Siksha O Anusandhan University

Latest Admission Updates (2026)

As of June 2026, admission to Siksha O Anusandhan University (SOA), Bhubaneswar runs almost entirely through its own national entrance test, SAAT (Siksha O Anusandhan Admission Test), alongside NEET for medical and dental seats and JEE Main for engineering. Here are the most recent, dated updates an applicant needs right now:

• SAAT 2026 Mop-up Round application is OPEN now: the window runs 10 June 2026 to 4 July 2026 - this is the last realistic chance to apply for SAAT-based UG and PG programmes this cycle.
• SAAT 2026 Round 2 entrance exam: scheduled 18 June 2026 to 25 June 2026 (computer-based, online).
• SAAT 2026 Round 2 application closed on 9 June 2026; Round 1 closed on 30 April 2026 with exams held 8-15 May 2026.
• NEET UG 2026 re-exam (for MBBS and BDS at SOA's IMS and SUM Hospital and its dental college) is on 21 June 2026, with the NTA admit card released by 14 June 2026.
• JEE Main 2026 Session 2 was held 2-8 April 2026; SOA accepts JEE Main scores for B.Tech alongside SAAT.
• SAAT application fee: ₹0 - SAAT remains free to apply for all candidates in 2026.

The single most pressing deadline is the SAAT Mop-up application closing on 4 July 2026. If you have not yet registered for SAAT, apply through admission.soa.ac.in before that date; medical and dental aspirants must instead track the NEET UG counselling cycle that follows the 21 June 2026 re-exam.

Siksha O Anusandhan University Admission 2026: Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility at Siksha O Anusandhan University is programme-specific, and the table below maps each major course to its minimum qualification, the marks you must score, and the entrance exam SOA accepts for it in 2026. This answers the most common applicant question - "Am I eligible for the course I want at SOA?" - in one place. It matters because SOA enforces a hard 50% aggregate floor on most science and professional programmes (45% for BBA), and medical and dental seats are gated entirely by NEET. Read each row left to right: the programme, what you must have passed, the qualifying percentage, and which test feeds that seat.

The clear takeaway for 2026: if you are an engineering, pharmacy, nursing, law, management or science aspirant, SAAT is your primary gateway and you should apply before the 4 July 2026 Mop-up deadline. Medical (MBBS) and dental (BDS) candidates cannot use SAAT at all and must clear NEET UG 2026. Note the higher 55% bar for M.Sc Nursing and PhD, and remember that the one-year work-experience condition for M.Sc Nursing is non-negotiable. Always confirm your exact percentage falls above the floor before paying any counselling fee.

Course-Wise Admission Status

This section shows the live admission status of SOA's flagship programmes as of June 2026, along with indicative seat scale, the admission mode, and the accepted exam. Applicants repeatedly ask "Is admission still open for my course?" - the table answers that directly. It matters because SAAT-based UG seats are still fillable through the open Mop-up round, while NEET-driven MBBS and BDS seats now depend on the post-re-exam national counselling timeline. Read "Application Status" as the action you can still take today, and "Mode" as the route to the seat.

To act on this: SAAT-based applicants (B.Tech, nursing, pharmacy, law, management, M.Tech) should complete the Mop-up application before 4 July 2026 and appear for the 11-15 July 2026 Mop-up exam window if they missed earlier rounds. MBBS and BDS aspirants should hold tight for the NEET UG 2026 counselling schedule that follows the 21 June 2026 re-exam, as SOA fills those seats strictly on NEET merit. Seat counts are indicative; always verify the current sanctioned intake on the official SOA information bulletin before locking a choice.

Application Fees

A crucial distinction for SOA applicants: the SAAT application fee (paid to the university) is free, whereas NEET and JEE Main fees are paid to the National Testing Agency (NTA), not to SOA, and these vary by category. The table below lists the application/exam fee for each category on its own row so you can see exactly what you owe. This matters because OBC-NCL, SC, ST and PwD candidates pay materially less for the national tests, and confusing the exam fee with SOA's tuition fee is a common, costly mistake. The institute's tuition/programme fees are shown separately in a later section, not here.

The practical takeaway: applying to SOA via SAAT costs nothing in 2026, so there is no fee barrier to registering before 4 July 2026. The fees above for NEET and JEE Main go to the NTA and are non-refundable, with GST and gateway charges added on top. Reserved-category candidates should claim their correct category at registration to pay the lower fee and to be eligible for category cutoffs later. Do not confuse any of these small exam fees with SOA's tuition fees (for example ₹98,78,000 total for MBBS), which are covered in the next sections.

Entrance Exam Requirements

Siksha O Anusandhan University accepts three core exams in 2026 - SAAT for most programmes, NEET for medical and dental, and JEE Main for engineering - plus CAT/MAT for MBA and CLAT for law. The table below pairs each exam with the programme it unlocks at SOA, its 2026 exam date, and the score or rank band that is realistically competitive for SOA admission. This answers "Which exam do I need and what score gets me in?" in one view. Read the "Typical Qualifying Score" column as an indicative target based on recent SOA closing ranks, not a guaranteed cutoff.

Key action points: B.Tech aspirants who already hold a JEE Main 2026 scorecard can use it directly at SOA, but those without one still have the SAAT Mop-up route open until 4 July 2026. Medical and dental candidates have a single, hard gate - the 21 June 2026 NEET re-exam - and no SAAT alternative exists for those seats. For MBBS, the NEET rank bar at SOA is much steeper than for BDS, so plan your choices accordingly. Always carry a valid, current-year scorecard to SOA counselling; expired or previous-year scores are not accepted.

Cutoff Analysis (2024-2026)

This section presents Siksha O Anusandhan University's verified closing ranks by exam and category across recent admission cycles, so you can gauge how hard each seat is to win. Applicants ask "What rank do I need for MBBS, BDS or B.Tech at SOA?" - the figures below answer that with real numbers rather than estimates. It matters because SOA's NEET MBBS closing rank has moved sharply across years, which changes how safe your rank is. Read each row as the General-category closing rank for that programme in the stated year; a larger number means the last admitted candidate had a lower rank (easier entry).

The clear trend at SOA is that the NEET MBBS General closing rank has loosened over time, moving from the 64055-300628 band in 2023 out to 323611 in 2025 - meaning candidates with progressively lower ranks have been admitted, likely reflecting expanded seats and management/round-wise variation. BDS remains far more accessible, closing around rank 88010 (General) in 2025, so a NEET rank that misses MBBS may still secure a BDS seat at SOA. For B.Tech, a JEE Main rank within roughly 21912 (2025) is competitive for sought-after branches, while ranks up to about 55058 still cleared less-demanded branches. Treat these as guideposts: cutoffs shift each round, so apply even if your rank is near the edge of these bands.

Counselling Process

Admission to Siksha O Anusandhan University follows a structured, online counselling flow once you have your exam rank or score. The SAAT counselling steps for 2026 are:

1. Register and apply for SAAT on admission.soa.ac.in (Mop-up window open till 4 July 2026) and appear for the SAAT exam (Round 2: 18-25 June 2026; Mop-up: 11-15 July 2026).
2. Download the SAAT rank card after the result is declared (date to be announced by SOA).
3. Online counselling registration using your SAAT rank credentials when the e-counselling window opens (to be announced).
4. Choice filling and locking - select preferred programmes and branches in order of preference.
5. Seat allotment based on SAAT rank, choices and seat availability (to be announced).
6. Document verification - upload/verify 10th and 12th marksheets, rank card, ID proof, category certificate and photographs.
7. Admission fee payment to confirm and freeze the allotted seat.

For MBBS and BDS, the route differs: SOA admits these candidates through the NEET UG 2026 counselling cycle (following the 21 June 2026 re-exam) as per the merit list and seat matrix, after which the same document verification and fee payment steps apply. Always complete each step within its deadline, as missing a payment or verification slot can forfeit your allotted seat.

Important Dates (2026)

This master schedule consolidates every canonical admission event for Siksha O Anusandhan University in 2026, covering SAAT, NEET and JEE Main, with the current status of each. Applicants want one reliable timeline answering "When does each step happen?" - this table delivers exactly that. It matters because several SOA-side events (answer key, result, counselling, seat allotment, document verification) are not yet officially dated and are marked accordingly, so you know what is fixed versus pending. Read "Status" as whether the event is done, open now, upcoming, or awaiting an official date.

The most urgent dates to circle are the SAAT Mop-up application close on 4 July 2026 and the NEET UG 2026 re-exam on 21 June 2026. Many SOA-specific post-exam events - answer key, result, counselling, seat allotment and document verification - are officially listed as "will be intimated later," so check admission.soa.ac.in frequently rather than relying on last year's calendar. SAAT admit cards are typically published only a few days before each exam round, so monitor your dashboard closely once you have applied. For medical and dental seats, follow the NTA and national counselling announcements after the 21 June 2026 re-exam.