JoSAA 2026 Rank 1–500 – Which IITs & Branches Can You Get?

Rank 1–100: Every Top IIT CSE Seat Available

A JEE Advanced rank in the top 100 is among the most coveted in India. At this level, Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) at all five premier IITs — IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, and IIT Kharagpur — is comfortably within range. IIT Bombay CSE closes around rank 60–80 (General), IIT Delhi CSE around rank 80–100, and IIT Madras CSE around rank 90–110 based on recent years.

Electrical Engineering (EE) at IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi closes in the 110–140 band, making it an excellent choice if you prefer electronics, VLSI, or an open curriculum. Engineering Physics at IIT Bombay (closes ~100) attracts students with a research orientation. Mathematics & Computing at IIT Delhi and IIT Roorkee also closes in this band.

* Closing ranks are indicative based on 2023–2025 trends. Actual 2026 ranks may vary.

Rank 100–200: IIT Roorkee, Guwahati & Hyderabad CSE Open

Ranks between 100 and 200 mark the entry point for IIT Roorkee CSE (closes ~175–185), IIT Guwahati CSE (closes ~210–225), and IIT Hyderabad CSE (closes ~220–240). These institutes have strong placement records with top tech companies recruiting at par with the older IITs in many cases.

At rank 100–200, IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi dual-degree (B.Tech + M.Tech or BS + MS) programmes in CS-related fields such as Electrical Engineering with CS minor, or Computer Science dual degree, also open up. Dual degrees are 5-year programmes and tend to close 20–40 ranks higher than the corresponding B.Tech. They offer the same IIT brand with additional research training.

IIT Kharagpur Mathematics & Computing, IIT Kanpur Electrical Engineering, and IIT Madras Electrical Engineering are strong alternatives in this range if CSE at IIT Roorkee or Guwahati is your backup but you still prefer the older IIT brand.

Rank 200–500: CSE at IIT BHU, ISM, Indore & ECE at Top IITs

The 200–500 band sees CSE open at IIT BHU Varanasi (closes ~420–440), IIT (ISM) Dhanbad (closes ~480–510), IIT Indore (closes ~460–490), and IIT Mandi (closes ~490–530). ECE at IIT Guwahati (closes ~320), IIT Hyderabad (closes ~350), and IIT Roorkee (closes ~380) is also available in this band.

Choice Filling Strategy for Rank 1–500

The most important rule: order your choices strictly by genuine personal preference, not by what you think you will get. JoSAA's algorithm always gives you the best seat from your locked list that you actually qualify for. Putting a reach choice at the top costs you nothing — the system will skip it if your rank is not sufficient.

• 1Put your absolute dream programme first — even IIT Bombay CSE if you truly want it — regardless of probability.
• 2Add dual degrees immediately after the corresponding B.Tech at the same institute. They close 20–40 ranks higher and are excellent fallbacks.
• 3Diversify across both branch and institute — don't fill only CSE choices. If CSE is unavailable at your rank, a good EE or Mathematics & Computing seat at a top IIT is highly valuable.
• 4Fill at least 30–50 choices. With rank 1–500, you are unlikely to go unallotted, but more choices give you a richer upgrade path during Float.
• 5Wait for Mock Allotment 1 and Mock Allotment 2 before locking. Reorder based on what the algorithm gives you in mock rounds.
• 6For rank 300–500, add IIT Tirupati, IIT Palakkad, and IIT Dharwad CSE as backups — they close around 600–700 but no harm filling them lower down.

CSE vs Electrical vs Engineering Physics at Rank 1–500

If your goal is software engineering roles at top product companies (Google, Microsoft, Meta, Jane Street), CSE at any of the top-5 IITs or IIT Roorkee/Guwahati gives you the best outcome. Placement percentages for software roles in CSE are 90–95%+ at these institutes.

Electrical Engineering at IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi has comparable placements for software roles — over 60% of EE graduates at these IITs end up in software. If you are open to VLSI, chip design, or embedded systems, EE is an excellent choice. The brand of IIT Bombay EE often outweighs CSE at a newer IIT.

Engineering Physics (EP) at IIT Bombay is ideal for students aiming for research, quant finance, or physics-adjacent careers. It closes around rank 100 and gives significant flexibility with a rigorous curriculum. Mathematics & Computing at IIT Delhi (closes ~120) and IIT Roorkee (closes ~180) combines theory with programming and is popular for data science and research roles.