Bachelor of Design (B.Des) is an undergraduate programme of about 4 years in the design stream. It is offered by 473 colleges on this record, across 1,405 individual programmes.
Across those colleges, fees run from ₹3,000 to ₹53.6 lakh for the full programme, the median reported salary is ₹4.5 LPA and colleges report about 29,709 seats between them.
The spread matters more than the midpoint. Half of the reported packages sit below ₹4.5 LPA, while the top tenth reach around ₹9.5 LPA. Plan against the median — the high figure belongs to a small number of colleges, and getting into one of them is the whole game.
B.Des is not a single track. 23 specialisations are recorded under it, led by B.Design (Lateral Entry). Most colleges now admit directly into a specialisation, so the choice is made at application time rather than in the second year — worth checking before you fill the form.
What to check before you commit
- The college, not just the course. 473 colleges run this degree, and they are not interchangeable — teaching, recruiters and fees all differ sharply.
- The specialisation you will be admitted into. Most colleges now allot it at admission rather than in the second year.
- The entrance route and its calendar. Work backwards from the exam date, not forwards from the application deadline.
- The all-in cost. Tuition plus hostel and living, minus any waiver you qualify for.
- What the batch actually earns. Ask for the median and the placed percentage, not the highest offer.