NIFT Eligibility Criteria 2025: Check Program-wise Eligibility, Age Limit, Qualifying Exam, Marks

The National Testing Agency has released the NIFT entrance exam eligibility criteria 2025 on the official website, nift.ac.in. NIFT eligibility criteria 2025 outline the minimum requirements for candidates to appear for the NIFT 2025 exam, including age limits and educational qualifications. For admission to undergraduate programs at NIFT, candidates must have completed their 12th grade with a maximum age of 24 years as of August 1st of the year of admission. For SC, ST, and PwD candidates, the upper age limit is relaxed by 5 years. Similarly, for admission to postgraduate programs at NIFT, candidates must hold a recognized undergraduate degree or an equivalent qualification.

NIFT 2025 Eligibility Criteria for Undergraduate Programs

To be eligible for NIFT 2025 undergraduate programs, candidates must have completed Class 12 or an equivalent examination from a recognized board. The age limit for general candidates is less than 24 years as of August 1, 2025, with a relaxation of up to 5 years for SC/ST/PwD candidates. 

Candidates can refer to the criteria given below for the eligibility requirements for NIFT 2025 undergraduate programs.

Bachelor of Design (B.Des)

• Educational Qualification: Candidates must have passed the 10+2 examination in any stream (Science, Commerce, or Arts) from a recognized Board.
• Age Limit: The maximum age should be under 24 years as of August 1, 2025. A relaxation of 5 years is provided for candidates belonging to SC/ST/PwD categories.

Bachelor of Fashion Technology (B.FTech)

• Educational Qualification: Candidates must have passed the 10+2 examination with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics from a recognized Board.
• Age Limit: The maximum age should be under 24 years as of August 1, 2025. A relaxation of 5 years is provided for candidates belonging to SC/ST/PwD categories.

NIFT 2025 Eligibility Criteria for Postgraduate Programs

To apply for NIFT 2025 Postgraduate Programs, candidates must hold a recognized undergraduate degree or an equivalent qualification. There is no specific age limit for general candidates, but age relaxation of up to 5 years is available for SC/ST/PwD candidates.

Candidates can refer to the criteria given below for the eligibility requirements for NIFT 2025 postgraduate programs.

Master of Design (M.Des)

• Educational Qualification: Candidates must have an undergraduate degree in any discipline from any Institute/University recognized by law in India, or an undergraduate diploma of minimum three years duration from NIFT/NID.
• Age Limit: There is no age limit for this program.

Master of Fashion Management (M.F.M)

• Educational Qualification: Candidates must have an undergraduate degree in any discipline from any Institute/University recognized by law in India, or an undergraduate diploma of minimum three years duration from NIFT/NID.
• Age Limit: There is no age limit for this program.

Master of Fashion Technology (M.F.Tech)

• Educational Qualification: Candidates must have a B.F.Tech. degree from NIFT or a B.E/B.Tech degree from any Institute/University recognized by law in India.
• Age Limit: There is no age limit for this program.

NIFT 2025 Eligibility Criteria for Foreign/NRI/OCI/PIO/SAARC Candidates

NIFT has a separate admission process for Foreign Nationals, NRIs, OCIs, PIOs, and SAARC candidates applying for the 2025 session. These candidates are eligible for supernumerary seats, which are offered in addition to the regular intake. Admission is granted based on SAT scores for undergraduate courses and GRE or GMAT scores for postgraduate programs. The test scores must be submitted directly to NIFT by the specified deadline. Refer to the criteria given below for detailed eligibility requirements:

• Undergraduate Programs: These candidates are not required to appear for the NIFT entrance examination. Instead, they must submit SAT scores directly from the College Board USA to NIFT Admissions, H.O., New Delhi. The SAT scores should be received by NIFT before April 30, 2025. The Designated Institution (DI) Code is 7258.
• Postgraduate Programs: These candidates are not required to appear for the NIFT entrance examination. They must submit GRE/GMAT scores directly to NIFT Admissions, H.O., New Delhi. The GRE/GMAT scores should be received by NIFT before April 30, 2025. The GRE/GMAT scores should not have been declared before January 1, 2023.

Also Read: NIFT 2025 Application Process

NIFT 2025 Seat Reservation Policy

The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has announced its seat reservation policy for the 2025 admission cycle, in line with the Government of India guidelines. The policy ensures fair opportunities for students from various categories in all undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

As per the official guidelines, 15% of the seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC), 7.5% for Scheduled Tribes (ST), and 27% for Other Backward Classes – Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL). Additionally, 10% of the seats are reserved for candidates from the General – Economically Weaker Sections (GEN-EWS). A horizontal reservation of 5% is also provided for Persons with Disability (PwD) across all categories. To be eligible under the PwD category, candidates must hold a valid certificate indicating at least 40% disability, issued by the appropriate authority.

Some campuses also offer state domicile reservations. For instance, NIFT Bhubaneswar reserves 20% of its seats for candidates who are permanent residents of Odisha. These seats are filled based on merit within the respective state category.

Supernumerary seats are also available for Foreign Nationals, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), and SAARC candidates. Admission to these seats is based on SAT scores for undergraduate programs and GRE or GMAT scores for postgraduate programs. The required scores must be sent to NIFT by April 30, 2025.

If any reserved seats remain vacant after the regular admission rounds, they are merged into the open category during the spot round.

Students can refer to the table given below for a clear view of the reservation breakdown:

NIFT 2025 Eligibility Criteria FAQs