University-Wise Expected Scores, Previous Year Trends, Category Comparison & Admission Strategy
Among all the variables that shape undergraduate admission outcomes in India, the CUET cutoff for General category 2026 is the one that carries the highest stakes. General category candidates receive no score relaxation — they compete at the baseline threshold that every other category is measured against. With over thirteen lakh students registered for CUET UG 2026 and high-demand programs at universities like Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University, and JNU attracting far more applicants than available seats, understanding where the General category cutoff is likely to land is not optional — it is foundational.
The official CUET General category cutoff 2026 will not be released by NTA. Each participating university publishes its own course-wise, category-wise cutoff independently on its official admission portal, after CUET UG 2026 results are declared — expected in the first week of July 2026. This guide compiles expected cutoffs for General category candidates across DU, BHU, JNU, and other central universities, grounded in actual 2025 allotment data and four years of CUET trend analysis.
CUET Cutoff for General Category 2026: Key Highlights
CUET Cutoff for General Category 2026: Key Highlights
| Feature | Details |
| Exam | CUET UG 2026 — Common University Entrance Test |
| Conducted By | National Testing Agency (NTA) |
| Official Portal | cuet.nta.nic.in |
| Exam Dates | May 11–31, 2026 |
| Result Expected | First week of July 2026 |
| Cutoff Released By | Individual participating universities — not NTA |
| Cutoff Format | Raw marks — normalization discontinued from 2024 |
| Max Marks Per Subject | 250 (50 questions × 5 marks) |
| Score Basis (DU) | Best of 4 subjects = 1000 marks maximum |
| General Category Position | Highest cutoff tier — no relaxation applied |
| Key 2026 Change | All 50 domain questions compulsory — no optional skipping |
| Top General Category Cutoff (DU) | 900–965 out of 1000 (top colleges, high-demand programs) |
| BHU Cutoff Range (General) | 575–660 out of 750 (3-subject combination) |
| JNU Cutoff Range (General) | 150–200+ out of 250 (domain subject score) |
What Is the CUET Cutoff for General Category?
The CUET General Category Cutoff is the lowest CUET UG raw score at which a candidate from the unreserved bracket secures a seat in a specific program at a specific university during a given round of allotment. It is the admission ecosystem’s highest baseline — every other category cutoff is derived from this figure through proportional relaxation. General category candidates bring no bonus marks, no deprivation points, and no reservation buffer. Their CUET score alone determines their position in the merit list.
Three operational facts define how this cutoff functions in 2026:
Decentralised Cutoff System: NTA does not publish a centralised General category cutoff. The figure for B.Com (Hons.) at SRCC is entirely independent of the figure for the same program at a state university. Every institution sets its own course-wise, round-wise cutoff through its own admission counselling process.
Raw Scores, Zero Normalization: From the 2024 admission cycle onwards, all major CUET-participating universities compute merit lists using raw CUET marks without any cross-shift normalization. The score printed on your NTA scorecard is precisely the number that determines your position in the General category merit list.
2026’s Structural Shift: All 50 domain questions are compulsory this year — candidates can no longer skip harder questions. This change compresses the high-score cluster, which may affect General category cutoff levels particularly in demanding science and mathematics papers.
CUET General Category Cutoff 2026 — Delhi University (DU)
Delhi University attracts the largest share of CUET applicants among all participating universities and consistently records the most competitive General category cutoffs. The cutoff percentile for the general category at DU is between 98 and 100, reflecting how narrowly the top seats at premier colleges are distributed. The table below presents expected cutoffs based on actual 2025 CSAS allotment data:
Commerce Stream — DU General Category Expected Cutoff 2026
| College | Program | General (Expected) | EWS (Expected) |
| SRCC | B.Com (Hons.) | 915–930 | 910–924 |
| Hindu College | B.Com (Hons.) | 910–925 | 905–919 |
| Hansraj College | B.Com (Hons.) | 900–918 | 895–913 |
| Kirori Mal College | B.Com (Hons.) | 882–900 | 877–895 |
| Ramjas College | B.Com (Hons.) | 875–895 | 870–889 |
| Lady Shri Ram (LSR) | B.A. (Hons.) Economics | 898–915 | 893–909 |
| SRCC | B.A. (Hons.) Economics | 910–928 | 905–922 |
| Hindu College | B.A. (Hons.) Economics | 905–922 | 900–916 |
Arts & Humanities — DU General Category Expected Cutoff 2026
| College | Program | General (Expected) | EWS (Expected) |
| Hindu College | B.A. (Hons.) Political Science | 948–965 | 942–959 |
| Miranda House | B.A. (Hons.) Political Science | 923–942 | 917–936 |
| St. Stephen’s College | B.A. (Hons.) English | 924–938 | 918–932 |
| Lady Shri Ram (LSR) | B.A. (Hons.) Psychology | 924–940 | 918–934 |
| Hindu College | B.A. (Hons.) History | 932–950 | 926–944 |
| Miranda House | B.A. (Hons.) English | 910–928 | 904–922 |
| Hansraj College | B.A. (Hons.) Political Science | 890–908 | 884–902 |
| Ramjas College | B.A. Programme (Hons.) | 895–915 | 889–909 |
Science Stream — DU General Category Expected Cutoff 2026
| College | Program | General (Expected) | EWS (Expected) |
| Hindu College | B.Sc. (Hons.) Physics | 920–960 | 914–954 |
| Hindu College | B.Sc. (Hons.) Mathematics | 925–965 | 919–959 |
| Hansraj College | B.Sc. (Hons.) Computer Science | 915–955 | 909–949 |
| Miranda House | B.Sc. (Hons.) Biotechnology | 940–975 | 934–969 |
| Miranda House | B.Sc. (Hons.) Chemistry | 900–935 | 894–929 |
| Hansraj College | B.Sc. (Hons.) Biochemistry | 895–930 | 889–924 |
| Gargi College | B.Sc. (Hons.) Microbiology | 875–910 | 869–904 |
| DCAC | B.Sc. (Hons.) Life Science | 870–895 | 864–889 |
Scores above are out of 1000 (best of 4 CUET subjects × 250 marks each). These ranges are indicative, drawn from official 2025 DU CSAS allotment data. The official 2026 cutoffs will be published on ugadmission.uod.ac.in after CUET UG 2026 results are declared in July 2026.
CUET General Category Cutoff 2026 — Banaras Hindu University (BHU)
BHU offers a genuinely strong academic alternative for General category candidates scoring in the 575–660 range out of 750. Unlike DU’s CSAS-based allotment, BHU releases its own round-wise cutoff list directly on bhuonline.in. The expected cutoffs below are out of 750 (3-subject combination):
| Program | General (Expected) | OBC-NCL | SC | ST | EWS |
| B.Com (Hons.) | 590–630 | 540–580 | 440–480 | 360–400 | 585–624 |
| B.A. (Hons.) Economics | 580–620 | 530–570 | 430–470 | 350–390 | 575–614 |
| B.Sc. (Hons.) Physics | 600–640 | 555–595 | 455–495 | 375–415 | 595–634 |
| B.Sc. (Hons.) Mathematics | 610–650 | 565–605 | 465–505 | 385–425 | 605–644 |
| B.Sc. (Hons.) Biotechnology | 620–660 | 575–615 | 475–515 | 395–435 | 615–654 |
| B.Sc. (Hons.) Computer Science | 618–658 | 573–613 | 473–513 | 393–433 | 613–652 |
| B.Sc. Agriculture | 610–650 | 565–605 | 465–505 | 385–425 | 605–644 |
| B.A. (Hons.) Political Science | 540–580 | 490–530 | 390–430 | 310–350 | 535–574 |
| B.A. (Hons.) History | 520–560 | 470–510 | 370–410 | 290–330 | 515–554 |
BHU conducts multiple counselling rounds — cutoffs drop by 20–40 marks in successive rounds. General category candidates who narrowly miss Round 1 at BHU have strong chances in Rounds 2 and 3.
CUET General Category Cutoff 2026 — JNU
JNU combines CUET raw scores with its Deprivation Points system to produce a Merged Score. General category candidates with zero deprivation points compete purely on raw marks. JNU’s UG programs — primarily B.A. (Hons.) Foreign Languages and B.Sc. Ayurveda Biology — attract among the highest competition per available seat of any CUET-based program in India. The expected JNU General category cutoffs for 2026 are out of 250 (single domain subject):
| JNU Program | General (Merged Score) | OBC-NCL | SC | ST |
| B.A. (Hons.) Chinese | 180–200+ | 160–180 | 130–160 | 110–140 |
| B.A. (Hons.) Korean | 175–200+ | 155–175 | 125–155 | 105–135 |
| B.A. (Hons.) Japanese | 165–188 | 145–165 | 115–145 | 95–125 |
| B.A. (Hons.) Spanish | 165–190 | 145–165 | 115–145 | 95–125 |
| B.A. (Hons.) French | 160–185 | 140–160 | 110–140 | 90–120 |
| B.A. (Hons.) German | 155–180 | 135–155 | 105–135 | 85–115 |
| B.A. (Hons.) Arabic | 150–175 | 130–150 | 100–130 | 80–110 |
| B.Sc. Ayurveda Biology | 160–185 | 140–165 | 110–140 | 90–120 |
JNU Deprivation Points Reminder: General category candidates with no deprivation points need raw CUET scores at the upper end of these ranges. A woman candidate from a government rural school in the ST category can add up to 12 deprivation points, significantly closing the gap with higher-scoring General category peers.
CUET General Category Cutoff 2026 — Other Central & State Universities
| University | Program | General (Expected) | Score Basis |
| University of Allahabad | B.A. / B.Sc. Sciences | 500–580 | Out of 750 |
| Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) | B.A. / B.Sc. Applied Sciences | 520–600 | Out of 750 |
| Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) | B.A. / B.Com / B.Sc. | 480–560 | Out of 750 |
| Central University of Rajasthan | Integrated B.Sc. + M.Sc. | 380–450 | Out of 750 |
| Central University of Haryana | B.A. / B.Sc. Programs | 420–500 | Out of 750 |
| Panjab University (CUET Route) | B.A. / B.Com / BCA | 550–700 | Out of 750 |
| Dr. Harisingh Gour University | B.A. / B.Com / B.Sc. | 330–420 | Out of 750 |
| Mahatma Gandhi Central University | B.A. / B.Sc. Programs | 380–450 | Out of 750 |
General Category vs. Other Categories: How the Cutoff Differs
General category candidates occupy the most competitive position in the CUET admission hierarchy. Understanding the gap between General category cutoffs and those of other categories is essential for realistic planning. The table below shows the typical differential at DU — the most competitive CUET destination:
| Category | Differential vs. General | What It Means Practically |
| General (Unreserved) | Baseline — no relaxation | Must meet the full cutoff with raw CUET marks alone |
| EWS (Economically Weaker Section) | Same or 5–10 marks lower | Near-identical competition; 10% reservation seats |
| OBC-NCL (Non-Creamy Layer) | 30–60 marks below General | Meaningful buffer; still highly competitive at top colleges |
| SC (Scheduled Caste) | 150–200 marks below General | Substantial relief; top-college programs become accessible |
| ST (Scheduled Tribe) | 200–250 marks below General | Largest gap; most accessible category across all programs |
| PwBD | Significant; varies by program | Horizontal reservation; refer to specific university norms |
EWS candidates are economically weaker General category members — they receive 10% reservation but must target scores within 5–10 marks of the General cutoff. EWS is not a substantially relaxed category at the most competitive DU colleges.
CUET General Category Cutoff: Trend Analysis 2022–2025
Four years of CUET data reveal a consistent pattern — General category cutoffs at top universities have moved upward each cycle, driven by growing applicant volumes rather than any change in program quality. Here is what the numbers show:
DU B.Com (Hons.) — General Category Cutoff Year-on-Year
| Year | SRCC | Hindu College | Hansraj | Ramjas |
| 2022–23 (First CUET cycle) | ~99.5 pct equiv. | ~99.2 pct equiv. | ~98.8 pct equiv. | ~98.5 pct equiv. |
| 2023–24 | 915.21 | 909.73 | 901.55 | 903.15 |
| 2024–25 | 916.87 | 911.42 | 901.71 | 905.20 |
| 2025–26 (Actual) | 917.43 | 912.21 | 901.71 | 906.37 |
| 2026–27 (Expected) | 915–930 | 910–925 | 900–918 | 875–895 |
BHU B.Com (Hons.) — General Category Cutoff Year-on-Year
| Year | B.Com (Hons.) — General | B.Sc. Physics — General | B.A. Economics — General |
| 2022–23 | 545 | 550 | 530 |
| 2023–24 | 565–575 | 570–580 | 545–558 |
| 2024–25 | 585–595 | 585–600 | 562–575 |
| 2025–26 | 595–610 | 600–630 | 575–595 |
| 2026–27 (Expected) | 590–630 | 600–640 | 580–620 |
Trend Insight: DU General category cutoffs have risen 1.5–3 marks per year since 2022. BHU General category cutoffs have climbed 50–65 marks across the same period. Both trajectories reflect increasing applicant pools — not changes in program difficulty or quality.
Factors That Will Determine the CUET General Category Cutoff 2026
1. Applicant Volume: Over 13 lakh candidates have registered for CUET UG 2026, among the highest since the exam’s inception. A denser field at the top of the score distribution directly pushes General category cutoffs upward, especially at programs with fewer available seats.
2. Difficulty of Domain Papers in 2026: Science domain papers — Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology — are structurally harder to score near-perfectly in than Humanities papers. If 2026 domain papers are particularly demanding, raw score clustering at the top becomes less dense, which can moderate General category cutoffs marginally from 2025 levels.
3. All-50-Questions Compulsory Rule: The elimination of optional question selection means General category candidates must engage with the full difficulty range of each paper — including the harder questions they previously skipped. This may spread scores more widely and affect where the General category merit line closes.
4. No Score Normalization: Raw marks are used directly. There is no cross-shift adjustment, no percentile smoothing at the university level. What you score is precisely what counts in the General category merit list — every single mark matters.
5. Seat Matrix and Program Popularity: Programs with structurally limited General category seats close at the highest cutoffs regardless of exam difficulty. B.A. (Hons.) Political Science at Hindu College, B.Sc. (Hons.) Biotechnology at Miranda House, and B.Com (Hons.) at SRCC all have demand-to-seat ratios that keep General category cutoffs consistently near the top of the score distribution.
Target Score Guide: What CUET Score Does a General Category Candidate Need?
| Target Institution Tier | Program Type | Required Score — General Category |
| DU Premium (SRCC, Hindu, Miranda, LSR) | B.Com / BA High-Demand Hons. | 900–965 out of 1000 |
| DU Premium | B.Sc. (Biotech, Maths, CS, Physics) | 900–975 out of 1000 |
| DU Mid-Tier (Hansraj, Ramjas, KMC) | B.Com / BA Hons. | 850–900 out of 1000 |
| DU Mid-Tier | B.Sc. Sciences | 830–890 out of 1000 |
| DU Lower-Tier / Evening Colleges | Any UG Program | 650–800 out of 1000 |
| BHU — Top Programs | B.Com / B.Sc. Biotech / CS | 610–660 out of 750 |
| BHU — Core Sciences | B.Sc. Physics / Chemistry / Biology | 575–640 out of 750 |
| JNU — Foreign Languages | B.A. (Hons.) Languages | 160–200+ out of 250 |
| Allahabad / JMI / AMU | B.A. / B.Com / B.Sc. | 480–600 out of 750 |
| Central Universities (State-tier) | BA / BCom / BSc | 330–500 out of 750 |
How to Check the CUET General Category Cutoff 2026 After Results
Once CUET UG 2026 results are declared in the first week of July 2026, follow these steps to access the General category cutoff at your target university:
For Delhi University (DU) — CSAS Portal
- Visit the portal: Go to ugadmission.uod.ac.in
- Log in: Enter your CUET UG 2026 Application Number and registered password
- Navigate to Seat Allocation: Select the round (Round 1, 2, 3) to view allotment status
- Download Cutoff PDF: DU publishes a consolidated cutoff PDF for all programs including General category scores
- Compare your score: Check your raw CUET score against the General category cutoff for your target program and college
For BHU
- Visit the BHU admission portal: Go to bhuonline.in
- Navigate to UG Admissions 2026: Select the course-wise cutoff section
- Check category-wise cutoffs: BHU publishes separate General, OBC, SC, ST, and EWS cutoffs for each program and counselling round
For JNU
- Visit jnuee.jnu.ac.in: The JNU CUET UG admission portal
- Navigate to CUET UG Admissions 2026: Access the program-wise Merged Score cutoff and merit list
- Check Deprivation Points impact: Verify your Merged Score (raw CUET + approved deprivation points) against the published cutoff
Admission Strategy for CUET General Category Candidates 2026
Target 900+ for DU’s Most Competitive Programs: Based on 2025 actual CSAS allotment data, General category candidates need 900+ out of 1000 to be competitive in Round 1 at SRCC, Hindu College, Miranda House, and LSR for high-demand programs. Below 900, mid-tier DU colleges and BHU are the more realistic primary targets.
Fill a Three-Tier CSAS Preference List: The DU CSAS portal allows unlimited preferences. Build your list across three levels — aspirational (top-college programs where your score is near but possibly below expected cutoff), realistic (mid-tier programs where your score comfortably meets the cutoff), and safe (evening colleges and lower-demand programs where your score significantly exceeds the cutoff). Restricting preferences to only aspirational choices is the most preventable CSAS mistake General category candidates make.
Apply to Multiple Universities With One Scorecard: Your CUET UG 2026 scorecard is valid for all participating universities simultaneously. Apply to DU through CSAS, to BHU through bhuonline.in, and to JNU through jnuee.jnu.ac.in using the same score. These are independent processes — one score, multiple admission opportunities.
Stay in the Process Through All Rounds: DU’s CSAS runs 3–5 allotment rounds. General category candidates who miss their preferred program by 5–15 marks in Round 1 often secure that exact seat in Round 2 or Round 3 as higher-ranked candidates upgrade to better allotments. Withdrawing after Round 1 is one of the most consequential and avoidable errors in CUET admission.
Confirm Subject Mapping Before the Exam: DU requires CUET subject selection to align with Class 12 study background. General category candidates who appear in wrong CUET subjects for their target DU program are disqualified at document verification — even with a 950-mark score. Verify subject eligibility from the official DU CSAS Information Bulletin at ugadmission.uod.ac.in before May 11.
Important Dates — CUET General Category Cutoff 2026
| Event | Expected Date |
| CUET UG 2026 Exam Window | May 11–31, 2026 |
| CUET UG 2026 Result | First week of July 2026 |
| DU CSAS Registration Opens | July 2026 |
| DU Simulated Rank List (General Category) | July 2026 |
| DU Round 1 General Category Cutoff | Last week of July 2026 |
| DU Round 2 Cutoff | July–August 2026 |
| BHU UG Counselling / Cutoff (Round 1) | July–August 2026 |
| JNU CUET UG Admissions Portal Opens | July 2026 |
| DU Spot Admission (if seats remain) | August 2026 |
| DU UG Academic Session Begins | August 2026 |
Final Word
The CUET Cutoff for General Category 2026 represents the highest admission benchmark in India’s undergraduate entrance landscape. For candidates who receive no score buffer, no additional points, and no reservation safety net, the only variable within their control is how well they perform across every one of the now-compulsory 50 domain questions between May 11 and 31, 2026.
Use this guide as your planning compass — 900+ for DU’s elite tier, 600+ for BHU, 170+ for JNU. Build a multi-university, multi-round preference strategy. Verify your CUET subject mapping now. And stay engaged through every allotment round — because the General category cutoff at your target college may drop just enough in Round 2 or Round 3 to hand you the seat you came for.
Stay connected with cuet-nta.com for the latest CUET General Category Cutoff 2026 updates — official DU Round 1 cutoff lists, BHU counselling schedules, JNU merit list releases, and all key admission deadline alerts.
Frequently Asked Questions
No single centralized cutoff will be released by NTA. Individual universities publish their own General category cutoffs after CUET UG 2026 results are declared — expected in the first week of July 2026. DU's cutoffs will appear on ugadmission.uod.ac.in through its CSAS allotment rounds. BHU will publish on bhuonline.in. JNU will release Merged Score cutoffs on jnuee.jnu.ac.in.
For top DU programs (SRCC, Hindu, Miranda, LSR), General category candidates need 900+ out of 1000 (best of 4 subjects). For BHU top programs, 600+ out of 750 is the target range. For JNU foreign language programs, 170+ out of 250 in the domain subject is competitive. For mid-tier central universities, 480–600 out of 750 typically suffices.
At DU, EWS cutoffs typically track within 5–10 marks of the General cutoff — making them almost as competitive. EWS candidates receive 10% reservation but should plan their CUET target score with the General category benchmark as their primary reference, with only a minor buffer.
No. DU discontinued CUET score normalization from the 2024 admission cycle. Raw marks from the NTA scorecard are used directly in the CSAS merit list. The score you earn is the score that counts
Yes — but at mid-tier and lower-tier DU colleges, not at premium institutions like SRCC, Hindu College, or Miranda House. An 800-mark score is competitive for programs at colleges like Deshbandhu, Motilal Nehru, Rajdhani, and Aryabhatta. Evening colleges have even lower thresholds, ranging from 650–750 for most programs.
General category candidates with no deprivation points compete entirely on their raw CUET domain score. Candidates from reserved categories who accumulate deprivation points (up to 12) may achieve a Merged Score higher than a General category candidate with a greater raw score. This means the effective competition at JNU extends beyond raw score ranking for General category aspirants
DU typically releases 3–5 CSAS allotment rounds. General category cutoffs typically drop 5–15 marks per subsequent round as vacated seats are reallocated. A final Spot Admission round may also be held for remaining vacancies — General category candidates not admitted through regular rounds can participate.
Based on 2025 trends, the minimum score for any program at BHU for General category candidates is around 300 marks — however, this reflects only the most basic or least-competitive courses. For mainstream programs (B.Com, B.Sc. Sciences, BA Economics), General category candidates must target 575–660 out of 750 depending on program competitiveness
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