JEE Advanced 2026: 10,107 women qualify, the highest in six years
By TUF News Desk · Published 13 October 2026 · 4 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
More than 10,000 women have qualified in JEE Advanced for the first time in six years. The Joint Implementation Committee report prepared by IIT Roorkee, which conducted this year’s exam, puts the number at 10,107, up from 9,404 in 2025. The exam’s official updates and counselling details are published on the official JEE Advanced website.
The rise came even though fewer women registered. 43,112 women signed up for JEE Advanced 2026, marginally down from 43,413 last year. Of them, 40,562 appeared in both papers, and the qualification rate among registered women rose to 23.4 per cent from 21.7 per cent. Among women who sat both papers, the rate was 24.9 per cent. Women now account for 17.76 per cent of all 56,880 qualifiers.
JEE Advanced 2026 was held on May 17 in two shifts, 9 AM to 12 noon and 3 PM to 6 PM. Overall, 1,87,389 candidates registered, 1,79,694 appeared in both papers, and 56,880 qualified.
At the top of the merit list
The top-ranked woman is Arohi Deshpande from the IIT Delhi zone, who scored 280 out of 360 (101 in Mathematics, 86 in Physics and 93 in Chemistry) and took All India Rank 77.
The Delhi zone also produced the top three candidates overall, with Shubham Kumar taking AIR 1 at 330 marks. Of the top 100 rankers, 97 were allotted seats at just three institutes. IIT Bombay took 68 of them, and the rest went to IIT Delhi and IIT Madras.
Seats in the IITs
Qualification is only the first half of the process. Of the 18,861 seats allotted across the 23 IITs, 3,814 went to women, or 20.22 per cent. That is barely up from 20.15 per cent in 2025, when 3,633 female-only seats were allotted.
Almost all of this year’s women’s admissions came through female-only seats (3,777). Only 37 women entered through the gender-neutral pool. IITs have run female-only supernumerary seats since 2018. Back then, women made up about 15.3 per cent of admitted candidates, so the share has grown by nearly five percentage points in eight years.
SC and ST qualification rates
One in every two registered SC candidates qualified this year. The SC qualification rate jumped 9.8 percentage points to 50.16 per cent, and the number of SC qualifiers rose from 12,499 to 15,856.
ST candidates saw a similar jump. Their qualification rate rose 8.1 points to 42.14 per cent, with qualifiers up from 5,008 to 6,379. The EWS count edged up from 6,291 to 6,377.
Both SC and ST rates now sit above the general category figure, which fell 3.2 points to 39.8 per cent. The number of general category qualifiers slipped from 16,154 to 15,883.
A ten-year view
The longer trend is what makes this year’s number stand out. In 2016, 4,570 women qualified in JEE Advanced. Ten years later, the number has more than doubled, up 121 per cent to 10,107. Registrations rose 44 per cent in the same period, from 29,983 to 43,112.
The JIC report also breaks down category-wise marks against ranks, which is useful data for students preparing for the 2027 cycle when shortlisting target institutes. Our guide to choosing a university in India walks through how to weigh an institute’s record alongside its rank.
Frequently asked questions
How many women qualified in JEE Advanced 2026?
10,107 women qualified out of 43,112 who registered. It is the first time the number has crossed 10,000 in the six-year period covered by IIT Roorkee’s JIC report, and the 23.4 per cent qualification rate is the highest in that period.
Who was the top-ranked woman in JEE Advanced 2026?
Arohi Deshpande from the IIT Delhi zone, with 280 marks out of 360 (101 in Mathematics, 86 in Physics and 93 in Chemistry), securing All India Rank 77.
How many IIT seats did women get in 2026?
3,814, which is 20.22 per cent of the 18,861 seats allotted across IITs. Of these, 3,777 came through female-only seats and 37 through the gender-neutral pool.
What did the 2026 report show for SC and ST candidates?
SC qualifiers rose to 15,856 with a 50.16 per cent qualification rate, up from 40.41 per cent in 2025. ST qualifiers rose to 6,379 with a 42.14 per cent rate, up from 33.99 per cent.
Frequently asked questions
How many women qualified in JEE Advanced 2026?
10,107 women qualified out of 43,112 who registered. It is the first time the number has crossed 10,000 in the six-year period covered by IIT Roorkee's JIC report, and the 23.4% qualification rate is the highest in that period.
Who was the top-ranked woman in JEE Advanced 2026?
Arohi Deshpande from the IIT Delhi zone, with 280 marks out of 360 (101 in Mathematics, 86 in Physics and 93 in Chemistry), securing All India Rank 77.
How many IIT seats did women get in 2026?
3,814, which is 20.22% of the 18,861 seats allotted across IITs. Of these, 3,777 came through female-only seats and 37 through the gender-neutral pool.
What did the 2026 report show for SC and ST candidates?
SC qualifiers rose to 15,856 with a 50.16% qualification rate, up from 40.41% in 2025. ST qualifiers rose to 6,379 with a 42.14% rate, up from 33.99%.
Sources: The Indian Express, The Times of India, Hindustan Times, Business Standard