Looking for possible options with 30 marks in JEE Main Session 1 exam 2026? In JEE Main 2026, a score of 30 marks is considered an average or below-average performance among the test takers. As our marks vs percentile analysis expert, Supreeta Roy predicts - "30 marks in JEE Main 2026 will likely equate to 53-66 percentile and rank around 6,10,000 to 7,60,000. Such a score would certainly not allow you to qualify for the central or all-India counselling. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean that engineering is closed to you. A score like this needs to be supported with the right expectations because the best NITs, IIITs, and government institutes are simply not for such students."
The interpretation of 30 marks in terms of percentile and rank is important to get a clearer picture of the admission possibilities. Candidates can still think about state-level counselling, private engineering colleges, and other ways of getting in. So, this post reveals the anticipated percentile and rank for 30 marks and informs about the available options.
Also Check - 20 Marks in JEE Mains 2026 Predicted Percentile Score and Rank
Predicted Percentile Score & Rank for Scoring 30 Marks in JEE Main 2026
In JEE Main, depending on past years' trends and score distribution, 30 marks have generally yielded low percentiles. However, they are slightly higher than the very low scores. Usually, this score spectrum would place a candidate between the 30th and 40th percentile, depending on the difficulty of the paper and normalisation.
Marks | Expected Percentile for Easy Paper | Expected Rank for Easy Paper | Approx. Percentile for Moderate Paper | Expected Rank for Moderate Paper | Approx. Percentile for Tough Paper | Expected Rank for Tough Paper (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
39 marks | 66.5+ | ≲ 5,80,000 | 73.5+ | ≲ 5,00,000 | 79.5+ | ≲ 4,30,000 |
38 marks | 65.0+ | ≲ 6,00,000 | 72.0+ | ≲ 5,20,000 | 78.0+ | ≲ 4,50,000 |
37 marks | 63.5+ | ≲ 6,20,000 | 70.5+ | ≲ 5,40,000 | 76.5+ | ≲ 4,70,000 |
36 marks | 62.0+ | ≲ 6,40,000 | 69.0+ | ≲ 5,60,000 | 75.0+ | ≲ 4,90,000 |
35 marks | 60.5+ | ≲ 6,60,000 | 67.5+ | ≲ 5,80,000 | 73.5+ | ≲ 5,10,000 |
34 marks | 59.0+ | ≲ 6,80,000 | 66.0+ | ≲ 6,00,000 | 72.0+ | ≲ 5,30,000 |
33 marks | 57.5+ | ≲ 7,00,000 | 64.5+ | ≲ 6,20,000 | 70.5+ | ≲ 5,50,000 |
32 marks | 56.0+ | ≲ 7,20,000 | 63.0+ | ≲ 6,40,000 | 69.0+ | ≲ 5,70,000 |
31 marks | 54.5+ | ≲ 7,40,000 | 61.5+ | ≲ 6,60,000 | 67.5+ | ≲ 5,90,000 |
30 marks | 53.0+ | ≲ 7,60,000 | 60.0+ | ≲ 6,80,000 | 66.0+ | ≲ 6,10,000 |
Note: Based on the level of difficulty of the paper and the number of students who appeared for the exams, these percentile and rank figures are volatile.
Here is a visual representation of the above tabular data:
Use CollegeDekho's JEE Main rank predictor 2026 tool to accurately evaluate your rank based on the calculated scores.
Also Check - 50 Marks in JEE Main 2026 Predicted Percentile Score and Rank
Are there Central or NIT Seats for JEE Mains 20 Marks in the General Category?
For general category candidates, admission to NITs, IIITs, or centrally funded technical institutes is not possible with 30 marks.
Why NITs Are Unreachable?
Generally speaking, the candidates who score 30 marks do not get through the JEE Main exam.
The JoSAA counselling has set a minimum qualifying percentile.
The closing ranks for NITs are significantly higher than the limit of this score range.
Since some institutes, such as IIITs and GFTIs, also opt for the same admission protocol, it becomes difficult for students who secure these high marks to stand out. This makes it difficult for admission.
On the basis of estimated percentile ranks, assess which colleges you might get a seat in using our JEE Main 2026 college predictor tool.
Colleges that Accept 30 Marks in JEE Main 2026 for the General Category
Candidates can still find other engineering colleges accpeting low ranks in JEE Main 2026 despite not being able to access central institutes.
Possible Private Engineering Institutes
Possible options are:
Institute-level counseling is conducted in institutions such as LPU in Punjab and Amity University for admissions.
Institutions like KIIT, Bhubaneshwar , and VIT, Vellore , take their own entrance exam, and based on the score in the exam, students get admitted to the respective colleges by performing well in the exam.
Possible Engineering Branches
Aptly or broadly, candidates can have the following categories:
Emerging or interdisciplinary branches
State Government Counselling Options
A few states offer participation with a low JEE Main score, with the following conditions to be met for admission:
Class 12 board marks
Availability of seats
Domicile and category
Though it is still very difficult to get into top state government colleges, admission at 30 marks is possible only in the lower-ranked private ones.
Getting just 30 marks in the JEE Main 2026 results will lead to a low percentile and a high rank, thus disallowing admission to NITs and central institutions for students belonging to the general category. Scoring fewer marks cannot guarantee you a government seat, but you can try for private colleges or other admission channels. Those students who have potential still stand a chance and can expect to try to reach out to all the options possible.
CollegeDekho's higher education advisors are able to support these students in discovering these routes and picking the one that best suits their academic credentials and career goals.
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With 30 marks, candidates might find options in Civil Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or emerging/interdisciplinary branches in private colleges.
Possible options include private engineering institutes like LPU, Amity University, KIIT, and VIT (which also conducts its own exam). State-level counselling for lower-ranked private colleges is also an option.
No, 30 marks in JEE Main 2026 is not enough to secure admission to NITs, IIITs, or other centrally funded technical institutes for general category candidates.
With 30 marks in JEE Main 2026, the predicted rank range should fall between 6,10,000 and 7,60,000.
For 30 marks in JEE Main 2026, the predicted percentile is 53-66, depending on paper difficulty.
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