NID Admission 2026: Exam Date, Eligibility, Age Limit, Fees, Selection Process

NID Admission 2026: An Overview

The NID admission is a two-stage process to get admission into its Bachelor of Design (B.Des) and Master of Design (M.Des) programs. The first thing is always to strictly watch out for the official NID admission 2026 dates released through the NID admission handbook.

NID Admission 2026 Dates: Complete Schedule

The official notice of NID 2026 admission was announced on September 11. Candidates can currently download the Admit Card, which has been released on December 11, 2025, at 4 PM.

The NID admission last date closed on December 1, 2025, and the correction window closed on December 4, 2025. Let's observe the full schedule.

NID Admission Eligibility Criteria 2026

The NID admission criteria for B.Des and M.Des courses differ a little bit. Before applying, ensure you satisfy the NID admission qualification and eligibility criteria.

For B.Des Programme:

• NID Admission Qualification: Students must have passed or appeared in a 10+2 (or equivalent) examination from any recognized board (e.g., CBSE, ICSE, IB, etc.).
• NID Admission Age Limit: The candidate should have been born on or after July 1, 2005. For the reserved category (OBC-NCL, SC/ST), should have been born on or after July 1, 2002. For the PwD category, the candidate should have been born on or after July 1, 2000.

For M.Des Programme:

• NID Admission Qualification: Candidates should have done a bachelor's degree of minimum 3 years or 4 years (post 10+2) or minimum 4 years full-time Diploma in Design/ Fine Arts/ Applied Arts/ Architecture from a recognized Institute or University. Final year students can also apply for NID admission 2026.
• NID Admission Age Limit: The candidate should have been born on or after July 1, 1994. For reserved category (OBC-NCL, SC/ST), should have been born on or after July 1, 1991. For the PwD category, the student should have been born on or after July 1, 1989.

NID Admission Requirements 2026: Application Process

The NID admission process is fully online, and it is multi-step. Below is a step-by-step guide to fill NID admission form:

Step 1: Registration (NID Admission Login): Visit the NID admission website and register using your phone number and email. This will give you your NID admission login details.

Step 2: Complete the Application Form: Sign in and fill in your personal, educational, and contact information carefully.

Step 3: Upload Documents: Upload scanned documents of your photograph, signature, category certificate (if relevant) and academic mark sheets according to the prescribed format and size.

Step 4: Pay the Application Fee: Pay the NID admission fee online by credit/debit card, net banking or UPI. The amount differs by category (e.g., General, OBC-NCL, SC/ST/PwD).

Step 5: Submit and Print: Carefully review your NID application before final submission. Save and print the confirmation page for reference.

For any query regarding filling the NID admission form, download the official NID admission handbook 2026 from the official website and go through it. The NID admission handbook has all the information regarding the programs, seats, fees, exam centers, dates, and eligibility.

Know the list of documents required to fill the NID admission form 2026

NID Admission Exam 2026: DAT Prelims and Mains

The NID admission exam, known as the Design Aptitude Test (DAT), is conducted in two stages.

The final selection is based only on the score of the NID mains. The NID 2026 prelims exam score will only be used to shortlist candidates for the NID DAT main exam.

Also Read: NID DAT BDes Prelims Official Sample Paper with Detailed Solutions

NID Admission Result 2026: Prelims and Final Result

The NID admission result for each stage (DAT prelims exam and final result) will be announced on the NID official website. Candidates will need their NID admission login credentials to check their NID result and download the scorecard.

The NID DAT 2026 prelims exam results for BDes will be declared on April 7, while the MDes prelims exam results will be declared on February 17. Based on the last year's statistics, the final result for NID admission 2026 will be out in May 2026.

NID 2026 Admission Weightages for BDes and MDes

The NID 2026 prelims score will be used only for shortlisting candidates for the NID DAT mains exam. It is important to note that the prelims score will not carry any weightage in the final evaluation of the NID 2026 mains exam. The weightage distribution for NID admission 2026 for B.Des and M.Des is given below.

NID Admission Cutoff 2026

The NID DAT 2026 cutoff will be released online for both prelims and mains. It is the minimum score required to qualify for the next stage of NID admission. The cutoff will be decided based on factors like exam difficulty, number of candidates, seat availability, reservations, and past trends. Candidates meeting the NID cutoff 2026 will be eligible for admission to their preferred NID campus, depending on rank, score, and seat availability.

NID Counselling Process 2026

The NID counselling is the final step in the NID admission 2026 process. It will be conducted for candidates shortlisted through the DAT mains. During counselling, candidates must complete document verification and confirm their seat by paying the NID admission fee. Seat allocation will be determined based on the candidate’s merit rank, category, campus preference, and seat availability.

Courses Offered and Seat Intake at NID Colleges: Campus-Wise

Candidates who wish to pursue BDes or MDes courses can check out the following list to know about the specialized courses offered at the NID campus. This list provides complete details of each NID campus to help the candidates.

The NID admission 2026-27 cycle applies to all campuses, but each follows the same NID admission procedure through DAT.

NID Admission Fees Structure 2026

The National Institute of Design offers both undergraduate and postgraduate design programs. The NID admission fees 2026 vary by campus and candidate category. The NID admission fee structure includes course fees, student development fund, security deposit, hostel charges, mess fee, and alumni association membership.

The NID 2026 fee structure has been published on admissions.nid.edu. The NID admission fees for all the campuses, like Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Bengaluru, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Assam, are also available on their respective websites.

The NID admission process has been merged. Candidates can apply through a single application form, and their campus and course preferences will be considered while applying. The NID Bangalore admission process and the NID Kurukshetra admission process both adhere to the same central procedure described above.