Top 10 Fashion Design Institutes in India 2025: Eligibility, Courses, Fees

Every year, many more young aspirants get attracted to this exciting world of fashion design by studying in one of the top 10 fashion design institutes in India 2025. If you are one such aspiring designer, you sure are in the right place. Your search for the best fashion design institutes in India has brought you to this page. At present, India offers 42 prominent colleges offering full-time fashion design courses. These include private and government-funded institutions such as NIFT with campuses in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Jodhpur, Pearl Academy, Vogue Institute of Art and Design, and the National Institute of Design amongst others.

India's top 10 fashion institutes are known for nurturing creative talent all across the country, along with a relatively affordable fee. The institutes not only teach the skills required to make it in the industry but also set open doors to some of the most sought-after career opportunities in the world of fashion. However, getting to these elite colleges is not easy. The admission process is highly competitive, with limited seats, and hence, not every aspiring designer can find a place in these elite programs. To cater to the needs of aspiring students, CollegeDekho experts have carefully curated a list of the top 10 Fashion design institutes in India for 2025 admissions, with information about their academic programs, fees and more. 

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Top 10 Fashion Institutes in India Based on India Today Rankings

Fashion design is an exciting and rewarding career path. There are several public and private colleges to choose from. Here is a list of some of the most prominent and carefully researched top 10 fashion institutes in India based on the most recent rankings:

Top Fashion Design Institutes in India

NIFT campuses are among the top 10 fashion institutes in India. But let us shed some light on the top fashion design institutes in India apart from NIFT campuses.

National Institute of Fashion Technology (All Campuses)

Considered one of the top 10 Fashion institutes in India, the National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi was set up by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, in technical collaboration with the FIT, New York. Currently, NIFT has 18 campuses in India and has produced many eminent alumni over the years like Rohit Bal, Ritu Beri, and Manish Malhotra. It offers a variety of regular as well as CE programs. It has the oldest and richest resource centre having a rich collection of print and non-print materials. Most of its campuses are ranked among the top design colleges in India.

Pearl Academy, Delhi

Next in line is the Pearl Academy, Delhi (formerly Pearl Academy of Fashion), which is a private higher education institute in India, offering undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma courses in design, fashion and business. Starting with a campus in Okhla in South Delhi, the academy later moved to a larger campus in Naraina, in the West of the city. Pearl Academy has been accorded Educational Partnership of the World Design Organization (WDO) and has been awarded Assocham Education National Excellence Awards for five consecutive years for being the Best Design Institute in India (2016 to 2020).

International Institute of Fashion Design, Navi Mumbai

The International Institute of Fashion Design (IIFD), Navi Mumbai is often listed among the top Fashion institutes in India and is considered one of the prominent fashion design institutes in Maharashtra, the International Institute of Fashion Design, Navi Mumbai was established in 2003. The institute offers high standards of education and exceptional facilities to students pursuing UG, PG and certificate courses. The International Institute of Fashion is awarded as the Most Promising Fashion Designing Institute in Mumbai. It has also received the Best Fashion and Interior Designing Institute title by the Global Quality Awards.

Vogue Institute of Art and Design, Bangalore (VIFT)

Another design institute topping the list of top 10 Fashion institutes in India is the Vogue Institute of Fashion Technology (VIFT), Bangalore. It is a multidisciplinary, umbrella institute that was founded in the year 1996. Vogue is the hub where designing is induced with passion & standards of design education are set with a creative educational culture.

Army Institute of Fashion and Design, Bangalore

The Army Institute of Fashion and Design, Bangalore was established in 2004 by the Army Welfare Education Society to meet the educational needs of the wards and wives of Army Personnel. The institute aims to inculcate technical and professional education in the field of Fashion and Apparel Designing. As per the Week, the institute has been ranked as the second-best college in Bangalore in the year 2019. In 2020, the Times of India awarded the institute the third position in the list of best colleges in Bangalore. 

Symbiosis Institute of Design, Pune (SID)

Symbiosis Institute of Design, Pune is one of the famous design institutes in India. SID is a constituent of Symbiosis International University. The Institute has a strong advisory board, which imparts research, and practical advice to design academics, business and students. Apart from these excellent amenities, a serene campus atmosphere makes learning congenial for all students. It offers both bachelor's and master's degrees in fashion design. 

National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad

The NID Ahmedabad is one of the top 10 Fashion institutes in India leading Institutes in design-related studies. The Institute has around 500 students across its various campuses. The NID is internationally acclaimed as one of the foremost multi-disciplinary institutions in the field of design education and research. Business Week, USA has listed NID as one of the top 25 European & Asian programmes in the world.

Amity Institute of Fashion Technology, Noida

The Amity School of Fashion Technology, Noida promotes versatility in the field of fashion and offers Design, Technology and Management of the fashion industry. The institute aims to equip students with skills, knowledge and ability to work as professionals in the fashion and apparel industry across the nation. 

Arch Academy of Design, Jaipur

Another college recognized among the top fashion design institutes in India is the Arch Academy of Design, Jaipur. It is known for nurturing skilful professionals for the fashion and apparel industry. The institute was established in 2000 and is located in Jaipur. The institute has always skyrocketed when it comes to quality education and world-class facilities.

JD Institute of Fashion Technology, Bengaluru

Established in 1988 as a private institute, JD Institute of Fashion Technology is an educational division of the JD Educational Trust which is affiliated with the Bengaluru Central University. It offers design courses at UG, PG, and diploma levels. Some of its popular courses are Fashion Design and Management, Interior Design, etc. The institute has a state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities and offers placement assistance to all its students.

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Best Colleges Other than the Top 10 Fashion Institutes in India 

While the top 10 fashion institutes in India are renowned, the country also offers a wealth of excellent alternatives. Here's a look at some other highly regarded colleges:

Top 10 Fashion Institutes in India: Popular Courses & Fees

In comparison, fashion design course fees for private institutes are higher than those of government colleges. Government colleges' fashion design course fee ranges between INR 10,000 and INR 3,00,000. On the other hand, private college fees are around INR 5,00,000 to 12,00,000. Check below are the top 10 fashion institutes in India popular courses and fees:

Eligibility Criteria for Studying at the Top 10 Fashion Institutes in India

If you are looking to apply for a fashion design course, it makes sense to first know what eligibility requirements exist. Though these are pretty similar at most fashion design schools, they also differ from one-course type to another. Below is a simplified breakdown of the criteria for different courses:

Undergraduate Programs

• To qualify for an undergraduate fashion design course in India, you need:
• A Class 10+2 qualification from a recognized board with at least 50% marks.
• To clear entrance exams like the NIFT Entrance Exam, NID DAT, UCEED, or IIAD Entrance Exam.

Postgraduate Programs

• If you are aiming for a postgraduate course, you’ll need:
• A bachelor’s degree in design or a related field from a recognized college or university with a minimum of 50% marks.
• To pass entrance exams such as NIFT, NID DAT, CEED, or IIAD.

Diploma Programs

• For diploma courses in fashion design, the criteria include:
• Completion of Class 10+2 from a recognized board with 40-50% marks.
• If you are a graduate, you can also apply, provided you meet the minimum grade requirements.

Certificate Programs

• Certificate courses are the easiest to qualify for, as you only need:
• A Class 10+2 qualification in any stream.

Entrance Exams for Top 10 Fashion Institutes in India 

If you are planning to get a seat in one of India's fashion institutes, then you will need to clear some entrance examinations. A list of some most prominent entrance examinations for undergraduate and postgraduate design courses follows:

Undergraduate Entrance Exams

• National Institute of Fashion Technology or NIFT Entrance Exam
• National Institute of Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT)
• Undergraduate Common Entrance Exam for Design (UCEED)
• Indian Institute of Art and Design or IIAD Entrance Exam 

Postgraduate Entrance Exams

• National Institute of Fashion Technology or NIFT Entrance Exam
• National Institute of Design Aptitude Test (NID DAT)
• Common Entrance Exam for Design (CEED)

Fashion Design Admission Process

Candidates planning to seek admission to a fashion design course from the top 10 fashion institutes in India must be aware of the admission process. Check out the step-wise fashion design admission process mentioned below: 

• The first step for design candidates is to pick a fashion design college according to their interests and merit. 

• Then, before choosing the college, candidates must be aware of the eligibility criteria, facilities and other factors.

• After which the admission form must be filled out with the required details and then submit it.

• There are different top fashion institutes in India which prefer to test the aptitude of the candidate through entrance exams before allowing them to participate in the fashion design admission process. So, students are required to sit for entrance exams as per the requirements of the institute. Candidates must have a basic understanding and interest in fashion trends to do well in the fashion-related entrance exam. 

• Candidates who want to be admitted to undergraduate and diploma courses must have passed Class 12 in any stream with minimum qualifying marks. For postgraduate courses, candidates must have completed their undergraduate studies.

Based on their choices and areas of interest, students can choose a course, or college and proceed with their respective fashion design admission process. Numerous undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered in fashion design, which has become recognised as a legitimate academic field. Students are shaped and ready for the needs of the fashion business via these curricula where the fashion designing course fees are affordable for every aspirant.

With the increase in popularity, plenty of colleges have started offering courses related to Fashion. It often gets confusing for the aspirants to pick out the right course and college. To help you with the same, CollegeDekho admission experts are available at 1800-572-9877 (toll-free). You can also fill out the Common Application Form. For any more queries, write to us in the Q&A zone.