JoSAA 2026 SC category cutoff is the closing SC rank at which a seat is allotted to Scheduled Caste students in NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs across all six rounds of counselling.
JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority) manages seat allotment for JEE Main and JEE Advanced qualified students. SC students compete within reserved seats using their JEE Main SC category rank, not the overall Common Rank List (CRL). Based on JoSAA 2024 and 2025 trends, top NITs for SC students are expected to close between SC ranks 12,000 and 50,000 in Round 6, depending on the institute and branch. JoSAA 2026 counselling is expected to begin on June 27, 2026.
- SC students have 15% reservation across all centrally funded technical institutes under JoSAA.
- Closing ranks are based on JEE Main SC category rank, which is separate from the overall CRL on your scorecard.
- Cutoffs relax progressively from Round 1 to Round 6 as unfilled seats are redistributed.
- NIT Trichy CSE is expected to close at around SC rank 12,000–16,000 in the final round.
- IIIT Hyderabad CSE remains the most competitive IIIT, with an expected SC closing rank of 3,000–6,000.
- Students holding HS (Home State) quota compete in a separate pool with generally more accessible closing ranks than OS quota.
| Direct Link to JoSAA 2026 Official Portal (ACTIVE SOON) https://josaa.nic.in/ |
What is JoSAA SC Category Cutoff
The JoSAA SC category cutoff is the last (highest-numbered) SC rank at which a seat is filled in a particular institute and branch during a given round. These ranks are drawn from the JEE Main SC category rank list for NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. For IITs, the JEE Advanced SC category rank applies.
JoSAA publishes both an opening rank (OR) and a closing rank (CR) for every allotted category, institute, branch, and round combination. The closing rank is the figure that matters most for planning — it shows the weakest SC rank that still received an allotment. A student with SC rank 14,000 who did not get a seat in Round 1 (closing 10,000) may still secure the same seat in Round 5 or 6 as vacancies open up.
Expected JoSAA 2026 SC Cutoff for Top NITs — Round 6 Closing Rank
The table below shows expected SC category closing ranks for top NITs in JoSAA 2026 Round 6, projected from JoSAA 2024 and 2025 data. All figures are Other State (OS) quota unless noted. Actual round-wise data will be published on josaa.nic.in after each allotment.
| Institute | Branch | Quota | Expected SC Closing Rank — Round 6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NIT Trichy | CSE | OS | 12,000–16,000 |
| NIT Trichy | ECE | OS | 18,000–25,000 |
| NIT Warangal | CSE | OS | 14,000–20,000 |
| NIT Warangal | ECE | OS | 22,000–32,000 |
| NIT Surathkal | CSE | OS | 18,000–27,000 |
| NIT Calicut | CSE | OS | 22,000–34,000 |
| MNIT Jaipur | CSE | OS | 25,000–38,000 |
| NIT Allahabad | CSE | OS | 28,000–42,000 |
| NIT Rourkela | CSE | OS | 32,000–48,000 |
| NIT Durgapur | CSE | OS | 42,000–60,000 |
All figures are expected based on JoSAA 2024–2025 trends and are subject to change once official 2026 data is released.
Expected JoSAA 2026 SC Cutoff for Top IIITs — Round 6 Closing Rank
IIITs offer strong placements and are highly competitive for SC students with top JEE Main scores. The table below gives expected SC category closing ranks for leading IIITs in JoSAA 2026 Round 6, based on 2024–2025 trends.
| Institute | Branch | Expected SC Closing Rank — Round 6 |
|---|---|---|
| IIIT Hyderabad | CSE | 3,000–6,000 |
| IIIT Allahabad | IT | 8,000–14,000 |
| IIIT Bangalore | CSE | 10,000–18,000 |
| IIIT Guwahati | CSE | 20,000–35,000 |
| IIIT Pune | CSE | 22,000–38,000 |
| IIIT Lucknow | CSE | 26,000–44,000 |
Figures are expected based on 2024–2025 JoSAA data and will be confirmed after official allotment rounds.
Round-wise Cutoff Variation for SC Category
JoSAA 2026 is expected to conduct six rounds of seat allotment. The closing rank for SC category seats relaxes each round because students who upgrade to better choices vacate their previous allotments, and those seats re-enter the pool. The table below illustrates this pattern using NIT Trichy CSE as a representative example.
| JoSAA Round | Expected SC Closing Rank — NIT Trichy CSE (OS) | Accessibility |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | 8,000–10,000 | Most competitive |
| Round 2 | 9,500–12,000 | Slight relaxation |
| Round 3 | 10,500–13,500 | Moderate relaxation |
| Round 4 | 11,000–14,500 | Continued relaxation |
| Round 5 | 11,500–15,000 | Near-final levels |
| Round 6 | 12,000–16,000 | Least competitive |
Students who do not receive an allotment in early rounds should keep their choices locked and participate in all six rounds. Missing a round means forfeiting any seat that opens up as better-ranked students upgrade.
Factors Affecting JoSAA 2026 SC Category Cutoff
The SC category cutoff does not stay constant year on year. Several factors determine whether closing ranks tighten or relax in 2026:
- Number of SC qualifiers: A larger pool of SC students clearing JEE Main 2026 increases competition and pushes closing ranks lower.
- Seat intake changes: Any increase in SC reserved seats at NITs or IIITs directly relaxes closing ranks at those institutes.
- JEE Main 2026 difficulty: A tougher paper compresses the score distribution, which can slightly relax cutoffs in later rounds as fewer students cluster near the top.
- Choice filling behaviour: Students who fill fewer or poorly ordered choices leave more seats vacant in early rounds, easing Round 5 and 6 cutoffs.
- New institutes in JoSAA: Additional GFTIs or IIITs added to the JoSAA pool increase total SC seat availability and ease pressure on existing institutes.
- Withdrawal and freeze decisions: Students who withdraw after Round 1 or 2 release seats back into the pool, further relaxing later round cutoffs.
JoSAA 2026 SC Category Cutoff FAQs
Ques. What SC rank is needed for NIT Trichy CSE in JoSAA 2026?
Ans. Based on 2024–2025 JoSAA trends, an SC category rank of approximately 12,000–16,000 (JEE Main SC rank, OS quota) is expected to secure a seat in NIT Trichy CSE by Round 6 of JoSAA 2026. Round 1 is more competitive, with an expected closing rank of around 8,000–10,000.
Ques. Is the JoSAA SC cutoff based on the overall JEE Main rank or the SC category rank?
Ans. The JoSAA SC category cutoff is based on the JEE Main SC category rank, not the overall Common Rank List (CRL). Your SC category rank appears separately on your JEE Main scorecard and is the figure you should use when comparing against JoSAA cutoffs for SC seats.
Ques. When does JoSAA 2026 counselling start?
Ans. JoSAA 2026 counselling is expected to begin on June 27, 2026. Students should register and fill choices on the official JoSAA portal at josaa.nic.in during the designated window to participate in all six rounds.
Ques. Why do SC category closing ranks rise from Round 1 to Round 6?
Ans. In Round 1, students with the best SC ranks claim their preferred choices, filling most popular seats. As counselling progresses, students who received allotments in earlier rounds upgrade to better choices, vacating their previous seats. These freed seats re-enter the pool for subsequent rounds, allowing students with higher (weaker) SC ranks to secure allotments. This is why Round 6 closing ranks are always higher than Round 1 closing ranks.
Ques. What is the difference between Home State and Other State quota for SC students in JoSAA?
Ans. NITs allocate approximately 50% of seats under Home State (HS) quota for students from the state where the NIT is located, and 50% under Other State (OS) quota for students from other states. SC students from the home state compete in the HS pool, which typically has higher (more relaxed) closing ranks than the OS pool, making it easier to secure a seat in your state’s NIT.
Ques. Can an SC student participate in JoSAA 2026 with only a JEE Main score?
Ans. Yes. SC students who qualify JEE Main 2026 are eligible to participate in JoSAA 2026 for seats at NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. To compete for seats at IITs, you must additionally qualify JEE Advanced 2026, after which JoSAA handles the allotment for IIT seats as well.
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