Best Design colleges in Chennai 2026
40 Design colleges in Chennai charge between ₹16,200 and ₹1.13 Cr in the first year, and Loyola College is the highest rated of them. Every figure below is the college's own published number.
Design colleges in Chennai — at a glance
| Design colleges | 40 |
|---|---|
| Fee range (first year) | ₹16,200 – ₹1.13 Cr |
| Government / Private | 10 / 30 |
| NIRF-ranked | 13 of 40 |
| Highest package reported | ₹4.7 Cr |
| Top rated | Loyola College |
Which design college in Chennai is best?
It depends what you are optimising for. Each pick below is the best in this list on that one measure.
Top 8 Design colleges in Chennai compared
Rating, ranking, fees and placement side by side.
| College | Rating | NIRF | Fees from | Highest package | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loyola Chennai Chennai | 10 | #14 | ₹3.33 L | ₹9.5 L | Government |
| SRM University Chennai Chennai | 10 | — | ₹19.1 L | — | Government |
| SIMATS Chennai Chennai | 10 | — | ₹1.13 Cr | — | Government |
| IIITDM Kancheepuram Chennai | 9.8 | #151 | ₹9.56 L | ₹32 L | Government |
| VISTAS Chennai Chennai | 9.5 | — | ₹4.4 L | ₹33 L | Government |
| Sri Kanyaka Parameswari Arts and Science College for Women Chennai Chennai | 9.4 | — | ₹1.82 L | — | Government |
| Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology Chennai | 9.3 | #67 | ₹4.83 L | ₹41.2 L | Government |
| Saveetha College of Architecture and Design Chennai Chennai | 9.3 | — | ₹5 L | — | Government |
A dash means that college has not published the figure. Nothing here is estimated.
Top 25 Design colleges in Chennai
-
1
Loyola College
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1925
10.0 Fees from ₹3.33 L NIRF #14 Highest ₹9.5 L 58 courses -
2
SRM Institute of Science and Technology - [SRMIST]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1985
10.0 Fees from ₹19.1 L 398 courses -
3
Saveetha Institute of Medical And Technical Sciences - [SIMATS]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 2005
10.0 Fees from ₹1.13 Cr 321 courses -
4
Indian Institute of Information Technology Design & Manufacturing - [IIITDM]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 2007
9.8 Fees from ₹9.56 L NIRF #151 Highest ₹32 L 27 courses -
5
Vels Institute of Science, Technology & Advanced Studies
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1992
9.5 Fees from ₹4.4 L Highest ₹33 L 243 courses -
6
Sri Kanyaka Parameswari Arts and Science College for Women
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1999
9.4 Fees from ₹1.82 L 22 courses -
7
Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1987
9.3 Fees from ₹4.83 L NIRF #67 Highest ₹41.2 L 117 courses -
8
Saveetha College of Architecture and Design - [SCAD]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 2019
9.3 Fees from ₹5 L 8 courses -
9
DG Vaishnav College - [DDGDVC]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1964
9.2 Fees from ₹1.74 L NIRF #91 Highest ₹9.45 L 67 courses -
10
Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed College For Women - [JBAS]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Government · est. 1955
9.1 Fees from ₹34,580 47 courses -
11
Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Private · est. 1988
8.9 Fees from ₹4.5 L NIRF #1 Highest ₹12 L 468 courses -
12
CAAD-Chennai Academy Of Architecture And Design
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Private · est. 2014
8.7 Fees from ₹3.2 L 4 courses -
13
IIT Madras - Indian Institute of Technology - [IITM]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Private · est. 1959
8.7 Fees from ₹1.62 L NIRF #1 Highest ₹4.3 Cr 17 courses -
14
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15
Vellore Institute of Technology - [VIT] Chennai
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Private · est. 1984
3.3 Fees from ₹7.83 L Highest ₹1.06 Cr 73 courses -
16
SRM Institute of Science and Technology Ramapuram Campus
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Private · est. 2006
2.0 Fees from ₹14.1 L Highest ₹55 L 104 courses -
17
Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science - [HITS]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Private · est. 1985
1.9 Fees from ₹9.2 L NIRF #101 Highest ₹4.7 Cr 156 courses -
18
B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science & Technology - [BSAU]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Private · est. 1984
1.9 Fees from ₹14.4 L NIRF #151 Highest ₹8 L 134 courses -
19
Tamil Nadu Open University - [TNOU]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Private · est. 2002
1.9 Fees from ₹16,200 106 courses -
20
Bharath University - Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research - [BIHER]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Private · est. 1984
Fees from ₹14.06 L NIRF #91 Highest ₹47.5 L 150 courses -
21
DOT School of Design
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Private · est. 2020
Fees from ₹15.93 L Highest ₹10 L 12 courses -
22
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23
Quaide Milleth International Academy of Media Studies - [QIAMS]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Private · est. 2017
Fees from ₹1.25 L 4 courses -
24
Indian School of Business Management and Administration - [ISBM]
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Private · est. 1992
Fees from ₹23,900 Highest ₹30 L 11 courses -
25
Auxilium School of Interior Design
Chennai, Tamil Nadu · Private · est. 1989
Fees from ₹45,000 3 courses
Showing 25 of 40. Ordered by student rating; colleges that publish a fee appear first.
See all 40 →How to choose between them
Start with the fee you can commit to. Across Chennai the published first-year fee runs from ₹16,200 to ₹1.13 Cr, so the shortlist changes completely depending on the band you pick.
Government or private. 10 of these are government-run and 30 are private. Government colleges are usually cheaper and admit on entrance rank; private colleges are more likely to have their own admission route.
Check the ranking applies to your course. 13 of these hold an NIRF rank, but NIRF is scored per category — a rank in one category says nothing about another.
Then read the placement tab, not the headline package. The highest package is one student; the percentage placed and the recruiters listed tell you far more.
Frequently asked questions
How many Design colleges are there in Chennai?
There are 40 Design colleges listed in Chennai on this page, of which 10 are government and 30 are private.
What is the fee for Design colleges in Chennai?
Published first-year fees range from ₹16,200 to ₹1.13 Cr. Each college's own figure is in the table above.
Which is the best college in Chennai for Design?
Loyola College has the highest student rating among the Design colleges listed here, in Chennai.
What is the highest package from Design colleges in Chennai?
The highest package reported by a college on this page is ₹4.7 Cr. Packages vary by course and year.