Central University of Himachal Pradesh

Latest Admission Updates (2026)

Admission to Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP), Dharamsala for the 2026-2027 session is driven entirely by NTA's CUET, and the most urgent date for UG aspirants is the CUET UG 2026 examination window of 11 May 2026 to 31 May 2026. The PG cycle has already moved ahead of the UG cycle this year, so the action items differ sharply depending on whether you are targeting a Bachelor's or a Master's programme at the Dharamsala campus. Below is a dated snapshot of where each stage stands as of June 2026.

• CUET PG 2026 result declared - 24 April 2026: Postgraduate scorecards (for MA, M.Sc, MBA, MCA, M.Com, MFA) are out; CUHP PG counselling registration on the Samarth portal is the immediate next step.
• CUET UG 2026 exam - 11 May 2026 to 31 May 2026: Undergraduate entrance (for BA, B.Sc, B.Com, BFA) was conducted in this window in CBT mode.
• CUET UG 2026 result - expected June 2026: Based on the 2025 schedule, UG results and CUHP UG counselling are expected once NTA releases scorecards in June 2026.
• CUET PG admit card - released 3 March 2026; CUET PG exam was held 6 March 2026 to 27 March 2026.
• CUET UG application window - 3 January 2026 to 26 February 2026 (extended), with a reopened window 23-26 February 2026; the CUET PG application window ran 14 December 2025 to 23 January 2026 with a correction window 28-30 January 2026.
• CUHP counselling portal: all registration, choice filling and seat allotment happens on the university's Samarth admission portal (cuhimachaladm.samarth.edu.in), not on the NTA site.

The single most important takeaway is that the entrance stage is effectively over for 2026 and CUHP admission now hinges on counselling. PG candidates who cleared CUET PG on 24 April 2026 should register on the CUHP Samarth portal without delay, while UG candidates should watch for the CUET UG result in June 2026 and the subsequent CUHP merit list. Keep checking cuhimachal.ac.in and the Samarth portal, because CUHP releases counselling rounds programme-by-programme.

Central University of Himachal Pradesh Admission 2026: Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility at CUHP is programme-specific, and the recurring threshold across almost every course is a minimum of 50% aggregate marks at the qualifying level. The table below maps each major programme to its qualifying qualification, the minimum marks CUHP expects, and the exact CUET paper you must sit for that programme. This answers the question most applicants ask first - "Am I even eligible to apply to CUHP for my chosen course?" Read it row by row: UG programmes require 10+2 and accept CUET UG, while PG programmes require a relevant Bachelor's degree and accept CUET PG. Note the discipline restrictions for B.Sc (Science stream) and MCA (Mathematics/Computer background), which are strictly enforced.

The key takeaways are that CUHP relaxes the marks threshold by category as per UGC and Government of India norms (typically a 5% relaxation for SC/ST/PwD, so 45% in most courses and 50% for PhD), and that a single CUET paper can feed multiple programmes within a department. If you are a Science graduate, you are eligible for M.Sc but should confirm your specific subject combination matches the department's requirement. PhD aspirants should note the higher 55% bar and that research admission combines the entrance score with an interview. Next step: confirm your exact subject mapping on the CUHP department page before locking your CUET subject choices.

Course-Wise Admission Status

This section tells you, as of June 2026, which CUHP programmes are at which stage of the 2026 admission cycle, the approximate intake, the mode of admission, and the accepted exam. Because the PG cycle (CUET PG result on 24 April 2026) is ahead of the UG cycle (CUET UG result expected June 2026), PG programmes are already at the counselling/registration stage while UG programmes are awaiting results. The seat numbers below are indicative of CUHP's recent intake across its 11 departments and over 120 programmes; final seat matrices are published per round on the Samarth portal. Use this to prioritise where to register first.

The practical takeaway is timing: if you are a PG aspirant, your CUHP admission is live right now and you must complete Samarth-portal registration to be considered in seat allotment, whereas UG aspirants have a few more weeks until the June 2026 result. Across all programmes, admission is merit-based on CUET score followed by online counselling - there is no separate CUHP-conducted written test except for certain PhD streams. Confirm the exact round-wise seat matrix on the portal, as CUHP redistributes vacant seats into later rounds.

Application Fees

There are two distinct money flows you must not confuse at CUHP. The first is the CUET application/exam fee paid to NTA (the conducting body) when you register for CUET UG or CUET PG; the second is CUHP's own programme/tuition fee paid to the university after you secure a seat. The table below breaks down the NTA CUET application fee for the 2026 cycle, with every reservation category on its own row so you can see the exact amount that applied to you, separately for the UG and PG tests. These NTA fees cover up to three subjects for CUET UG and up to two test papers for CUET PG; additional papers cost extra.

For reference, CUHP's own annual programme fees are modest because it is a central government university: BA costs about Rs. 6,490, BFA about Rs. 10,090, MA and MFA about Rs. 14,900, MBA, M.Sc and MCA about Rs. 40,100 each, and B.Sc about Rs. 59,600 (2026 figures). The CUET UG fee rose by roughly Rs. 50-100 per category over CUET UG 2025, and CUET PG additional papers cost Rs. 700 each for General and Rs. 600 for reserved categories. The action point: pay only the NTA fee to register for the exam, and budget separately for CUHP's tuition - which you pay on the Samarth portal at the fee-payment stage of counselling.

Entrance Exam Requirements

CUHP accepts exactly two entrance tests, both run by NTA: CUET UG for all Bachelor's programmes and CUET PG for all Master's programmes, with PhD admission using the CUET PG score or a CUHP research entrance plus interview. The table below shows which exam feeds which programme, the verified 2026 exam dates, and the realistic score band that becomes competitive for a CUHP seat. "Competitive" here means the range within which CUHP's recent closing scores have sat - clearing the NTA qualifying bar alone does not guarantee a seat because allotment is purely merit-rank based. Read the score column as a target, not a cutoff guarantee, since it shifts each round.

The takeaway is that high-demand humanities Master's programmes at CUHP (notably MA Punjabi, MA Political Science and MA English) push the competitive PG score toward the upper end of the 15-184 band, while specialised B.Sc subjects pull the UG band toward 360+ marks. For MCA and MBA, scores in the 80-165 range have historically been in contention. Aim well above the lower bound of each band, and remember the score must be paired with timely Samarth-portal registration to convert into an actual allotment.

Cutoff Analysis (2024-2026)

CUHP's closing scores vary dramatically by department, which is why a single "college cutoff" is misleading - you must look programme by programme and year by year. The table below compiles CUHP's CUET closing-score data points across 2024, 2025 and 2026 for the General category, so you can see the direction of travel. It answers the practical question "What score do I actually need this year?" by anchoring on real reference points rather than a vague percentile. Note that CUET PG marks are out of different maxima by subject, so compare within a programme across years, not across programmes.

The clear trend is divergence: flagship Science UG seats (B.Sc Physics) and high-demand humanities PG seats (MA Punjabi, Political Science, English) have stayed at the top of the range, while the overall General-category band has widened slightly at the lower end (the CUET PG 2026 floor of about 15 marks versus 30 in 2025), reflecting more programmes and redistributed seats in later rounds. The practical implication is that if your target is a competitive department, plan for a top-of-band score; if you are flexible on specialisation, lower bands open up in Round 2 and spot rounds. Always verify the exact round-wise cutoff for your specific subject on the Samarth portal before choice filling.

Counselling Process

Admission to CUHP after CUET is conducted entirely online through the university's Samarth admission portal (cuhimachaladm.samarth.edu.in). Qualifying CUET UG or CUET PG is only the first half; you must complete CUHP's own counselling to be allotted a seat. The step-by-step flow for the 2026 cycle is as follows:

1. CUET result and scorecard: Obtain your CUET PG scorecard (declared 24 April 2026) or CUET UG scorecard (expected June 2026) from the NTA portal.
2. Registration on CUHP Samarth portal: Create an account on cuhimachaladm.samarth.edu.in using your CUET application number and register for CUHP admission - this is mandatory and separate from NTA registration.
3. Application and choice filling: Fill in your personal, academic and category details, upload documents, and select your preferred programmes/specialisations in order of preference.
4. Merit list and seat allotment: CUHP publishes a CUET-score-based merit list per programme and allots seats round-wise according to rank, category reservation and preferences.
5. Document verification: Allotted candidates verify originals (CUET scorecard, 10th/12th and degree mark sheets, ID proof, category certificate, migration/transfer certificate) as scheduled.
6. Fee payment and admission confirmation: Pay the CUHP programme fee online within the deadline to lock your seat; missing it forfeits the allotment.
7. Subsequent rounds / spot counselling: Vacant seats are released in later rounds and spot rounds, with an upgrade option for already-admitted candidates.

The decisive point is that seat allotment is strictly CUET-merit and preference driven, so order your choices honestly and pay the confirmation fee on time. Watch the portal for each round's schedule, because CUHP does not send individual reminders.

Important Dates (2026)

This master timeline consolidates every canonical milestone of the CUHP 2026 admission cycle across both CUET UG and CUET PG, so you can see at a glance what has already happened and what is still pending as of June 2026. Each event is listed with its verified date where available and its current status; where the university has not yet published a specific 2026 date (chiefly the CUHP counselling sub-stages), the event is still listed with "to be announced" so nothing is hidden. Read the Status column first to locate the live items, then back-plan your document preparation around the upcoming ones.

The headline deadlines have already passed for the NTA exam stage, so for 2026 your focus must be entirely on the CUHP counselling stages that are still "to be announced" or ongoing. PG candidates should treat the post-24-April-2026 registration window as active and complete it now; UG candidates should keep documents ready for counselling that follows the June 2026 result. Bookmark cuhimachal.ac.in and the Samarth portal and check daily, since round dates appear with short notice.