KEA concludes KCET 2026 final seat allocation, leaving over 24,000 engineering and 22,000 nursing seats vacant. Allotted candidates face a strict, mandatory admission deadline of September 11 to secure their spots.
KCET 2026 Vacant Seats After Round 3
KCET 2026 Vacant Seats After Round 3: Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has completed the third and final round of seat allocation process for Undergraduate Common Entrance Test (UGCET) 2026 also known as the KCET exam. With the round 3 of the KCET counselling over, the exam body has released the remaining unallocated seats and have handed over to the college governing boards for management-level admissions. The final seat matrix reveals vacancies in technical and medical courses, particularly in engineering and nursing, while premier streams like veterinary science saw 100% enrollment.
Also read: KCET Counselling 2026 - Round 3 Seat Allotment (OUT)
- KCET 2026 Vacant Seats After Round 3 in Engineering & Nursing Streams
- KCET 2026 Vacant Seats After Round 3: Course-wise Breakdown
- Understanding the reason behind KCET 2026 Vacant Seats: Core Engineering Takes a Hit
- What should allotted students do?
KCET 2026 Vacant Seats After Round 3 in Engineering & Nursing Streams
Despite multiple rounds of counselling, there are still a lot of seats remaining vacant specially in core branches and that has been returned to college pools.
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Engineering & Architecture: Close to 24,283 seats across all disciplines of engineering remained unallocated at the end of Round 3. Additionally, 252 architecture seats are also left vacant.
-
B.Sc. Nursing: Outside engineering, nursing as well suffered decline in enrollment. Out of a total pool of 36,238 available seats, only 13,407 seats are successfully allocated, leaving 22,832 vacant seats.
Also read: Best Colleges in India Offering BTech Course in AI/ML
KCET 2026 Vacant Seats After Round 3: Course-wise Breakdown
While technical and nursing fields saw vast vacancies, allied courses in farm science, pharmacy, and allied health courses also returned mixed outcomes:
| Course Category |
Total Seats |
Allocated Seats |
Remaining Vacant Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veterinary Courses |
366 |
366 |
0 |
| B.Sc. AHSS (Allied Health) |
- |
- |
2,465 |
| Pharmacy Courses |
- |
- |
489 |
| Yoga & Naturopathy |
520 |
306 |
214 |
| Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT) |
- |
- |
22 |
| Agriculture & Related Courses |
- |
- |
20 |
Also read: Want to Join the Semiconductor Boom? Top B.Tech Courses to Get You There
Note: In veterinary sciences, candidate demand remained perfect, completely exhausting the 366-seat inventory.
Understanding the reason behind KCET 2026 Vacant Seats: Core Engineering Takes a Hit
According to the official KEA data released at - cetonline.karnataka.gov.in, the highest number of vacancies belongs to core engineering fields. Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering fields saw massive dump. However Computer Science (CSE) and Information Science (ISE) got wrapped up early in top-tier colleges leaving thousands of seats open in reputed and engineering colleges in core branches.
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What should allotted students do?
KEA has stated that admission is compulsory for all candidates who received an allocation in round 3. The next course of action for these students are as follows -
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Report to respective college and finalize admission on or before September 11, 2026.
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Candidates are legally required to complete the admission process without failing. Under KEA rules, seat cancellation requests will no longer be entertained, and failing to report can attract legal actions or financial penalties.
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Candidates should double-check their final status on the official KEA Portal to download their confirmation slips and proceed immediately to their campus.
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Any student who freezes or blocks a seat without fulfilling the admission obligation will be charged a seat-forfeiture penalty amounting to 5 times the prescribed tuition fee.
Students happy with their allocations must immediately confirm slips from KEA Portal and complete admission processes.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 days ago
Yes, RNSIT offers scholarship based on KCET scores to B.E/ BTech students. Check below eligibility to avail the scholarship:
| Eligibility | Scholarship Amount |
|---|---|
| CET RANK 3000 and lesser | Tuition Fees (waiver) |
G
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
Yes, many NIRF-ranked colleges in Karnataka also accept COMEDK UGET and JEE Main scores, giving non-KCET students a pathway in. Some colleges additionally offer management quota seats for direct admission, based on eligibility criteria.
T
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 3 weeks ago
No, with a rank of 50k, getting a seat for B.Pharm at JSS College of Pharmacy will be quite difficult.
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 weeks ago
Yes, you have a good chance to get a seat at Shimoga Institute of Medical Sciences in the second round with a KCET rank of 39,000 under OBC 2A Rural category.
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
KCET is the main entrance exam for state quota seats. If you have a good JEE Main score, you can also apply for a management or NRI quota seat, or apply through COMEDK, which is another popular option in Karnataka. Each college may accept a different mix, so check individually.
T
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
For the General AI category, the maximum PES ECE cutoff 2026 acceptable for admission in the first round was 1223. So, students with a rank lower than 1223 can easily gain admission to the above-mentioned course. To know the maximum rank required by other categories, see the table below.
| Category (All India) | PES ECE cutoff 2026 |
|---|---|
| General | 1223 |
| ST | 7369 |
| PWD | 224168 |
| Category (Home State) | PES ECE cutoff 2026 |
| General | 2193 |
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
KEA usually conducts multiple rounds of counselling, including Round 1, Round 2, and an Extended Round, depending on how many vacant seats are available.
R
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
Cutoff marks for KCET 2026 are calculated on the basis of number of applicants, availability of seats, performance of the candidates in the test, reservation and difficulty of the question paper.
R
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
Candidates who have passed or are due to pass class 12 (equivalent) in the specified subjects are eligible to apply for KCET 2026 as per the criteria of KEA.
R
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
A Rank less than 10,000 is generally a good rank for getting admission into many popular engineering colleges and departments. But this depends on the institute, the course and counselling round.
R
Contributor-Level 6
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