National Institute of Fashion Technology: Admission 2026, Courses, Fees, Ranking & Kannur Campus Life

About National Institute of Fashion Technology - [NIFT] Kannur

National Institute of Fashion Technology Kannur (NIFT Kannur) is a premier fashion design campus established in 2008 at Dharmashala near Kannur in Kerala. It is one of the 18 campuses of the National Institute of Fashion Technology set up under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, and functions as an autonomous fashion, design, technology and management institute. The campus is located on land allotted by the Government of Kerala and is part of the national NIFT network headquartered in New Delhi.

NIFT Kannur offers specialised programmes in design and fashion technology with modern studios, laboratories and a purpose-built multi-storey academic block. The institute offers BDes and BFTech at undergraduate level and MDes and MFM at postgraduate level, along with continuing education programmes in niche design and fashion areas. The Kannur campus operates under the centrally governed NIFT academic framework, benefiting from national-level industry linkages, placements and collaborative initiatives across the NIFT system.

Key Highlights

Admission Dates 2026

Admission to National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Kannur UG and PG programmes in 2026 runs through the central NIFT admission process, conducted by NIFT/NTA via the NIFT Entrance Exam (GAT/CAT) followed by Situation Test/Personal Interview and centralised counselling. A single national-level NIFT exam is accepted for programmes like B.Des, B.FTech, M.Des and MFM, with registration hosted on the official NIFT admission portal.

Admission Process

NIFT Kannur admits students to its B.Des, B.FTech, M.Des and MFM programmes through the national NIFT entrance process (GAT/CAT, Situation Test/PI/GD) conducted centrally by NIFT, followed by online counselling and seat allotment based on All India merit ranks and preferences. All applications, exams, results, and counselling are managed through the NIFT admission portal.

B.Des, B.FTech, M.Des, MFM Admission

Steps to Apply

1. Check programme-wise eligibility and age criteria in the NIFT Admissions section on the official NIFT website and brochure.
2. Register online for NIFT Admissions on the NIFT portal and create a login ID using a valid email and mobile number.
3. Fill the NIFT application form, select desired programmes (B.Des/B.FTech/M.Des/MFM) and exam city, and upload photograph and signature.
4. Pay the NIFT application fee online and download the confirmation page for records.
5. Download the NIFT admit card from the portal and appear for GAT/CAT as applicable on the scheduled date.
6. For shortlisted candidates, appear for Situation Test (B.Des) or Personal Interview/Group Discussion (PG programmes) schedule.
7. Check NIFT entrance result and All India merit rank on the NIFT portal.
8. Register for NIFT online counselling, fill choices for NIFT Kannur programmes and specialisations in order of preference.
9. Check seat allotment result, download provisional allotment letter and pay the first semester fee within the deadline.
10. Report to NIFT Kannur on the notified date with original documents for verification and complete hostel and registration formalities.

Eligibility Criteria & Fees

Documents Required

• Class 10 marksheet and certificate
• Class 12 marksheet and certificate (and 10+2 PCM proof for B.FTech)
• Graduation degree and all semester/year marksheets (for M.Des/MFM)
• NIFT entrance admit card and NIFT score / rank card
• Category certificate (SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS) in prescribed format, if applicable
• PwD certificate in prescribed format, if applicable
• Transfer certificate / school leaving certificate and character certificate
• Government-issued photo ID (Aadhaar / Passport / Driving Licence)
• Recent passport-size photographs
• Fee payment proof / demand draft details as specified in admission offer
• Medical fitness certificate in the format specified by NIFT
• Migration certificate from last attended board/university (if required)

Cutoff 2025

NIFT Kannur admissions in 2025 are based on NIFT entrance ranks, with M.Des and MFM closing at sub-900 ranks for most categories, while B.F.Tech and B.Des specialisations extend to higher ranks. Overall, 2025 cutoffs are slightly more competitive than 2024 in most popular programmes, especially for General and EWS categories.

Placements 2025

NIFT Kannur’s 2025 placement season a highest package of ₹6.7 LPA and an average package of ₹4.3 LPA, with 81% of students placed. The campus saw participation from 192 companies, offering domestic roles across design, merchandising, and management profiles.

Placement Statistics

Top Recruiters

IT: Infosys, Samsung, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd

Consulting: Technopak

Core: Raymond, Reliance Industries Limited, Decathlon, Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd., Landmark Group, Trent Ltd., Arvind Lifestyle Brands Limited, Bata India Limited, H&M, Manyavar, Fab India, Myntra, Lifestyle, Nike, Jordan, Trident, KP Sanghvi International, Modelama Exports, Mandhana Industries, CTA Apparels, Laguna Clothing, Aditya Birla Nuvo, Bhartiya International Fashion, AND, Exclusively.com

Branch-wise Placement

Rankings & Accreditations

NIFT Kannur is consistently placed in the middle cluster of NIFT campuses nationally, with recent lists of NIFT rankings placing it around the 11th position among NIFT institutes in 2025 and 2024. It also features in compilations of NIRF‑listed design institutions and is described as being within the top group of NIFT campuses in India.

NIRF 2025

Other Rankings

Accreditations

• NAAC: Not accredited by NAAC as a standalone institute; NIFT functions as an Institute of National Importance under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
• NBA: Programme-wise NBA accreditation not listed for NIFT Kannur on national regulatory portals.

Scholarships & Financial Aid

NIFT Kannur students receive financial support through NIFT’s own SARTHAK and UDAAN schemes, need‑based tuition fee waivers, and national/state government scholarships routed mainly via the National Scholarship Portal. Eligible students from reserved and economically weaker categories can get substantial fee relief, in some cases up to full tuition support.

Institute Scholarships

Government Scholarships

External Scholarships

• Industry‑linked sponsors (through NIFT tie‑ups): Up to about ₹2,00,000 in tuition support for high‑merit NIFT students under specific corporate or trust scholarships listed periodically by NIFT; selection based on portfolio, grades and financial need.

Comparison

National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Kannur is best compared with NIFT Bengaluru and NIFT Chennai because all three are government NIFT campuses offering similar flagship design programmes, follow the same national NIFT admission process, and fall in the same cluster of centrally funded fashion-design institutes.

Key Strengths

• National Institute of Fashion Technology - [NIFT] Kannur: Strong industry-linked B.Des and B.F.Tech programmes with relatively lower fee outlay among NIFTs and growing placements in apparel and textile hubs of Kerala and neighbouring states.
• National Institute of Fashion Technology - [NIFT] Bengaluru: Advantageous location in a major fashion, IT and retail hub with strong recruiter base and higher-end salary offers in design, retail and e-commerce.
• National Institute of Fashion Technology - [NIFT] Chennai: Established campus with strong alumni network and good linkage with textile and garment industries across Tamil Nadu, supporting consistent placements.

Campus & Infrastructure

NIFT Kannur has a compact, eight-floor academic campus spread over about 10 acres at Dharmasala, Mangattuparamba in Kannur district, Kerala, set in a quiet, semi-rural environment away from the main town. The campus houses studios, specialised labs, a central resource centre and a 400-seat lecture hall/auditorium within the same complex.

Campus Details

Academic Facilities

• Library: 6,279 books, 115 journals, 66 magazines, 10 online databases
• Labs: Photography studio, computer labs, pattern making labs, garment construction labs, weaving labs, textile processing lab, printing and material labs, CAD labs, testing lab, surface design lab
• Classrooms: Academic block with 8 floors of classrooms and studios

Hostel

Other Facilities

• 400-seat lecture hall/auditorium
• Basketball court and volleyball court
• Indoor gymnasium
• Wi‑Fi campus with National Knowledge Network connectivity

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the eligibility criteria for B.Des at NIFT Kannur?

For B.Des, you must have passed 10+2 in any stream from a recognised board and be less than 24 years old on 1 August of the admission year, with 5-year age relaxation for SC/ST/PwD candidates. Admission happens through the NIFT entrance exam and central counselling.

What NIFT rank is typically needed to get B.Des at NIFT Kannur?

For 2025, All India General round-4 closing ranks for B.Des specialisations at NIFT Kannur ranged roughly from about 878 to 2816 depending on the course, with Fashion Communication and Fashion Design closing at lower ranks than Textile, Knitwear and Fashion Communication in some years.

How is admission done for the MFM and M.Des programmes at NIFT Kannur?

MFM and M.Des admissions use the NIFT entrance exam followed by a Personal Interview. For MFM, the GAT carries 70% and PI 30%; for M.Des, GAT has 30%, CAT 40% and PI 30%. Seats are allotted via NIFT counselling based on the common merit rank.

What is the approximate fee for the B.Des programme at NIFT Kannur?

NIFT follows a common fee structure across campuses: for B.Des, the annual academic fee (tuition, library, lab and other charges) is typically in the range of ₹2.5–₹3 lakh per year for Indian students, excluding hostel, mess and personal expenses, which are additional.

How much does the girls’ hostel at NIFT Kannur cost per year?

The official hostel fee for girls at NIFT Kannur, including mess, ranges roughly between ₹94,000 and ₹1.36 lakh per year depending on AC or non-AC triple-sharing rooms. Charges cover room, basic furniture, food and common facilities like water coolers and security.

Are there scholarships or financial assistance options for NIFT Kannur students?

NIFT runs central schemes like the “NIFT Means–cum–Merit Financial Assistance Scheme” where tuition is partially or fully waived for economically weaker students based on family income slabs, and students can also use education loans from banks using NIFT admission documents.

Does NIFT Kannur provide good placements for B.Des and B.F.Tech students?

Placements happen through NIFT’s central and campus placement process, with national recruiters from fashion, retail, e‑commerce and export houses. The institute reports thousands of alumni in key industry roles, though exact campus-wise placement rates and salary medians are published centrally, not separately for Kannur.

What kind of companies usually recruit from NIFT campuses like Kannur?

Typical recruiters at NIFT placements include fashion brands, export houses, buying agencies, retailers and e‑commerce companies in apparel, textiles and lifestyle. Roles offered range from fashion designer, merchandiser, buyer, product developer and visual communicator to production and sourcing profiles.

Is industry internship mandatory in NIFT Kannur programmes?

All NIFT UG programmes include a compulsory industry internship, usually 6–8 weeks, built into the curriculum. Students work with export houses, design studios, buying offices, retailers or brands and submit a monitored internship project for credits and evaluation.

What B.Des specialisations are available at NIFT Kannur?

NIFT Kannur offers B.Des in Fashion Design, Textile Design, Knitwear Design and Fashion Communication. Each programme is 4 years, with a foundation programme in the first year followed by specialisation-focused studios, labs and industry projects from the second year onwards.

How is the academic infrastructure at NIFT Kannur for design students?

The academic block has 8 floors with design studios, modern computer labs, pattern-making and garment construction labs, weaving and surface design labs, photography lab, a resource centre/library and a 400-seater auditorium, all with high-speed internet via the National Knowledge Network.

What is the quality of faculty and teaching at NIFT Kannur?

Faculty at NIFT Kannur include permanent and visiting teachers with backgrounds in fashion design, textiles, apparel production, communication and management. Teaching combines studio-based learning, theoretical courses, industry projects, workshops and jury evaluations rather than purely exam-focused lectures.

Is hostel accommodation available for both boys and girls at NIFT Kannur?

NIFT Kannur has on-campus hostel accommodation for girls, with a total NIFT-listed capacity of about 161 hostel seats at the centre and overall capacity 462. Boys typically stay in nearby PGs and private hostels outside campus, as no boys’ hostel is currently run by the institute.

What are the room types and facilities in the girls’ hostel at NIFT Kannur?

Girls’ hostel rooms are mainly triple-sharing with AC and non-AC options, attached bathrooms and basic furniture (bed, table, chair, wardrobe). Facilities include mess, water coolers, gym, indoor and outdoor games, TV, 24×7 security, wardens and on-call medical support.

How is the food quality in the NIFT Kannur hostel and campus cafeteria?

The hostel mess serves three meals a day plus snacks, with a menu that students describe as largely North Indian along with regular South Indian items. The campus cafeteria offers additional hygienic food at reasonable rates and doubles as a hangout space between classes.

What sports, cultural and club activities are available on campus?

The campus has courts and grounds for tennis, cricket, volleyball and basketball, along with a gym and amphitheatre. Film nights, dance and music events, fashion shows, workshops and student-led clubs in design, photography and cultural activities run regularly through the year.

How safe is NIFT Kannur for students, especially girls?

The campus and girls’ hostels have 24×7 security and wardens, controlled access and CCTV in common areas. Medical facilities include a clinic with doctor, nurse and psychologist. The campus is located in a quieter suburban area near Parassinikadavu, away from dense city traffic.

Can students live in PGs near NIFT Kannur, and what is the commute like?

Many students, especially boys, stay in PGs and rented rooms in nearby localities around the campus. These are typically within 0.5–3 km, and students commute using walking, shared autos, buses or two-wheelers, depending on distance and budget.

Is a laptop or any specific equipment compulsory for NIFT Kannur students?

Design students strongly benefit from having a personal laptop capable of running Adobe Creative Suite and CAD tools, although the campus has well-equipped computer labs with Mac and Windows workstations, digitizers and printers. Basic drawing tools and drafting kits are part of the personal material list.

How does NIFT Kannur compare with other NIFT campuses in terms of opportunities?

NIFT Kannur shares the same national curriculum, centralised NIFT entrance and placement process as other campuses. While older metros like Delhi and Mumbai see more local industry interface, Kannur students access the same national companies during placements and belong to the common 25,000+ NIFT alumni network.