JEE Advanced 2026: Women Cross 10,000 Qualifiers for First Time
JEE Advanced 2026 saw more than 10,000 women qualify for the first time, while SC and ST candidates also recorded significant increases in qualification rates.
JEE Advanced 2026 has recorded a notable rise in qualification among women and reserved-category candidates. For the first time, more than 10,000 women have qualified for the prestigious engineering entrance exam.
Of 43,112 registered female candidates, 40,562 appeared in both papers and 10,107 qualified. Women accounted for 17.76% of the total 56,880 qualifiers. Their qualification rate among candidates appearing in both papers reached 24.9%, the highest in six years.
The number of female qualifiers has also more than doubled over the past decade, rising from 4,570 in 2016 to 10,107 in 2026.
SC candidates recorded another major jump, with their qualification rate rising from 40.41% in 2025 to 50.16% this year. The ST qualification rate also increased from 33.99% to 42.14%.
Together, SC and ST candidates accounted for 22,235 qualifiers, nearly 39% of the total pool. Meanwhile, the General category qualification rate declined from 43% to 39.8%.
The top-ranked female candidate scored 280 marks and secured All India Rank 77.
In IIT seat allocation, women received 3,851 of 18,861 allotted seats, representing 20.22%. The exam clearly remains brutally competitive—but the numbers show the qualifying pool is becoming more diverse.
