How Many Students Qualify for JEE Advanced from JEE Mains 2026: Know Complete Details

Joint Entrance Examination is one of the most important entrance examinations for students seeking admission to top engineering institutes such as the IITs, NITs, wow wow and IIITs. The admission process is conducted in two stages — JEE Main and JEE Advanced 2026 — where JEE Main acts as the qualifying gateway for IIT admissions.

To appear for JEE Advanced 2026, scheduled on 17 May 2026, candidates must first satisfy the official eligibility criteria and secure the required cutoff percentile in JEE Main 2026. Around 2.5 lakh top-performing candidates across categories qualify every year based on their JEE Main performance. Understanding category-wise cutoff trends, qualifying ranks, and eligibility conditions is important for students targeting IIT admission in 2026.

Number of Students Qualifying for JEE Advanced 2026

Every year, lakhs of students appear for the JEE Mains exam with the goal of securing a spot in one of the prestigious IITs through JEE Advanced. In 2026, the total number of candidates qualifying for JEE Advanced will be based on the results of JEE Mains. According to the eligibility criteria, the top 2.5 lakh students from JEE Mains 2026 will qualify to appear for JEE Advanced.

JEE Advanced Qualifiers from JEE Main 2026

IIT Roorkee will release the exact number of students qualifying for JEE Advanced once the results of JEE Mains 2026 are out. Based on the data from previous years, the category-wise qualifying numbers are typically as follows:

1. Open (GEN): Approximately 96,000 students

2. GEN-EWS: Approximately 25,000 students

3. OBC-NCL: Approximately 67,000 students

4. SC: Approximately 37,500 students

5. ST: Approximately 18,800 students

6. PwD: Approximately 3,950 students

In total, around 2,50,000 students will be shortlisted for JEE Advanced after JEE Mains.

How Many Candidates Qualify for JEE Advanced?

The number of students qualifying for JEE Advanced from JEE Mains is based on multiple factors such as:

• Cutoff Percentile

• Category-wise quotas

• Total number of students appearing in JEE Mains

In 2026, the JEE Main cutoff percentile will determine how many candidates qualify for JEE Advanced. Historically, the cutoff for the general category is usually above 93 percentile, while it is lower for reserved categories.

Category-wise Cutoff Percentiles for JEE Advanced 2026

Here are the expected cutoff percentiles for JEE Main 2026 to qualify for JEE Advanced:

These percentiles reflect the competition level and determine which students will qualify for JEE Advanced. Based on these percentiles, the number of qualifying students in each category is as follows:

• Open (GEN): 96,187 students

• GEN-EWS: 23,750 students

• OBC-NCL: 64,125 students

• SC: 35,625 students

• ST: 17,812 students

• PwD: 12,501 students

The total number of students qualifying for JEE Advanced from JEE Mains 2026 is expected to be 2,50,000 students.

JEE Advanced Eligibility Criteria 2026

Before applying for JEE Advanced 2026, candidates must ensure they meet the eligibility criteria. The eligibility requirements for JEE Advanced 2026 are as follows:

1. JEE Main Performance: Only the top 2.5 lakh students from JEE Mains are eligible to appear for JEE Advanced.
   
   

2. Age Limit:

• Candidates should be born on or after October 1, 2001.

• For SC, ST, and PwD candidates, the age limit is relaxed by 5 years, i.e., they should be born on or after October 1, 1996.
  
  

3. Number of Attempts: Candidates can attempt JEE Advanced twice in consecutive years.
   
   

4. Class 12 Eligibility: Candidates who are appearing for Class 12 in 2025 or 2026 are eligible for JEE Advanced 2026. Those who have already appeared for their Class 12 exams in previous years are not eligible.
   
   

5. Previous IIT Admission: Candidates who have been admitted to any IIT program in the past and have not been allotted a preparatory course in 2025 are not eligible for JEE Advanced.
   
   

6. Board Results: Candidates from the 2023-24 board exams whose results are released on or after June 18, 2024, will be eligible.

These criteria must be fulfilled for students to qualify and appear for JEE Advanced 2026.

JEE Advanced 2025: Past Year Analysis

In 2025, approximately 2,50,243 students were selected to appear for JEE Advanced after JEE Mains 2025. The category-wise qualification numbers were:

In comparison, the number of students qualifying for JEE Advanced from JEE Mains 2024 was slightly lower at 48,248 students, and even fewer in 2023 at 43,769 students.