Choosing the correct preference order during NIMCET counselling is one of the most important decisions for every MCA aspirant. Many students lose the opportunity to get a better institute simply because they fill their choices in the wrong order.
This guide explains the correct NIMCET choice filling strategy, recommended NIT preference order, counselling process, seat matrix, and semester-wise fees.
Who Should Follow This Preference Order?
This preference order is suitable for:
General, OBC and EWS candidates with AIR up to approximately 1300
SC candidates with AIR up to 4000
ST candidates with AIR up to 7000
PwD candidates with AIR up to 6000
The exact institute allotted depends on category, rank, seat availability, and counselling rounds.
Most Important Rule of NIMCET Choice Filling
Always arrange colleges from your highest priority to your lowest priority.
Never arrange colleges according to the one you think you will definitely get.
The counselling software always checks your choices from top to bottom and allots the highest preferred institute available according to your rank.
Example to Understand Choice Filling
Suppose an OBC candidate has AIR 570.
The candidate has chances of getting:
NIT Delhi
NIT Jamshedpur
MANIT Bhopal
NIT Kurukshetra
NIT Patna
Many students make this mistake:
NIT Patna
NIT Jamshedpur
NIT Delhi
Since NIT Patna appears first and is available at that rank, the student will immediately get NIT Patna. The system will never check NIT Jamshedpur or NIT Delhi because a higher preference has already been allotted.
Instead, the correct preference should be:
NIT Delhi
NIT Jamshedpur
NIT Patna
Now the counselling system first checks NIT Delhi. If unavailable, it checks NIT Jamshedpur. If that is also unavailable, then it finally checks NIT Patna.
This gives the student the best possible opportunity.
How NIMCET Counselling Works
NIMCET counselling generally consists of:
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Special Spot Round
After seat allotment, students usually get two options:
Freeze
Choose Freeze if you are satisfied with your allotted institute and do not want any further upgrades.
Upgrade
Choose Upgrade if you wish to be considered for a higher preferred institute in the next counselling round.
Important: Upgradation always happens upward according to your preference list. You can only move to a college placed above your currently allotted institute.
Therefore, your preference order must always be arranged from your dream institute to your least preferred institute.
Recommended NIMCET Choice Preference Order
The following order is recommended for most candidates. However, preferences may vary depending on personal priorities such as location, placements, fees, or branch.
Preference | Institute |
1 | NIT Tiruchirappalli |
2 | MNNIT Allahabad* |
3 | NIT Warangal* |
4 | NIT Kurukshetra |
5 | MANIT Bhopal |
6 | NIT Delhi |
7 | NIT Kurukshetra (Self-Financing) |
8 | NIT Jamshedpur |
9 | NIT Patna |
10 | NIT Delhi (Self-Financing) |
11 | NIT Raipur |
12 | NIT Patna (Self-Financing) |
13 | NIT Agartala |
14 | NIT Meghalaya |
15 | IIIT Bhopal |
16 | IIIT Vadodara |
Note: MNNIT Allahabad and NIT Warangal may interchange depending on a student's priorities.
Note: Yes, your previously allotted seat is 100% safe. If you opt for upgradation and are not allotted a better seat in the next round, your initial NIT seat will be retained.
Self-Financing Programmes
Students should carefully check the fees before selecting Self-Financing programmes.
Approximate semester fee:
₹1,00,000 to ₹1,25,000 per semester
Institutes include:
NIT Delhi (SF)
NIT Kurukshetra (SF)
NIT Patna (SF)
IIIT Bhopal
IIIT Vadodara
Choose these options only if the fee structure is affordable.
Other Good MCA Options Through NIMCET
Apart from NITs, students may also consider:
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU Main Campus)
HBTU Kanpur
University of Hyderabad (UoH)
Many students prefer the University of Hyderabad because of its comparatively lower fee structure. Some even place it above NIT Raipur depending on their financial situation.
NIMCET 2026 Seat Matrix
Detailed Seat Matrix
Institute | OC | OBC | SC | ST | EWS | PwD-OC | PwD-OBC | PwD-SC | PwD-ST | PwD-EWS | Total Seats |
NIT Agartala | 24 | 16 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 60 |
MNNIT Allahabad | 45 | 29 | 16 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 116 |
MANIT Bhopal | 44 | 30 | 16 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 115 |
NIT Delhi | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
NIT Delhi (Self-Financing) | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
NIT Jamshedpur | 45 | 30 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 115 |
NIT Kurukshetra | 25 | 16 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 64 |
NIT Kurukshetra (Self-Financing) | 17 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 42 |
NIT Raipur | 43 | 27 | 15 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 110 |
NIT Meghalaya | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 |
NIT Tiruchirappalli | 45 | 29 | 16 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 115 |
NIT Warangal | 22 | 15 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 58 |
NIT Patna (DS&I) | 15 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
NIT Patna (DS&I) Self | 15 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
NIT Patna (AI & IoT) | 15 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
NIT Patna (AI & IoT) Self | 15 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
IIIT Bhopal | 34 | 23 | 13 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 90 |
IIIT Vadodara (Gandhinagar) | 46 | 31 | 17 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 120 |
IIIT Vadodara (Diu) | 34 | 23 | 13 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 90 |
Overall Seat Summary
Category | Seats |
Open Category (OC) | 501 |
OBC-NCL | 331 |
SC | 182 |
ST | 93 |
EWS | 125 |
PwD-OC | 23 |
PwD-OBC | 17 |
PwD-SC | 13 |
PwD-ST | 9 |
PwD-EWS | 6 |
Grand Total | 1300 |
Total Seats Available: 1300
Semester Fee Comparison
One of the biggest factors while choosing an institute is the tuition fee. Most regular NIT MCA programmes charge approximately ₹35,000–₹50,000 per semester, whereas Self-Financing programmes and IIITs charge around ₹1.0–1.25 lakh per semester.
Institute-wise Semester Fees (₹)
Institute | Semester I | Semester II | Semester III | Semester IV | Semester V | Semester VI |
NIT Agartala | 56,825 | 39,425 | 40,625 | 39,425 | 42,625 | 43,925 |
MNNIT Allahabad | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 |
MANIT Bhopal | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 |
NIT Delhi | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 |
NIT Delhi (Self-Financing) | 1,00,000 | 1,00,000 | 1,00,000 | 1,00,000 | 1,00,000 | 1,00,000 |
NIT Jamshedpur | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 |
NIT Kurukshetra | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 |
NIT Kurukshetra (Self-Financing) | 1,00,000 | 1,00,000 | 1,00,000 | 1,00,000 | 1,00,000 | 1,00,000 |
NIT Raipur | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 |
NIT Meghalaya | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 |
NIT Tiruchirappalli | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 |
NIT Warangal | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 |
NIT Patna (DS&I) | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 |
NIT Patna (DS&I Self) | 1,25,000 | 1,25,000 | 1,25,000 | 1,25,000 | 1,25,000 | 1,25,000 |
NIT Patna (AI & IoT) | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 |
NIT Patna (AI & IoT Self) | 1,25,000 | 1,25,000 | 1,25,000 | 1,25,000 | 1,25,000 | 1,25,000 |
IIIT Bhopal | 1,21,275 | 1,21,275 | 1,21,275 | 1,21,275 | 1,21,275 | 1,21,275 |
IIIT Vadodara (Gandhinagar) | 1,25,000 | 1,25,000 | 1,25,000 | 1,25,000 | 1,25,000 | 1,25,000 |
IIIT Vadodara (Diu) | 1,25,000 | 1,25,000 | 1,25,000 | 1,25,000 | 1,25,000 | 1,25,000 |
NIMCET 2026 Counselling Schedule-
Date of Publication of Result/Score card (Tentative) | Monday, 29/06/2026 (5 PM) |
Registration & Choice filling by paying the non-refundable counselling fees of Rs 1000/- | Tuesday, 30/06/2026 (10 AM) to Friday, 03/07/2026 (5 PM) |
First Round of Allotment | Monday ,06/07/2026 (6 PM) |
First round of Online Reporting and Seat Acceptance Fee Payment | Tuesday, 07/07/2026 to Friday, 10/07/2026 (till 5 PM) |
Second round of Allotment / Upgradation | Saturday ,11/07/2026 (6 PM) |
Second round of Online Reporting and Partial Fee Payment only for Fresh allotees | Monday, 13/07/2026 to Wednesday, 15/07/2026 (till 5 PM) |
Third round of Allotment / Upgradation | Thursday, 16/07/2026 (6 PM) |
Third round of online reporting only for Fresh allotees and Online Institute Admission by paying the Partial Admission Fee. | Friday, 17/07/2026 to Monday, 20/07/2026 (till 5 PM) |
Announcement of Vacant Seats | Tuesday, 21/07/2026 (6 PM) |
Special Round: Fresh Choice Filling and Registration for the vacant seats and likely-to-be vacant seats due to upgradation. | Wednesday, 22/07/2026 (10 AM) to Friday, 24/07/2026 (5 PM) |
Special round of Seat Allotment | Saturday, 25/07/2026 (6 PM) |
Reporting for Offline Admission at the finally Allotted Institute for all allotted candidates. | Reporting as per Institute Schedule after Monday, 27/07/2026 |
Final Advice
Never fill your NIMCET choices based on the institute you are "sure" of getting. Instead, list every institute according to your actual preference—from your dream institute to your last preferred option.
During every counselling round, the system attempts to allot the highest preferred institute available according to your rank and category. A well-planned preference order can significantly improve your final allotment.
Take time to analyze placements, fee structure, location, curriculum, and career opportunities before locking your choices. A few minutes of careful planning can make a big difference in your MCA journey.
