State Counselling for Low JEE Rank: UPTAC, BCECE, ACPC and More

State counselling for low JEE rank is often your best route to a government or good private engineering seat once NITs are out of reach. UPTAC in Uttar Pradesh, UGEAC in Bihar (run by the BCECE Board), HSTES in Haryana, REAP in Rajasthan, MP DTE, JAC Delhi and Odisha's counselling all admit B.Tech students on JEE Main scores.

Gujarat's ACPC and Maharashtra's CAP mainly use their own state tests, but they use JEE Main for All India seats. This guide explains how each one works, what 2026 looked like and how to plan for 2027. For the full list of options by percentile band, see our pillar guide on colleges for low JEE Main rank.

Which state counselling processes use JEE Main scores?

Seven major processes allot B.Tech seats directly on JEE Main: UPTAC (UP), UGEAC (Bihar), HSTES (Haryana), REAP (Rajasthan), DTE MP, JAC Delhi and Odisha's OJEE counselling. Gujarat ACPC and Maharashtra CAP use JEE Main only for All India seats. Each has its own registration, fee and domicile rules.

Sources: official portals and 2026 brochures where available, plus reports from Careers360 and Shiksha. Always read the 2027 brochure, because seat splits and domicile rules can change.

How does UPTAC counselling work with JEE Main?

UPTAC, run for AKTU, allots B.Tech seats in Uttar Pradesh on JEE Main rank. It covers HBTU Kanpur, IET Lucknow and hundreds of AKTU-affiliated private colleges. In 2026, registration opened on 25 May and was extended to 22 June 2026. Seat allotment ran in several rounds, followed by later rounds for vacant seats.

What a low-rank student should know about UPTAC:

• Top colleges are competitive. HBTU Kanpur and IET Lucknow CSE need strong ranks. Core branches and later rounds go deeper.
• Private colleges fill later. Many AKTU private colleges, such as NIET Greater Noida, fill most seats through UPTAC. Their closing ranks move a lot between rounds.
• Documents. UPTAC 2026 had online document verification before choice filling. Keep your JEE Main scorecard, Class 10 and 12 marksheets, domicile and category certificates ready.
• Seat confirmation fee. UPTAC asks for a seat confirmation fee after allotment. The 2026 schedule listed it as ₹20,000 or ₹12,000 depending on category.

UPTAC publishes round-wise opening and closing ranks on its portal. We could not verify a complete, official final-round 2026 table for HBTU and IET, so check uptac.samarth.edu.in directly for exact figures.

Also readJoSAA Counselling 2027: Rounds, Choice Filling, Fees & CSAB Guide

How does Bihar UGEAC (BCECE) counselling work?

Bihar's Under Graduate Engineering Admission Counselling (UGEAC), run by the BCECE Board, fills B.Tech seats in Bihar's government and some private engineering colleges on the basis of JEE Main. UGEAC 2026 counselling began on 26 June 2026. The board prepares a UGEAC merit rank from JEE Main, and seats are allotted on that rank.

Important: the ranks in UGEAC cutoff PDFs are UGEAC state merit ranks, not your JEE Main CRL. A UGEAC rank of 5,000 can correspond to a much larger JEE Main CRL.

Source: BCECE Board's official "Combined First and Second Round Opening and Closing Rank of UGEAC-2025" PDF, UR category, general seat type. These are UGEAC ranks and are approximate guides only.

The pattern is clear: MIT Muzaffarpur and BCE Bhagalpur are competitive, but the newer Government Engineering Colleges in districts like Munger, Banka, Arwal and Samastipur close much deeper. For a Bihar student with a low JEE Main rank, these district GECs offer low-fee government seats. If you are from Bihar, also compare with NIT Patna; see our guide to NITs for low JEE Main rank.

UGEAC registration is separate from JEE Main and JoSAA. Every year, some Bihar students miss government seats simply because they did not register on the BCECE Board portal in time.

Does ACPC Gujarat accept JEE Main score?

Only for part of the seats. Gujarat home-state merit for B.E./B.Tech is based on Class 12 marks and GUJCET. JEE Main is used for All India seats through a separate JEE Main merit list. Some institutes, such as Nirma University, fill their All India seats directly on JEE Main CRL.

• In 2026, ACPC released its provisional merit list for degree engineering in June and ran multiple counselling rounds.
• Reports say a small share of government and grant-in-aid seats, and a larger share of self-financed college seats, go to JEE Main candidates. Check the exact percentages in ACPC's 2027 brochure.
• Nirma University's official page says its All India B.Tech seats are filled on JEE Main 2026 CRL, with state seats through ACPC.

If you are a Gujarat student, you need GUJCET for home-state seats. Don't skip it just because you are writing JEE Main. For other private universities that use JEE Main directly, read our list of private engineering colleges accepting JEE Main score.

How do HSTES, REAP, MP DTE and JAC Delhi work?

Haryana (HSTES), Rajasthan (REAP), Madhya Pradesh (DTE MP) and Delhi (JAC Delhi) all allot B.Tech seats on JEE Main. REAP also uses Class 12 percentile after JEE Main rank. JAC Delhi keeps 85% seats for students who passed Class 12 in Delhi and 15% for others.

HSTES (Haryana)

HSTES runs centralised counselling for B.Tech in Haryana's state universities and private colleges, using JEE Main 2026 ranks. In 2026, registration opened in May and there were at least two counselling rounds, with Round 1 allotment in June. Private colleges in Haryana often have vacant seats in later rounds.

REAP (Rajasthan)

REAP uses JEE Main rank first, then Class 12 percentile, for B.E./B.Tech seats in Rajasthan. In 2026, the final merit list came out on 2 July and Round 1 allotment followed on 9 July. REAP allows candidates from other states too, which makes it useful if your home state has few options.

DTE MP (Madhya Pradesh)

MP's online counselling uses JEE Main scores to allot seats in colleges such as SGSITS Indore, UIT RGPV Bhopal, MITS Gwalior and JEC Jabalpur, plus many private colleges. CSE at SGSITS and UIT RGPV is competitive; core branches and private colleges go much deeper.

JAC Delhi

JAC Delhi fills B.Tech seats at DTU, NSUT, IIIT Delhi, IGDTUW and DSEU using JEE Main ranks. It keeps 85% of seats for Delhi-region candidates (Class 12 from a school in Delhi) and 15% for outside candidates. For outside candidates, most JAC seats need a fairly good rank, but DSEU and some core branches close later.

Also readColleges for Low JEE Main Rank 2027: Options by Percentile Band

Does Odisha use JEE Main for B.Tech admission?

Yes. The OJEE 2026 information brochure says that for B.Tech, B.Arch, B.Plan and Integrated M.Sc admission, candidates must appear and qualify in JEE Main 2026. OJEE then conducts the counselling for Odisha's government and private engineering colleges, where outside-state candidates can compete in private colleges under a separate category.

This makes Odisha a good option for students from neighbouring states like West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh with low JEE Main ranks. Check the OJEE portal for the 2027 schedule.

What documents do you need for state counselling?

Most state counselling bodies ask for your JEE Main scorecard, Class 10 and 12 marksheets, domicile or residence proof, category and income certificates (if claiming reservation) and photographs. Some, like UPTAC, verify documents online before choice filling, so upload clear scans early.

• JEE Main scorecard and application number
• Class 10 (for date of birth) and Class 12 marksheets
• Domicile certificate in the state's prescribed format
• Category, EWS or income certificate issued in the correct financial year
• Aadhaar or other photo ID, and passport-size photos

Certificate formats differ by state. An OBC certificate valid for central counselling may not be accepted by a state body, and vice versa, so check the exact format in the brochure.

Which state option suits your rank?

If your JEE Main percentile is above 90, aim for the better government colleges in your home state's counselling. Between 75 and 90, the district-level government colleges and good private colleges are realistic. Below 75, focus on private colleges in later rounds, and on states that allow outside candidates.

How should you plan state counselling alongside JoSAA?

Register for your home state's counselling and one or two states that accept outside candidates, fill choices from the latest official closing ranks, and keep JoSAA and CSAB running in parallel. Most state processes start in May-June and run until August, overlapping with JoSAA.

1. Before results: Keep domicile, category, income and Class 12 documents ready in PDF.
2. May-June: Register for UPTAC, UGEAC, HSTES, REAP, MP DTE or JAC Delhi as applicable. Note every fee and deadline.
3. June-July: Fill choices using the previous year's round-wise closing ranks. Add government colleges first, then good private colleges.
4. July: Compare state seat offers with your JoSAA position. Use float or upgrade options where available.
5. August: Take part in later or spot rounds if you are still without a seat.

Our JoSAA counselling 2027 guide explains how to handle withdrawal and refunds if you move from a state seat to a JoSAA or CSAB seat. Also remember that NITs, IIITs and GFTIs need the 75% board marks criterion, while most state counselling uses lower minimum marks.

Final Word: your state counselling checklist

State counselling for low JEE rank gives you low-fee government seats and many private options that JoSAA cannot. Do this next:

• List the state processes you are eligible for (home state plus states open to outside candidates).
• Download the 2027 brochures as soon as they are out and note domicile and document rules.
• Register in May-June, alongside JoSAA; don't wait for the final JoSAA round.
• Use official round-wise closing ranks (UPTAC, UGEAC PDFs) for choice filling.
• Keep one backup: a JEE Main based private college or another exam from our BITSAT, VITEEE and COMEDK 2027 guide.