India's BEST professional colleges 2013

India Today has released the results of its annual of the best Indian colleges 2013. In the fifth part of a series, we bring you the top five colleges for fashion, fine arts and mass communication, as per their findings.

(Please also read India’s best engineering colleges 2013, India's best science colleges 2013,India's best commerce colleges 2013 and India's best arts colleges 2013)

One of the leading magazines in the country, India Today has prepared a list of the best colleges in India for this year.

Using data from the Internet, various published reports and the Association of Indian Universities Handbook, the publication partnered with global marketing and advertising research company Nielsen to draw up a list of over 1,500 colleges across 11 distinct disciplines.

Faculties from leading institutes across the country rated all but their own colleges and universities on the basis of reputation, quality of academic input, student care, infrastructure and job prospects; those that figured high up in the rankings also had to submit factual data to figure in the list.

In the following pages, we bring you the top five colleges for fashion, fine arts and mass communication from across the nation.

Please click NEXT to view India's top five colleges to study fashion for 2013...

5. National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Chennai

In fifth place is the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Chennai.

Started in 1986, the NIFT with its headquarters in Delhi was one of the first institutes that offered courses in fashion design and technology.

The NIFT Chennai was formed much later but is equipped with eminent faculty members, good infrastructure and a student-friendly resource centre that subscribes to the best of journals and resource material related to fashion technology and apparel management.

4. National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Mumbai

The Kharghar branch of the National Institute of Fashion Technology which was started in April 2006 is ranked at number four.

Being the commercial city of fashion, the institute is the most preferred destination for fashion and design aspirants across the country.

The state-of-the-art infrastructure and academic leadership at this institute is its USP.

The Mumbai campus has several design studios, lecture rooms equipped with advanced technology, student resource centres and other facilities that make student life comfortable. 

3. Pearl Academy, Delhi

Third on the list of best colleges for fashion is Pearl Academy, Delhi.

Established in 1994, the private management institute has four campuses in India -- Delhi, Noida, Jaipur and Chennai.

It offers undergraduate, post-graduate and certificate courses in fashion merchandising, media makeup, styling and image design.

2. National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Bangalore

The Bangalore-based institute emerges runner up.

The NIFT at Bangalore has a vibrant campus and offers bachelor programmes in fashion design, accessory design, textile design, knitwear design, fashion communication and a special BTech programme in apparel production.

It also offers master level programmes in fashion management and fashion technology.

1. National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Delhi

The headquarters of fashion studies, the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Delhi is the best institute to study fashion according to India Today.

The NIFT, Delhi was started in 1986 by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India to promote the study of textile management and design technology.

Besides the regular and full-time programmes at the undergraduate and post-graduate level, it also offers PhD and dual degree programmes in fashion management and technology. 

Please click NEXT to view India's top five colleges to study fine arts for the year 2013…

5. LS Raheja School of Art, Mumbai

Among the best colleges for fine arts, in fifth place is Mumbai’s LS Raheja School of Art.

Situated in Worli, this institute offers diploma courses in foundation, drawing and painting, and applied art.

4. College of Art, University of Delhi

Delhi University’s College of Art comes in at number four.

It was established in the year 1942 to impart advanced training in Visual Art.

Currently it offers bachelors and masters programme in fine art.

3. Sir J J Institute of Applied Art

In third place is Mumbai's Sir J J Institute of Applied Art.

Established in 1935, this institute was awarded independent status in the year 1961 and in 1981 was affiliated to the University of Mumbai.

As prescribed by the All India Council for Technical Education, it offers four-year bachelor programmes in arts streams.

Some of the specialisations offered at the institute include lettering-typography, illustration, photography, computer graphics and exhibition display design.

2. Faculty of Music and Fine Arts, University of Delhi

The second best institute for fine arts is the Delhi University's Faculty of Music and Fine Arts.

When the institute was started in 1960, it only had 12 students.

Today it caters to more than 450 students and offers bachelors, masters, diploma, short-term certificate and doctoral programmes in music.

1. Kala Bhavana, Visva-Bharati, Birbhum

The best institute to study fine arts according to India Today is Kala Bhavana.

Located in Birbhum, West Bengal, the Kala Bhavana (translated as 'the College of Fine Arts and Crafts') is a distinguished institute for art enthusiasts to practice and research Visual Art.

Initiated by Rabindranath Tagore, the centre has been home to several contemporary artists like Nandalal Bose, Benodebehari Mukhopadhyay and Ramkinkar Baij to name a few.

The institute currently offers specialisations in five major streams of fine arts studies, namely painting, sculpture, graphic art (print-making), design and art history.

It also offers diploma, advanced diploma and post graduate courses.

Please click NEXT to find out India’s top five colleges to study mass communication for the year 2013...

5. Amity School of Communication, Noida

According to the India Today rankings for mass communication colleges, in fifth place is the Amity School of Communication, Noida.

The ASCO was established in 1999 and currently offers various courses in journalism and mass communication at the undergraduate, post-graduate and doctoral level.

It also has a special evening batch for its bachelor programme in journalism and mass communication.

It admits over 800 students annually.

4. Manipal Institute of Communications, Manipal

In fourth position is the Manipal Institute of Communications.

Established in 1997, it offers three-year undergraduate and two-year post-graduate courses in communication.

It also offers one-year post-graduate diplomas, six month certificate courses and dual degree programme in film making in collaboration with the international film making school EICAR in France.

Although the institute had just 20 students when it began operations, it currently cater to over 350 students from across the nation.

3. Christ University, Bangalore

Third on the list is Christ University, Bangalore.

Established in July 1969, the autonomous institute is known for its contemporary curriculum.

Every year, it enrolls over 12,000 students across disciplines like law, business administration, commerce, management, humanities, sciences, and social sciences.

2. Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi

The second best college to study mass communication is the Lady Shri Ram College for Women.

A constituent college of the University of Delhi, the institute was established in the year 1956.

It currently offers 16 programmes at the undergraduate and 10 programmes at the postgraduate level.

Besides its programmes in commerce and humanities, it is also popular for its courses in elementary education and journalism.

It currently caters to over 2,000 students annually.

1. Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune

The best institute for mass communication according to India Today is the Symbiosis Institute of Journalism and Communication.

When the SIJC was started in 1990, it had only 40 students.

Nine years later, it was renamed to Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication and eventually came to be known as the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication.

The mass media communication institute caters to thousands of students across its courses and is well equipped with industry experts and trained professionals as faculty members.