UCEED Counselling 2026: Registration, Choice Filling and Round-Wise Seat Allotment

UCEED 2026 counselling is conducted by IIT Bombay in a centralised process for admission to B.Des programs at seven participating institutes — IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Indore, IIT Roorkee, and IIITDM Jabalpur — across a combined 245 B.Des seats. Round III seat allotment results have been announced on June 10, 2026; students must pay the seat acceptance fee by June 14, 2026 to hold their allotment.

• The counselling process has five rounds of seat allotment; Rounds III–V fill seats vacated after earlier rounds, and the float (upgrade) option remains active through Round IV.
• Students allotted in Round III must pay the seat acceptance fee — Rs. 60,000 for GEN/EWS/OBC-NCL and Rs. 15,000 for SC/ST/PwD — by June 14, 2026 (6 PM).
• The withdrawal window for Round III runs from June 15 to June 19, 2026; on timely withdrawal, Rs. 55,000 (GEN/EWS/OBC-NCL) or Rs. 10,000 (SC/ST/PwD) is refunded — a Rs. 5,000 processing charge is retained.
• Students from non-PCM streams (Commerce, Arts, Science without PCM) are eligible only for IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, and IIT Indore and should include only those four institutes in their locked choice list.
• The non-refundable B.Des admission application fee of Rs. 3,000 is never returned regardless of whether a seat is received, accepted, or later withdrawn.

Reservation of Quotas for UCEED Counselling 2026

Seat reservation at all seven participating institutes follows the Government of India norms applicable to IITs and Centrally Funded Technical Institutions. There is no domicile-based or home-state quota in UCEED counselling — all 245 seats are allotted on All-India merit within each category. Students from any state compete equally for seats at any of the seven institutes.

PwD reservation is horizontal — 5% of seats within each vertical category (Open, EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST) are reserved for PwD students. The PwD seats are carved from the student’s own birth category and do not add to the total seat count. Unfilled reserved-category seats revert to the Open category after all five rounds conclude.

Note: OBC-NCL certificates must be in the Central Government format — State Government OBC-NCL certificates are not accepted at IITs. EWS certificates must be for financial year 2025–26. Certificates not meeting these validity conditions lead to cancellation of admission at the time of physical reporting.

How to Apply for UCEED Counselling 2026?

UCEED 2026 B.Des admission does not use a separate counselling registration window after the exam. The admission application — which includes choice filling, document upload, and fee payment — served as the counselling registration. This window was open from March 14 to April 10, 2026, and is now closed. The five steps below describe the complete process for those new to UCEED and as reference for current applicants awaiting Rounds IV and V.

Step 1: Check Result and Verify Eligibility

After UCEED 2026 results were declared on March 6, 2026, students could download their scorecards from March 10. The first step was to confirm your All India Rank, category rank, and ensure all three eligibility criteria were met — UCEED rank, age limit, and Class XII status. Students who cleared Part-A cutoff received a valid rank. Students who did not clear the cutoff do not receive a rank and are not eligible for B.Des admission regardless of their overall exam performance. UCEED may be attempted a maximum of two times in consecutive years — if 2026 was your second attempt, this is your last opportunity for UCEED-based B.Des admission.

Step 2: Register on the IIT Bombay Admissions Portal

Students with a valid rank visited the official admissions portal at uceed.iitb.ac.in from March 14, 2026. New users registered using their UCEED 2026 Application Number and date of birth to create a portal login. All subsequent communication — allotment letters, fee reminders, withdrawal confirmations — is sent to the registered email and mobile number. Errors in email or phone details meant missing critical deadline alerts, so accuracy at registration was essential.

Step 3: Fill and Lock Institute Preferences, Pay Application Fee

After registering, students filled their B.Des admission application: personal details, category declarations, document uploads, and — most critically — the institute preference list. The seven participating institutes are IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Indore, IIT Roorkee, and IIITDM Jabalpur. Fill at least 5–7 choices to maximise your chances across all five rounds. Non-PCM students should have included only IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, and IIT Indore. After finalising the preference order, students paid the non-refundable application processing fee of Rs. 3,000 and clicked "Lock Choices" before the April 10, 2026 deadline. Choices that were saved but not locked were disregarded entirely.

Step 4: Wait for Seat Allotment Result

After the application window closed on April 10, 2026, IIT Bombay ran the allotment algorithm using each student’s UCEED AIR (within category) and their locked institute preferences. Round I results were published on April 21, 2026. After each round’s result, students log in to check their allotment letter, which shows the allotted institute, program, and category. Students not allotted in a round are automatically carried forward to the next round — no re-application or additional payment is needed to remain in the pool for subsequent rounds.

Step 5: Pay Seat Acceptance Fee and Choose Float, Freeze, or Withdraw

If allotted a seat in any round, students must pay the seat acceptance fee within the round’s deadline. After paying, students decide between three options — Float, Freeze, or Withdraw. The float option, which keeps a student in contention for a higher-preference institute in the next round while retaining their current seat, is available through Round IV. For Round III allotments (results out today), students who pay by June 14 can still float into Round IV by indicating their float preference during the June 15–19 window. Students who are fully satisfied with their Round III allotment should freeze. Students allotted in Round V — the final round — have only the accept option; no withdrawal is permitted after Round V acceptance.

How to Fill and Lock Your Institute Choices for UCEED 2026

Choice filling was part of the B.Des admission application (March 14 – April 10, 2026) and is now closed. The locked preferences are used for all five allotment rounds — they cannot be changed mid-counselling. The guide below explains how the process worked for future reference and to help current students understand how their allotment was determined.

Step 1: Visit the Official UCEED Admissions Portal

• Go to uceed.iitb.ac.in and navigate to the B.Des Admission / Counselling section.
• Click on "Apply for B.Des Admission 2026" during the open application window.

Step 2: Log In with Your UCEED 2026 Credentials

• Enter your UCEED 2026 Application Number and Date of Birth to access the application portal.
• Set a secure password on first login and keep it for all subsequent sessions through the counselling process.

Step 3: Fill Personal Details and Upload Documents

• Complete all personal, academic, and category-related fields.
• Upload scanned copies of Class 10 and Class 12 mark sheets, category certificate (if applicable), and photograph as per specifications.
• Check the document upload status dashboard and correct any defects within the notified window — defective documents exclude students from allotment.

Step 4: Select and Order Institute Preferences

• A list of all seven participating institutes and their B.Des programs appears on screen.
• Rank them in descending order of preference — position 1 is the institute you most want to attend.
• Include every institute you would genuinely accept a seat at; omitting an institute means you can never receive it in any round regardless of seat availability.
• Non-PCM students: do NOT include IIT Guwahati, IIT Roorkee, or IIITDM Jabalpur — these choices will be invalidated at verification.

Step 5: Pay the Application Fee and Lock Choices

• Pay the non-refundable application processing fee of Rs. 3,000 via net banking, debit card, or credit card.
• After payment confirmation, click "Lock Choices" — a confirmation dialog will appear. Verify the ordering one final time, then confirm the lock.
• Download and save the locked-choice confirmation receipt; it is proof of your participation in counselling.

The table below summarises the key implications of choice-filling decisions.

Documents Required for UCEED Counselling 2026

Scanned copies of the documents below were submitted online during the admission application (March–April 2026). Students who receive a final seat allotment must carry the originals plus self-attested photocopies to the allotted institute at the time of physical reporting. Missing even one mandatory original document at reporting results in cancellation of admission with no refund of fees paid.

• UCEED 2026 Scorecard / Rank Letter — downloaded from uceed.iitb.ac.in after result declaration; confirms All India Rank and category rank
• UCEED 2026 Seat Allotment Letter — downloaded from the admissions portal after seat acceptance fee payment; shows the allotted institute and program
• Class 10 Mark Sheet and Passing Certificate — for date-of-birth verification and board pass status
• Class 12 Mark Sheet and Passing Certificate — must confirm passing all five subjects; students with 2026 board results not yet received must submit the final mark sheet by September 30, 2026
• Category Certificate (mandatory for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, EWS, PwD students):
  • SC/ST: Caste/Tribe certificate from Tehsildar or above
  • OBC-NCL: Central Government format Non-Creamy Layer certificate, issued within one year of AY 2026–27; State format is not accepted
  • EWS: Income & Asset Certificate for FY 2025–26 in GoI prescribed format
  • PwD: Disability certificate from government medical board confirming benchmark disability ≥ 40%, with type of disability specified
• Valid Government-Issued Photo ID — Aadhaar card (preferred), Passport, or Voter ID
• Passport-Size Photographs — minimum 10 recent colour photographs, white background, same specifications as UCEED 2026 application
• B.Des Admission Application Fee Payment Receipt — proof of online payment of Rs. 3,000
• Seat Acceptance Fee Payment Receipt — transaction confirmation from the UCEED admissions portal
• Medical Fitness Certificate — in the format prescribed by the allotted institute; check the institute’s specific admissions notice before reporting
• Anti-Ragging Undertaking — signed declaration in the format provided by the allotted institute at the time of reporting
• Migration Certificate — from the last institution attended (if applicable); typically required at the time of reporting

Each of the seven participating institutes may require additional documents — for example, IIT Guwahati and IIT Roorkee will verify PCM subject combinations in Class 12. Always check the specific admissions notice published on the allotted institute’s website in addition to the UCEED portal.

How Much Money is Needed for UCEED 2026 Counselling?

Two separate fees are payable during the UCEED 2026 counselling process: a non-refundable application processing fee paid once during the application window, and a seat acceptance fee paid when accepting an allotted seat. The seat acceptance fee is refundable (less a processing deduction) if withdrawn within the designated window for Rounds I–IV; Round V carries no withdrawal option and therefore no refund. Students must plan their finances carefully before paying the acceptance fee in any round — particularly Round V, where the fee is completely non-refundable.

Non-Refundable Fees

The admission application processing fee is paid once at the time of submitting the B.Des Admission Application (March–April 2026). It is not refunded under any circumstances — including no allotment across all five rounds, withdrawal after receiving an allotment, or failure to report after accepting a seat.

The Rs. 5,000 cancellation charge is deducted from the refund amount when a student withdraws after paying the seat acceptance fee. It is not an additional up-front charge — it is simply the portion of the acceptance fee that is non-refundable upon withdrawal. Students who never receive or never pay the acceptance fee are not subject to this deduction.

Refundable Fees and Refund Policy

The seat acceptance fee is payable after each round in which a student receives and decides to hold an allotment. Upon joining the institute, this fee is adjusted against first-semester fees. The refund conditions differ by round.

A critical rule specific to Rounds I and II: students who paid the seat acceptance fee in Round I or II could withdraw and claim a refund anytime up to June 9, 2026 (the end of Round II’s combined withdrawal window). That combined window is now closed. For Round III, the withdrawal window is June 15–19, 2026 — withdrawing within this window entitles students to a Rs. 55,000 refund (GEN/EWS/OBC-NCL) or Rs. 10,000 refund (SC/ST/PwD). If you withdraw after accepting a seat, the Rs. 5,000 processing charge is non-refundable — but the remaining acceptance fee is returned to your bank account within the refund timeline specified by IIT Bombay.

Beyond counselling fees, students should budget for first-semester institute charges payable at the time of reporting. As reference: annual tuition at IITs is approximately Rs. 2,00,000–2,50,000 for GEN/OBC-NCL/EWS students; SC and ST students pay no tuition at IITs under the government waiver scheme and pay hostel and mess charges only. The seat acceptance fee already paid is deducted from the first-semester tuition demand.

UCEED 2026 Round-Wise Seat Allotment and Seat Matrix

UCEED 2026 distributes 245 B.Des seats across seven institutes through five rounds of allotment. The allotment algorithm in each round uses each student’s category-wise UCEED AIR and their locked preference list to assign seats from available vacancies. Students not allotted in Round I, II, or III automatically remain in the pool for Rounds IV and V — no additional payment or application is required.

The table below shows the institute-wise and category-wise seat matrix for UCEED 2026. These are total sanctioned seats for the entire counselling process; seats available in any individual round vary depending on how many students withdrew in preceding rounds.

With 245 total seats, UCEED is among the most competitive design entrance pathways in India. IIT Bombay (37 seats) and IIT Delhi (20 seats) historically have the lowest closing ranks (highest competition). IIITDM Jabalpur (66 seats) and IIT Guwahati (56 seats) have higher seat counts, which typically result in higher closing ranks — making them more accessible for students with ranks beyond the top 50–60 in each category. UCEED 2026 category-wise closing ranks by institute will be published on the official portal after all five rounds conclude.

Float vs Freeze vs Withdraw in UCEED Counselling 2026

After receiving a seat allotment and paying the acceptance fee, students must choose among three options: float, freeze, or withdraw. Understanding the float option is especially important for Round III students — the float option is still available in Round III, allowing students to hold their current seat while trying for a better one in Round IV. This option disappears after Round IV; Round V allotments are binding with no further movement or withdrawal possible.

Decision guide specifically for Round III (today, June 10, 2026):

• Allotted your top-choice institute: Pay the fee by June 14 and Freeze. There is no higher preference to upgrade to, so floating offers no benefit.
• Allotted a lower-preference institute, want to try for a higher one: Pay the fee by June 14, then indicate Float during June 15–19. Your Round III seat is secured; Round IV may bring an upgrade to a higher-preference institute. If Round IV does not produce an upgrade, you retain the Round III allotment.
• Allotted a seat but certain you will not join any participating institute: Withdraw during June 15–19. You will receive a partial refund (Rs. 55,000 or Rs. 10,000) — but only if you withdraw within the window. Missing the June 19 deadline means your allotment is confirmed and no refund is possible.
• No allotment in Round III: No action needed. You are automatically included in Round IV (June 24) and Round V (July 3) if your locked choices include institutes with vacancies.

Fill at least 5–7 choices to maximise your chances across all five rounds. With only 245 seats across seven institutes, even a mid-range rank may receive an allotment in Round IV or V if enough higher-ranked students withdraw.

UCEED Counselling 2026 Reporting Process

Physical reporting to the allotted institute is the final step of the UCEED 2026 admission process. After Round V concludes (tentatively by early July 2026) and seat allotments are finalised, IIT Bombay will publish the reporting schedule on uceed.iitb.ac.in. Reporting is expected in July–August 2026 — exact dates will be communicated by each institute. Students who do not report by the institute’s stated deadline forfeit their admission; all fees paid are non-refundable after the reporting deadline passes.

Step 1: Download the Final Allotment Letter

• Log in to the UCEED admissions portal at uceed.iitb.ac.in after your seat is confirmed (frozen) post the final round.
• Download and print the seat allotment letter — this is the primary admission document and is required at the time of reporting.

Step 2: Gather All Original Documents

• Assemble all originals listed in the Documents Required section and prepare self-attested photocopies of each.
• Contact the admitting institute’s admission office directly to check for any institute-specific additions (migration certificate format, medical certificate format, etc.).
• IIT Guwahati and IIT Roorkee will verify PCM subject combinations in Class 12 at the time of reporting — ensure your mark sheet clearly shows these subjects.

Step 3: Pay First-Semester Institute Charges

• Some institutes require advance fee payment online before the reporting date; others collect fees in person. Check your allotted institute’s admissions notice for instructions.
• The seat acceptance fee already paid (Rs. 60,000 or Rs. 15,000) is adjusted against the first-semester tuition demand — carry the payment receipt to the institute’s accounts office for this adjustment.

Step 4: Report to the Allotted Institute on the Designated Date

• Arrive at the institute on or before the reporting deadline with all original documents.
• Originals are verified in person — photocopies alone are not accepted for admission. Any mismatch between documents and the application details results in immediate cancellation.
• After successful document verification, complete enrollment formalities and receive your student ID and hostel allotment (if applicable).

Step 5: Submit Medical Fitness Certificate (if required)

• Some IITs conduct a basic medical fitness check on reporting day or require a certificate in their prescribed format.
• Download the format from the allotted institute’s admissions page in advance and get it completed by a registered medical practitioner before arriving on campus.

Note: Reporting dates for UCEED 2026 have not yet been announced as of June 10, 2026. Monitor uceed.iitb.ac.in regularly after Round V concludes (tentatively July 3, 2026) for reporting schedule updates from IIT Bombay and from your allotted institute.