Is 98 Percentile Possible with 170 Marks in JEE Main 2026?
Scoring 170 marks in JEE Main 2026 makes 98-99 percentile highly likely, securing a strong All India Rank and opening doors to top engineering branches (CSE, ECE) in NITs like Trichy & Rourkela, and various IIITs.
For anyone aiming for the top-ranked engineering colleges, like NITs and IIITs, 98th percentile is a sure target. But is it possible to achieve 98 prcentile if you score 170 marks in the JEE Mains exam 2026? Our marks vs percentile analysis expert,Mahima Gupta, shares her insights -"170 marks in JEE Main 2026 will definitely bring you among the top scorers. This mark range has been converted into a very high percentile with the previous year as a reference. With 170 marks, a percentile range of approximately 98 to 99 is very much likely, as observed in the past. Aspirants can get admission to reputed engineering institutes, including NIT Trichy, NIT Warangal etc."However, you should remember that the percentile will be determined mainly by relative performance. The number of applicants, along with the overall score distribution, will all contribute to the outcome. This article will assist you in understanding if 98 percentile is possible with 170 in JEE Main 2026 based on the previous years trends. You can take well-informed decisions in JoSAA and state-level counselling.
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170 Marks in JEE Main 2026 Predicted Percentile Score & Rank
After analysing the previous year's data and the level of competition, 170 marks will usually fall in the upper percentile range. You can expect close to the 98.5–99+ percentile bracket. If you are in this range, then you have a great chance of getting a strong All India rank. This will then greatly increase your chances of being admitted to the top NITs and IIITs.
But still, the rank and percentile for 170 marks in JEE Main 2026 will be difficult to pin down, as they will be affected by the paper's difficulty level, as mentioned above. If the paper is easy, then overall scores can slightly lower the percentile in this marks range. In a moderate paper, 170 marks usually result in a highly competitive percentile.
Marks | Expected Percentile for Easy Paper | Expected Rank for Easy Paper (Approx.) | Expected Percentile for Moderate Paper | Expected Rank for Moderate Paper (Approx.) | Expected Percentile for Tough Paper | Expected Rank for Tough Paper (Approx.) |
179 marks | 98.67+ | 19,950 | 99.10+ | 13,500 | 99.57+ | 6,450 |
178 marks | 98.63+ | 20,550 | 99.07+ | 13,950 | 99.56+ | 6,600 |
177 marks | 98.59+ | 21,150 | 99.04+ | 14,400 | 99.54+ | 6,900 |
176 marks | 98.55+ | 21,750 | 99.00+ | 15,000 | 99.53+ | 7,050 |
175 marks | 98.51+ | 22,350 | 98.96+ | 15,600 | 99.51+ | 7,350 |
174 marks | 98.46+ | 23,100 | 98.92+ | 16,200 | 99.49+ | 7,650 |
173 marks | 98.41+ | 23,850 | 98.88+ | 16,800 | 99.47+ | 7,950 |
172 marks | 98.36+ | 24,600 | 98.84+ | 17,400 | 99.45+ | 8,250 |
171 marks | 98.31+ | 25,350 | 98.80+ | 18,000 | 99.43+ | 8,550 |
170 marks | 98.25+ | 26,250 | 98.76+ | 18,600 | 99.41+ | 8,850 |
Use CollegeDekho'sJEE Main rank predictor 2026tool to accurately evaluate your rank based on the calculated scores.
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Which NITs and IIITs Can You Target with 170 Marks in JEE Main 2026?
You have a decent probability of being accepted into all of the best engineering schools at this score. Additionally, depending on the preferred category and branch, there will be a possibility to add some strongly ranked institutes to the list of choices.
NITs Reachable at 170 Marks
Candidates who belong to the general category can get through the admission process to the following NITs:
Higher up to middle-tier NITs, such asNIT Trichy,NIT Rourkela, for the mechanical, civil, electrical, and chemical engineering branches.
Newer NITs for the ECE branch, which is a good option sometimes for CSE too.
170 marks for SC, OBC-NCL, EWS, ST, or PwD category candidates signify that they are allowed to accessCSEandECEcore branches in various institutes.
IIIT Opportunities
The IIITs that you can apply to are so strong that they are just waiting for you to score this mark:
You can aim for CSE, ECE, data science, and AI-related branches, depending on cut-offs
IIITs often provide great industry-oriented curricula and placement opportunities.
In summary, 170 will be the safe score. It will give you a good position in the counselling process. This score will give you an easy choice between college and a branch. Based on estimated percentile ranks, assess which colleges you might get a seat in using ourJEE Main 2026 college predictortool.
How Does 170 Marks Compare to That of the Previous Years' Distributions?
Here’s a trend analysis of the last 3 years of the JEE Main examination.
Year | Approx. Percentile at 170 Marks | What the Distribution Indicates |
2023 | 98.9 – 99.2 percentile |
|
2024 | 98.5 – 98.9 percentile |
|
2025 | 98.7 – 99.0 percentile |
|
After analysing the trend of these last three years, we can say that:
170 in JEE Main 2026 has always been a high-percentile score.
The percentile range was from 98.5 to 99.2.
Variations were seen based on the number of applicants and section-wise normalisation.
Thus, getting 170 marks in JEE Main 2026 is a big plus, and it has constantly led to a high percentile range of around 98 percentile and even more. This score not only helps to get admission to the top and mid-tier NITs but also to many IIITs and other reputed government-funded institutions, more so if category or home state advantages are applied.
CollegeDekhomentors will help you know the percentile trends and keep branch preferences flexible, which will enable you to make the most of the opportunities available at this score level.
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