List of Engineering Branches: Eligibility, Course, Entrance Exam, Top Universities, Top-paying Branches, and Recruiters

Every year, millions of students pursue a Bachelor of Engineering or BTech to start a career in one of the most opted degree courses after 12th Science. Engineering is a discipline that requires the application of mathematical methods, scientific theories, and empirical evidence to create, analyze, and design technological solutions.

However, one of the most important questions to ask yourself when deciding to pursue Engineering is: ‘Which branch suits my career and personal needs the best?’ Most of the time, students end up choosing a branch that is considered popular instead of going for a field that suits their professional and personal aspirations. This usually occurs when one does not have all the required resources or knowledge to come to an informed decision. So, here are all the details about the different Engineering branches to help you make the right choice!

Understanding the Diverse Engineering Branches  

We tend to believe the myth that choosing Mechanical or Civil Engineering is the only way of ensuring high-paying jobs. To clear your confusion, you must understand how to choose the right one from different Engineering branches.

• Figure out what interests you, the domains that you are inclined towards, and the types of work profiles or responsibilities that attract you.
• Facts like the number of hours spent by a professional in this job and the scope for growth in that profile must be considered while choosing one of the Engineering branches.
• Don’t follow the herd rather, identify your strengths and weakness and choose a course accordingly.

Eligibility for Engineering Courses

Following is the eligibility for different engineering courses:

Courses	Eligibility
BE/BTech	-Candidates must have passed the Class XII exam from a recognized board with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as core subjects. -They must also have secured minimum aggregate marks of 60% in the above subjects combined
BTech Lateral Entry	Candidates must have passed a three-year Diploma granted by the Board of Technical Examination of a State Government, with a minimum of 45% aggregate marks or equivalent
ME/MTech	Candidates who have completed their BE/BTech degree with a valid score in GATE are eligible for the ME/MTech degree course
Diploma	Aspirants must have passed Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC)/tenth standard/equivalent examination, with at least 35% in Science and Maths subjects
PhD	Aspirants must have secured a minimum of 55% marks or 5.5 CPI marks in BTech/MTech or equivalent degree in appropriate branches

List of Engineering Branches

With different types of industries on a rise, the need for engineers with specific skill sets and an understanding of a particular industry has increased. We have listed down the types of Engineering branches that you can choose from: 

Aeronautical Engineering	Textile Engineering	Mechatronics Engineering
Civil Engineering	Robotics Engineering	Power Engineering
Aerospace Engineering	Mechanical Engineering	Structural Engineering
Industrial Engineering	Marine Engineering	Petroleum Engineering
Automobile Engineering	Production Engineering	Metallurgical Engineering
Ceramic Engineering	Biomedical Engineering	Construction Engineering
Electronics Engineering	Marine Engineering	Tool Engineering
Telecommunication Engineering	Environmental Engineering	Transportation Engineering
Communications Engineering	Biotechnology Engineering	Electrical Engineering
Computer Science Engineering	Chemical Engineering	Mining Engineering

Mechatronics Engineering

This Engineering discipline is closely interlinked with other branches. Mechatronics Engineering includes subjects like Electronics, Telecommunications, Control Systems, and Mechanical Engineering. The subject focuses on different Engineering aspects such as real-time computer interfacing, controllers and actuators, sensors, and modeling. A Mechatronics engineer has the liberty to work in any sector suitable, including Artificial Intelligence.

Computer Science Engineering

This branch is known for the designing and prototyping of different computing devices and related systems. It mainly deals with different methods of incorporating computing logic into physical systems after being translated properly. Computer Science Engineering deals with mapping information through the systematic study of algorithmic methods. The mapped information includes design, theory, application, implementation, and efficiency. Further, it also deals with the study of designing and the implementation of environments that are distributed for making multimedia into a stream of data. 

Mechanical Engineering

This branch of Engineering encompasses all the machines and systems and studies their designing, manufacturing, operation, and maintenance processes. The field of Mechanical Engineering is evolving with technological development in sectors such as manufacturing, machine design, aerospace systems, energy conservation, and fluid mechanics. Industries like air conditioning, power plants, heavy industrial machines, automobiles, and even the simplest of household appliances, come under Mechanical Engineering. Not only restricted to MS in Mechanical Engineering, but you can also explore various courses after Mechanical Engineering to build a flourishing career!

Electronics Engineering

Electronic engineers are required to design, research and help in the development of electronic components as well as equipment in different industries such as manufacturing (industrial machinery and programmable logic controls) and communications like radio, mobile phones, TV, and satellite communication along with data communication like ATMs, laptop, etc. You are also required to work on medical instruments as well as transportation devices like navigation, etc. Home appliances also come under the expertise area of electronics engineers. 

How is it Different from Electrical Engineering?

This branch is completely different from Electrical Engineering which deals with concepts related to devices and systems of electrical systems as well as the usage of electricity. The Electrical Engineering syllabus imparts knowledge about concepts such as electromagnetism for the transmission, generation, storage, processing, control, and conversion of energy as well as valuable information. 

Civil Engineering

This Engineering branch deals with construction as well as designing different physical structures. It is considered one of the oldest engineering branches. Civil Engineering also includes learning and working on projects like canals, roads, bridges, buildings, and dams. All different branches like Biomechanics, Structural Engineering, Atmospheric Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Water Resources Engineering, Materials Engineering, Municipal Engineering, Control Engineering, Geophysics, and Transportation Engineering fall under this branch and can thus be categorized into different types of Civil Engineering!

Aerospace Engineering

One of the most sought-after engineering branches, Aerospace Engineering deals with the designing and construction of spacecraft and aircraft. It is subdivided into two different Engineering branches, namely Astronautical Engineering and Aeronautical Engineering. While Astronautical engineering is involved in crafts that operate outside the Earth’s atmosphere, Aeronautical Engineering deals with the crafts that operate within the Earth’s atmosphere. Basically, Aerospace Engineering is involved in the designing, maintaining, construction, testing, and development of rockets, aeroplanes, helicopters, and satellites. Not only restricted to the USA or Australia, but you can also explore Aerospace Engineering in Germany!

Automobile Engineering

One of the key Engineering branches, Automobile Engineering deals with the designing and construction of transportation of vehicles. It is a branch derived from Mechanical Engineering. Automobile Engineering deals with the development, designing, production, manufacturing, repairing, testing, management, and control of cars and their engines along with fuel management. The entire process right from the conceptual phase to the production stage is overseen by an automobile engineer. 

Biotechnology Engineering

BTech Biotechnology deals with the field of Applied Biology and Chemical Engineering principles. It involves the study of living organisms in medicine, engineering technology, and various other applications. Since this branch encompasses concepts of Genetic Engineering along with Cell and Tissue Technologies, the scope of Biotechnology is vast. It studies different technologies which are applied to various living cells, which are then used to produce products or enhance an existing product for its quality. 

Software Engineering

Software Engineering basically deals with a detailed study of the design, development, maintenance, and basic engineering of different software. It teaches you to deal with issues like low-quality software projects. As a software engineer, it is important that the application built is consistent, on time, and corrects within the specified requirements. You are also expected to develop products that can be used by end-users and develop features that attract more users. The demand for software engineers is increasing to cater to the rapidly changing requirements of different users as well as the changing environment of the working application. 

Engineering Entrance Exams

Most of the engineering institutes in India select candidates for admission on the basis of entrance exam scores and ranks. While some technical institutes accept AIR (All India Ranks) secured in national level exams, some conduct their own entrance exam. Here are some of the popular engineering exams in India:

Top Universities for Engineering Abroad 

Following are some of the universities which offer admission into courses for engineers abroad according to QS World University Rankings: 

QS World Rankings 2024	University
4	Harvard University
5	Stanford University
10	University of California, Berkeley
1	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2	University of Cambridge
3	University of Oxford
=17	Princeton University
15	California Institute of Technology
7	ETH Zurich
8	National University of Singapore

Top Colleges for Engineering in India 

Following are some of the universities which offer admission into courses for an engineer in India:

• (IIT)Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi
• (IIT)Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur
• (IIT)Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee
• (IIT)Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Hyderabad
• National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli (NIT Trichy)
• National Institute of Technology, Surathkal, Karnataka

Top-Paying Branches in Engineering

Engineering Branch	Expected Salary
Computer Science and Engineering	INR 2-8 LPA
Mechanical Engineering	INR 1.8-5 LPA
Electrical Engineering	INR 1.8-4.5 LPA
Civil Engineering	INR 3-5 LPA
Biotechnology Engineering	INR 3-8 LPA

Engineering Eligibility Criteria

Admission requirements for engineering programs differ from institute to institute. One of the prerequisites is that students have completed class 12 with courses in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Several institutes require a minimum percentage of class 12 marks, which varies by institute. Furthermore, some institutes have an upper and lower age limit for admission to engineering programs.

Medical clearance is also required for courses such as Marine Engineering and Aeronautical Engineering, which students must obtain before enrolling. Admission to engineering colleges is frequently done through a test. Candidates can view the complete list of qualification requirements here-

Courses	Eligibility
BE/BTech	Candidates must have passed a recognized board’s Class 12 exam with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics as core subjects. They must also have obtained a minimum of 60% in all of the subjects listed above.
BTech Lateral Entry	Candidates must have a three-year diploma from a State Government Board of Technical Examination with at least 45% aggregate marks or equivalent.
ME/MTech	Candidates who have completed their BE/BTech degree and have a valid GATE score are eligible for the ME/MTech degree program.
Diploma	Applicants must have completed the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC)/tenth standard/equivalent examination with a minimum grade point average of 35% in Science and Math.
PhD	Aspirants must have a minimum of 55% or 5.5 CPI in BTech/MTech or an equivalent degree in applicable fields.

Top Recruiters for Engineering

The table below lists the various recruiters for Engineering Courses:

Facebook	Microsoft	HCL	Google
Tata Motors	Royal Enfield	Larsen & Toubro Limited	Siemens
Wipro Lighting Corporate	The Godrej Group	Havells India Limited	Microtek
Neolex Cables	CESC Ltd.	HAL	NAL
DRDO	TATA	Robert Bosch	National Instruments
ISRO	Brigade Group	Mercedes Benz	DLF
Volvo	Hindustan Construction Company	Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL)	Coal India Limited (CIL)

Relevant Blogs

Biomedical Engineering Syllabus	Engineering Universities in Japan
Courses After Mechanical Engineering	Chemical Engineering Syllabus
Seminar Topics for Electrical Engineering	Electrical Engineering Syllabus

FAQs

Hopefully, this blog elaborating on the major Engineering branches helped you understand the different fields that you can choose from. If you are unsure about which branch of Engineering is the right one for you, Leverage Edu study abroad consultants can help you find an ideal course that aligns with your passion for Engineering to build an incredible career in this field.