JoSAA 2026 Online Counselling Begins Today
As in previous years, Computer Science Engineering (CSE) at IIT Bombay remains the most sought-after branch among top rankers.
Published : June 2, 2026 at 3:52 PM IST
Kota: With the declaration of Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced 2026 results, the admission process to the country's premier engineering institutions has gathered momentum. The Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) counselling process for admission to IITs, NITs, IIITs and Government-Funded Technical Institutions (GFTIs) began on Tuesday.
JEE Advanced 2026, conducted by IIT Roorkee this year, saw participation from 1,79,694 candidates. Of them, 56,880 have been declared qualified for counselling and seat allocation. According to career counselling expert Amit Ahuja, the number of qualified candidates has increased by 2,502 compared to last year, making this year's admission race more competitive.
Category-wise, 15,883 candidates from the General category, 12,385 from Other Backwards Class (OBC), 6,377 from Economically Backwards Class (EWS), 15,856 from Scheduled Caste (SC) and 6,379 from Scheduled Tribe (ST) categories have qualified for counselling.
IIT Bombay Computer Science Remains The Most Preferred Choice
Ahuja said that after the JEE Advanced results are declared, the biggest question for students and parents is which institute and branch to choose.
As in previous years, Computer Science Engineering (CSE) at IIT Bombay remains the most sought-after branch among top rankers. Based on recent admission trends, IIT Bombay CSE is expected to close around All India Rank (AIR) 61 this year.
After IIT Bombay CSE, students generally prefer Computer Science at IIT Delhi, followed by IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras. Students securing top ranks are expected to compete intensely for these programmes. At the other end of the spectrum, candidates with ranks up to around 17,000 may also secure seats in IITs, depending on their category, branch preference and seat availability.
During JoSAA 2025 counselling, a total of 18,160 seats were available across 23 IITs. The total seat count is expected to increase slightly this year, though the exact figure will be known only after the official seat matrix is released during counselling.
Female Quota Improves Admission Chances
Ahuja noted that admission possibilities vary significantly by category. In addition, female candidates benefit from the 20 per cent female supernumerary quota introduced in IITs, which often allows admissions at ranks much lower than the general closing ranks.
Candidates with relatively lower JEE Advanced ranks can also explore admission opportunities at institutions such as the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE), Visakhapatnam, and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT), where admissions are also offered based on JEE Advanced scores. The application process for these institutes has already begun.
JoSAA Counselling To Be Held In Five Rounds
JoSAA Counselling 2026 will be conducted online for admissions to 23 IITs, 32 NITs, 26 IIITs and 56 GFTIs. Admissions to IITs will be based on JEE Advanced ranks, while admissions to NITs, IIITs and GFTIs will be conducted through JEE Main ranks.
Candidates can register and fill their college and branch choices on the JoSAA website from June 2 to June 11 till 5 pm.
The first round of seat allocation will be announced on June 13. Students allotted seats in the first round must complete online reporting, upload documents and pay the seat acceptance fee to confirm their admission by June 23.
The second round of seat allocation will be released on June 30, the third on July 6, the fourth on July 10, and the fifth and final round on July 16. The overall counselling process will continue until July 24.
Students Get Only One Chance for Choice Filling
Ahuja said candidates will get only one opportunity to fill their preferences during JoSAA counselling. Students can choose from more than 900 courses offered across 138 participating institutions. He advised students to fill in as many colleges and branches as possible, in descending order of preference.
Candidates should analyse previous years' opening and closing ranks before finalising their choices. They should also include branches and institutes whose closing ranks are lower than their own rank to maximise their chances of securing admission.
Students should prepare a priority list of colleges and branches on paper before entering choices online. They should carefully review all preferences before locking them, as no changes will be allowed after the choices are locked.
Open Rank Considered First
According to JoSAA's business rules, every candidate is first considered for seat allocation based on their open rank. If a candidate is not allotted a seat in the open category, candidates from the reserved categories are subsequently considered according to their category ranks. As a result, reserved-category candidates may receive seats based on either their open rank or their category rank, depending on availability and merit.
Documents Required for Online Reporting
Candidates allotted seats during counselling must upload scanned copies of the following documents during online reporting:
- Class X marksheet
- Class XII marksheet
- Category certificate (where applicable)
- Copy of a cancelled cheque
- Medical certificate
- Other prescribed documents
Candidates belonging to the EWS and OBC categories must submit category certificates issued on or after April 1, 2026. Failure to provide updated certificates will result in cancellation of category benefits, and seats will be allotted based on open-category merit.
With more candidates qualifying this year and seat preferences expected to remain concentrated around top IITs and Computer Science programmes, experts believe that careful choice filling and strategic counselling decisions will play a crucial role in determining admission outcomes.
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