Candidates are required to have around 99+ percentile to get admission in top NITs such as NIT Trichy to get the most competitive branch CSE.

  • For tier 2 NITs such as NIT Rourkela, CSE may be available at around 98 to 99 percentile while core branches may be available at 96 to 98.
  • Tier 3 NITs such as NIT Jalandhar can provide CSE at around 97.0 to 98.5 percentile.
  • Tier 4 NITs such as NIT Raipur can provide CSE at around 94 to 97 percentile while the core branches may be available at 90 to 95 percentile.

Category-wise data shows that reserved categories have a clear advantage, with higher closing ranks compared to General category.

Also Read:

Lowest Percentile Required for NIT in JEE Main 2026

Key Summary

  • The marks vs percentile table highlights that above 99 percentile, competition is extremely tight, where 1–2 marks can change rank significantly.
  • In mid-score ranges, small improvement in marks can boost percentile a lot, increasing chances of better NITs.
  • The overall trend shows a strong trade-off between branch and college, where students may get NIT but not their preferred branch.

Percentile Required for Top 5 NITs

  • NIT Trichy, Surathkal, and Warangal have highest competition, especially for CSE.
  • NIT Rourkela and Calicut have slightly lower cutoffs, but still require 99+ for CSE.
  • The data shows that branch demand (CSE) is much higher than other branches, increasing cutoff sharply.
NIT Percentile Range (Expected) Safe Percentile for CSE
NIT Trichy 97.8 to 99.8 99.7+
NIT Surathkal 97.1 to 99.8 99.6+
NIT Warangal 97.4 to 99.9 99.5+
NIT Rourkela 95.6 to 99.5 99.2+
NIT Calicut 97.3 to 99.6 99.0+
Percentile Required for Top 5 NITs

Also Check

JEE Main Cutoff for NIT Hamirpur JEE Main Cutoff for NIT Jamshedpur
JEE Main Cutoff for NIT Delhi JEE Main Cutoff for NIT Silchar
JEE Main Cutoff for IIIT Bhagalpur JEE Main Cutoff for IIIT Bangalore

Ques. What is the minimum percentile required for NIT in JEE Main 2026?

Ans. The minimum percentile for NIT admission can go around 90–95 percentile in newer or lower-tier NITs, mainly for core branches.

Ques. What percentile is required for CSE in top NITs?

Ans. For top NITs like Trichy, Surathkal, and Warangal, a safe percentile for CSE is around 99.5–99.7+.

Percentile Required for NIT in JEE Main 2026: Tier-Wise

  • Tier 1 NITs are highly competitive, requiring near 99+ percentile even for basic branches.
  • Tier 2 and Tier 3 NITs offer slightly easier entry, but still need 96–99 percentile range.
  • Tier 4 and newer NITs have lower cutoffs, making them more accessible to students with moderate scores.
NIT Tier CSE/IT Percentile (Expected) Core/Any Branch Percentile Example Institutes
Tier 1 NITs 99.5 to 99.9+ 98.0 to 99.2 NIT Trichy, Warangal, Surathkal
Tier 2 NITs 98.5 to 99.4 96.5 to 98.0 NIT Rourkela, Calicut, Jaipur, Allahabad
Tier 3 NITs 97.0 to 98.5 95.0 to 97.0 NIT Jalandhar, Durgapur, Delhi, Patna
Tier 4 NITs 94.0 to 97.0 90.0 to 95.0 NIT Raipur, Goa, Hamirpur, Silchar
Newer/North Eastern NITs 90.0 to 94.0 Below 90 NIT Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Srinagar

Also Read:

Ques. Can I get NIT with 97 percentile in JEE Main 2026?

Ans. Yes, 97 percentile can provide CSE in Tier 3 NITs or core branches in better NITs depending on rank and category.

Category-wise NIT Cutoff JEE Mains 2026

  • Reserved categories like OBC, SC, ST, and EWS have higher closing ranks, meaning comparatively easier admission.
  • There is a large gap between General and ST category, showing strong reservation benefits.
NIT General EWS OBC-NCL SC ST
NIT Trichy 1,400 2,200 800 3,500 6,000
NIT Warangal 2,500 3,500 1,200 5,000 9,000
NIT Surathkal 2,000 3,000 1,000 4,500 8,000
MNNIT Allahabad 4,500 6,000 2,500 9,000 14,000
NIT Rourkela 8,000 10,000 4,500 14,000 20,000
Category-wise NIT Cutoff JEE Mains 2026

Ques. Is 95 percentile enough for NIT admission?

Ans. 95 percentile can help in getting core branches in Tier 3 or Tier 4 NITs, especially with home state or category advantage.

Ques. Which NITs are possible at 94–97 percentile?

Ans. NITs like Raipur, Goa, Hamirpur, and Silchar may be available, mainly with core branches and limited CSE chances.

JEE Mains 2026 Expected Marks vs Percentile vs Rank

  • Above 99 percentile, the competition becomes extremely tight, where even 1–2 marks matter a lot.
  • Between 100–200 marks, there is a gradual drop in percentile, but ranks increase steadily.
  • Below 100 marks, the rank increases very fast, showing a crowded score range.
Raw Marks (out of 300) Expected Percentile Approx AIR Range
260+ 99.8 – 100 Top 1,000
240 – 259 99.6 – 99.8 1,000 – 3,500
220 – 239 99.3 – 99.6 3,500 – 7,000
200 – 219 99 – 99.3 7,000 – 12,000
170 – 199 97.5 – 99 12,000 – 25,000
140 – 169 96 – 97.5 25,000 – 45,000
120 – 139 94 – 96 45,000 – 70,000
100 – 119 90 – 94 70,000 – 1,00,000
80 – 99 80 – 90 1,00,000 – 2,00,000
60 – 79 70 – 80 2,00,000 – 3,00,000
45 – 59 60 – 70 3,00,000 – 4,50,000
30 - 44 50 – 60 4,50,000 – 6,00,000

Ques. Why is CSE cutoff much higher than other branches in NITs?

Ans. CSE has the highest demand among students, which increases its cutoff compared to other branches.

Ques. How does NIT cutoff vary by tier?

Ans. Tier 1 NITs require around 99+ percentile, Tier 2–3 need 96–99, and Tier 4 or newer NITs may accept 90–95 percentile.

Ques. Does category affect NIT admission cutoff?

Ans. Yes, reserved categories like OBC, SC, ST, and EWS have higher closing ranks, making admission comparatively easier.

Ques. How many marks are needed for 99 percentile in JEE Main 2026?

Ans. Around 170–200 marks are generally required for 99 percentile, depending on exam difficulty.