NID Ahmedabad admits students to design programmes such as B.Des and M.Des through NID DAT. The 4-year B.Des programme has eight specialisations and costs INR 18.14 Lakh for Indian national students, excluding hostel fees. At the PG level, the institute runs M.Des in seven specialisations, and it also offers a PhD programme in full-time and part-time modes.

  • UG and PG admission at NID Ahmedabad depends on NID DAT scores. The exam has two stages: Design Aptitude Test Prelims and Design Aptitude Test Mains.
  • Students have to apply online for all programmes through the official admission portal: admissions.nid.edu.
  • For B.Des admission, the application fee is INR 3,000 for General/ EWS/ OBC-NCL candidates and INR 1,500 for SC/ ST candidates.

Application portal: https://admissions.nid.edu/

NID Ahmedabad Important Dates 2027

The current admission schedule for NID DAT and PhD admission is given below.

NID Ahmedabad UG and PG Admission Dates 2027

Event Date
B.Des application form submission for DAT 10 September 2026 to 11:59 pm, 30 November 2026
M.Des application form submission for DAT 10 September 2026 to 11:59 pm, 30 November 2026
B.Des application form edit window 4 pm, 01 December 2026 to 11:59 pm, 03 December 2026
M.Des application form edit window 4 pm, 01 December 2026 to 11:59 pm, 03 December 2026
B.Des and M.Des DAT Prelims admit card download 4 pm, 10 December 2026
B.Des and M.Des DAT Prelims exam Sunday, 20 December 2026
M.Des one-time window to edit category certificate 4 pm, 15 January 2027 to 11:59 pm, 31 January 2027
M.Des DAT Prelims result 4 pm, 16 February 2027
M.Des re-totalling of DAT Prelims answer booklet marks 6 pm, 16 February 2027 to 11:59 pm, 18 February 2027
B.Des one-time window to edit category certificate 4 pm, 16 February 2027 to 11:59 pm, 28 February 2027
B.Des DAT Prelims result 4 pm, 16 March 2027
B.Des re-totalling of DAT Prelims answer booklet marks 4 pm, 16 March 2027 to 11:59 pm, 17 March 2027

Subject to revision. Kindly check with the official sources to confirm

NID Ahmedabad PhD Admission Dates 2027

Event Date
PhD application period 25 August 2026, 18:00 hrs to 01 October 2026, 23:59 hrs
PhD application editing window 02 October 2026, 00:00 hrs to 04 October 2026, 23:59 hrs
Doctoral Research Test 22 October 2026
Interview 02 November 2026, 03 November 2026 and 04 November 2026
Final result declaration and offer dispatch 15 December 2026

Subject to revision. Kindly check with the official sources to confirm

NID Ahmedabad B.Des Admission 2026

NID Ahmedabad offers Bachelor of Design (B.Des) as a full-time UG course in Design. The course runs for 4 Years, has 8 specialisations and offers 128 Seats in total.

Particulars Details
Course Name Bachelor of Design (B.Des)
Duration 4 Years
Type Full-time
Number of Specialisations 8
Specialisations Film and Video Communication, Exhibition Design, Animation Film Design, Graphic Design, Ceramic and Glass Design, Furniture and Interior Design, Product Design, Textile Design
Total Seat Intake 128 Seats
First Year Course Fees INR 4.52 Lakhs
Eligibility Criteria Passed 10+2 in any stream from a recognised board and must not be older than 20 Years of age
Selection Criteria Merit in NID DAT Prelims + NID DAT Mains

Subject to revision. Kindly check with the official sources to confirm

NID Ahmedabad B.Des Seat Intake

The 128 Seats in B.Des are divided across eight design specialisations. The seat distribution is listed below.

B.Des Specialization Number of Seats
Film and Video Communication 13
Exhibition Design 13
Animation Film Design 19
Graphic Design 19
Ceramic and Glass Design 13
Furniture and Interior Design 13
Product Design 19
Textile Design 19
Total Seats 128 Seats

NID Ahmedabad B.Des Eligibility Criteria

Students applying for B.Des at NID Ahmedabad must meet the following rules.

  • Applicants should have passed 10+2 in Science, Commerce or Humanities from a recognized board.
  • The upper age limit is 20 Years on or before July 1 of the admission year. SC/ ST/ OBC-NCL candidates get 3 Years of relaxation.

NID Ahmedabad B.Des Selection Criteria

B.Des admission is decided through the Design Aptitude Test. Students first take DAT Prelims. Those who qualify through the DAT Prelims merit list have to appear for DAT Mains. The final admission list is prepared by adding the weighted scores of DAT Prelims and DAT Mains.

NID Ahmedabad M.Des Admission 2026

At the PG level, NID Ahmedabad offers the Master of Design (M.Des) programme in 7 specialisations. It is a full-time course with a duration of 2.5 Years and a total intake of 126 Seats.

Particulars Details
Course Master of Design (M.Des)
Duration 2.5 Years
Type Full-Time
Total Seat Intake 126 Seats
First Year Course Fees INR 5.25 Lakhs
Number of Specialisations 7
Specializations Offered Film and Video Communication, Graphic Design, Animation Film Design, Ceramic and Glass Design, Furniture and Interior Design, Product Design, Textile Design
Eligibility Criteria Bachelor's Degree of 4 Years/ Full-Time Diploma (4 Years) in Design/ Fine Arts/ Applied Arts/ Architecture/ Bachelor's Degree of 3 Years
Selection Criteria Merit in NID DAT Prelims + NID DAT Mains

Subject to revision. Kindly check with the official sources to confirm

NID Ahmedabad M.Des Seat Intake

NID Ahmedabad has 126 Seats for M.Des across seven specialisations. The specialisation-wise seats are given below.

Specialization Number of Seats
Product Design 19
Film & Video Communication 19
Animation Film Design 19
Furniture & Interior Design 19
Graphic Design 19
Ceramic & Glass Design 12
Textile Design 19
Total Seats 126 Seats

NID Ahmedabad M.Des Eligibility Criteria

For M.Des admission at NID Ahmedabad, a student must satisfy any one of the accepted academic routes and also meet the age rule.

  • A Bachelor's Degree of at least 3 or 4 Years in any specialisation after 10+2 is accepted.
  • A Full-Time Diploma of 4 Years in Design/Fine Arts/Applied Arts/ Architecture after 10+2 is also accepted.
  • The upper age limit for M.Des is 30 Years on or before July 1 of the admission year. SC/ ST/ OBC-NCL candidates get 3 Years of relaxation.

NID Ahmedabad M.Des Selection Criteria

M.Des selection is based on DAT Prelims and DAT Mains performance. A candidate may apply for up to two disciplines in the Master of Design programme. Seat allotment follows the preference entered by the candidate while filling the application form.

NID Ahmedabad PhD Admission 2026

NID Ahmedabad offers PhD in Design in both full-time and part-time formats. The programme has 15 Seats, and admission is completed through screening, research proposal review, DRT and interview.

Particulars Details
Course Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Type Part-time & Full-time
Duration Part-Time: 5-7 Years
Full-Time: 3-5 Years
Seat Intake 15 Seats
Basic Eligibility Criteria M.Des/ M.Phil (Design) Degree with 55% Marks in Aggregate/ B.Des from NID with 3 Years of Professional Experience
Basic Selection Criteria Eligibility Screening + Research Proposal Assessment + NID DRT (Design Research Test) + Personal Interview

NID Ahmedabad PhD Eligibility Criteria

A candidate can apply for PhD at NID Ahmedabad with any of the following qualifications.

  • Master of Design (M.Des) Degree from a recognised institution.
  • Master of Philosophy in Design (M.Phil (Design)) Degree from a recognised institution.
  • Master of Architecture, Fine Art or Applied Art Degree after an M.Des or B.Des Degree.
  • Bachelor of Design (B.Des) from NID with 3 Years of professional or teaching experience.
  • 2-Year Faculty Development Program in Design from NID or any recognised university.

NID Ahmedabad PhD Selection Criteria

The PhD selection process at NID Ahmedabad has four stages.

  • Stage 1 (Eligibility Screening): Applications are checked for eligibility, including educational qualifications.
  • Stage 2 (Assessment of Research Proposal): Applicants must submit a research proposal explaining their motivation and research plan. The proposal is reviewed for its match with NID's research objectives and other relevant factors. Candidates who clear this review are shortlisted for Stage 3.
  • Stage 3 (Design Research Test): Shortlisted candidates have to take the Design Research Test (DRT). Candidates with work experience of 15 Years or more do not have to take the DRT. Those who qualify DRT can appear for the final Personal Interview.
  • Stage 4 (Personal Interview): Candidates meet the institute's appointed representatives online. The interview checks their aptitude for carrying out the proposed research.

NID Ahmedabad Cutoff

NID Ahmedabad B.Des Cutoff

B.Des admission at NID Ahmedabad is based on the total score in DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. The category-wise B.Des cutoff trends are shown below.

Category 2025 2024 2023
General 59.6 65.1 65.8
OBC 53.7 58.8 60.7
Overseas 52.5 51.4 21.2
SC 51.7 56.4 58.8
EWS 50.9 58.2 57.4
ST 47.8 52.5 52.8
PwD 40.6 43.5 49.4

NID Ahmedabad M.Des Cutoff

The M.Des cutoff trends for different categories at NID Ahmedabad are listed below.

Category 2025 2024 2023
Overseas 57.8 60.1 50.35
EWS 50.25 50.35 51.35
General 50.15 50.1 50.2
OBC 45.15 45.2 45.7
PwD 42.15 40.35 40.95
ST 41.8 41.6 40.3
SC 40.2 41 40.5

NID Ahmedabad Admission Process 2026

For NID Ahmedabad admission, candidates must submit the online form through https://admissions.nid.edu/. After registration, they have to appear for the NID entrance exam on the given date and time. For B.Des and M.Des, the process moves through the following steps.

  • NID DAT Prelims Exam + Results
  • Shortlisting of Candidates for NID DAT Mains
  • NID DAT Mains Exam + Results
  • Release of Final Merit List (Score in NID DAT Prelims Exam + Results)
  • Seat Allotment Process (Preference Filling, Seat Allotment & Confirmation, Fee Payment)

Seats are allotted on the basis of merit list, candidate category and seat availability. Admission is confirmed only after document verification and fee payment are completed.

NID Ahmedabad Application Fees 2026

The category-wise application fee for B.Des and M.Des admission at NID Ahmedabad is given below.

Category Application Fee for B.Des & M. Des (1 Discipline) Application Fee for M.Des (2 Disciplines in the same faculty stream only)
General/ EWS/ OBC-NCL INR 3,000 INR 6,000
Female Candidates (except SC, ST & PwD) INR 2,000 INR 4,000
SC & ST Candidates INR 1,500 INR 3,000
PwD Candidates INR 500 INR 1,000
Third Gender INR 500 INR 1,000
Overseas (Supernumerary) Candidates US$ 125 US$ 250

Subject to revision. Kindly check with the official sources to confirm

NID Ahmedabad Admission FAQs

Ques. How is NID DAT conducted for admission?

Ans. NID DAT has two stages. The first stage is the preliminary exam with 2 papers. Paper 1 carries 70 marks and has objective-type questions, while Paper 2 carries 30 marks and has subjective-type questions. Students who clear the first stage appear for the main exam. Stage 2 is based on practical tests such as sketching/ drawing, handicraft models, group discussions and presentations, and it carries 100 marks.

Ques. Is offline fee payment allowed for NID Ahmedabad applications?

Ans. No, applicants cannot pay the NID Ahmedabad application fee offline. Registration, form submission and fee payment are online, so students do not need to visit the campus to pay the application fee.

Ques. Do M.Des applicants need a portfolio for NID Ahmedabad?

Ans. Yes, a portfolio is compulsory for the NID Ahmedabad M.Des interview call. Students should include their best work in the portfolio because it supports their chance of getting a seat.

Ques. Are exchange opportunities available at NID Ahmedabad?

Ans. Yes, NID Ahmedabad has faculty exchange, student exchange programmes, international collaborative research projects and other similar opportunities. Students may get a chance to go abroad and study internationally for a semester.

Ques. Which documents are needed for the NID Ahmedabad interview?

Ans. Candidates shortlisted after qualifying DAT Prelims and DAT Mains are called for a personal interview. They should carry these documents for the interview.

  • All academic documents: mark sheets and certificates
  • A valid caste certificate, if required
  • Income certificate, if required
  • Portfolio
  • Experience certificate, if required

Ques. Can students from other countries apply to NID Ahmedabad?

Ans. Yes, international students can apply to NID Ahmedabad for design degrees. They need to visit the admission website, sign up as a new user and apply online for the degree they want.

Ques. Does NID have tie-ups with international universities?

Ans. Yes, NID has MoUs with different international universities. Through exchange programmes, Indian students can visit international universities for their studies. Some partner institutions include Birmingham Institute of Art and Design UK, Tama Art University Japan and Royal College of Art & Design London.

Ques. Is any fellowship offered to PhD students at NID Ahmedabad?

Ans. Yes, PhD students can receive the SAGE PhD Fellowship at the National Institute of Design. It is offered only to full-time candidates for 3 years. The research topic must be Biopackaging, and only one position is available under this fellowship.