applying under the artisan category, an artisan skill test and an interview are conducted.
| Degree | Stages | Weightage |
| B.Des. | General Ability Test (GAT) | 50% |
| Creative Ability Test (CAT) | 30% | |
| Situation Test | 20% | |
| B.Des. for Artisan | Artisan Skill Test | 70% |
| Interview | 30% |
NIFT Admission Schedule
The online applications for the NIFT entrance exam are currently live. Candidates can fill them out and start preparing for the exam, which is tentatively scheduled to be conducted from March to April.
| Events | NIFT Exam Dates |
| Last date for applications | February 28, 2025 |
| Admit card | March 2025 (tentative) |
| Artisan Skill Test, Personal Interview & Documents Verification at Test Centres | April 2025 (tentative) |
| Declaration of final results | May 2025 (tentative) |
| Seat Allocation | June 2025 (tentative) |
The timings for the NIFT GAT and CAT tests for various courses are as follows:
| Programme | Test | Test Timings |
| Bachelor of Design | GAT | 9 am – 11 am |
| CAT | 2.30 pm – 5.30 pm |
NIFT Gandhinagar Fee Structure 2025
NIFT increases its fees every year. Currently, we only have the data for the 2024-28 batch fee structure from semester one to semester four, as follows. Candidates can take it as a reference; however, there may be an increment annually during their own course.
| Academic Fee Semester Wise (Non-NRI Category) | 2024-25 Sem 1(In Rs) | 2024-25 Sem 2(In Rs) | 2025-26 Sem 3(In Rs) | 2025-26 Sem 4(In Rs) |
| Tuition Fee (Non-Refundable) | 143,000 | 1,43,000 | 1,50,000 | 1,50,000 |
| Library Fee (Non-Refundable) | 9,500 | 0 | 10,000 | 0 |
| Mediclaim & Student Development Fee | 4,700 | 0 | 4,900 | 0 |
| Exam Fee (Per Year) | 4,700 | 0 | 4,900 | 0 |
| Total (Semester Fee) | 161,900 | 143,000 | 169,800 | 150,000 |
| One-Time Payments | ||||
| Security Deposit (Refundable) | 12,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alumni Association Membership Fee | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Registration Fee | 9,300 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total (One-Time Payments) | 21,300 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grand Total | 1,83,200 | 1,43,000 | 169,800 | 1,50,000 |
For the academic year 2024-25, the NIFT Gandhinagar hostel fees total is Rs 81,300, including a refundable security deposit of ₹5,000. The hostel accommodation is on a twin-sharing basis, and bookings will be considered on a first-come, first-serve basis.
NIFT Gandhinagar Scholarship
NIFT offers high scholarships for students either who are economically weaker or under the Means-cum-Merit Scheme. Specifically, two schemes named SARTHAK and UDAAN are the primary NIFT scholarship programmes.
| Scheme Name | Description |
| SARTHAK | NIFT Financial Assistance Scheme for economically weaker students to support their education. |
| UDAAN | Means-cum-Merit Scheme providing financial support for students pursuing foreign studies. |
Any non-NRI student who fulfills the criteria of A, B, C, and D in the following table can apply for financial assistance, which may vary based on the annual household income.
| Category | Annual Household Income | Percentage of Financial Assistance |
| A | Up to Rs 2 Lakhs | 100% of Tuition Fee |
| B | Rs 2 Lakhs – Rs 4 Lakhs | 75% of Tuition Fee |
| C | Rs 4 Lakhs – Rs 6 Lakhs | 50% of Tuition Fee |
| D | Rs 6 Lakhs – Rs 8 Lakhs | 25% of Tuition Fee |
Foreign students applying for NIFT are provided with the Merit-cum-Means Scheme, under which they are given a subsistence allowance for each semester, depending on their location of origin.
| S. No. | Category of Institutes (Location) | Financial Assistance (Subsistence Allowance) |
| A | European Institutes | 5000 USD per semester |
| B | American Institutes | 4000 USD per semester |
| C | Oceanic & Australian Institutes | 3750 USD per semester |
| D | Asian Institutes | 3000 USD per semester |
| E | Middle Eastern Institutes (Israel) | 3000 USD per semester |
NIFT Gandhinagar Seat Availability
Each campus in NIFT has a limited number of seats. For example, in NIFT Gandhinagar, the following seat matrix is followed. Candidates may decide their choice of campus in NIFT based on the availability of seats and the cut-off criteria.
| S. No. | B.Des UG Programmes | Current Strength (Students) |
| 1 | Fashion Design (FD) | 165 |
| 2 | Accessory Design (AD) | 142 |
| 3 | Textile Design (TD) | 144 |
| 4 | Fashion Communication (FC) | 155 |
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