Design Courses: Admission 2025, Fees, Entrance Exam, Top Colleges,
Published by Shikha Kumari on May 09, 2025
Design has become an integral part of human life. Everywhere we look, we are surrounded by things created through design. It can range from the clothes designed by fashion designers to the products we buy, which are designed by product designers, to websites designed with UI/UX principles. Essentially, everything around us is designed. Due to the growing importance of design, design courses have become a viable path for many. In this blog, we will discuss design courses, admission processes, entrance exams, topologies, and placement rankings of government and private colleges as per IIRF.
Design Courses: Admission 2025
Just like any other course, to get into design and gain proficiency, candidates can follow an academic path by taking an undergraduate or diploma course, followed by a postgraduate or PG diploma. Finally, if the candidate wishes to contribute to design academia, they can also pursue doctoral courses. Entrance exams such as UCEED and IIT entrance exams are conducted to assess the competency of candidates.
| Course Level | Eligibility Criteria | Entrance Exam |
| Undergraduate / Diploma | Master’s degree in a related area with 50% or more from a UGC-recognised institution. | NID DAT, UCEED, CEED (depending on the institute) |
| Postgraduate / PG Diploma | Completion of Class 12 (any stream) with at least 50% from a recognised board. | NID DAT, CEED, IIT Entrance Exam (for design-specific courses) |
| Doctoral | Master’s degree in a related area with 50% or more from a UGC-recognized institution. | Written test/Interview based on the university (often institution-specific) |
Types of Designing Courses
Based on categories such as visual communication, digital and interactive design, fashion, and lifestyle design, there are endless options to pursue as a design course. Bachelor of Design offers multiple domains to work upon, and some of these are listed below:
| Category | Design Course | ||
| Visual Communication | Graphic Design | Typography Design | Branding & Identity Design |
| Multimedia Design | Digital Publishing | Print & Publication Design | |
| Illustration Design | Advertising Design | Packaging Design | |
| Digital & Interactive Design | UI/UX Design | Web Design | Mobile App Design |
| Game Design | Motion Graphics Design | Information Architecture | |
| Animation & Film Design | 2D & 3D Animation | Character Design | Storyboarding |
| VFX Design | Film & Video Editing | Compositing | |
| Space & Product Design | Interior Design | Product Design | Industrial Design |
| Furniture Design | Automotive Design | – | |
| Fashion & Lifestyle Design | Fashion Design | Textile Design | Accessory Design |
| Footwear Design | Jewellery Design | – | |
Top Design Colleges in India
IIRF ranks design institutions every year based on various domains. In 2025, according to the IIRF ranking, the highest score was achieved by NID Ahmedabad, followed closely by Karnavati University with a gap of only 0.12. This was followed by Woxson School of Design.
Top 10 Design Colleges (Govt.)
National Institute of Design branches are among the most reputable colleges in the Indian framework. Even in the IIRF rankings, most of the NID branches have secured places in the top 10 government colleges.
| All India Rank*(Survey & Perceptive Based) | Name of Institutes | State | Overall Index Score |
| 1 | NID Ahmedabad – National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad | Gujarat | 80.29 |
| 2 | NID Madhya Pradesh – National Institute of Design, Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh | 78.83 |
| 3 | IIT Bombay – Indian Institute of Technology, IDC School of Design, Mumbai | Maharashtra | 78.05 |
| 4 | IIT Delhi – Indian Institute of Technology, Department of Design, Delhi | Delhi | 77 |
| 5 | NID Andhra Pradesh – National Institute of Design, Guntur | Andhra Pradesh | 76.16 |
| 6 | NID Haryana – National Institute of Design, Kurukshetra | Haryana | 75.52 |
| 7 | IIT Kanpur – Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur | Uttar Pradesh | 75.26 |
| 8 | IIT Roorkee – Indian Institute of Technology, Department of Design, Roorkee | Uttarakhand | 74.65 |
| 9 | IIT Guwahati – Indian Institute of Technology, Department of Design, Guwahati | Assam | 74.06 |
| 10 | NID Assam – National Institute of Design, Jorhat | Assam | 73.71 |
Top 10 Design Colleges (Pvt.)
Two Maharashtra private colleges, including NMIMS University, NMIMS School of Design, Mumbai, and MIT-ADT University, MIT Art, Design & Technology University, MIT Institute of Design, Pune, are considered among the top 10 design institutes. The following list is provided to get better potential at placement:
| All India Rank*(Survey & Perceptive Based) | Name of Institutes | State | Overall Index Score |
| 1 | Karnavati University, Unitedworld Institute of Design, Gandhinagar | Gujarat | 80.17 |
| 2 | Woxsen University, Woxsen School of Arts and Design, Hyderabad | Telangana | 79.83 |
| 3 | Amity University, Amity School of Fashion Technology, Noida | Uttar Pradesh | 79.27 |
| 4 | NMIMS University, NMIMS School of Design, Mumbai | Maharashtra | 78.8 |
| 5 | IIFD Chandigarh – Indian Institute of Fashion and Design, Chandigarh | Punjab | 78.56 |
| 6 | Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal School of Architecture and Planning, Manipal | Karnataka | 78 |
| 7 | Chitkara University, Chitkara School of Planning and Architecture, Patiala | Punjab | 77.61 |
| 8 | Parul University, Parul Institute of Design, Vadodara | Gujarat | 77.16 |
| 9 | MIT-ADT University, MIT Art, Design & Technology University, MIT Institute of Design, Pune | Maharashtra | 76.72 |
| 10 | Avantika University, Ujjain | Madhya Pradesh | 76.38 |
Design Courses in Delhi University
B.Voc. Web Designing in Kalindi College is currently the only professional degree program is that Delhi University is offering.
Designing Course Fees
Usually, government colleges have much lower fees compared to private colleges, as you can see in the table.
| College Category | College Name | Tuition Fee |
| Government College (Lowest Fee) | Delhi University Design Admission | Rs 480 – Rs 19,080 |
| Government College (Highest Fee) | NID Ahmedabad Design Admission | Rs 12.22 – 16.84 Lakh |
| Private College (Highest Fee) | Pearl Academy Mumbai Design Admission | Rs 2.1 – 29.94 Lakh |
| Private College (Lowest Fee) | JD Institute of Fashion Technology Design Admission | Rs 35,400 – Rs 5.4 Lakh |
Design Courses
Design course packages offer a lucrative career path. Some of the best design colleges in India offer very high packages ranging from Rs 12 LPA to Rs 13.3 LPA. These colleges include the Dashmesh Girls College, Mukerian and the Vijaybhoomi School of Design, Vijaybhoomi University.
| Best Design Colleges in India | Average Package Offered |
| Dashmesh Girls College, Mukerian | Rs 12 LPA |
| Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design And Technology | Rs 3 – 11.75 LPA |
| Jamia Millia Islamia | Rs 9.25 LPA |
| Manipal School of Architecture and Planning | Rs 11.75 LPA |
| Delhi University | Rs 16 LPA |
| KIIT School of Fashion Technology – KSFT | Rs 9.5 LPA |
| School of Art and Design, ITM Gwalior | Rs 10.7 LPA |
| Welingkar Mumbai | Rs 10 LPA |
| Vijaybhoomi School of Design, Vijaybhoomi University | Rs 13.3 LPA |
| Srinivas University | Rs 3.8 – 10 LPA |
Which design course is best for the future?
If you’re aiming for long-term growth in the future, UX/UI Design and Web Design & Development have immense potential, as they combine creative and technical skills that will always be in demand in this digital age. However, the “best” course depends on what resonates with your interests, because the best career path is one you’ll enjoy.
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