JoSAA 2026 Round 5 — the final seat allotment round — takes place on July 16, 2026; students holding JEE Advanced 2026 ranks below the expected IIT closing cutoffs listed here stand the strongest chance of securing a seat before counselling concludes.
With 56,880 students qualifying JEE Advanced 2026 out of 1,79,694 who appeared and 23 IITs participating in JoSAA 2026 counselling, competition for top branches at premier institutes is intense. The expected closing ranks below draw on JoSAA 2025 final-round data and are clearly marked as predictions — official 2026 closing ranks will be published on josaa.nic.in after Round 5 seat allotment on July 16, 2026.
- JoSAA 2026 has 5 rounds — Round 5 on July 16, 2026 is the final allotment round, one fewer than some earlier years.
- 56,880 students qualified JEE Advanced 2026, a figure comparable to previous years so rank-to-seat ratios stay broadly stable.
- 23 IITs participate in JoSAA 2026 seat allotment across engineering and science programmes.
- IIT Bombay CSE (General) 2025 final closing rank was AIR 66; expected 2026 range is AIR 60–72.
- IIT Delhi CSE (General) 2025 final closing rank was AIR 125; expected 2026 range is AIR 118–135.
- IIT BHU Varanasi CSE (General) closed at AIR 1,489 in 2025; expected 2026 range is AIR 1,430–1,560.
| Direct Link to JoSAA 2026 Official Portal (ACTIVE) |
JoSAA 2026 Round-Wise Schedule
JoSAA 2026 runs five rounds of seat allotment. Round 5 on July 16, 2026 is the final seat allotment round — closing ranks published after this round are the official IIT cutoffs for 2026. Choice locking closes before Round 5; students cannot modify their preference list after that deadline.
| Round | Seat Allotment Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | June 13, 2026 | Declared |
| Round 2 | June 30, 2026 | Declared |
| Round 3 | July 6, 2026 | Declared |
| Round 4 | July 10, 2026 | Declared |
| Round 5 (Final) | July 16, 2026 | Awaited |
Students allotted a seat in any round must complete document verification and seat acceptance fee payment within the deadline to retain their allotment. Failure to do so forfeits the seat and the student is excluded from subsequent rounds.
Expected IIT Closing Cutoffs 2026 — CSE Branch
Computer Science Engineering seats at IITs attract the highest-ranked students every year. All 2026 rank ranges below are expected cutoffs based on JoSAA 2025 final-round closing ranks and will be confirmed only after Round 5 results on July 16, 2026. Ranks are Common Rank List (CRL) ranks for the General (Open) category. Figures marked with ~ are approximate and derived from trend analysis.
| IIT | Branch | JoSAA 2025 Closing Rank (General-CRL) | Expected 2026 Closing Rank (General-CRL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIT Bombay | Computer Science and Engineering | 66 | 60–72 |
| IIT Delhi | Computer Science and Engineering | 125 | 118–135 |
| IIT Madras | Computer Science and Engineering | 171 | 163–185 |
| IIT Kanpur | Computer Science and Engineering | ~280 | 265–300 |
| IIT Kharagpur | Computer Science and Engineering | 450 | 430–475 |
| IIT Roorkee | Computer Science and Engineering | 535 | 510–560 |
| IIT Hyderabad | Computer Science and Engineering | ~700 | 670–740 |
| IIT Guwahati | Computer Science and Engineering | ~900 | 860–945 |
| IIT Indore | Computer Science and Engineering | ~1,200 | 1,140–1,270 |
| IIT BHU Varanasi | Computer Science and Engineering | 1,489 | 1,430–1,560 |
IIT Kanpur also offers Mathematics and Scientific Computing, which closed at approximately AIR 550 in 2025 — the expected 2026 range is AIR 520–580, based on 2025 trends. This programme draws students who narrowly miss IIT Bombay or IIT Delhi CSE cutoffs.
Expected Closing Cutoffs — EE, ME and Other Key Branches
Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering are the next most competitive streams at top IITs. The figures below are expected 2026 closing ranks based on JoSAA 2025 final-round trends. All ranks are General-CRL. Figures marked with ~ are approximate and derived from trend analysis.
| IIT | Branch | JoSAA 2025 Closing Rank (General-CRL) | Expected 2026 Closing Rank (General-CRL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIT Bombay | Electrical Engineering | 418 | 400–445 |
| IIT Bombay | Mechanical Engineering | ~900 | 860–945 |
| IIT Bombay | Chemical Engineering | ~1,200 | 1,140–1,270 |
| IIT Delhi | Electrical Engineering | ~620 | 590–655 |
| IIT Delhi | Mechanical Engineering | ~1,862 | 1,780–1,960 |
| IIT Delhi | Civil Engineering | 4,228 | 4,050–4,430 |
| IIT Madras | Electrical Engineering | ~720 | 685–760 |
| IIT Kanpur | Electrical Engineering | ~2,000 | 1,900–2,110 |
| IIT Kharagpur | Electrical Engineering | 1,885 | 1,800–1,975 |
| IIT Roorkee | Electrical Engineering | ~1,800 | 1,720–1,895 |
| IIT Roorkee | Civil Engineering | ~5,400 | 5,150–5,650 |
| IIT Guwahati | Electrical Engineering | ~2,800 | 2,660–2,950 |
Civil Engineering and Chemical Engineering at most IITs have seen gradual upward movement in closing ranks over recent cycles as student preference tilts toward CSE and AI-focused programmes. Students with ranks in the 4,000–6,000 range can still secure core engineering branches at premier IITs.
OBC-NCL and Reserved Category Rank Estimates
JoSAA fills reserved-category seats using separate rank lists. OBC-NCL, SC and ST closing ranks displayed in the JoSAA OR-CR portal are category ranks — not CRL ranks. You must compare your OBC-NCL category rank (as shown on your JEE Advanced 2026 scorecard) with the OBC-NCL column in the JoSAA OR-CR data, not the General-CRL column. The estimates below are based on JoSAA 2025 trends.
| IIT and Branch | Category | Expected 2026 Closing Category Rank |
|---|---|---|
| IIT Bombay — CSE | OBC-NCL | ~25–32 |
| IIT Bombay — CSE | SC | ~15–22 |
| IIT Bombay — CSE | ST | ~8–14 |
| IIT Delhi — CSE | OBC-NCL | ~50–65 |
| IIT Delhi — CSE | SC | ~28–40 |
| IIT Delhi — CSE | ST | ~12–20 |
| IIT Madras — CSE | OBC-NCL | ~65–80 |
| IIT Kanpur — CSE | OBC-NCL | ~105–130 |
| IIT Bombay — EE | OBC-NCL | ~160–200 |
| IIT Delhi — EE | OBC-NCL | ~240–285 |
EWS (Economically Weaker Section) closing ranks are typically close to General-CRL closing ranks for the same branch. Students with a valid EWS certificate must select EWS as their category during JoSAA registration to be eligible for EWS seats. EWS seats are supernumerary and do not reduce General-category seat availability.
Factors That Affect IIT Closing Cutoffs
Closing ranks are not static. Each year a set of variables shifts them modestly up or down. Understanding these helps you interpret predictions with the right context.
- Total qualified students: 56,880 qualified JEE Advanced 2026 — broadly similar to previous years — so seat competition and closing ranks are expected to stay stable.
- Total IIT seats: Any expansion in intake at a specific IIT or branch pushes that closing rank upward, meaning more students can qualify for that seat.
- Fewer JoSAA rounds: JoSAA 2026 has 5 rounds versus 6 in some earlier years. Fewer rounds compress rank movement between allotments so final closing ranks may settle slightly tighter.
- AI and Data Science programmes: Growing preference for AI-focused B.Tech streams at some IITs draws top-ranked students away from traditional CSE lists, which can marginally relax closing ranks for Civil and Chemical Engineering.
- Institute preference shifts: IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi consistently attract students in the top 200 ranks. IITs in Tier-2 cities have seen rising preference over the past two cycles tightening their cutoffs slightly each year.
- Female supernumerary seats: These seats have their own OR-CR data and do not affect the general seat allotment closing ranks shown in the tables above.
JEE Advanced 2026 IIT Closing Cutoffs FAQs
Ques. When will official JoSAA 2026 final round closing ranks be published?
Ans. Official closing ranks for JoSAA 2026 will be published at josaa.nic.in after Round 5 seat allotment on July 16, 2026. The OR-CR section of the portal updates after each round’s results are declared.
Ques. What is the expected closing rank for IIT Bombay CSE in JoSAA 2026?
Ans. Based on JoSAA 2025 final-round trends, the expected closing rank for IIT Bombay Computer Science and Engineering in the General category is around AIR 60–72. This is a prediction and the official figure will be confirmed after July 16, 2026.
Ques. How many rounds does JoSAA 2026 have?
Ans. JoSAA 2026 has 5 rounds of seat allotment. Round 5 on July 16, 2026 is the final round. No further allotment rounds take place after this date.
Ques. Are OBC-NCL closing ranks in JoSAA the same as CRL ranks?
Ans. No. OBC-NCL closing ranks in JoSAA are expressed as OBC-NCL category ranks, not CRL ranks. Your JEE Advanced 2026 scorecard shows both your CRL rank and your category rank. Compare your OBC-NCL category rank with the OBC-NCL column in the JoSAA OR-CR table — not the General column.
Ques. Will IIT closing cutoffs increase or decrease in 2026 compared to 2025?
Ans. Closing ranks are expected to remain within 5–8% of 2025 figures since the number of qualified students (56,880) is similar to previous years. Branch-specific variations are possible where seat intake changes or new AI programmes attract student preference.
Ques. Where can I access round-wise JoSAA 2026 opening and closing ranks?
Ans. Round-wise opening and closing ranks are published at josaa.admissions.nic.in under the OR-CR section after each round’s seat allotment. You can filter by institute, programme, category and round to see exact figures.
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