AP EAPCET 2026 SC and ST Category Cutoff: Expected Closing Ranks for Government Colleges

AP EAPCET 2026 expected closing ranks for SC category students in top government engineering colleges range from approximately 11,500 to 1,28,000 depending on branch, and from 22,000 to over 1,70,000 for ST category students, based on 2021–2025 counselling closing rank trends.

AP EAPCET 2026 results were declared in June 2026 and counselling registration is expected to open in July 2026. SC students receive 15% reservation and ST students receive 6% reservation in all Andhra Pradesh government engineering colleges. These reserved seats are filled through the APSCHE-conducted counselling process based on overall AP EAPCET rank. Knowing where expected closing ranks fall for your category helps you build a realistic web options list before counselling opens.

• Based on 2025 data, SC category CSE closing rank at AUCE Visakhapatnam was 12,800; the expected 2026 range is 11,500–13,500.
• ST closing ranks are roughly 1.8–2x higher than SC closing ranks for the same college and branch.
• CSE and CSE-allied branches record the tightest SC and ST cutoffs at every government college in AP.
• All figures below are expected estimates based on 2021–2025 AP EAPCET closing rank trends and will be confirmed once 2026 allotment rounds are complete.

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AP EAPCET SC and ST Reservation Policy

Andhra Pradesh applies a horizontal reservation policy for SC and ST students across all government and aided engineering colleges. The seat matrix applied during AP EAPCET counselling is:

SC and ST students compete within their own category pool using their overall AP EAPCET rank. A larger closing rank number — for example, 25,000 for SC versus 3,000 for OC — means the threshold is more relaxed, since seats are filled from a smaller category-specific applicant set.

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AP EAPCET SC and ST Closing Rank Trends (2021–2025)

The table below tracks how SC and ST closing ranks for CSE at AUCE Visakhapatnam — the most competitive AP government engineering college — have tightened each year. These trends form the basis for 2026 projections.

The consistent yearly tightening reflects growing competition for government college CSE seats. SC students should aim for a rank below 14,000 for a strong shot at AUCE Visakhapatnam CSE in 2026. The SC-to-OC closing rank ratio at AUCE has held steady at approximately 7.5–8x across years, and the ST-to-OC ratio at roughly 14–15x — these multipliers inform the college-wise projections below.

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Expected SC Category Closing Ranks for Government Colleges

The table below lists expected AP EAPCET 2026 SC closing ranks across key branches at major Andhra Pradesh government engineering colleges. All figures are based on 2025 counselling trends.

AUCE Visakhapatnam records the most competitive SC cutoffs among all AP government colleges. SC students with ranks below 32,000 can realistically target CSE or ECE at one of the top four government institutions. EEE and Civil branches at district-level government colleges extend the accessible rank range significantly beyond 1,00,000 for SC students.

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Expected ST Category Closing Ranks for Government Colleges

ST closing ranks are typically 1.8–2 times higher than SC closing ranks for the same college and branch. This is because the ST applicant pool in AP EAPCET is smaller relative to the reserved seats, allowing students with higher overall ranks to still secure allotment. Expected 2026 ST closing ranks based on 2025 trends are:

ST students with ranks below 65,000 have strong chances at CSE or ECE at one of the top AP government colleges. ST students with ranks above 1,00,000 should include EEE branches at GCEK and JNTUA, and Civil or Mechanical branches at district-level government institutions, in their web options list.

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Factors Affecting AP EAPCET 2026 Cutoffs

Rank thresholds shift every year. These are the main variables that will determine whether 2026 closing ranks land above or below 2025 figures.

• SC and ST applicant volume in 2026: A larger category-wise applicant pool pushes closing ranks lower, making competition tighter for the same seats.
• Exam difficulty: An easier AP EAPCET paper compresses the rank distribution and tightens cutoffs at premium government colleges across all categories.
• Branch demand shifts: CSE, AI and ML, and Data Science branches attract more students each cycle — their SC and ST cutoffs tighten the fastest year on year.
• College seat intake changes: New seats sanctioned at a government college loosen its closing rank for that academic year.
• Multi-round counselling movement: Students upgrading allotments in Rounds 2 and 3 alter round-wise figures — Round 1 closing ranks are typically tighter than final allotment data.

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