Students planning to appear for NIFT 2026 must fulfill the NIFT eligibility criteria 2026 as per different courses. The eligibility criteria is different for foreign nationals as well.
The National Institute of Fashion Technology publishes the NIFT eligibility criteria 2026 on its official website, nift.ac.in. Candidates must be 10+2 qualified from any recognized board in order to be eligible for a four-year design bachelor's degree. Additionally, for B.F. Tech courses, students need to have PCM in their 10+2.
Students must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited Indian university in order to enroll in master's programs. To be eligible for the NIFT 2026 exam, international students must pass the SAT for bachelor's degree programs and the GRE/GMAT for master's degree programs.
NIFT Program wise Eligibility Criteria 2026
The program wise eligibility criteria of NIFT have been shared below.
| Course | Duration | Specialization | NIFT Eligibility 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Design (B.Des) | 4 Years | Accessory Design | Class 10+2 from a recognized Board of Education. | |
| Fashion Communication | ||||
| Fashion Design | ||||
| Knitwear Design | ||||
| Leather Design | ||||
| Textile Design | ||||
| Bachelor of Fashion Technology (B.F.Tech) | 4 Years | Apparel Production | Class 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics from a recognized Board of Education. | |
| Master of Design (M.Des.) | 2 Years | Master of Design | Bachelor's degree from any institute recognized by law in India or undergraduate diploma of minimum 3 years duration in UG Design from NIFT or NID. |
|
| Master of Fashion Management (M.F.M) | 2 Years | Master of Fashion Management | Bachelor degree from any institute recognized by law in India or undergraduate diploma of minimum 3 years duration in UG Designfrom NIFT or NID. |
|
| Master of Fashion Technology (M.F.Tech.) | 2 Years | Master of Fashion Technology | Bachelor of Fashion Technology from NIFT or Bachelor of Engineering (B.E )/ Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) from any Institute recognized by law in India. |
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NIFT 2026 Eligibility Criteria for Foreign Students
Overseas candidates will be assigned to a campus or program at NIFT 2026 based on their scores on the merit list. Before April 30, 2026, they can choose how many SAT, GMAT, and GRE exams they take. These applicants must apply via the official website in order to be admitted to NIFT under the foreign national and NRI categories.
Students must qualify SAT/ GMAT/ GRE to be eligible to apply. They must also obtain equivalent certificates of their foreign degrees from Association of Indian Universities (AIU), New Delhi.
For the MDes program, students must have a valid score in the prescribed entrance exam.
- Masters in Fashion Management (MFM)- GMAT
- Master of Design (M.Des.)/ Master of Fashion Technology (M.F Tech.)- GRE
Students who fulfill the above mentioned criteria can apply online at the portal by paying an application fee of USD 125.
NIFT Eligibility Criteria for Children and Wards of NRI
Due to their redundancy, NRI seats will not be transferred to another category. However, empty seats in the NRI category following the concerned procedure would be made available to NRI children and wards on the basis of merit during counseling.
All candidates who pass the NIFT entrance test with a Common Merit Rank (CMR) and who are classified as "Children/Wards of NRI" will be able to choose NRI seats, provided they meet the NIFT eligibility requirements, submit the required paperwork, and pay the required cost at routine counseling. Within the total cap set for this category, NIFT may reassign seats among the programs in order to satisfy candidate demand.
| NIFT Program Name | Exam Score |
|---|---|
| Bachelor Programme (B.Des & B.FTech) | SAT 1 Score |
| Master Programme (MFM) | GMAT Score |
| Master Programme (M.Des & M.FTech) | GRE Score |
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Conclusion
It is important for candidates to fulfill the NIFT eligibility criteria 2026 in order to be eligible for the program. There is a slight difference in the eligibility requirements for different categories and Foreign nationals. The different category candidates, except for the General category, must present their category certificate to avail of reservation.
