Diploma in Fashion Design After 12th: Admission Process, Eligibility, Top Colleges, Syllabus, Jobs

Published by Shikha Kumari on May 28, 2025

For any candidate who wishes to pursue fashion design as a career, a diploma in fashion design can be a very quick way to enter the field. In this blog, we are going to discuss its admission process, eligibility criteria, as well as mention the top colleges, fees, and the career scope after completing this course.

Fashion Course Admission Process

The diploma in fashion design course admission process can involve applying online, potentially by taking an entrance exam. This can proceed to attending an interview. As a basic eligibility, you must have passed class 12 from a recognised board. Many colleges have a minimum percentage criterion that sets the road. Likewise, some colleges like JD Institute of Fashion Technology may require a General Aptitude Test (GAT) or the NIFT entrance exam. Make sure that you have a portfolio of your creative work; it can include drawings, design projects, or any skills that you developed in your school life. If you are selected based on your performance and interview, you will be informed via email or a phone call. Make sure that you pay the required fee to confirm your admission.

Fashion Entrance Exams

As an entry point for a diploma in fashion design, many entrance exams are conducted to assess the candidates’ potential. These include NIFT Entrance Exam, NID Design Aptitude Test (DAT), and UCEED (Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design). Many private colleges also require the entrance exam, such as Pearl Academy and IIAD. Likewise, design-specific exams like CEED, FDDI AIST, and SOFT CET are also popular. Some of the most popular fashion diploma exams include NIFT, NID DAT, UCEED, CEED, FDDI AIST, SOFT CET, and entrance tests by private institutes like Pearl Academy and IIAD.

Best Fashion Course

After the 12th grade, a Diploma in Fashion Design is considered a good option for aspiring fashion designers. This diploma in fashion design includes the basics of fashion design, such as pattern drafting, garment construction, and design fundamentals. Not only that, but diploma programmes can also cover specialised areas like fashion technology, accessory design, or fashion fit and style.

Since a diploma in fashion design is a vocational programme, it can be short compared to regular degrees. It can go from one year in length to 2 years at the most. Rather than academics only, it focuses on practical and technical skills that are required for design, construction, and managing the aspects of fashion. Types of fashion designing courses in fashion diploma can also be alternated through multiple areas such as fashion merchandising, retail management, etc. Some of those are listed below:

Fashion Design Top Colleges

To do a diploma in fashion design, candidates can pursue their goals through colleges such as NIFT Global S Mumbai, London School of Trend, IDeA World College, or Le Mark School of Art. However, these colleges have very high tuition fees. They can offer a diploma with better interactive settings.

As you see above, one year diploma in fashion design fees can range up to rupees 7.13 lakh. However, for candidates who cannot pay high tuition fees, many small private colleges, as well as government colleges, also offer a way. These colleges include Periyar University, YMCA, as well as Indian School of Business Management and Administration. The fee in these colleges can range from as low as Rs 7,220 only.

Diploma in Fashion Design Jobs

Candidates can easily expect rupees 30,000 to 40,000 as a salary after completing a diploma in fashion design after 12. However, these salary ranges that we have mentioned below from the job listings can be dependent upon the location, experience as well and skills. So, make sure to upscale yourself to the current market scenario.