Top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India Latest List 2023

by S. Vishnu Sharma
Published: Dec 20, 2020, 15:11 IST
Updated: Feb 22, 2023, 16:10 IST

Top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India are for those who are aspiring to study graduate and post graduate courses in fine arts subjects like painting, sculpture, design, graphic art.

These top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India are situated at various places in the country and have carved a space for themselves in the arena of fine arts education.

The top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India are located across various parts of the country and offer courses related to Fine Arts at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Some of these top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India may also offer even certificate or diploma level courses in fine arts.

Candidates willing to join these top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India can visit the websites of the institution or the campus in person to have more information about the courses and the process of admission to take in students. This will help them prepare well for the admission process of these top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India.

A study in these top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India opens the gates for greener pastures, the top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India education institutions are listed below for the sake of students:

Top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India

1. Faculty of Visual Arts, Benaras Hindu University

Study of fine arts courses has its own benefits and they would be magnanimous if the course is studied in a reputed institute.

Needless to say, the Faculty of Visual Arts at Banaras Hindu University is one of the leading institutions in Fine Arts.

Studying here is an experience one is likely to cherish life long.

It offers Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts Courses and research programme in different specialized areas.

It has various branches of specialization, viz. Applied Arts, Plastic Arts, Painting. It attracts an appreciable number of foreign students.

The faculty stresses on optimum interaction with standard art activities all over the country, organizes art fairs and art exhibitions quite frequently.

Many alumnae of the Faculty are holding top positions as designers, painters, sculptors, textile designers.

The teachers and students have participated in various national and international art exhibitions.
The faculty endeavors to produce professionals with creative thinking who can play a positive role in society.

No wonder why this institution is one among the top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India.

2. College of Arts – Delhi University

There is no dearth of quality institution in India to study Fine Arts.

College of Arts of Delhi University is one such institution where excellence has become a norm long ago.

College of Arts was established in 1942 for advanced training in Visual Art, creative and applied, leading to the Bachelor of Fine Art Course of four years duration in disciplines of Painting, Sculpture and Applied Art at the Undergraduate Level and the Postgraduate course of Master in Fine Art in the above mentioned disciplines of two years duration.

The emphasis is on practical studio work, study of prescribed theory subjects and research in selected fields.

The faculty are practicing artists painters, sculptors and graphic designers of national, international repute, and also a selected group of visiting faculty who enrich the teaching programmes with their expertise. No wonder, this is also one among the top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India.

3. Faculty of Fine Arts, Jamia Millia Islamia

This is one of the institutions in India where excellence has touched the skies, hence there is no dearth of students who want to study fine arts here.

Faculty of Fine Arts was founded in 1951 as Art Institute by Abul Kalam who laid its foundation at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.

Art was envisaged as an integral part of the life for the post-independent citizen of the country, thus the objective was to impart training of art and craft through modern concepts and methods of Art Education.

The stress was given on individuality through knowledge of native and Western traditions.

In 1967 the Arts Institute became the Department of Art and Craft Education and a part of the Teacher’s Training College.

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In 1980-81 it was granted the status of Department of Fine Arts and Art Education and professional courses (BFA) in Painting, Applied Art, and Sculpture were started. Later, B.A (Hons.) course in Art and Art Education was modified to B.F.A in Art Education to provide a comprehensive degree program for art teachers.

Faculty of Fine Arts is widely recognized as a national leader in Fine Arts study and research.

It is proud of its transcultural, interdisciplinary approach and longstanding commitment to contemporary art. This is also one among top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India.

4. Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

The School of Art, the oldest of the institution was founded at Madras in 1850 by Dr. Alexander Hunter who was an eminent surgeon in the British military service.

The school aimed to inculcate the Victorian taste of art in the students. At the same time, their objective was also to provide the new generation with useful and enjoyable skills in the industrial ornamental arts.

The Madras School of Arts was started in Pophams, Broadway in May 1850. Only in the 1870s, the school headquarters was moved to the present location in Poonamallee High Road.

The new degree courses in B.Sc. Design, B.F.A, Fine Arts were introduced in 1979 in affiliation with University of Madras.

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Similarly the other departments like Textile, Ceramic, Painting, Sculpture were also established.

The Government of Tamil Nadu also created a Department of Art and Culture with the specific idea of patronage and guidance in the field of Arts and Design.

Under the Department of Art and Culture purview, PG programme like MFA-Painting was introduced in 1999. The next year, Visual communication Design, Ceramic Design, Textile Design was introduced and MFA-Sculpture was introduced between 2009-2010. This is also one of the top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India.

5. Sir JJ Institute of Applied Art (Maharasthra)

Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art started operations in the premises of Sir J.J. School of Art in 1935 and was awarded independent institute status in 1961.

Since 1981 this institute has been affiliated to the University of Mumbai. All India Council for Technical Education, New Delhi has given approval for B.F.A. in Applied Art, a degree course at this Institute. In 1988-89, the insitutte started the post graduation course M.F.A. (Applied Art).

As per the norms of All India Council for Technical Education, University of Mumbai has revised the course pattern to 12+4 years, from the academic year 1998-99.

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This has been done to maintain course uniformity across the country, also considering the required academic experience of a candidate.

The aim of the institute is to provide facilities, for the professional and specialized training in Visual Communication.

The specialized areas covered are Lettering-Typography, Illustration, Photography, Computer Graphics and the Exhibition Design & Stage Craft. This is also among top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India.

6. Kala Bhawan, Visva Bharati University (West Bengal)

This institution is also a known name in the field of fine arts education. Great are the roots of this institution as it was established by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. It is also a known name for practice and research of visual arts in India.

This institute gave shape to the culture specific modernism initiated by Rabindranath Tagore and carried forward by the commitment.

It also carried forward the wisdom of Nandalal Bose, Benodebehari Mukhopadhyay, Ramkinkar Baij and their contemporaries, has richly contributed in giving a valid direction to individual art activity in contemporary social space.

Its academic programme is broad based, it introduces the students to a vast repertoire of techniques and art forms backed by the knowledge of history of art.

7. Department of Fine Arts, Kuruskshetra University (Haryana)

If a list of top ranking institutions for teaching fine arts is to be made, Department of Fine Arts of Kurukshetra University is also bound to feature in that.

The department was established in 1995 and is one of the units that come under Faculty of Indic Studies of the university.

The courses available here are Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Master of Art in Fine Arts (MA) and Master of Arts (MFA).

The undergraduate course is of three year duration and post graduate course is of two year duration. This institution even offers doctorate courses in Fine Arts.

The teaching staff is highly qualified and also the amenities for students are world class, both these factors make learning here a great experience. No wonder why this institution is also among top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India.

8. College of Fine Arts Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath (Karnataka)

The College of Fine Arts, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath is one of the leading institutions of Fine Arts and Design in the country.

Courses for Under Graduation, Post- Graduation and Ph.D. studies in various areas are provided here.

The institution is located in the center of the city of Bengaluru, this vibrant and creative campus has produced many renowned artists, sculptors, designers, art historians and art critics, over the last fifty years. The insitution is committed to providing an intellectually challenging and stimulating environment. To ensure the college regularly reviews the content and structure of our programmes.

Its teaching staffs include practicing artists, designers, art historians and art critics. The college offers the Bachelor of Visual Arts (B.V.A) and Master of Visual Art (M.V.A). The college houses five departments, Painting, Sculpture, Graphic Art, Art History and Applied Art.

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Students have to undertake a regular course of first and second language English and Kannada (or Hindi or French or Additional English) as per the University requirement.

Housing a highly qualified faculty and a great atmosphere for learning, the college has long become one of the top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India.

9. Amity School of Fine Arts (Noida, Uttar Pradesh)

Amity School of Fine Arts (ASFA) was established in September, 2004 under the aegis of Amity University.

Amity School of Fine arts conducts a four years of BFA Applied Arts, Painting & Animation, Visual Communication programme.

At post graduate level, it offers 2 years of MFA Applied Arts, Painting and Visual Communication programme.

This institution is also a fine place to do research in Fine Arts on both full time and part time basis.
ASFA aims on quality art education with the objectives of providing knowledge of creative expression.

It focuses at providing complete academic training suited to the needs and aspirations of the students giving a platform to students for pursuing talent in their particular field and interest.

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Amity School of Fine Arts ensures individual nurturing and guidance for achieving professional endeavors. This is also one of the top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India.

10. Department of Fine Arts, Aligarh Muslim University (Uttar Pradesh)

In Aligarh Muslim University, Fine Art as a subject of study was first introduced at Women’s College in 1954.

Soon after, the under-graduate programme was offered in 1956 and the Master Degree in Fine Arts was started in 1984.

The courses were being offered to only women candidates under the academic guidance of Prof. Azmat Shah, a renowned artist of India who had accomplished his studies from the Lucknow College of Arts.

Department of Fine Arts was established in 1988 under the Faculty of Arts.

The Department introduced two professional courses, Master of Fine Arts and the Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1993 and 1998 respectively.

The research degrees, M. Phil and Ph.D. are being offered in the department since 1993.

At present, the Department of Fine Arts offers B.F.A. & M.F.A. in Painting and M.Phil. & Ph.D. in Fine Arts.

The Department also offers one year Diploma in Applied Art.

The teaching program in the department is focused on quality results in both creative and research field which has been achieved by periodic updating of syllabi in accordance with the relevance and advancement of knowledge in the subject.

This is also one of the top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India.

11. Banasthali Vidyapith

There is no dearth of highly admired institutions across the country. This is educational institution is also one among them.

Pandit Hiralal Shastri is the founding father of Banasthali Vidyapith. The name ‘Banasthali Vidyapith’ was adopted only in 1943 and that was the year when undergraduate courses were first introduced.

The institution was granted the status of a deemed university in 1983 by the UGC. Professor Sushila Vyas, the first student of Banasthali Vidyapith was appointed the first Director of Vidyapith.

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The infrastructure is praiseworthy and atmosphere to study is ideal and it only motivates the students to bring out the best in them. MA (Drawing & Painting), MA Music (Vocal/Instrumental) are among the courses that are taught here. This is also one among the top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India.

12. Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture And Fine Arts University

The talk about higher education institutions in our country would glorify this university. This is perhaps the first institution that would come into our minds when it comes to accessing higher education.

School of Fine Arts at the university is the focus point when it is about courses in Fine Arts. The undergraduate programmes related to fine arts are offered in Painting, Sculpture, Applied Arts, Photography and Animation.

The postgraduate fine arts courses are offered in Masters In Painting, Masters In Sculpture, Masters In Applied Art and Masters In Photography.

College of Fine Arts is an institution established in 1940 for advanced training in Visual Art (Creative and Applied Art) leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Applied Art & Visual Communication, Painting, Sculpture, Photography & Visual Communication and Animation further providing advance training in Master in Fine Arts course in Applied Art & Visual Communication, Painting, Sculpture, Photography & Visual Communication, with emphasis on studio practicals, prescribed theory subjects and research in selected fields.

The college is one of the constituent college of Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture & Fine Arts University, (JNAFAU) in Hyderabad. The objective of the syllabus, teaching is to accomplish an overall improvement of the student perception not confined to the skills of the profession alone but also to create the kind of intellect as well as emotional cultivation to arrive at a level of composite creativity and thought.

13. Delhi University

National capital of India has no dearth of high worth institutions and this university is one among them. The name of this institution always features among the highly admired organisations of our country.

Students from across the country become a part of this university to learn various courses every year. Atmosphere here for studies is very ideal for studies. The university began its innings in 1922 as a unitary teaching and residential University by the Act of the then Central Legislative Assembly.

The excellence has become a norm here long ago. It strictly adheres to standards and delivers high quality education which has taken the fame of this university to foreign shores also.

The vision of this institution is to be an internationally acclaimed University that is recognized for excellence in teaching, research and outreach.

It aspires to foster all-round development of students through multi-faceted education and sustained engagement with local, national and global communities. College of Art is the focus point as far as fine arts courses are concerned.

College of Art is an Institution established in 1942 for advanced training in Visual Art, creative and applied, leading to the Bachelor of Fine Art Course of four years duration in disciplines of Painting, Sculpture and Applied Art at the Undergraduate Level and the Postgraduate course of Master in Fine Art in the above mentioned disciplines of two years duration.

The emphasis is on practical studio work, study of prescribed theory subjects and research in selected fields. This is also one among the top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India.

14. JV Jain College Saharanpur

This is also one among the highly admired educational institutions in India. JV Jain College, Saharanpur was set up in the year 1955 by Lt. Shri Rai Sahab Lala Praduman Kumar Jain revealing his love and devotion for knowledge and education resulting in the first step in the district for the establishment of higher education institution.

With the aim to provide higher education facility for the district as well as overall personality development of the students, Shri Rai Sahab Ji donated a large part of his property for the establishment of this college and hence gave a start to higher education in the district.

The department of Drawing & Painting was established in 1959 which offers undergraduate and postgraduate course in drawing and painting with undergraduate course.

The post graduate classes were started in the year 1964. The department has produced many well
known artist in the field of Drawing & Painting. The courses offered in the department are BA (Annual System) M.A. (Semester System) & PhD.

The department is also actively engaged in research activity. This is also one among the top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India.

15. Sri Venkateshwara College of Fine Arts

This is one of those institutions in India that needs no introduction. It is one of the most well-known organisations in higher education sector of India.

It has a vision of developing, enhancing, and improving the quality of human resources to meet the challenges of regional, national and global socio-economic changes.

It’s mission is to achieve excellence in teaching and to create opportunities for the students to contribute to the national and regional development. Bachelors of Fine Arts in Photography and Digital Art, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Applied Arts are the courses offered here.

S.V. College of Fine Arts was established in 1991 -1992. Being one of the oldest and renowned Arts college around, it takes upon itself to set standards in these disciplines.

The college is affiliated to Osmania University, one of Asia’s largest universities, we offer a creative mix of curriculum and our trademark learning techniques.

The college premises are housed in an independent campus nestled in a picturesque locality. The serene environment is just right for the students to stretch their imagination and allow their creative thoughts to shape into works of art. This is also one among the top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India.

16. University of Madras

The university imparts both under graduate and post graduate courses through the affiliated institutions which are spread over the districts of Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kancheepuram.

Apart from teaching, research activities in Arts, Humanities, Science, Management and Technology shape the academic tenor of the University. This is a fine place for those who are looking for postgraduate courses in Indian Music.

MA (Indian Music), MA (Folk Music) and MA (Rhythmology) are among the courses offered by Department of Indian Music. The department also offers certificate courses in various nuances related to music.

A number of institutions affiliated to Madras University concentrate on research activities offering Ph.D., Programmes in their respective field of specialisation.

The institution is home to various courses across all streams. The vision to educate large number of people has made the institution move towards distance education.

Assessing the need for educating a large number of people in the country, the University offers both Under Graduate and Post Graduate programmes through the Institute of Distance Education.

The Institute is popularly called IDE of Madras University. This is also one among the top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India.

17. Amity School of Fine Arts

Amity School of Fine Arts (ASFA) was established in September, 2004 under the aegis of Amity University , Amity School of Fine arts conducts a four years of BFA Applied Arts, Painting & Animation, Visual Communication programme, 2 years of MFA Applied Arts, Painting and Visual Communication programme and PhD in Fine Arts (full time and part time).

ASFA aims on quality art education with the objectives of providing knowledge of creative expression. It focuses at providing complete academic training suited to the needs and aspirations of the students giving a platform to students for pursuing talent in their particular field and interest.

Amity School of Fine Arts ensures individual nurturing and guidance for achieving professional endeavors. This organisation is one of those that aims to ensure higher education is available to all.

ASFA is well equipped with modern infrastructure including spacious painting studios, 2D Animation Lab, Hi-Tech Computer Lab, Macintosh Computer Lab, Print Making Labs etc which ensures that students get all these facilities easily and as and when they require. Apart from usual practical and theory courses students can join various clubs and committees to enhance their personality. This is also one among the top 20 Fine Arts Colleges in India.

18. Annamalai University

This is also among those institutions that has gained name and fame across the country for its services related to education. Lot of students throng the premises of this organisation to get admitted into various courses offered by it.

This is also one among the institutions that can be approached for courses related to fine arts. Faculty of Fine Arts is the place to be for programmes in Fine Arts.

The institution was established on 1 January 1929 as per Annamalai University Act 1928 (Tamil Nadu Act 1 of 1929). It is among the top ranking institutions in the country.

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In 1953, a separate Faculty of Fine Arts was started in which a Department Painting was included. This Faculty also provided for the inclusion of the Fine Arts like sculpture, Painting, Architecture, Drawing & Drama.

Isai Arasu. M.M. Dhandapani Desikar was the dean of Fine Arts and the Head of the Department of Music from 1955, followed by Dr. Madurai S. Somasundaram from 1977, and Dr. Sirkazhi S. Govindarajan from 1985. The other veterans who headed the Department were Thiru S.V. Parthasarathi, Thanjavur Thiru K.P. Sivanandam, Tmt. Abayambiga, V.G. Subramaniyam, Prof. O.S. Thiagarajan, Aridwaramangalam Dr. A.K. Palanivel, At present, Prof. Dr. R. Rajendran is the Dean i/c of Fine Arts and Dr. T. Arutselvi, Professor & Head of the Department of Music.

The NIRF-2021 by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has ranked the University in the band 101 – 150 in the University Category. In the Pharmacy Category the ranking is 16th in India. In the Medical Category the ranking is 40th.

Annamalai University has a commendable track record in projects and publications and has been awarded the PURSE Programme by the Department of Science and Technology.

This is also one among the top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India.

19. Government Hamidia Arts and Commerce College

Department of Drawing and Painting is the focus point at the college which offers graduate and postgraduate courses in Drawing and Painting.

Government Hamidia Arts & Commerce College Bhopal was established in 1946 by Nawab Hamidullah Khan, ruler of erstwhile Bhopal state. Its first premises was iconic Minto Hall. When the new state of Madhya Pradesh was formed on November 1, 1956, Minto Hall was transformed into legislative house.

Hamidia College, Bhopal was relocated to a new campus near Government Polytechnic College. In 2005 it was again shifted to then Government MLB Girls College Campus situated in Hathikhana, Budhwara Bhopal.

The college has also been upgraded to a research center in many subjects and its faculty is busy in guiding hundreds of research scholars in their pursuit of Ph.D degrees. The college has been elevated to research center status in arts, languages, social sciences and commerce stream for Ph.D and D.Litt. Research scholars from all over India are doing their research work under the able supervision of faculty in a congenial atmosphere.

The college is proud of its rich library. Its old and new books collection is unparalleled. The library has a number of old manuscripts in many languages like Hindi, Urdu, Arabic, Sanskrit, Persian and English. Moreover, all departments have their own well organized and maintained departmental libraries. This is also one among the top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India.

20. IIS [Deemed to be University] Jaipur

Department of Fine Arts offers courses as Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts. It is located in the E Block of the main campus, the Department of Fine Arts provides an exciting environment in which the study and practices of art history, theory and studio combine in a unique and dynamic way.

In addition to delivering consistently strong and well-recognized undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Applied Art, Painting, Sculpture & Print- Making, the department also offers Ph.D. in Fine Arts, Carrier Oriented and Skill Development programmes and PG Diploma in Photography and Graphic Design.

The Department provides excellent facilities which include 13 studios and labs for Photography, Sculpture, Screen Printing, Computer Graphics & Print Making, Applied Arts and Painting.

These studios are well equipped with Litho Press, Etching Press, Rolling Beds, Screen Tables, Tracing Tables, Compressors, Spray Guns, Easels, Revolving Tables, Furnace, Cameras, Reflectors enlarger and others.

The Department has a strong commitment to extracurricular activities. Each year, a range of artists, curators and art historians are invited from across the country to expose the students with the latest in the field of art. This is also one among the top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India.

Conclusion (Top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India)

The above mentioned institutions are among the top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India. However, these colleges may have their own way of admitting students.

Students willing to apply for studying at these colleges are advised to visit the respective websites and know about the admission criteria before they commence the application process.

Some of these educational institutions may be having very high standards and strict admission criteria to stay upto the set standards.

Students applying to study in any one of these top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India must also prepare effectively for handling the tough admission process.

While these are among the top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India and are a known name, there may be many other institutes in the country with the same level of accolades.

As time moves ahead, Collegechalo will try to highlight those institutions also.

However, it is worth trying to get a seat in these top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India as they are known to retain high standards.

There is another thing to these top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India, they are also the most spoken about among the student circles in this country.

These top 20 best colleges in India for Fine Arts always attract students in large numbers, point worth mentioning is studying graduation and post graduation in these top colleges improves career prospects.

Students of these top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India find jobs as illustrators, art directors, artists, graphic artists. On many occasions, the fact that the students are from one of the top 20 best colleges in India for Fine Arts enhance their chances of getting shortlisted for jobs.

The motive behind highlighting top 20 Fine Arts colleges in India is to help students make better choices when it comes to choosing a college for study.