Automotive Design Courses: Admission 2026, Fees, Entrance Exam, Top Colleges, Placements
Published by Shikha Kumari on May 09, 2025
Automotive design courses teach individuals how to design and develop the exterior and interior of vehicles, focusing on aesthetics, ergonomics, and aerodynamics. These courses cover various aspects of vehicle design, from initial conceptualisation to final production, and can be found at universities, design schools, and vocational institutes. In this blog, we are going to discuss the admission process, entrance exams to be prepared for, top colleges, and placement services.
Automotive Design Admission Process 2026
Automotive Design can be considered at NIFT. Top Automotive Design Entrance Exams for 2026 include UCEED, AIEED, MITID DAT, and NID DAT. These exams are followed by portfolio reviews, and in some cases, personal interviews may also be conducted along with studio workshop tasks. Candidates should make sure that they pay fees, upload their marksheets, and submit other required documents within the deadlines.
| Step | Details |
| Eligibility & Exams | 10+2 with 50 %+ (any stream, PCM preferred for some). Entrance exams: NID DAT, UCEED, AIEED, MITID DAT, DSK Supinfocom, UPES DAT. |
| Application Process | Online form submission (Nov 2024–Mar 2025), pay fees, upload marksheets, SOPS, and portfolio (if required). |
| Selection Rounds | Written exam (design aptitude + creativity), followed by Portfolio Review and Personal Interview. Some may add Studio/Workshop tasks. |
| Merit & Counselling | Institutes release merit lists (within 30–45 days). Selected candidates join counselling rounds and confirm admission by paying the initial fees. |
NID DAT Schedule 2026
NID DAT schedule for 2026 examination has been released, the important dates are mentioned in the table below:
| Application opens | 11 September 2025 |
| Last date to apply | 1 December 2025 |
| Correction window | 2 – 4 December 2025 |
| DAT Prelims exam | 21 December 2025 |
| DAT Prelims result (B.Des) | 7 April 2026 |
| DAT Mains exam (B.Des) | April / May 2026 (tentative) |
UCEED Schedule 2026
UCEED notification for 2026 exam was released on 1 October 2025, the exam is scheduled to be conducted on 18 January 2026.
| Notification release | 1 October 2025 |
| Registration starts | 1 October 2025 |
| Last date to apply (regular fee) | 5 November 2025 |
| Last date with late fee | 10 November 2025 |
| Admit card release | 2 January 2026 |
| Admit card correction window | 2 – 8 January 2026 |
| Exam date | 18 January 2026 (Sunday, 9 AM – 12 Noon) |
| Draft answer key release | 20 January 2026 |
| Final answer key release | 28 January 2026 |
| Results announcement | 6 March 2026 |
| Score card download window | 10 March – 31 July 2026 |
| B.Des application for participating institutes opens | 14 March 2026 |
| B.Des application closes | 10 April 2026 |
Automotive Designing Courses
To pursue automobile design courses, candidates can opt for programs like the Diploma in Automotive Design, Bachelor of Design (B.Des) or Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech). To further enhance their skills, candidates can also pursue postgraduate courses such as M.Des in Transportation/Vehicle Design or M.Tech in Automotive Engineering (Design Elective).
| Course Type | Course Name | Duration | Eligibility |
| Diploma | Diploma in Automotive Design | 1 – 2 years | 10th or 12th pass |
| Diploma in Transportation Design | 1 – 2 years | 10th or 12th pass | |
| Undergraduate (UG) | B.Des in Transportation / Automotive Design | 4 years | 10+2 with Design/Aptitude Test (UCEED/NID DAT) |
| B.Tech in Automobile Engineering (Design Focus) | 4 years | 10+2 with PCM | |
| Postgraduate (PG) | M.Des in Transportation / Vehicle Design | 2 years | UG in Design, Engineering, or Architecture |
| M.Tech in Automotive Engineering (Design Elective) | 2 years | B.Tech in Mech/Auto/Design Engg. | |
| PG Diploma in Automotive or Mobility Design | 1 year | UG or Diploma in Design |
Top Colleges for Automotive Design
Automotive design course fees can range from as low as Rs 2.25 lakh to as high as Rs 25.1 lakh. Some of the top and popular universities that provide automotive design courses are as follows:
| Institution Name | Courses Offered | Fees |
| World University of Design | 3 Courses | Rs 2.25 L – 14.72 L |
| Unitedworld Institute of Design, Karnavati University | 3 Courses | Rs 1.65 L – 25.1 L |
| UPES (Admission Office) | 3 Courses | Rs 12.52 L – 17.62 L |
| KIIT School of Design, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology | 1 Course | Rs 14 L |
| Industrial Design Centre – IIT Bombay | 1 Course | Rs 2.69 L |
Automotive Design Placements
Candidates can earn Rs 3 to 3.5 LPA as a fresher, and this can increase to Rs 10 LPA with more years of experience. Therefore, automotive design salaries can range from Rs 2.5 LPA to Rs 10 LPA. The following data can be used to calculate the monthly salary as an Automobile Design Engineer:
| Company Name | Job Role | Avg. Annual Salary (LPA) | Experience |
| Tech Mahindra | Automobile Design Engineer | Rs 3.6 LPA – Rs 6.3 LPA | 2 – 5 years |
| TCS | Automobile Design Engineer | Rs 4.1 LPA – Rs 10 LPA | 2 – 7 years |
| KSK Engineers | Automobile Design Engineer | Rs 2.5 LPA – Rs 4.5 LPA | 1 – 5 years |
| Three M Software Private Ltd. | Automobile Design Engineer | Rs 3 LPA – Rs 3.5 LPA | 0 – 2 years |
| Tata Technologies | Automobile Design Engineer | Rs 4.5 LPA – Rs 5.8 LPA | 2 – 3 years |
| Volvo | Automobile Design Engineer | Rs 6.4 LPA – Rs 8.2 LPA | 3 – 5 years |
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