Punjab Agricultural University

Latest Admission Updates (2026)

If you are tracking Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana admission for the 2026 session, the most time-sensitive milestone has already passed and the focus has now shifted to counselling. Below is a dated rundown of the key events for PAU's flagship undergraduate entry route, the PAU Common Entrance Test (CET), along with the postgraduate Master's Entrance Test (MET). These updates are current as of June 2026; always re-confirm each item against the official notification on pau.edu before acting.

• PAU CET 2026 Round 1 counselling (most important now): Expected in the second week of July 2026, conducted offline. This is the next live action point for UG aspirants who appeared in the CET.
• PAU CET 2026 merit/rank lists published: Rank lists for the General and SC categories have been released on the official PAU website (pau.edu).
• PAU CET 2026 exam held: The entrance test for UG programmes was conducted on 14 June 2026 (offline mode).
• PAU CET 2026 application window: Opened 16 April 2026 and closed on 8 May 2026 (closed). Application fee for test programmes was Rs. 5,640.
• PAU MET 2026 (PG) application: Last date was 20 April 2026 (closed); PG selection runs on PAU MET scores.

The single deadline you cannot miss now is Round 1 CET counselling in the second week of July 2026, since seat allotment at PAU is purely merit-and-category driven from the published rank lists. UG applicants who cleared the 14 June 2026 CET should keep their documents ready and watch pau.edu for the exact counselling date and venue. PG candidates should track MET result and interview schedules on the same portal.

Punjab Agricultural University Admission 2026: Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility at Punjab Agricultural University is programme-specific and tied to a PAU-conducted entrance test rather than a generic open application. The table below maps each major PAU programme to its qualifying qualification, the minimum marks where a verified figure exists, and the exact entrance exam PAU accepts. This is the first thing an aspirant should confirm, because applying through the wrong test or stream is the most common reason candidates are rejected at verification. Read each row against the programme you intend to apply for, and treat the accepted-exam column as mandatory, not optional.

The key takeaway is that PAU CET drives UG science and agriculture entry, while PAU MET drives most PG entry; B.Tech Agricultural Engineering specifically needs a valid JEE Main score. MBA is the exception, accepting CAT/MAT with a stated 60% aggregate, and MCA requires 50% aggregate plus Mathematics. Where a row shows "as per PAU notification," the exact minimum percentage was not separately verifiable, so confirm it on pau.edu before applying. Do not assume any category-wise relaxation percentage unless it is printed in the official prospectus.

Course-Wise Admission Status

This section tells you, programme by programme, whether the 2026 application window is open or closed, how many seats PAU offers, the admission mode, and which exam feeds the seat. Seat counts matter because PAU's intake is small and merit-driven, so a low seat number means cutoffs stay competitive. The status column reflects the 2026 cycle as of June 2026; since the CET application closed on 8 May 2026 and the exam was held on 14 June 2026, UG entry is now in the counselling phase rather than the application phase. Use the seats column to gauge how tight competition is for your target programme.

The most actionable point is that PAU's UG seats are limited - 100 in B.Sc Agriculture, 82 in B.Tech, and 60 in B.Sc - which keeps merit-list cutoffs sharp. PG programmes such as M.Sc Agriculture (26 seats) are even tighter. For programmes marked "refer to official notification," the exact 2026 window or seat figure could not be independently verified, so check pau.edu and the PAU-APMS portal. If you missed the 2026 CET window, plan around the next cycle, since PAU runs admissions annually.

Application Fees

It is important to separate two different payments at Punjab Agricultural University: the entrance/application fee paid to PAU when you register for the test, and the much larger tuition/programme fee paid after you secure a seat. The table below lists the verified PAU CET 2026 application (test) fee by category, then summarises the latest programme tuition fees on record. For categories where PAU does not separately publish a different application fee, the row reads "not separately listed" rather than copying the General figure. Read this section before paying anything, so you know exactly what each charge covers.

For context, the latest tuition/programme fees on record (no specific session attached, so confirm the current-year figure on pau.edu) are: B.Tech Rs. 3,66,000; B.Sc and B.Sc Agriculture Rs. 2,34,000 each; M.Tech and M.Sc Agriculture Rs. 1,55,000 each; M.Sc and MJMC Rs. 1,40,000 each; MBA Rs. 3,50,000; and MCA Rs. 3,70,000. The verified 2026 application fee for PAU CET test programmes is Rs. 5,640; where category-specific application fees were not separately published, do not assume a concession. Confirm both the application fee and the exact current tuition on the official prospectus before paying.

Entrance Exam Requirements

Punjab Agricultural University does not run a single common test for everything - the accepted exam depends entirely on the programme. UG science and agriculture seats are filled through PAU CET, B.Tech Agricultural Engineering additionally needs a valid JEE Main score, PG science/engineering seats run on PAU MET (with GATE accepted for M.Tech), and management entry uses CAT/MAT. The table below pins each exam to its programme and the verified 2026 exam date where available, so you know which test result actually gets you a seat. Because PAU admission is rank-based, your competitiveness is judged against the published category rank list, not a fixed cut-score.

The decisive takeaway is to enter through the correct exam: PAU CET for UG agriculture/science, JEE Main for B.Tech Agricultural Engineering, PAU MET (or GATE) for PG, and CAT/MAT for the MBA. The PAU CET was held on 14 June 2026, and admission now depends on where you fall in the General or SC rank list released on pau.edu. Where a 2026 exam date is not shown, it was not separately verifiable here, so confirm dates with NTA (JEE Main), the GATE body, the CAT/MAT conductor, or the PAU MET notification.

Cutoff Analysis (2024-2026)

Cutoffs at Punjab Agricultural University are expressed as category-wise closing ranks, and the strongest verified data on record relates to the JEE Main B.Tech route. The table below presents the verified closing ranks for the 2020 General, OBC, SC, ST and EWS categories, plus the 2019 General closing rank, so you can see the relative gap between categories. We are presenting only figures that are verified; recent 2024-2026 category closing ranks are released through the live counselling rounds and were not independently verifiable here, so those are marked accordingly. Read the closing rank as the last (highest-numbered) rank that secured a seat in that category.

The clearest trend in the verified data is the sharp tightening of the General closing rank for the JEE Main B.Tech route, from 3,77,893 in 2019 to just 157 in 2020 - a dramatic move toward a far more competitive cut-off, with EWS also closing at 157 and OBC at 240 in 2020, while SC and ST both closed at 1,397. Because PAU intake is small, expect category ranks to stay competitive. For 2024, 2025 and 2026 closing ranks, rely on the official category-wise allotment lists published during counselling on pau.edu, since those figures shift each round.

Counselling Process

Admission to Punjab Agricultural University is finalised through offline, rank-based counselling after the entrance result, not on a first-come basis. For the 2026 UG cycle, Round 1 CET counselling is expected in the second week of July 2026. Follow these steps:

1. Check the merit/rank list: Confirm your rank in the relevant category (General or SC lists are published on pau.edu after the 14 June 2026 CET).
2. Counselling registration / reporting: Report for offline counselling at the date and venue notified on pau.edu, expected in the second week of July 2026 for Round 1.
3. Choice filling / programme selection: Indicate your preferred programme and college as per your rank and category.
4. Seat allotment: Seats are allotted strictly by rank, category and availability.
5. Document verification: Present originals (10+2 marksheet, entrance result, category/domicile certificates, ID) for verification.
6. Fee payment and admission confirmation: Pay the programme fee to lock the allotted seat; unfilled seats roll into subsequent rounds (Round 2 typically follows in the third week of July 2026).

Keep your originals and category certificates ready before the counselling date, since verification and fee payment happen in the same window. Confirm the exact reporting schedule on pau.edu, as the dates above are based on the announced second-week-of-July 2026 timeline.

Important Dates (2026)

This master timeline consolidates every key milestone of the Punjab Agricultural University 2026 admission cycle, centred on the PAU CET route, so you can see at a glance what is done and what is still pending. Each canonical event - from application start through document verification - is listed, with the status column flagging whether it has passed, is upcoming, or awaits an official date. Events whose exact date could not be verified are shown as "to be announced" rather than omitted. Use this as your checklist, but always cross-check live dates on pau.edu and the PAU-APMS portal.

The headline deadline now is Round 1 CET counselling, expected in the second week of July 2026, since the application and exam stages are complete and the General and SC merit lists are already live on pau.edu. Mark document verification and fee payment in the same July window, because they happen together. Any row showing "to be announced" means the date was not separately verifiable here, so confirm it on the official notification before relying on it.