90 percentile score in JEE Main 2026 will place you in the rank range of 84,000 - 1,10,000. Students scoring below 90 percentile can aim primarily for low-tier NITs and mid tier if they have category reservation.
- It is highly impossible for a student to get admission in top branches like CSE with a score below 90 percentile in top NITs.
- NITs like NIT Srinagar, NIT Agartala, NIT Mizoram, NIT Nagaland, NIT Hamirpur, and NIT Puducherry accept under 90 percentile.
- There are possibilities for students to get into low-demand engineering branches in lower-tier NITs with below 90 percentile.
- Students can use their Home State quota to secure admissions in NITs of their state rather than being dependent on the Other State quota.
- However, this case can change based on the student’s category.
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Key Summary
- Students with a percentile under 90 can apply to NITs.
- The admission for students in NITs can differ based on the students’ categories.
- General students are only eligible for low demand courses in lower tier NITs.
- OBC-NCL students are eligible for low demand and core engineering courses in mid/ low-tier NITs.
- SC/ ST students are eligible for core engineering courses in top NITs for low demand branches and core branches like in mid/ low-tier NITs.
- JoSAA counselling and CSAB special rounds play a crucial role in seat allocation for the reserved categories.
NITs Expected for General Category students Under 90 percentile
If a general category student has a percentile below 90, then his/ her AIR is expected to be in a range of roughly 90,000-1,20,000+.
- For a rank range between 90,000-1,20,000+, low/ mid tier IITs are available.
- There are zero chances that a general category student with 90-95 percentile can get admission even in top NITs.
- However, a general category student can apply for lower tier NITs, through HS quota to secure admissions in Civil, Mechanical, Chemical, and Metallurgical branches.
| NIT | Branch | Expected Percentile Range |
|---|---|---|
| NIT Arunachal Pradesh | Civil, Mechanical, Electrical | 87-89 |
| NIT Agartala | Bio-engineering, Chemical | 86-89 |
| NIT Meghalaya | Civil, Mechanical | 86-88 |
| NIT Goa | Civil, Mechanical | 84-89 |
| NIT Raipur | Mining, Civil, Mechanical | 82-89 |
| NIT Puducherry | Civil, Mechanical, EEE | 81-90 |
| NIT Srinagar | Chemical, Civil, Metallurgical | 80-90 |
| NIT Manipur | Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, CS | 70-90 |
| NIT Sikkim | Civil, Mechanical, Electrical | 54-60 |
| NIT Mizoram | Civil, Mechanical, Electrical | 53-59 |
Also Check: Expected JEE Main 2026 Cutoff Percentile for General Category to Qualify for NITs
Ques. Is NIT possible at 90 percentile general?
Ans. Yes. You can get NIT with 90 percentile. But you can only try for core engineering branches like Civil, Mechanical, or Metallurgical in newer/ low-tier NITs. Since the cutoff rank will be lower for top NITs, it’s hard for general category students with a rank range of 90,000-1,30,000+ to get into top branches in top NITs.
Ques. Can I get NIT in 80 percentile?
Ans. Yes. You can get NIT with 80 percentile. However, you can get only newer NITs like NIT Agartala, Sringara or Goa, for low demand branches with 80 percentile. If you are a general category student, the possibilities of getting admission in NITs is tough, but it’s possible for OBC-NCL and SC/ ST students through special CSAB rounds.
NITs Expected for OBC-NCL students Under 90 percentile
For OBC-NCL category students the rank can fall within 30,000-40,000, if he/ she scores under 90 percentile.
- With a score under 90 percentile, OBC-NCL students can expect to apply for branches like Civil, Chemical, Bio-Tech, and Metallurgy.
- Students can apply for mid tier or lower tier NITs.
- Many lower percentile seats are filled in CSAB special rounds, and OBC-NCL students have higher chances of securing a seat in this round.
| NIT | Branch | Expected Percentile Range |
|---|---|---|
| NIT Raipur | Civil, Mechanical | Below 90 |
| NIT Puducherry | Civil, Mechanical | 88-90 |
| NIT Jalandhar | Civil, Instrumentation | 87-90 |
| NIT Arunachal Pradesh | Civil, Mechanical, Electrical | 87-89 |
| NIT Agartala | Bio-Engineering, Chemical | 86-89 |
| NIT Meghalaya | Civil, Mechanical, Metallurgical | 86-87 |
| NIT Srinagar | Civil, Mechanical, Metallurgical | 85-90 |
| NIT Manipur | Civil, Mechanical, Electrical | 70-90 |
| NIT Sikkim | Civil & Lower branches | 54-60 |
| NIT Mizoram | Civil & Lower branches | 53-59 |
Ques. Which NIT can I get with 90 percentile OBC?
Ans. For OBC-NCL students, a percentile around 90 is eligible to secure a seat at lower tier NITs like NIT Mizoram, NIT Manipur, NIT Nagaland, etc., for lower engineering branches like Civil, Metallurgy and Mining. Admissions in top NITs and mid NITs for OBC category students with under 90 percentile is highly possible.
Ques. How much percentile is required for NIT for OBC-NCL students?
Ans. For OBC-NCL students, a percentile between 85-96+ is required in JEE Mains 2026 to secure an admission in mid/ low-tier NITs. To secure a seat at top NITs like NIT Trichy, NIT Surathkal, NIT Warangal, etc., at least a minimum of 97.5+ percentile is required for OBC-NCL category students.
NITs Expected for SC students Under 90 percentile
If an SC category student scores under 90 percentile, he/ she can expect a rank range of 3,000-7,000. The estimated score required and the rank acquired is significantly lower than the general and OBC-NCL category students for the same percentile.
- Even if the SC students have a relatively lower ranking, the possibilities of them getting qualified for top NITs is significantly lower.
- They can apply for admissions in low/mid tier NITs, IIITs and GFTIs.
- If you are an SC category student securing under 90 percentile, you also have the chance to apply for core engineering branches like Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, CSE, ECE, and even IT in mid/ low-tier NITs.
| NIT | Branch | Expected Percentile Range |
|---|---|---|
| NIT Puducherry | Mechanical, Civil, CSE | 88 - 90+ |
| NIT Agartala | Bio-Engineering, Chemical | 86 - 89+ |
| NIT Meghalaya | Mechanical, Civil | 86 - 86.5+ |
| NIT Silchar | Civil & lower core branches | 85-90 |
| NIT Goa | Electronics & Communication (ECE) | ~80 - 90+ |
| NIT Jalandhar | Instrumentation, Mechanical, Civil | ~80 - 90+ |
| NIT Raipur | Electrical, ECE, Mechanical , IT | ~80 - 90+ |
| NIT Manipur | Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, CSE | 70 - 90+ |
| NIT Srinagar | Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, CSE | Below 90 |
| NIT Sikkim | Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, CSE | Below 90 |
| NIT Nagaland | Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, CSE | Below 90 |
| NIT Mizoram | Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, CSE | Below 90 |
Ques. How much percentile is required for NIT for SC students?
Ans. For SC category students, a percentile between 85-92+ is required in JEE Mains 2026 to secure an admission in most NITs. However, lower NITs also accept a percentile roughly around 75-80+, whereas top NITs require a percentile of 95+ for top branches, and around 90-95 percentile for core branches in top NITs and top branches in mid-tier NITs.
Ques. Can I get NIT Delhi with 90 percentile SC category?
Ans. If you are an SC category student with 90 percentile, your rank can be estimated around 7,000 - 10,000. This qualifies you to secure a seat in newer/ less competitive NITs or a low-demand branch in mid tier NITs. However, aiming for NIT Delhi with 90 or under 90 percentile is risky and less possible.
NITs Expected for ST students Under 90 percentile
The AIR for an ST category student who has scored a percentile under 90 is estimated to be within a rank range of 5,000-8,000.
- If you are an ST category student with a percentile of under 90 you can apply for Civil or Planning engineering in top NITs like NIT Rourkela and NIT Calicut.
- You can also apply for low demand engineering branches like Material Science, Metallurgy, Mining, etc., and core branches like Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical in mid/ low tier NITs.
- However, applying for a CSE branch in top NITs is still unlikely as top NITs require a percentile above 97.5+ that will be taken for consideration for admission.
- HS Quota can also be used in your favour to secure admission in your desired course (low demand or core engineering) and desired choice of low/mid tier NIT.
Top NITs
| NIT | Branch | Expected Percentile Range |
|---|---|---|
| NIT Rourkela | Civil, Planning | 87-90+ |
| NIT Calicut | Civil, Planning | 87-90+ |
Mid/ low-tier NITs
| NIT | Branch | Expected Percentile Range |
|---|---|---|
| NIT Puducherry | Mechanical, Civil | 85 - 89 |
| NIT Goa | Mechanical, Civil | 85 - 89 |
| NIT Silchar | Metallurgical, Civil, Mining | 82 - 88 |
| NIT Raipur | Metallurgical, Civil, Mining | 82 - 88 |
| NIT Patna | Production, Chemical, Civil | 80 - 87 |
| NIT Agartala | Production, Chemical, Civil | 80 - 87 |
| NIT Manipur | Civil, Mechanical, ECE | 78 - 85 |
| NIT Meghalaya | Civil, Mechanical, ECE | 78 - 85 |
| NIT Hamirpur | Materials, Civil | 75–85+ |
| NIT Srinagar | Civil, Mechanical, Electrical | 75 - 82 |
| NIT Sikkim | Civil, Mechanical, Electrical | 75 - 82 |
| NIT Arunachal Pradesh | Civil, Mechanical | 72 - 80 |
| NIT Nagaland | Civil, EEE, Mechanical | 70 - 80 |
| NIT Mizoram | Civil, EEE, Mechanical | 70 - 80 |
Ques. What is the minimum percentile required for NIT for SC students?
Ans. The minimum percentile required ranges from 65-80 for ST students to secure a seat in any NIT (low/mid-tier). However, to get admitted in top NITs, an ST student must score above 90 percentile and will still be eligible only for core engineering subjects.
Reddit Discussions
In a Reddit post, one of the previous candidates replied to the question “90 percentile tier 2 NIT college?”, saying that unless you have a reserved category, you cannot get admissions in it.
Source: Reddit
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