National Institute of Technology Rourkela

What are the cutoffs for National Institute of Technology Rourkela in 2026?

For 2026, National Institute of Technology Rourkela admits B.Tech students exclusively through JEE Main scores processed via JoSAA counselling, and its flagship Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) branch closed at a General (Open) category rank near 8000 for the Other State (OS) quota in JoSAA 2026 Round 1. JoSAA 2026 Round 1 seat allotment for NIT Rourkela was released on June 13, 2026, and CSE maintained strong demand with the General (Open) OS closing rank coming in near 8000, approximately in line with 2025 trends. This confirms continued high demand for CSE at NIT Rourkela. Admission is purely rank-based: there is no separate institute entrance exam, no management quota, and category rank (not Common Rank List) governs OBC-NCL, SC and ST seats. NIT Rourkela, established in 1961 and ranked among the top engineering NITs in NIRF 2024 (19th in the Engineering category as reported), draws aspirants nationwide, which keeps its closing ranks competitive across every branch.

Year-Wise Cutoff Trends (2024-2026)

The table below tracks National Institute of Technology Rourkela's CSE closing ranks across categories and years, answering the core question every aspirant asks: "what rank closed last time, and is it getting harder?" Read it category by category, remembering that General ranks are All India Common Rank List (CRL) figures for the Other State quota, while OBC-NCL, SC and ST figures are category-specific ranks. The 2026 and 2023 General, OBC-NCL and SC numbers are confirmed from JoSAA/JEE Main data; intermediate years are shown as commonly reported and should be cross-checked against the official source.

The clearest takeaway is that NIT Rourkela's CSE General closing rank has climbed steadily, from 6842 in 2023 to around 7853 in 2025 and near 8000 in 2026, meaning the branch is getting harder to secure each year. Reserved categories enjoy meaningfully deeper closing ranks: CSE closed at OBC-NCL 2518 and SC 764 in 2023, so category candidates have historically secured CSE at sharper category ranks than General aspirants. The upward drift across all categories signals that aspirants should target a buffer well inside the closing rank rather than aiming exactly at it.

Course-Wise Cutoff at National Institute of Technology Rourkela

National Institute of Technology Rourkela offers many B.Tech branches beyond CSE, and their cutoffs vary sharply with demand and seat count. The table below breaks down indicative General (Open) category closing ranks branch by branch so you can judge which programmes match your rank. CSE is anchored to the confirmed near-8000 (2026) figure; the remaining branches use commonly reported recent closing ranks and should be verified on the official JoSAA seat-matrix archive before you lock a preference order.

The branch order is consistent year on year: CSE is the most competitive at NIT Rourkela with a General closing rank near 8000, followed by Electronics and Communication around 11,000, then Electrical, Mechanical (around 21,488 as reported) and the core branches like Civil, Chemical and Metallurgical, which close at deeper ranks. The pattern means a candidate outside the top 8000 still has strong NIT Rourkela options in circuit and core branches. Always confirm the exact 2026 branch numbers on the official JoSAA archive, as later rounds typically relax closing ranks compared with Round 1.

Cutoff Trend Analysis

NIT Rourkela's cutoff is clearly rising, not falling: CSE General closed at 6842 in 2023, moved to roughly 7853 in 2025, and held near 8000 in JoSAA 2026 Round 1 released on June 13, 2026. This steady tightening reflects the institute's strengthening reputation, its NIRF 2024 standing (19th in Engineering as reported), and placement strength, with an overall B.Tech average package commonly reported around 19.43 LPA and CSE around 21.6 LPA for the 2024 cycle. Realistically, an aspirant needs a JEE Main All India rank comfortably under 8000 to be confident of CSE in the General OS quota, ideally inside 6500-7000 to absorb round-to-round movement. For Electronics and Communication, a rank under roughly 11,000 is the working target, while core branches such as Mechanical (around 21,488 as reported) remain reachable up to the low-20,000s. OBC-NCL, SC and ST candidates benefit from far deeper category closing ranks, as the 2023 CSE figures of OBC-NCL 2518 and SC 764 illustrate, so reserved-category aspirants can target CSE at category ranks well beyond the General threshold. With tuition of approximately 1.25 lakh per year and a 100% tuition waiver for SC/ST/PwD students as commonly reported, the cost-to-outcome ratio keeps demand high and cutoffs on an upward path.