The 75 rule in JEE 2026 Mains states that a student must secure a minimum of 75% as aggregate in Class 12 boards to get admission into IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs.

The 75% aggregate marks includes scoring above 75% in the best of five subjects.

  • The 75% rule applies only to the General/ OBC category students.
  • The minimum marks is 65% in Class 12 exam for the SC/ST category students to secure admissions in IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs.
  • If a student scores below 75% in the first attempt, they can give improvement exams to meet the criteria.
  • For droppers of the initial board exam, the 75% rule will be valid for the supplementary/ compartment exams they give.

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What is the 75 rule in JEE 2026 Mains

Key Summary

  • A student must score a minimum aggregate of 75% in Class 12 boards to be eligible for applying for admissions to IITs, NITs, and GFTIs.
  • The minimum percentage is 75% for General and OBC category, and 65% for SC/ST category students.
  • The 75% is considered out of the best of five subjects, which includes Physics, Chemistry, and Maths to be mandatory.
  • The HS quota provides an advantage for the local students to pursue engineering in central government institutions.

What is the best of five best subjects?

The best of five subjects helps students pick their highest scoring subjects to be included into consideration for the 75% aggregate requirement. However, this is applicable to only the optional subjects, and the student gets to pick one subject of his/ her choice to add to the best of five subjects.

  • The three mandatory subjects are Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics.
  • A student should score a minimum of 75% in all these three subjects.
  • Apart from the three mandatory subjects, a student must score 75% or above in a language subject and an optional subject with a higher percentage of his/ her choice (like Biology, Computer Science, Physical Education, etc.)
  • English is the common language across all boards, hence English is considered as the mandatory language subject.

Ques. Can I give JEE without a 75% percentage?

Ans. Yes. You can give the JEE Mains and Advanced without a 75% in your Class 12 board exams, but you can apply for admissions in IITs, NITs, IIITs, and GFTIs. So, you appear for the JEE exam even if you don’t have 75%, however, you can’t participate in the JoSAA counselling.

Ques. Can I add any other language subject instead of English?

Ans. Yes. If you have studied any other language subjects and have a higher percentage, you can add it instead of English. For example, if you scored 90% French/ Tamil/ Hindi/ etc., and 80% in English, you can add French/ Tamil/ Hindi/ etc., as your language subject.

Ques. Can the optional subject be a language subject?

Ans. Yes. The optional subject need not necessarily be a technical or practical subject, it can be a language subject as well. For example, if you score 80% in English and 60% in Biology/ Physical Education/ Computer Science/ etc., you can add English as your optional subject.

JEE Mains Colleges List without 75% Criteria

If a student fails to meet the 75% criteria and cannot apply for IITs, NITs, and GFTIs, there are other government and private institutions that offer opportunities for the students to pursue their engineering dream.

Ranking Name of the College Type Eligibility Criteria Admission
1 Jadavpur University, Kolkata Government 60% aggregate in PCM WBJEEWBJEE Counselling
2 COEP, Pune Government 45% in PCM MHT CET / JEE MainMHT CET Counselling
3 Delhi Technological University (DTU) Government 60% in PCM JEE MainJAC Delhi Counselling
4 Netaji Subhas University of Technology (NSUT), Delhi Government 60% in PCM JEE MainJAC Delhi Counselling
5 IIIT, Hyderabad Public-Private Partnership 60% in PCM of both Class 12 or equivalent (UGEE) and JEE JEE (Main), UGEE, SPEC, Olympiad,LEEE, DASA & BoardsIIIT - Hyderabad Counselling
6 Maharaja Agarsen Institute of Technology (MAIT), Delhi Private 55% in PCM & passed English JEE MainGGSIPU Counselling
7 BVCOE, New Delhi Private 55% in PCM & passed English JEE MainGGSIPU Counselling
8 Jaypee Institute (JIIT), Noida Private 60% in Physics & Maths,& any one: Chemistry/ Biotechnology/ Biology/ Information Practices/ Computer Science/ Agriculture JEE Main / Class 12 ScoreJIIT Counselling
9 VJTI, Mumbai Government 45% in PCM MHT CETMHT CET Counselling
10 IGDTUW, Delhi (only for Women) Government 60% in PCM JEE MainJAC Delhi Counselling
11 Thapar University, Patiala Private Passed 10+2 or equivalent exam with at least 69% marks in Physics & Maths & any one: Chemistry/ Biology/ Biotechnology/ Technical Vocational Subject JEE MainClass 12 Score
12 GTBIT, New Delhi Private 55% in PCM & passed English JEE MainGGSIPU Counselling
13 Vishwakarma Institute of Technology (VIT), Pune Private 45% in PCM MHT CET / JEE MainMHT CET Counselling
14 IET, Lucknow Government 45% in Physics & Maths,& any one: Chemistry/ Biotechnology/ Biology/ Technical Vocational JEE MainUPTAC Counselling
15 ADGITM, New Delhi Private 55% in PCM & passed English JEE MainGGSIPU Counselling
16 JC Bose University (YMCA), Faridabad Government 45% in Physics & Maths,& any one: Chemistry/ Biotechnology/ Biology/ Technical Vocational JEE MainDTE Haryana Counselling
17 UIET, Chandigarh Government Pass Class 12 with PCM, English & Optional JEE Main & Class 12 Score JAC Chandigarh Counselling
18 Harcourt Butler Technical University (HBTU), Kanpur Government 55% in PCM with 2 subjects JEE MainHBTU Kanpur Counselling
19 Assam Engineering College, Guwahati Government PCM with 50% aggregate Assam Common Entrance Examination (CEE)
20 Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata Private 45% aggregate WBJEE / JEE MainWBJEE Counselling (B.Tech 10% admissions from JEE Main)
21 Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai Government 45% aggregate in Class 12 with Maths & Physics as compulsory subjects MHT CET / JEE MainMHT CET Counselling

Kindly check the official website of the above mentioned institutions to know more about the application process, fee structure, placement status, etc.