KCET 2026 seat matrix has 86,000+ seats across all professional courses, with over 66,000 CET quota engineering seats distributed across 200+ colleges in Karnataka.
Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has released the final KCET 2026 seat matrix for UGCET counselling. The matrix covers government, aided and private unaided colleges and lists seats by branch, college and reservation category. Engineering branches including CSE, ECE, Mechanical, Civil and AI/ML are included. Students must study the seat matrix before submitting their option entry list on cetonline.karnataka.gov.in.
- Total KCET 2026 seats: 86,000+ across engineering, pharmacy, agriculture and allied courses.
- Engineering KCET quota seats: 66,000+ across 200+ colleges.
- Government and aided colleges contribute 100% of their total intake to the KCET quota.
- Private unaided colleges contribute 45% of their total intake to the KCET quota.
- CSE is the most seat-rich branch with ~18,000–20,000 KCET quota seats (based on 2025 trends).
- Category-wise split: GM 50%, SC 15%, ST 3%, OBC subcategories ~32%.
- Horizontal reservations: 30% for women, 7.5% for rural students, 3% for PwD — applied within each vertical category.
| Direct Link to KCET 2026 Seat Matrix on KEA Portal (OUT) |
KCET 2026 Seat Matrix Highlights
The table below summarises the key details of the KCET 2026 seat matrix released by KEA for engineering admissions.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Total KCET 2026 Seats (all courses) | 86,000+ |
| Engineering KCET Quota Seats | 66,000+ |
| Participating Engineering Colleges | 200+ |
| KCET Seat Share — Government and Aided Colleges | 100% of total intake |
| KCET Seat Share — Private Unaided Colleges | 45% of total intake |
| KCET Seat Share — Minority Colleges | 40% of total intake |
| Draft Seat Matrix Released | June 2, 2026 |
| Option Entry Opens | June 20, 2026 onwards |
| Official Portal | cetonline.karnataka.gov.in |
KCET 2026 Engineering Seat Distribution by Branch
CSE accounts for the largest share of KCET engineering seats in 2026. The seat figures below are expected based on 2025 seat matrix data and will be confirmed once KEA publishes the updated 2026 matrix.
| Branch | Expected KCET Quota Seats (2026) | Demand Level |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science Engineering (CSE) | 18,000–20,000 | Very High |
| Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) | 12,000–14,000 | High |
| Information Science and Engineering (ISE) | 8,000–10,000 | High |
| Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AIML) | 4,000–6,000 | High |
| Mechanical Engineering (ME) | 8,000–10,000 | Moderate |
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) | 4,000–6,000 | Moderate |
| Civil Engineering (CE) | 5,000–7,000 | Low to Moderate |
| Other Branches (Chemical, Aerospace, Mining, etc.) | 3,000–5,000 | Low |
CSE, ISE and AI/ML combined account for roughly 45–50% of all engineering KCET quota seats, reflecting strong student demand for computing and technology programmes across Karnataka colleges.
Category-wise Seat Reservation in KCET 2026
Every seat in the KCET 2026 seat matrix carries a category tag. Karnataka uses a vertical and horizontal reservation system. Vertical categories determine who competes for a seat. Horizontal reservations for women, rural students and PwD are applied within each vertical category and do not create extra seats.
| Reservation Category | Percentage of Seats |
|---|---|
| General Merit (GM) | 50% |
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 15% |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 3% |
| OBC – Category 1 | 4% |
| OBC – Category 2A | 15% |
| OBC – Category 2B | 5% |
| OBC – Category 3A | 4% |
| OBC – Category 3B | 4% |
Students from the Hyderabad-Karnataka (HK) region get an additional 8% HK reservation within each vertical category in colleges located in the HK region. Horizontal reservations: 30% for women, 7.5% for rural students and 3% for PwD — these apply inside each vertical category row.
KCET 2026 Seat Matrix: Top College-wise Breakdown
Aided private colleges put 100% of their seats into KCET, making them the most competitive entries in the seat matrix. The figures below are based on 2025 seat matrix data and are expected to remain similar for KCET 2026.
| College | Type | CSE Seats (KCET Quota) | ECE Seats (KCET Quota) | Approx. Total KCET Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RV College of Engineering (RVCE), Bangalore | Aided | ~60 | ~120 | ~600 |
| BMS College of Engineering (BMSCE), Bangalore | Aided | ~60 | ~120 | ~600 |
| MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology (MSRIT), Bangalore | Aided | ~90 | ~120 | ~720 |
| National Institute of Engineering (NIE), Mysore | Aided | ~60 | ~60 | ~480 |
| University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE), Bangalore | Government | ~60 | ~60 | ~360 |
| Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering (DSCE), Bangalore | Unaided | ~135 | ~108 | ~630 |
| PES University, Bangalore | Unaided | ~135 | ~90 | ~630 |
For the exact seat count for any college, branch and category, download the official KCET 2026 seat matrix PDF from cetonline.karnataka.gov.in. The PDF lists every college by code, with a separate row for each branch and category combination.
How to Access the KCET 2026 Seat Matrix on the KEA Portal
KEA publishes the seat matrix PDF on its portal before each round of option entry. Follow these steps to download it.
- Go to the official KEA portal at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in.
- Click on the UGCET 2026 section on the home page.
- Look for the Engineering Seat Matrix link in the list of documents.
- The PDF opens in a new tab — press Ctrl+F and type a college name or code to locate it quickly.
- Note the seats listed under each branch and category before building your option entry priority list.
The seat matrix PDF is published in both Kannada and English. Seats left vacant after round 1 allotment are carried forward to round 2 with an updated seat count, so check the matrix again before each round of option entry.
KCET 2026 Seat Matrix FAQs
Ques. How many total engineering seats are available in KCET 2026?
Ans. KCET 2026 has over 86,000 seats across all professional courses. Of these, approximately 66,000+ are engineering KCET quota seats spread across 200+ colleges in Karnataka.
Ques. What percentage of seats do private unaided colleges contribute to KCET?
Ans. Private unaided engineering colleges contribute 45% of their total intake to the KCET quota. The remaining seats go to the management quota and COMEDK. Government and aided colleges contribute 100% of their seats to KCET.
Ques. Which branch has the most seats in KCET 2026?
Ans. Computer Science Engineering (CSE) has the most seats — approximately 18,000 to 20,000 KCET quota seats — based on 2025 trends. CSE, ISE and AI/ML together account for nearly half of all engineering KCET seats.
Ques. What is the women’s reservation in KCET 2026?
Ans. Women students get a horizontal reservation of 30% within each vertical category (GM, SC, ST, OBC). This means 30% of GM seats, 30% of SC seats and so on are reserved for women. These are not additional seats but a sub-division within each vertical category.
Ques. Where can I download the KCET 2026 seat matrix PDF?
Ans. The official seat matrix PDF is available on the KEA portal at cetonline.karnataka.gov.in. Go to the UGCET 2026 section and click on the seat matrix document link. It is available in both Kannada and English.
Ques. Do available seats change between KCET counselling rounds?
Ans. Yes. Seats left vacant after each counselling round are carried forward to the next round. KEA releases an updated seat matrix before each round of option entry, so available seats in round 2 and round 3 will differ from round 1.
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