JoSAA 2026 Round 1 Unexpected Shift: Civil Engineering Gains Popularity Among Top IIT Candidates
Once believed to have lost its popularity, the Civil Engineering course at IIT has shown an unexpected comeback this year. Top JEE Advanced ranks holders have chosen this core engineering subject this year as their choice of branch in JoSAA 2026 counselling. Know more details below.
JoSAA 2026 Round 1 Unexpected Shift: Civil Engineering Gains Popularity Among Top IIT Candidates
The top two IITs - IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay saw a surprising turn of events in JoSAA 2026 counselling round 1. Last year, admission to the IIT Bombay civil engineering course in the JoSAA round 1 started at 2666 for the gender-neutral and general categories. This year, the admission opened at 385 rank. Similarly, for IIT Delhi, last year the civil engineering opening rank in JoSAA round 1 was 3030, and this year it is 179.
Though Computer Science Engineering continues to remain the most sought-after choice, this renewed interest among top JEE Advanced rank holders towards Civil Engineering shows a surprising shift.
Apart from IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay, another IIT that saw this trend in civil engineering cutoff is IIT Bhubaneshwar. Last year, the opening rank of the IIT Bhubaneshwar CE course was 10063; this year, the same is 6859.
After JoSAA seat allotment, candidates must decide whether to Freeze, Float, or Slide their allotted seat. Understanding rank movement trends and upgrade possibilities can help you make an informed choice before the next round.
Reason for the Shift towards Civil Engineering
The transition to the Civil Engineering field can be credited to the influence of artificial intelligence (AI). Experts believe that some students are starting to look past software-related careers and are exploring fundamental engineering fields that could provide long-term stability.
JoSAA 2026 IIT Civil Engineering Opening and Closing Ranks Comparison from Last Year
Check the comparison below of JoSAA opening and closing ranks for the IIT Civil Engineering branch from last year (gender neutral and general category):
|
IIT
|
2026 OR - CR | 2025 OR - CR | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening Rank | Closing Rank | Opening Rank | Closing Rank | |
| Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar | 6859 | 14763 | 10063 | 13957 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Bombay | 385 | 4376 | 2666 | 4095 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Mandi | 11113 | 13219 | 10191 | 12346 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Delhi | 179 | 4798 | 3030 | 4228 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Indore | 8700 | 10389 | 8139 | 9821 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur | 4578 | 7874 | 5615 | 7079 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad | 6121 | 8381 | 5850 | 7945 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur | 4890 | 6585 | 4280 | 5790 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | 4450 | 5970 | 4234 | 5629 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar | 9153 | 11023 | 8115 | 9864 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Patna | 11875 | 14194 | 11475 | 13158 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee | 2793 | 7155 | 5247 | 6361 |
| Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad | 10121 | 13238 | 10481 | 12350 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Ropar | 10802 | 12525 | 9142 | 10645 |
| Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi | 8090 | 10722 | 7201 | 9145 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati | 6630 | 8836 | 6867 | 7921 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad | 15433 | 15739 | 12953 | 14852 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati | 12608 | 15388 | 8956 | 14599 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Jammu | 15027 | 15466 | 10641 | 15217 |
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