Kerala Agricultural University

Latest Admission Updates (2026)

Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), Thrissur conducts its undergraduate admissions through the KEAM rank list published by the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE), Kerala, while postgraduate seats are filled through ICAR AIEEA (PG), GATE and the university's own entrance route. Here are the most important admission updates for the 2026-2027 cycle, as of June 2026:

• KEAM 2026 result declared (12 May 2026): The CEE published the KEAM 2026 rank list on 12 May 2026, the rank that decides B.Sc (Hons.) Agriculture, B.Sc and B.Tech allotment at KAU.
• KEAM 2026 counselling/CAP - opens last week of July 2026 (expected, based on 2025 schedule): This is the single most important pending deadline for UG aspirants; KAU seats are allotted only through this Centralised Allotment Process (CAP).
• ICAR AIEEA (PG) 2026 exam scheduled for 4 July 2026: Applications ran from 8 May to 7 June 2026; this is the gateway for KAU's M.Sc Agriculture and M.Tech seats.
• KEAM 2026 admit card released 8 April 2026 and the exam was conducted 17-22 April 2026.
• MBA (Agribusiness Management) at KAU: Admission is offered on a CAT/CMAT/KMAT/MAT score basis with separate KAU notifications; in the 2025 cycle the online application window closed on 8 August 2025 with spot admission on 29 September 2025, so the 2026 round is expected on a similar timeline.

Aspirants should treat the late-July 2026 KEAM CAP registration as their next actionable deadline and keep the official portals cee.kerala.gov.in and admissions.kau.in open for round-wise notifications.

Kerala Agricultural University Admission 2026: Eligibility Criteria

The table below sets out the programme-wise eligibility for Kerala Agricultural University admission 2026, the most common question an aspirant asks before applying. It pairs each KAU programme with its minimum academic qualification, the qualifying marks you must hold, and the exact entrance exam KAU accepts for that course. This matters because KAU runs two parallel admission systems - KEAM for most UG seats and ICAR AIEEA (PG)/GATE for PG seats - so applying through the wrong route is the most frequent reason genuine candidates miss a seat. Read each row top to bottom: confirm your stream first, then your aggregate, then register for the matching exam.

The key takeaway is that almost every UG seat at KAU flows from a single KEAM rank, and B.Sc (Hons.) Agriculture additionally requires you to have qualified NEET as an eligibility condition. PG aspirants should lock the ICAR AIEEA (PG) route first, since it both certifies eligibility and supplies the merit rank. MBA applicants are the exception - they need a valid CAT/CMAT/KMAT/MAT score and clear a group discussion and personal interview rather than a state entrance. Confirm your category-wise aggregate against the official KAU prospectus before paying any fee.

Course-Wise Admission Status

This table answers the question "is admission still open for my course at KAU in 2026?" at a glance. It maps each programme to its current application status (as of June 2026), the number of sanctioned seats where verified, the mode of admission, and the accepted exam. It matters because KAU's UG and PG calendars are staggered - KEAM-based UG counselling opens in late July 2026 even though the exam is already done, while ICAR PG and MBA rounds run on their own schedules. Use the "Mode" column to know whether you join a centralised state process (KEAM CAP) or a university-level merit list.

The most time-sensitive action right now is preparing for KEAM CAP registration, since all three UG streams - Agriculture, allied B.Sc and B.Tech - are filled together in that window. PG aspirants who sat ICAR AIEEA (PG) on 4 July 2026 should keep documents ready for the subsequent counselling. MBA candidates should watch admissions.kau.in for the 2026 notification, which in 2025 closed applications on 8 August. Treat "as per CAP matrix" as a prompt to download the official seat matrix the moment CAP opens, as KAU seat counts vary by constituent college.

Application Fees

This section separates two charges that applicants routinely confuse: the entrance/application fee paid to the conducting body (CEE for KEAM, NTA for ICAR) and KAU's own programme tuition fee paid after you secure a seat. The table lists the application fee for each category on its own row, because in KEAM the General, SC and ST fees genuinely differ and ST candidates are exempt. All KEAM figures are for the 2026 cycle, with the previous (2025) General and SC amounts shown so you can see the year-wise hike. Read the "Category" column carefully - paying the wrong-category fee can invalidate your form.

The headline takeaway is that the KEAM application fee rose in 2026 - General from Rs. 875 to Rs. 925 and SC from Rs. 375 to Rs. 400 - while ST candidates remain fully exempt. Note clearly that these are exam/application charges, not KAU tuition: the MBA (Agribusiness Management) programme fee of Rs. 2,18,000 is paid to the university after selection, not to the conducting body. For ICAR AIEEA (PG) category fees and PwD relaxations, always confirm the exact figure on the official NTA/CEE notification rather than relying on estimates. Pay only online and retain the transaction receipt.

Entrance Exam Requirements

This table answers "which exam do I need for which KAU course, and what score makes me competitive?" KAU does not run a common entrance for all programmes - it accepts KEAM for UG, ICAR AIEEA (PG)/GATE for PG, and CAT/CMAT/KMAT/MAT for MBA. The 2026 exam dates below are confirmed from the conducting bodies, and the "typical qualifying score" column reflects what historically clears KAU's popular constituent colleges. This is the most decision-critical table for planning, so align your preparation to the exact exam your target programme requires.

The practical message is that for B.Sc Agriculture you must clear two hurdles - qualify NEET to be eligible and secure a strong KEAM rank to be allotted - whereas allied B.Sc and B.Tech need only the KEAM rank. PG aspirants should prioritise ICAR AIEEA (PG), since it both certifies eligibility and ranks you for KAU's M.Sc and M.Tech seats, with GATE as the alternative engineering route. MBA candidates can use any one of four accepted exams, so apply with your best available score. Confirm each conducting body's 2026 dates before scheduling preparation.

Cutoff Analysis (2024-2026)

This table tracks KEAM closing ranks for B.Sc (Hons.) Agriculture at KAU's two flagship campuses across recent cycles, the figure aspirants most want before choosing options. It is built from the official KEAM allotment last-rank lists, and it shows both the early Round 1 General closing rank and the final closing rank after later rounds. Cutoffs matter because they tell you, realistically, whether your KEAM rank can win a seat at College of Agriculture Vellayani or College of Horticulture Vellanikkara. Read the General Round 1 rank as the "safe" target and the final rank as the "last realistic chance" through mop-up rounds.

The clear trend across 2025 is that College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara closed its General Round 1 at a tighter rank (~4,774) than College of Agriculture, Vellayani (~6,794), confirming Vellanikkara as the more competitive first preference. Both colleges, however, stretched well past rank 25,000 by their final rounds, meaning mid-rank candidates retain a genuine chance through later CAP rounds and the mop-up. Because KAU is a sought-after government agricultural university - it climbed to NIRF Agriculture rank 12 in 2025 from rank 15 in 2024 - expect 2026 closing ranks to hold firm or tighten slightly rather than loosen. Aspirants should fill both campuses in preference order and not withdraw after Round 1 if their rank is near the final closing band.

Counselling Process

Admission to KAU's UG programmes is completed only through the KEAM Centralised Allotment Process (CAP) run by CEE Kerala, expected to begin in the last week of July 2026 (based on the 2025 schedule). Follow these steps in order:

1. CAP registration: Log in at cee.kerala.gov.in with your KEAM application number and confirm your candidate details once CAP opens (expected late July 2026).
2. Option/choice filling: Enter your preferred KAU colleges and programmes (for example College of Agriculture Vellayani and College of Horticulture Vellanikkara for B.Sc Agriculture) in priority order; you may rearrange options any number of times within the window.
3. Trial allotment: Review the trial allotment published by CEE to gauge your likely seat and rearrange options before the final list.
4. Seat allotment (Round 1): Provisional allotment is published; pay the option-confirmation fee online to retain or upgrade your seat across the expected three rounds plus one mop-up round.
5. Document verification: Report to the allotted KAU college with originals - KEAM admit card and rank list, Plus Two mark list, NEET result (for B.Sc Agriculture), nativity/category certificates and photographs.
6. Fee payment and admission: Pay the programme fee at the college to finalise admission; retain the receipt for later rounds.

For PG programmes, M.Sc Agriculture and M.Tech follow ICAR AIEEA (PG)/GATE-based counselling and the KAU merit list, while MBA selection combines the entrance score (80%) with a group discussion (10%) and personal interview (10%).

Important Dates (2026)

This master table consolidates every canonical milestone for KAU's primary UG gateway, KEAM 2026, from application start to document verification, so you can plan without hunting across notifications. Each event carries a verified date where the CEE has published one and a clear status flag; events whose KAU/CAP-specific dates are not yet notified are marked accordingly rather than omitted. It matters because missing any single step - especially CAP registration - removes you from the allotment pool entirely. Use the "Status" column to separate what is already done from what still needs your action.

The decisive upcoming deadline for UG aspirants is the KEAM CAP registration in the last week of July 2026 - everything before it (application, exam, result) is already complete for the 2026 cycle. PG candidates have just cleared the ICAR AIEEA (PG) milestone on 4 July 2026 and should now await counselling. Treat every "to be announced" row as a cue to check cee.kerala.gov.in daily once CAP opens, since round dates are released with short notice. Keep all original documents scanned and ready so you can complete verification without delay.