NID DAT Cutoff 2026: Cutoff Out, Campus Wise Closing Ranks and Category Wise Qualifying Marks

The NID DAT cutoff 2026 is declared. NID Ahmedabad has completed seat allotments for both B.Des and M.Des programmes across all NID campuses. The official closing ranks are available at admissions.nid.edu under the NIDA2026 cycle.

NID DAT B.Des Round 1 seat allotment for 2026 was released on June 9, 2026, at the official portal admissions.nid.edu — all M.Des seats were fully allotted by May 7, 2026.

Here are the key things you need to know about the NID DAT 2026 cutoff:

• The NID Ahmedabad B.Des closing rank for the Open category was rank 48 in 2025. The 2026 final cutoff is declared at the official portal.
• The DAT Prelims qualifying cutoff is fixed: 50% for General and EWS, 45% for OBC-NCL, and 40% for SC, ST, and PwD candidates.
• From 2026, the Prelims score carries zero weightage in the final merit. Your rank depends only on your Mains Studio Test performance.
• 5 NID campuses offer B.Des with 425 total seats. NID Ahmedabad (125 seats) is the most competitive campus.
• All 347 M.Des seats across NID Ahmedabad, NID Bengaluru, and NID Gandhinagar were fully allotted by May 7, 2026.
• The Open category B.Des closing rank at NID Ahmedabad has stayed between rank 43 and rank 48 over the last three years — a very stable competition band.
• NID Assam, NID Haryana, NID Andhra Pradesh, and NID Madhya Pradesh have higher closing rank numbers than Ahmedabad, meaning they are more accessible.

NID DAT Cutoff 2026: Important Dates

All major events of the NID DAT 2026 admission cycle are now complete as of September 2026. The full timeline is below for reference.

Factors Affecting NID DAT Cutoff

The NID DAT closing rank at each campus changes every year. Here are the main factors that push it up or down.

• Number of candidates clearing Prelims: More candidates qualifying the Prelims means a larger pool for the Mains. A bigger Mains pool makes competition tougher. This can push the closing rank higher.
• Total seat intake at each campus: NID Ahmedabad has 125 B.Des seats. More seats at a campus means more candidates can secure admission. This results in a higher closing rank number at that campus. Newer campuses with 75 seats each are relatively more accessible.
• Mains Studio Test difficulty: A harder studio test brings the top scores down. This compresses the rank distribution. In an easier Mains year, top scorers separate themselves more clearly from the rest.
• Category-wise seat reservation: Each category has separate reserved seats. Fewer seats in a category leads to a smaller closing rank number. The PwD and ST categories have the fewest seats, so their closing ranks are the smallest numbers.
• Prelims weightage change in 2026: Before 2026, the Prelims score contributed to the final merit. From 2026, it has zero weight. Only the Mains score counts. This changed how rank distributions form at the top of the merit list.
• Campus preference trends: If more candidates fill NID Ahmedabad as their first choice, the closing rank there tightens. Newer campuses attract fewer first-choice applicants, which keeps their closing ranks more accessible.
• Number of counselling rounds: Each additional round allows candidates at slightly lower ranks to secure seats. More rounds result in the final closing rank being higher than the Round 1 closing rank.

NID DAT Cutoff 2026: Institute-Wise Closing Rank

NID offers B.Des at five campuses and M.Des at three campuses. Each campus has its own closing rank. NID Ahmedabad has the smallest (most competitive) closing rank. Newer campuses have higher closing rank numbers, making them more accessible to a wider range of Mains performers.

B.Des Campus-Wise Overview — 2025 Reference Data

M.Des Campus-Wise Status (2026)

Your campus preference choices matter. Filling only NID Ahmedabad means you need a top rank. Adding other campuses as lower preferences gives you more chances if your rank is between 50 and 200.

NID Ahmedabad offers the widest range of B.Des disciplines, including Product Design, Communication Design, Textile Design, Ceramic Design, Exhibition Design, Film and Video Communication, Animation Film Design, Industrial Design, Lifestyle Accessory Design, and New Media Design. Each discipline has separate seats and separate closing ranks. Popular disciplines like Product Design and Communication Design tend to have lower (more competitive) closing ranks within the same campus.

NID DAT Cutoff 2026: Category-Wise

NID follows India’s central government reservation policy. Each category has its own merit list and closing rank. You compete within your category for reserved seats only. The table below uses 2025 data at NID Ahmedabad B.Des as the closest reference for the 2026 cycle.

NID Ahmedabad B.Des Category-Wise Closing Rank and Score — 2025

Note: Closing rank numbers are category-wise, not overall. Rank 48 in Open means the 48th-ranked Open category candidate got the last Open seat at NID Ahmedabad B.Des. The closing Mains score is the score of that last-admitted candidate.

The EWS category closing rank was 16 in 2025. Only the top 16 EWS candidates secured a B.Des seat at NID Ahmedabad. The ST closing rank was 11, reflecting the small number of ST reserved seats. The PwD closing rank was 7, the smallest pool. These small numbers show how limited the seat count is at NID Ahmedabad for each reserved category.

The Open category requires the highest Mains score to secure a seat — 59.60 in 2025. Reserved category candidates get into NID Ahmedabad at lower scores due to separate merit pools and proportionally fewer candidates competing for those seats.

NID DAT Qualifying vs Admission Cutoff

Many students confuse the Prelims cutoff with the admission cutoff. These are two entirely different things. You need to clear both to get a seat at any NID campus.

• Prelims Cutoff (Qualifying): You must score at least 50% (General) in the Prelims paper to sit for the Mains. Scoring more than the qualifying minimum does not boost your final rank. The Prelims just filters out candidates below the threshold.
• Mains Cutoff (Admission): This is the closing rank at which the last seat gets allotted in each programme, campus, and category. You must score high enough in the Mains Studio Test to land within the closing rank. For B.Des, the Mains is a studio-based drawing and design aptitude test. For M.Des, your rank also includes the Personal Interview score.

In 2026, the gap between "clearing Prelims" and "getting a seat" is even wider than before. The Prelims score now carries zero weight. Thousands of candidates clear the qualifying Prelims cutoff each year. Only those who perform in the top tier of the Mains get a seat, especially at NID Ahmedabad.

NID DAT Previous Year Cutoff Trends

The NID DAT closing rank at NID Ahmedabad has shown a narrow band of fluctuation over the past three years. The table below tracks the Open category closing rank year on year.

Open Category Closing Rank at NID Ahmedabad B.Des — Year-on-Year Trend

The closing rank moved from 47 in 2023 to 43 in 2024 — a drop of 4 ranks. Then it rose to 48 in 2025 — a shift of 5 ranks upward. The total range across three years is just 5 ranks. This tells you that NID Ahmedabad B.Des competition is very stable. You can expect the 2026 closing rank to stay within a similar band.

What drives the small fluctuations: In a year where the Mains Studio Test is harder, fewer candidates score in the top range. This compresses the rank gap near the cutoff. In a year where the test is relatively straightforward, stronger performers separate more clearly from the rest. Changes to the Prelims pool size also affect how many candidates compete in the Mains.

Note on pre-2023 data: Before 2023, NID published overall merit ranks rather than category-wise campus-specific closing ranks. Earlier data uses a different ranking format and cannot be directly compared to 2023–2025 figures. From 2026, the Prelims score is also removed from the merit calculation, adding another structural change. Any comparison with 2021 or 2022 data must account for these format differences.

Multi-Year Category-Wise Trend at NID Ahmedabad B.Des

NID DAT Cutoff 2026: Counselling and Seat Allotment

NID runs a centralised counselling process through the official portal. After the Mains result, you register, fill preferences, and get seats allotted round by round based on your rank and choices.

Steps in the NID DAT Counselling Process

• Register on the portal: Go to admissions.nid.edu and log in with your application credentials under the NIDA2026 cycle.
• Fill campus and programme choices: Select your preferred NID campuses and programmes in order of preference. Fill as many valid choices as possible to improve your chances.
• Check seat allotment after each round: Log in after each allotment date to see if you have been allotted a seat.
• Accept the allotted seat: If you get a seat, accept it online and pay the seat acceptance fee before the deadline. Missing the deadline cancels your allotment.
• Report for document verification: Visit the allotted NID campus with original documents within the specified window to confirm your admission.
• Participate in subsequent rounds: If you want a better campus or programme, you can stay in the next round without immediately losing your current allotment. Withdraw only when you are sure about your decision.

NID DAT 2026 Counselling Timeline

How to Check NID DAT Cutoff 2026

The NID DAT 2026 closing ranks are available at the official portal. You do not need an applicant login to view the cutoff data. Here are the steps.

1. Go to admissions.nid.edu and open the NIDA2026 cycle page.
2. Look for the "Seat Allotment Result" or "Closing Ranks" section.
3. Select the programme (B.Des or M.Des), campus, round, and category.
4. The closing rank for that combination will be displayed on screen.
5. Note or download the closing rank for your campus and category to plan your next steps.

If you are an applicant checking your own allotment status, log in with your application number and password. The portal shows your current allotment, the option to accept or withdraw, and the action deadline.