Life at NID: What to Expect, Campus Life, Jobs, and Placements

Summary: Uncover the dynamic and creative journey at NID, India's leading design institute to know how is Life at NID?. Dive into a world where expert faculty, diverse peers, and state-of-the-art facilities converge to shape the future of design. Discover more about NID's transformative educational experience.

This design institute accepts students from all over India, allowing you to meet creative minds nationwide. The place is loaded with fascinating and inspiring individuals who encourage you with their creative energy.

The campus is well-equipped, serene, and peaceful, located in the middle of the city. The National Institute of Design has an extensive library, multiple workshop spaces, dining, healthcare, a guest house, and so much more.

Are you interested in learning more about their campus life? Read the entire post for a thorough understanding of life at NID Colleges in India.

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How is Life at NID?

We are all aware that the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, is one of the top multidisciplinary institutions for both design education and research in the world.

The establishment at NID operates as a self-governing entity under India's Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Industrial Policy & Promotion, and Industrial Policy.

The National Institute of Design (NID) Act of 2014 declared NID to be a "Organization of National Significance.

Check: Life at NID Ahmedabad

How do I get Admission to NID 2026?

In India, various Design and Architecture entrance exams are conducted by various design colleges to offer admission to design and architecture courses every year. Likewise, NID Design Test is conducted by the National Institute of Design (NID) in India. It is a qualifying examination for admission to the institute's Bachelor's and Master's design programs.

To get into the National Institute of Design University, first, you need to appear for a written test conducted by the university. The written test follows a Studio Test, which has audio-visual media questions, and the Interview round. 

Are you eligible to apply? 

You must have completed your class 12 from any recognized university, and your age should be below 20 years. Read more about NID eligibility requirements.

How is Education at NID 2026?

NID's main objective is to teach students how to satisfy the demands of advanced design while upgrading their quality of life by educating them about various goods, frameworks, materials, design, and creative processes. The institute aims to provide multiple career opportunities after completing the B. Des course for the students.

• What you can expect from NID: It offers courses identified with various disciplines, including undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Animation Film Design, Graphic Design, Product Design, Textile Design, Ceramic and Glass Design, Film and Video Communication Design, Furniture and Interior, and Interior Exhibition Design.
• Courses: The institute offers PhD courses both full-time as well as part-time. 
• Faculties: The faculty know how to fuel the fire of innovativeness among even the timid students. 
• Theatre experience: NID regularly screens incredible old and new films in the theatre to evoke a sense of film appreciation. You will comprehend the language of movies and figure out how to literally 'appreciate' them for all the difficult work spent on making them. You have the opportunity to watch a ton of good quality cinema. French, Italian, and art movies are often screened at the theatre. 
• Studios: There are numerous studio spaces on the campus where you will work with wood, metal, styrofoam, texture, glass, and pottery; that is just the tip of the iceberg!
• First-year curriculum: The first year is when you investigate and explore everything. You learn how to draw, paint, finish and cut wood, develop your designs on paper, appreciate the value of movies, and understand the culture, psychology, and humanities.
• Second-year curriculum: You must pick your specialization in the second year and acquire more specific abilities.
• Third-year curriculum: In the subsequent years, you draw closer to the industry requirements and are ready to jump-start your professional journey by the end of graduation. 

Check: Salary After NID 2025

NID Campuses in India 

The NID campus life is beautiful and located in the heart of the respective cities. There are 3 NID campuses:

1. NID Ahmedabad Campus

In 1951, the NID Ahmedabad Campus was established.

There are 8 bachelor's degree programs and 7 master's degree programs available at the NID Ahmedabad Campus. Recently, a tailored doctoral program has been available for one year.

In addition to offering design education, the NID Ahmedabad Campus is home to several Services Departments that offer a hands-on, project-based learning environment through initiatives like the Railway Design Centre and the Design Clinic for MSME, to mention a few.

Know more: UCEED vs NID: A Comparative Study

2. NID Gandhinagar Campus

At the moment, the NID-Gandhinagar campus, which is situated in Gujarat's capital city of Gandhinagar, offers full-time residential M.Des (Master of Design) programmes in seven different design-related fields: lifestyle accessory design, apparel design, new media design, toy and game design, photography design, strategic design management, and transportation and automobile design.

The campus is home to resources and facilities like the Knowledge Management Center, Central Workshop (wood/metal), Laser cutting, CNC machine, 3D printing, Digital lab, and discipline-specific labs/studios that offer students a variety of learning opportunities and foster their creativity.

Along with a Design Gallery hosting periodic exhibitions, the campus boasts a brand-new auditorium/ amphitheatre for conferences and cultural events.

Check: Design Aptitude Test (DAT)

3. NID Bengaluru Campus

The NID Bangalore campus is in Yeshvanthpur, a sub-locality in the city's northwestern region in the Indian state of Karnataka. The campus, which was opened in March 2006, is now arranged in a confined space on a meagre 2-acre plot of land.

Beginning with 2007–2008, the campus offered two PG programs: Design for Digital Experience and Design for Retail Experience.

Only Master in Design programs in Design for Retail Experience, Digital Game Design, Information Design, Interaction Design, and Universal Design are currently offered at the NID Bangalore campus.

Check: Life at NID Gandhinagar

Check: Life at NID Bangalore

Extracurricular Activities at NID Campus in 2026

There are a lot of cultural festivals and events conducted throughout the year. Event descriptions are as follows: 

• There is an exciting event called – 'The Poster Wars', where the entire college gets divided into four teams competing to create the best poster. These vast posters are painted for 2-3 days and then hung across the campus for everyone to see. 
• There are lots of international competitions happening throughout the year where you can win great prizes. The price is generally a good internship abroad, so you can work overseas even during your NID semesters.
• The overall culture at NID encourages you to celebrate all the festivals throughout the year in the same fashion, with the same enthusiasm and participation level.
• National festivals are also celebrated at these campuses.
• Annually, NID conducts a 'Monsoon Fiesta' fest, which incorporates various games, art competitions, and other events.
• There is also a music room in NID for students inclined to music. 

Refer: Highly recommended books for the NID exam

How is Faculty at NID Campus 2026?

At NID, learning starts by doing. Thus, when individuals soak up this methodology - they learn for eternity. 

• The NID faculty supports hand-driven work. This creates appreciation towards processes and teaches the value of time to students. It empowers craft-driven methodologies and pursues the conservation of artworks through design developments. 
• The faculty are immensely qualified and possess many years of experience working and teaching in the design field. Their perspectives empower students to achieve excellence. 
• The faculty at NID is your companion as well as your guide. The learning environment of the NID is inspiring, and it is an exceptionally welcoming feeling. 
• An auditorium highlights films, students' films, talks, etc. Students display their work at the end of each course to receive feedback from their faculty members and peers.

Check: NID Exam Pattern

How is Life at NID? answers the following questions: 

Are there any Internship Opportunities at NID?

There is a huge opportunity to receive internships in various design fields and firms at NID.

Countless individuals have received entry-level positions or internships at various prestigious organizations like Microsoft, Aditya Birla, and different vehicle organizations, and that's just the beginning! 

Check: NID Exam Dates

Are Placements Provided at NID Institutes in 2026?

Regarding getting placed, NID is undoubtedly one of the best institutes in the country where organizations from various fields come to hire bright and talented individuals.

The demand for the design profession is gradually increasing, increasing the number of organizations visiting the campus to engage students. 

Refer: Important questions with answers for the NID CAT exam

Are Internships Mandatory at NID?

Yes. Indeed, you have to work as an intern, an essential part of the educational curriculum. These internships help you when you seek out a permanent job. 

Workshops And Collaborative Projects at NID

NID organizes short programs and workshops to create mindfulness, sharpen students' inventive thoughts, ideas, and innovation, and help them become better designers in their respective fields. 

Annually, during January/February, NID organizes Open Electives on its campus, which are fourteen-day workshops offered to senior students from various disciplines to empower them by teaching them multi-disciplinary skills effectively.

Learn more: How to Prepare for NID Studio Test

Does NID provide Health Care and Counselling? 

At particular times, a doctor is accessible for consultation and assistance at the campus pharmacy. Hospitalization services are not available on campus. In an emergency, the local guardian must be notified, and only government hospitals may be used when a physician advises.

People may experience anxiety, sadness, worries about relationships, eating disorders, alcoholism, or drug use at some point. Even though these issues may at first appear unimportant, they can worsen and disrupt daily living. The institute consults professional counsellors, and interactions between them and the students are facilitated. By appointment only, the counsellors are available.

Prepare with: NID Mock Test Series 2026 by Creative Edge

How is the Hostel facility at NID?

The National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, offers hostel accommodation to all the out-stationed undergraduate students. The total is assigned for one year, and students must re-apply for reallocation regularly. 

• The hostel section is designed well. Because of the hot climate of Ahmedabad, the hostels are designed to remain very cool even during summer. A lot of exposed brick architecture is used to achieve this. 
• The hostel may look old, but it is beautiful as it has its architectural reasons for being designed in this manner. 
• Membership to mess facilities is mandatory for all the hostel occupants, and local students can't apply for hostel accommodation. The rooms are outfitted with a bed, a work area, a seat, and extra storage space for every student. 

Learn more: How To Prepare For NID 2026 In 6 Months?

How is Lab Facility at NID?

There are various labs at NID: Computer Lab, Design Lab, Skill Development Lab, Innovation Lab, Ceramics and Glass Lab, Leather and Plastics Lab, Printing Lab, and Industrial Design Lab. 

Similarly, there are various studios at NID: Textile Design Studio, Apparel Design Studio, GRIDS Studio, Design Vision Centre with Rapid Prototyping, High-Performance Visualisation, Design Gallery, and Seminar Hall.

Check: NID Fee structure

Check: List of NID Colleges in india

Is there a Library at NID?

The Knowledge Management Center (KMC) at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, has various print, computerized, available media resources.

It has the best variety of books, periodicals, and other non-book resources.

• NID features many student projects, documentation reports, and other research projects. The KMC additionally features a plethora of design prototypes. 
• It provides access to e-information databases like ACM Digital Library, EBSCO: Art and Architecture, EBSCO: Communication and Mass Media, Euromonitor International Passport GMID, Grove Art Online, Jstor database, etc. 
• It also provides various digital books from Cambridge University Press, Cengage, CRC press, Intellect, and Oxford Handbooks.
• NID is connected with The National Digital library of India (NDLI), a venture under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, India. It enables access to several global and national libraries on a single web-based interface.

Know more: Design As a Career

Conclusion

Life at NID is a unique experience. It is an institution where one is surrounded by some of the most talented people in the field of design, with an ever-inspiring environment.

The faculty at NID is highly experienced and encourages students to develop their skills and creativity. The institute offers a wide range of courses and excellent student facilities.

The rigorous curriculum, challenging projects, and vibrant student life at NID provide the perfect platform to learn, explore, and grow. All in all, it is an enriching and rewarding experience to be part of the NID family.

Boost your NID Preparation: NID Online Coaching Classes 2026 by Creative Edge