GATE cutoff trends for top IITs and NITs show that candidates need to score 750 to 850 marks for IITs. While for NITs, they require a score of at least 650 to 750. Candidates can check the previous year’s trends to anticipate their colleges based on their preparedness.
Do you know that understanding GATE Cutoff trends for top IITs and NITs is vital for anticipating institute and course allocations? According to the previous year's data, the GATE cutoff for IITs & NITs is between 52.7 and 25.
The GATE 2026 exam is scheduled for Feb 7, 8, 14 & 15, 2026. Depending on the cutoff, candidates make it to several M. Tech and PhD programs in the top IITs, NITs, IIScs, as well as other institutions.
The GATE cutoff is the minimum GATE score/marks required by the candidate to qualify for the exam. The GATE 2026 qualifying marks will differ across categories and courses and are likely to increase as competition intensifies. So, you can check the previous year's data to estimate their course and category cutoff for this year and estimate the probability of admission.
Expected GATE Cutoff for 2026
Predicting the GATE cutoff for 2026 requires analysing several factors, including the number of applicants, the difficulty level of the exam, the availability of seats, and previous year's trends. You must check the estimated cutoff for 2026 to analyse their level of preparedness. Here's what candidates can expect from the GATE 2026 result:
|
Branch |
GEN |
OBC/EWS |
SC/ST/PwD |
|
Computer Science |
27.6 |
24.8 |
18.4 |
|
Data Science & AI |
37.1 |
33.3 |
24.7 |
|
Electronics & CE |
25 |
22.5 |
16.6 |
|
Electrical Engineering |
25.7 |
23.1 |
17.1 |
|
Civil Engineering |
28.3 |
25.4 |
18.8 |
|
Mechanical Engineering |
28.6 |
25.7 |
19 |
|
Aerospace Engineering |
33.3 |
29.9 |
22.1 |
|
Agricultural Engineering |
25 |
22.5 |
16.6 |
|
Biotechnology |
38.9 |
35 |
25.9 |
|
Mining Engineering |
25 |
22.5 |
16.6 |
|
Metallurgical Engineering |
41 |
36.9 |
27.3 |
|
Petroleum Engineering |
42.6 |
38.3 |
28.4 |
|
Engineering Sciences |
36.2 |
32.5 |
24.1 |
Previous Year's GATE Cutoff Trends for Top IITs and NITs
Admission cutoffs for IITs are significantly higher than those for NITs, reflecting the intense competition for IIT seats. Specialisations like Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, and Renewable Energy have seen a rise in cutoffs due to their increasing demand.
Here's a quick overview of how GATE cutoff trends for top IITs and NITs have changed over the years:
GATE 2025 Cutoff for Top IITs and NITs
The GATE 2025 cutoff for top IIITs and NITs is as follows:
| GATE Paper | General | OBC-NCL / EWS | SC / ST / PwD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospace Engineering (AE) | 28.9 | 26.0 | 19.2 |
| Agricultural Engineering (AG) | 25.0 | 22.5 | 16.6 |
| Architecture & Planning (AR) | 40.0 | 36.0 | 26.6 |
| Biomedical Engineering (BM) | 29.2 | 26.2 | 19.4 |
| Biotechnology (BT) | 28.0 | 25.2 | 18.6 |
| Civil Engineering (CE) | 29.2 | 26.2 | 19.4 |
| Chemical Engineering (CH) | 27.7 | 24.9 | 18.4 |
| Computer Science & IT (CS) | 29.2 | 26.2 | 19.4 |
| Chemistry (CY) | 25.0 | 22.5 | 16.6 |
| Data Science & AI (DA) | 29.0 | 26.1 | 19.3 |
| Electronics & Communication (EC) | 25.0 | 22.5 | 16.6 |
| Electrical Engineering (EE) | 25.0 | 22.5 | 16.6 |
| Environmental Science & Engg (ES) | 26.1 | 23.4 | 17.4 |
| Ecology & Evolution (EY) | 39.5 | 35.5 | 26.3 |
| Geomatics Engineering (GE) | 25.7 | 23.1 | 17.1 |
| Geology & Geophysics (Geology) (GG1) | 38.4 | 34.5 | 25.5 |
| Geology & Geophysics (Geophysics) (GG2) | 40.0 | 36.0 | 26.6 |
| Instrumentation Engineering (IN) | 25.6 | 23.0 | 17.0 |
| Mathematics (MA) | 25.0 | 22.5 | 16.6 |
| Mechanical Engineering (ME) | 35.8 | 32.2 | 23.8 |
| Mining Engg (MN) | 30.6 | 27.5 | 20.4 |
| Metallurgical Engg (MT) | 40.0 | 36.0 | 26.6 |
| Naval Architecture & Marine Engg (NM) | 25.1 | 22.5 | 16.7 |
| Statistics (ST) | ~26.6 | ~23.9 | ~17.7 |
| Textile Engg & Fibre Sci (TF) | ~28.1 | ~25.2 | ~18.7 |
| Engineering Sciences (XE) | ~35.4 | ~31.8 | ~23.5 |
GATE 2024 Cutoff for Top IITs and NITs
GATE 2024 cutoff for top IITs and NITs were released as qualifying marks on the official website at gate2024.iisc.ac.in. Meanwhile, the institute-wise admission cutoff was released later on their individual websites.
Here is the complete overview of the GATE 2024 qualifying marks for top IITs and NITs:
|
Paper Code |
Test Paper |
GEN |
OBC-NCL/EWS |
SC/ST/PwD |
|
CS |
Computer Science and Information Technology |
27.6 |
24.8 |
18.4 |
|
DA |
Data Science and Artificial Intelligence |
37.1 |
33.3 |
24.7 |
|
EC |
Electronics and Communication Engineering |
25 |
22.5 |
16.6 |
|
EE |
Electrical Engineering |
25.7 |
23.1 |
17.1 |
|
CE |
Civil Engineering |
28.3 |
25.4 |
18.8 |
|
ME |
Mechanical Engineering |
28.6 |
25.7 |
19 |
|
AE |
Aerospace Engineering |
33.3 |
29.9 |
22.1 |
|
AG |
Agricultural Engineering |
25 |
22.5 |
16.6 |
|
AR |
Architecture and Planning |
41.5 |
37.3 |
27.6 |
|
BM |
Biomedical Engineering |
25 |
22.5 |
16.6 |
|
BT |
Biotechnology |
38.9 |
35 |
25.9 |
|
CH |
Chemical Engineering |
25 |
22.5 |
16.6 |
|
CY |
Chemistry |
25.2 |
22.6 |
16.7 |
|
ES |
Environmental Science and Engineering |
37.9 |
34.1 |
25.2 |
|
EY |
Ecology and Evolution |
35.8 |
32.2 |
23.8 |
|
GE |
Geomatics Engineering |
41.1 |
36.9 |
27.4 |
|
GG1 |
Geology and Geophysics (Geology) |
42 |
37.8 |
28 |
|
GG2 |
Geology and Geophysics (Geophysics) |
49 |
44.1 |
32.6 |
|
IN |
Instrumentation Engineering |
32.7 |
29.4 |
21.8 |
|
MA |
Mathematics |
25 |
22.5 |
16.6 |
|
MN |
Mining Engineering |
25 |
22.5 |
16.6 |
|
MT |
Metallurgical Engineering |
41 |
36.9 |
27.3 |
|
NM |
Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering |
25.1 |
22.5 |
16.7 |
|
PE |
Petroleum Engineering |
42.6 |
38.3 |
28.4 |
|
PH |
Physics |
32 |
28.8 |
21.3 |
|
PI |
Production and Industrial Engineering |
30.5 |
27.4 |
20.3 |
|
ST |
Statistics |
26.6 |
23.9 |
17.7 |
|
TF |
Textile Engineering and Fibre Science |
28.1 |
25.2 |
18.7 |
|
XE |
Engineering Sciences |
36.2 |
32.5 |
24.1 |
|
XH-C1 |
Humanities and Social Sciences (Economics) |
37 |
33.3 |
24.6 |
|
XH-C2 |
Humanities and Social Sciences (English) |
48 |
43.2 |
32 |
|
XH-C3 |
Humanities and Social Sciences (Linguistics) |
49.7 |
44.7 |
33.1 |
|
XH-C4 |
Humanities and Social Sciences (Philosophy) |
39.3 |
35.3 |
26.1 |
|
XH-C5 |
Humanities and Social Sciences (Psychology) |
52.7 |
47.4 |
35.1 |
|
XH-C6 |
Humanities and Social Sciences (Sociology) |
36 |
32.4 |
24 |
|
XL |
Life Sciences |
29.3 |
26.3 |
19.5 |
GATE 2023 Cutoff for Top IITs and NITs
In 2023, the GATE cutoff for top IITs and NITs looked something like the following:
GATE 2023 Cutoff for Top IITs
|
Name of the Institute |
PDF Link |
|
IIT Kanpur |
|
GATE 2023 Cutoff for Top NITs
|
Name of the Institute |
PDF Link |
|
NIT Warangal |
|
|
NIT Trichy |
|
GATE 2022 Cutoff for Top IITs and NITs
The GATE 2022 cutoff was released after the announcement of GATE 2022 results on Mar 16, 2022. Candidates can check the PDFs provided below for a detailed understanding of GATE 2022 cutoff trends for top NITs and IITs:
GATE 2022 Cutoff for Top IITs
|
Name of the Institute |
PDF Link |
|
IIT Bombay |
|
|
IISc Bangalore |
|
GATE 2022 Cutoff for Top NITs
|
Name of the Institute |
PDF Link |
|
NIT Warangal |
|
|
NIT Surakthal |
|
|
NIT Trichy |
|
Difference Between GATE Qualifying Marks and GATE Admission Cutoff
Understanding the difference between qualifying marks and admission cutoffs is vital, as two different cutoffs are released for the GATE exam. While one is established to pass the exam, the other is crucial to qualify for the institute's admission criteria.
The GATE qualifying marks can be defined as the minimum score required to pass the GATE exam. It varies by discipline and category (General, OBC, SC/ST). For example, in 2024, qualifying marks for CSE were 27.6 for the general category.
On the other hand, the GATE admission cutoff reflects the score needed to secure admission to a specific program. The admission cutoff is determined by factors like seat availability, program demand, and candidate preferences. For example, the admission cutoff for IIT Bombay's CSE program was 750 in 2024, far exceeding the qualifying marks.
The GATE qualifying marks will ensure eligibility for the GATE 2026 counselling, but do not guarantee admission. However, the GATE admission cutoff is highly competitive and varies significantly between IITs and NITs.
Benefits of Analyzing Previous Year Trends for GATE Cutoff
Understanding the GATE cutoff trends for top IITs and NITs is crucial for the following reasons:
- Aspirants can set realistic GATE 2026 score targets by understanding past trends.
- Past year's trends help prioritize GATE high-weightage topics based on their potential impact on the score.
- Previous year's GATE cutoff data helps in the identification of prospective institutes and programs within reach and allows candidates to refine their GATE 2026 application strategy.
- It offers insights into popular and emerging fields to enable informed decisions about which specialization to opt for during counselling.
- Moreover, the GATE cutoff trends help aspirants allocate their time and effort effectively, focusing on disciplines with higher cutoff requirements.
Also Read: GATE Rank Required for PSUs like ONGC, IOCL
By analysing the GATE cutoff trends for top IITs and NITs, candidates can set goals, prepare strategically, and select the right institute. While the expected GATE cutoff for 2026 will be influenced by multiple factors, historical data from2025, 2024, 2023, and 2022 offer valuable insights.
-
GATE 2026 exams: Feb 7, 8, 14, 15. -
IIT admission cutoffs are higher than NITs. -
Qualifying marks differ from admission cutoffs. -
AI/DS/Renewable Energy demand boosts cutoffs.
