IIT Kanpur Opening and Closing Rank 2026: Round 1 CSE, Mathematics and Computing cutoffs

The Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) has announced the Round 1 opening and closing ranks for IIT Kanpur admissions 2026. Candidates who participated in JEE Advanced 2026 counselling can now check the latest cutoff ranks for various B.Tech programmes offered by the institute. The recently released cutoff data provides understanding into the ranks required for admission to highly competitive branches such as Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) and Mathematics and Computing (MnC), helping aspirants assess their selection chances in the upcoming counselling rounds.

Among the programmes offered at IIT Kanpur, Computer Science and Engineering continued to be the most popular branch, attracting some of the top-ranked candidates in JEE Advanced. This intense competition is reflected in its opening rank—the top rank secured by the very first student admitted to the program—and the closing rank, which is the last rank to secure a seat before the branch fills up. Mathematics and Computing also remained a preferred choice due to its strong focus on mathematical foundations, computing technologies, and emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and data science. It also has very competitive opening and closing ranks because demand for tech fields keeps growing. 

IIT Kanpur CSE Round 1 Cutoff 2026 

• IIT Kanpur CSE Round 1 JEE Advanced 2026 cutoff for Open category ranges from AIR 32 to 276.

• Reserved categories highlight even more competitive closing ranks, with EWS closing at 48, OBC-NCL at 155, SC at 86, and ST at 43, while PwD seats close in single digits across all categories.

IIT Kanpur Mathematics and Computing Round 1 Cutoff 2026 

• For IIT Kanpur Mathematics and Scientific Computing, Round 1 Open category cutoff in 2026 ranges AIR 246 to 1258.

• Category-wise, EWS closed at 205, OBC-NCL at 707, SC at 487, and ST at 319, while PwD cutoffs were more limited with OPEN at 138 and OBC-NCL at 72.

What Should Candidates Do Next?

Candidates who have been allocated a seat in Round 1 can choose among the Freeze, Float, or Slide options based on their preferences. A candidate will select Freeze to lock their currently allotted seat and opt out of further rounds, Float to accept the current seat while remaining open for a better branch at any institute in future rounds, or Slide to accept the seat but keep the door open for a better branch within the same institute. 

Historically, cutoff ranks tend to change in further rounds as seats become available due to withdrawals and change in preference. Therefore, aspirants are advised to keep track of latest counselling updates and cutoff trends.

With its strong academic reputation, research ecosystem, and impressive placement record, IIT Kanpur is expected to remain one of the most competitive IITs for admission in 2026, particularly for Computer Science and Engineering and Mathematics and Computing programmes.