KEA is expected to release the KCET seat matrix 2026 along with the counselling schedule in the first week of June 2026 on its official website @cetonline.karnataka.gov.in.
- The KCET seat matrix lists every college, course, branch, and category-wise seat available for candidates.
- Based on the 2025 final matrix, around 77,000 engineering seats are expected to be offered through KCET 2026.
- A total of 3,350 agriculture seats and around 31,656 BSc Nursing seats were filled through KCET counselling in 2025.
- KEA releases the provisional seat matrix first, then a final matrix before each allotment round.
Related Links:
KCET Seat Intake 2026: Overview
The KCET seat matrix lists the number of seats available for every course, branch, college, and category.
- KEA prepares it from the intake approved by VTU, AICTE, and the participating universities.
- KCET counselling covers many professional streams, not just engineering.
- You can claim seats in engineering, architecture, agriculture, veterinary science, pharmacy, and nursing through KCET.
- Seats are split between two broad pools: the government quota covers 50% of seats in private aided colleges at subsidised fees.
- The remaining seats follow the college-wise intake approved for each institution.
KEA releases the matrix in two stages. First comes the provisional matrix at the start of counselling. A revised final seat matrix is released before each round of seat allotment.
KCET Seat Matrix 2026: Category-Wise Distribution
KEA follows the Karnataka reservation policy while preparing the seat matrix. There are two types of reservation in KCET, vertical and horizontal.
- Vertical reservation covers SC, ST, OBC, and EWS
- Horizontal quotas cut across all categories.
The table below shows the approximate category-wise engineering seat share in KCET 2026:
| Category | Reservation % | Approx. Seats |
|---|---|---|
| General Merit (GM) | Open / Unreserved | 30,000+ |
| OBC (Cat I, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B) | 27% | 20,800 |
| SC | 15% | 11,550 |
| ST | 7.5% | 5,775 |
| EWS | 10% | 7,700 |
| PwD (horizontal) | 5% | within each category |
| Women (horizontal) | up to 30% | within each category |
Also Check:
Ques: Are there extra seats for Horizontal reservation in KCET?
Ans: Horizontal quotas do not add new seats. Sub-categories such as Women, PwD, rural, and Kannada medium reservations are adjusted inside each vertical category.
Ques: Can candidates outside Karnataka avail SC/ST reservation in KCET 2026?
Ans: No, OBC, SC, and ST reservation in KCET applies only to Karnataka domicile students with valid caste and income certificates.
Also Check: KCET 2025 Official Seat Matrix PDF
KCET Institute-Wise Seat Intake 2026
The KCET institute-wise seat matrix lists the approximate number of seats available at each institute.
- Government and VTU constituent colleges charge the lowest fees, around INR 42,116 for the first year.
- Private and aided colleges hold the largest share of total seats.
- Top college like RVCE Bangalore is expected to have 900+ seats in 2026.
- BMS may have a higher number of seats, expected around 2400.
- BDT College of Engineering may have a lower number of seats, around 550 in KCET 2026.
Based on 2025 data, the table below shows the approximate seat intake at popular KCET engineering colleges:
| College | Approx. Total Seats |
|---|---|
| BMS College of Engineering, Bengaluru | 2,460 |
| Acharya Institute of Technology, Bengaluru | 1,140 |
| MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bengaluru | 1,080+ |
| University BDT College of Engineering, Davanagere | 550 |
| RV College of Engineering, Bengaluru | 900+ |
Ques: Does KCET seat intake change each year?
Ans: Yes, KCET seat intake may change every year. For instance, a college may add seats in popular specialisations such as CSE, AI and ML, or data science while cutting intake in older branches.
Also Check:
KCET Course-Wise Seat Distribution 2026
KCET seats are spread across several professional courses.
- Engineering holds the largest pool, followed by agriculture and nursing.
- There are expected to be around 77,000 engineering seats on offer through KCET 2026.
- B.Sc Nursing expected seats could be around 30,000+.
- Agriculture and allied courses can have a seat intake of around 3300 in KCET 2026.
- In engineering, seats for streams like Computer Science, AI and ML, and cyber security fill first and have the most competitive cutoffs.
The table below shows the approximate course-wise intake for 2026 based on 2025 trends:
| Quota/Course | Total Number of Seats |
|---|---|
| BSc Nursing | 31656 |
| BPT Courses | 1241 |
| AHS and BPO Courses | 4534 |
| Engineering General Quota | 63824 |
| Kalyana Karnataka | 8912 |
| Engineering special category | 4332 |
| Agriculture and Veterinary Kalyana Karnataka category | 1447 |
| Agriculture and Veterinary (Practical) General and Kalyana Karnataka category quota | 1452 |
| Agriculture and Veterinary Special Category Quota | 451 |
Also Read: Top Colleges in India Accepting KCET Based on 2026 Ranking
In a Reddit Post, a user talks about KEA conducting a pre-round seat allotment for KCET 2026. The pre-round will be conducted before round 1 of counselling, and students satisfied with the allotment can pay the fees and confirm their seat.
Source: Reddit
What is RK in KCET seat matrix?
In KCET Seat matrix 2026, RK stands for Reserved Karnataka. It is a category/quota under the reservation system, meaning it reserves seats for candidates who satisfy the specific conditions like usually being from Karnataka and fulfilling specific criteria under the state’s residence / district / domicile rules.
If you belong to the RK category and are eligible for the KCET exam, then you can compete for those reserved seats.
| College / Branch | Total Seats | RK Seats (approx) | Other Relevant Category Seats (HK etc.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| VTU Constituent College, Chintamani – Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) | 30 | ~3 RK seats | HK ~2 seats etc. |
| GEC Challakere, Chitradurga – Computer Science & Engineering | 60 | ~6 RK seats | HK ~5 seats etc. |
| Government Engineering College, Ramanagara – multiple branches | e.g. 60 per branch | RK ~4–5 seats in many branches | HK seats also present; PH / SPL etc. included. |
What is SPL in kcet seat matrix?
The SPL in KCET seat matrix stands for Special Category / Special-Quota seats. It is a reserved quota for the candidates who qualify under particular non-standard categories beyond the usual reservation (General, OBC, SC, ST, HK / RK, PH etc.).
The SPL also includes seats reserved for sportspersons, NCC candidates, defence / ex-defence personnel, or any other special category declared by the KEA.
| Institute / Branch | Total Intake | SPL Seats |
|---|---|---|
| VTU Constituent College, Chintamani – Computer Science & Engg (CSE), Intake 60 | 60 | 3 SPL seats |
| VTU Constituent College, Chintamani – Mechanical Engg, 60 intake | 60 | 3 SPL seats |
| Government Engineering College, Huvinahadagali – multiple branches with intake 240 total across 4 branches | 240 | 12 SPL seats (i.e. 3 per branch roughly) |
How Seat Matrix Affects KCET Cutoff?
The seat matrix and the cutoff move together. Fewer seats in a branch directly leads to a lower closing rank and a tighter cutoff.
- Availability of more seats may ease the cutoff and improve your chances.
- CSE has high demand but limited seats, so its closing rank stays very low.
- A GM student often needs a rank within 500 to 950 for CSE at top colleges like RVCE.
- SC and ST students compete within their smaller seat pool, so their closing ranks differ from GM.
- For example, SC CSE closing ranks run far behind GM ranks at the same college.
- A college adding CSE or AI seats usually sees its closing rank move higher the next year.
KCET Seat Intake 2026 FAQs
Ques: How many engineering seats will be offered through KCET 2026?
Ans: KCET offered over 77,068 engineering seats in 2025. You can expect a similar or higher count in 2026.
Ques: When will the KCET 2026 seat matrix be released?
Ans: KEA releases the seat matrix during counselling, likely in June 2026. A provisional matrix comes first, followed by a final matrix before each allotment round.
Ques: What is the supernumerary quota in KCET?
Ans: A supernumerary quota of about 5% is given to students with family income below INR 8 lakh. These seats sit over and above the regular intake in KCET.
Ques: How many seats are reserved for SC and ST in KCET?
Ans: KCET reserves 15% of seats for SC students and 7.5% for ST students. These are vertical reservations applied across all courses and colleges.
Ques: How many BSc Nursing seats are offered through KCET?
Ans: Based on 2025, around 31,656 BSc Nursing seats were filled through KCET counselling. The 2026 nursing matrix is released separately by KEA and is expected to follow a similar seat intake pattern.
Ques: Does the KCET seat matrix show branch-wise seats?
Ans: Yes, the KCET seat matrix lists seats by college, branch, and category. You can use it to plan your option entry around branches with more open seats.
Comments