KCET Cutoff 2026: Category-Wise Expected Cutoff, Previous Year Trends, and College-Wise Cutoff

KCET Cutoff 2026 will be released by the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) after each round of counselling. The cutoff represents the closing rank required for admission to a specific college and branch through the Karnataka Common Entrance Test. For highly demanded courses like CSE, the cutoff ranks are usually very competitive. For example, in KCET 2025, the CSE closing rank at RV College of Engineering was 949, while MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology closed at 2076 and BMS College of Engineering at 3870 in the final round.

Based on previous admission trends, the expected KCET cutoff 2026 for CSE in top colleges is likely to remain within 500-2000 ranks, while mid-tier colleges may close between 5000-15000 ranks depending on the branch and category. The KCET cutoff varies based on several factors such as number of candidates, difficulty level of the exam, seat availability, reservation categories, and previous admission trends. In this article, candidates can check the KCET 2026 expected cutoff, college-wise cutoff, category-wise cutoff, and previous year cutoff.

How to Check KCET Cutoff 2026

Candidates can check the KCET 2026 cutoff online through the official website of the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA). The cutoff is released after each counselling round in the form of a PDF containing the opening and closing ranks for different colleges, courses, and categories. Candidates can follow the steps below to check the official cutoff:

1. Visit the official website of KEA at https://cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea/.
2. Click on the “KCET 2026 Cutoff” or “UGCET Cutoff” link available on the homepage.
3. Select the counselling round (Mock Allotment, Round 1, Round 2, or Final Round).
4. Open the cutoff PDF for the respective round.
5. Search for your college name, course, and category in the list.
6. Check the opening and closing ranks for the selected program.
7. Download and save the cutoff PDF for future reference.

KCET Cutoff 2026 (Expected): A Detailed Breakdown

Based on previous trends, Computer Science Engineering (CSE) and Artificial Intelligence-related branches are expected to remain the most competitive in KCET 2026. Popular colleges such as RV College of Engineering, BMS College of Engineering, and PES University usually have the lowest closing ranks for these branches. New-age programs such as AI, AI & Machine Learning, and Data Science generally rank about 500–1000 ranks higher than CSE within the same college due to their increasing demand. A detailed breakdown of KCET 2026 cutoff has been presented below:

Expected KCET Cutoff 2026 for Engineering Courses

To check the course-wise KCET Cutoff 2026, you can refer to the article below:

College Name	CSE (Computer Science)	AI / ML or AI & Data Science	ISE / CS Related	ECE	Mechanical / EEE	Civil / Other Core
RV College of Engineering (RVCE), Bangalore	150–500	400–900	300–700	700–1,400	5,000–9,000	12,000–20,000+
BMS College of Engineering (BMSCE), Bangalore	300–900	600–1,300	700–1,500	1,200–2,800	8,000–18,000	15,000–30,000+
PES University (Ring Road Campus), Bangalore	800–2,000	1,500–3,500	1,200–2,800	2,000–4,500	12,000–25,000	20,000–35,000+
MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology (MSRIT)	800–2,200	2,000–4,500	1,800–3,500	2,500–5,000	12,000–25,000	20,000–40,000+
Bangalore Institute of Technology (BIT)	4,000–9,000	6,000–11,000	5,000–10,000	5,000–9,000	18,000–35,000	30,000–50,000+
New Horizon College of Engineering (NHCE)	12,000–20,000	15,000–25,000	14,000–22,000	12,000–20,000	30,000+	40,000+
Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology	7,000–15,000	9,000–18,000	8,000–16,000	7,000–13,000	20,000–40,000	35,000+

Expected Category-Wise KCET Cutoff 2026

KCET cutoffs are also released category-wise, and reserved category candidates generally receive relaxation in closing ranks. In many cases, the cutoff for SC/ST/OBC categories may be 2–5 times higher than the General Merit cutoff. For example, in top engineering colleges like RVCE or BMSCE, the expected closing ranks for OBC, SC, and ST candidates are usually higher than those for General category candidates. Let’s have a look:

College / Institute	OBC Expected Closing Rank	SC Expected Closing Rank	ST Expected Closing Rank
RV College of Engineering (RVCE), Bangalore	500 – 20,000	5,000 – 60,000+	5,000 – 50,000+
BMS College of Engineering (BMSCE), Bangalore	1,000 – 30,000	8,000 – 80,000+	10,000 – 70,000+
PES University (Ring Road Campus), Bangalore	2,000 – 40,000	10,000 – 50,000+	10,000 – 40,000+
MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology (MSRIT), Bangalore	2,000 – 40,000	10,000 – 50,000+	10,000 – 40,000+
Bangalore Institute of Technology (BIT), Bangalore	8,000 – 50,000	20,000 – 60,000+	30,000 – 80,000+

KCET Cutoff 2026: Shift Wise Expected Cutoff

KCET cutoffs change in each counselling round because some students withdraw, upgrade seats, or shift to other institutes. However, top branches such as CSE in RVCE or BMSCE show very small rank shifts due to extremely high demand. Shift-wise KCET 2026 cutoff has been discussed below:

Course / Branch	Mock Allotment	Round 1	Round 2	Final Round
Engineering CSE (Top Colleges)	150–400	200–500	300–800	400–1,000
Engineering CSE (Mid Colleges)	3,000–5,000	4,000–6,000	5,000–9,000	6,000–12,000
Engineering ECE / AI	800–2,000	1,200–2,800	2,000–4,500	2,500–6,500
Mechanical / Civil	5,000–12,000	8,000–15,000	12,000–22,000	18,000–35,000

KCET Cutoff 2026:Institute-Wise Expected

Candidates seeking admission to B.Tech programmes can check the institute-wise KCET cutoff in the table below:

Institute Code	Name of Institute	GM CSE Expected Cutoff
E003	BMSCE Bangalore	CSE Course Not Available
E005	RVCE Bangalore	280 to 330
E001	UVCE Bangalore	3640 to 3840
E006	MS Ramaiah	1200 to 1300
E008	BIT Bangalore	5500 to 5700
E009	PES University	1200 to 1400
E058	PES Mandya	25400 to 25700
E057	JSS Mysore	4300 to 4500
E097	CMRIT Bangalore	13500 to 14200
E105	Nitte Meenakshi	9800 to 10300
E107	BNMIT Bangalore	10600 to 10800
E279	VTU Belgaum	37300 to 37800
E036	KLE University Belgaum	22300 to 22800
E016	SIT Tumkur	6700 to 6900
E099	NHCE Bangalore	13300 to 13500
E126	BMSIT Bangalore	8700 to 8900

KCET Cutoff Trends: (Previous Years)

Analysing previous year cutoffs helps candidates understand the competition level and rank targets required for top colleges.

KCET 2025 CSE Cutoff (Last Round Closing Rank – General)

KCET 2025 cutoff for B.E. in Computer Science and Engineering shows the closing ranks for admission to top engineering colleges. Since CSE is one of the most popular branches, the cutoff ranks are usually lower at leading institutes. The table below shows the last round closing ranks for major colleges:

College	2023	2024	2025
R.V. College of Engineering	310	419	949
Ramaiah Institute of Technology	1171	1626	2076
Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering, JSS STU	–	3533	3156
BMS College of Engineering	1027	2950	3870
University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, Bangalore University	2929	4723	5020
PES University	1124	5241	6056
Dayananda Sagar College Of Engineering	3677	5430	6584
JSS Science and Technology University	3063	4794	–

KCET Cutoff 2024 (MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology)

KCET 2024 cutoff for MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology helps students understand the ranks required for different engineering branches. Popular courses such as Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Information Science usually have lower closing ranks compared to other branches. Candidates can check the Round 1 and last round closing ranks in the table below:

Course	Round 1 Closing Rank	Last Round Closing Rank
Artificial Intelligence and Data Science	2547	4371
Biotechnology Engineering	10082	16766
Civil Engineering	29770	33103
Chemical Engineering	18616	27194
Computer Science and Engineering	1254	1626
Electronics and Communication Engineering	3268	4564
Electrical and Electronics Engineering	5220	9339
Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering	6969	10851
Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering	4274	6551
Information Science and Engineering	2241	3105
Industrial Engineering and Management	26275	37643
Medical Electronics Engineering	32115	37014
Mechanical Engineering	15760	24096
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning	–	3963
Computer Science and Engineering (AI & ML)	–	3236
Computer Science and Engineering (Cyber Security)	–	4296
Aerospace Engineering	–	9975
Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.)	–	143

KCET 2023 Cutoff for CSE (Round 2 – GM Category)

KCET cutoff 2023 shows the closing ranks for admission to CSE in different colleges. It helps students understand the previous admission trends and estimate the rank needed for top institutes. The table below lists the Round 2 closing ranks for major engineering colleges:

College	Closing Rank (2023)
R.V. College of Engineering	310
M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology	1171
PES University (Ring Road Campus)	1124
Bangalore Institute of Technology	5509
University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering	2929
Siddaganga Institute of Technology	5328
Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering	1854
Dr. Ambedkar Institute of Technology	9059
S.K.S.J.T Institute of Engineering	15261
Basaveshwara Engineering College	14950

KCET Marks vs Rank 2026

KCET is conducted for 180 marks, with three subjects carrying 60 marks each. However, ranks are calculated using 50% KCET score and 50% normalized 2nd PUC marks. For more information related to KCET Marks vs Rank, candidates can refer to the table below:

Marks	Expected Rank
175–180	1–50
170–174	51–200
165–169	201–500
160–164	501–1,000
155–159	1,001–2,000
150–154	2,001–3,000
140–149	3,001–5,000
130–139	5,001–10,000
120–129	10,001–20,000
110–119	20,001–30,000
100–109	30,001–40,000
90–99	40,001–50,000
80–89	50,001–60,000
70–79	60,001–80,000
Below 70	80,001+

KCET 2026 Safe Score

A safe score refers to a score above the expected cutoff range, increasing the chances of getting admission to a preferred college and branch.

Target Rank	Safe Score
Under 100–500	165–175+
Under 500–1,000	160–168
Under 1,000–2,000	150–160
Under 2,000–5,000	140–150
Under 5,000–10,000	130–140
Under 10,000–20,000	115–130
Under 20,000–50,000	95–115
Above 50,000	Below 95

Factors Affecting KCET Cutoff 2026

The KCET cutoff changes every year depending on multiple factors:

• Total number of candidates appearing for the exam
• Difficulty level of the question paper
• Number of seats available in colleges and branches
• Reservation policies and quotas
• Popularity of specific courses like CSE or ECE
• Previous year admission trends

Conclusion

KCET Cutoff 2026 will help students understand the rank required to get admission to different engineering colleges and branches in Karnataka. Courses like Computer Science, AI, and Data Science are expected to have the lowest closing ranks because of high demand, especially in top colleges such as RV College of Engineering, BMS College of Engineering, and MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology.

By looking at the expected cutoff, category-wise cutoff, marks vs rank analysis, and previous year cutoff trends, students can get a clear idea of their admission chances. This information can also help candidates make better choices while filling their college preferences during KCET counselling.

Frequently Asked Questions