MHT CET CAP Round 3 Cutoff 2026: College-Wise Expected Cutoffs for CSE, IT, AI & Cyber Security

The MHT CET CAP Round 3 2026 is becoming increasingly important for engineering aspirants who are still waiting for a better college or preferred branch after the first two rounds of Maharashtra engineering admissions.

Computer Engineering (CE), Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), Information Technology (IT), Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (AI & DS), AI & Machine Learning and Cyber Security remain among the most sought-after engineering options.

With CAP Round II allotments now available, students are naturally asking:

Will cutoffs fall in MHT CET CAP Round 3 2026, and which colleges could become available at lower percentiles?

The answer is that cutoffs can move in Round 3, but the movement will not be identical across colleges, branches or seat categories.

Here is a fact-based look at what students should expect.

Is MHT CET CAP Round 3 Cutoff 2026 Released?

As of this update, students should not treat any CAP Round 3 2026 cutoff circulating online as an official final cutoff unless it has been published by the Maharashtra State CET Cell.

The CET Cell's 2026–27 engineering admission portal currently provides the ongoing CAP information and Round II material, while also maintaining previous-year CAP cutoff lists for comparison.

Therefore, the Round 3 figures discussed in this article are expected ranges, not official cutoffs.

Once CAP Round 3 is completed, the CET Cell will provide the actual allotment/cutoff information through its engineering admission portal.

Why Can Cutoffs Change in CAP Round 3?

Engineering cutoffs do not remain fixed throughout CAP.

After Round II, several things can change.

Some students who have received seats may choose betterment and move to a higher preference.

Others may confirm admission elsewhere.

Students may also move between branches within the same college.

Vacancies created through this movement are then available for subsequent allotment according to CAP rules and the option preferences submitted by candidates.

This is why a branch that appeared slightly out of reach in Round I or II can sometimes become possible in Round III.

However, students should not assume that every cutoff will fall dramatically.

Highly demanded branches at top colleges can remain extremely competitive.

Computer Engineering Remains Highly Competitive

Computer Engineering continues to be one of the most competitive engineering branches in Maharashtra.

The demand is particularly strong at established colleges in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Pune.

Students are attracted by career opportunities across software development, cloud computing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data engineering and other technology sectors.

The 2026 CAP data already demonstrates this competition.

For example, at SIES Graduate School of Technology, Nerul, the official CAP Round II allotment list shows Computer Engineering candidates in the state-level open-seat pool clustered in the high-96 to high-97 percentile region, with the state-level allotments extending to approximately the 96 percentile area.

That gives students a useful indication of just how competitive Computer Engineering remains at popular Mumbai-region colleges.

Expected CAP Round 3 Cutoffs: Mumbai and Navi Mumbai Colleges

The following ranges should be treated as planning estimates only. Actual Round 3 closing percentiles will depend on vacancies, category, gender, minority status, home university rules, seat type and student preference movement.

SIES Graduate School of Technology, Nerul

SIES GST remains one of the more popular engineering choices in Navi Mumbai.

The institute is autonomous and has Computer Engineering, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence & Data Science and other technology-related programmes.

Based on the current level of competition, students seeking regular open state-level Computer Engineering seats should expect the branch to remain highly competitive.

Expected Round 3 range:

Computer Engineering: around 95.8–96.5+ percentile

Information Technology: around 94.5–96+ percentile

AI & Data Science: around 94–95.5+ percentile

These are indicative ranges rather than official cutoffs.

SIES is also a Tamil linguistic minority institution, so candidates must carefully distinguish between state-level open seats and minority seats when interpreting cutoff information.

Don Bosco Institute of Technology, Mumbai

Don Bosco Institute of Technology in Kurla is another popular option among Mumbai engineering aspirants.

Computer-related branches generally attract strong demand because of the college's Mumbai location and established reputation.

For Round 3, students should expect Computer Engineering to remain more competitive than many traditional engineering branches.

Indicative Round 3 range:

Computer Engineering/CSE-related option: approximately 94–96+ percentile

IT or related computing branches, where applicable: approximately 93–95+ percentile

Actual admission chances will depend heavily on available seats after Round II.

A. P. Shah Institute of Technology, Thane

A. P. Shah Institute of Technology is a popular Thane option and offers Computer Engineering along with technology specialisations.

The college is a Jain religious minority institution, which is important when interpreting seat availability and cutoffs.

For non-minority open candidates, the effective competition for available seats can differ considerably from the headline cutoff seen for minority seats.

Expected Round 3 range for popular computing branches:

Computer Engineering: approximately 91–94 percentile

AI/ML-related branches: approximately 89–93 percentile

Cyber Security or allied computing options: approximately 88–92 percentile, depending on the available branch and vacancies.

Students around the low-90s should therefore monitor APSIT carefully during later rounds.

Terna Engineering College, Navi Mumbai

Terna Engineering College is another college frequently considered by Navi Mumbai students looking for Computer Engineering, IT and newer computing specialisations.

Its cutoffs can be more accessible than the most competitive autonomous colleges while still attracting significant demand for computer-related programmes.

Expected Round 3 range:

Computer Engineering: approximately 91–94 percentile

IT: approximately 90–93 percentile

AI/Data Science or related specialisation: approximately 89–92 percentile

These ranges can move if substantial vacancies appear before Round 3.

Lokmanya Tilak College of Engineering, Navi Mumbai

Lokmanya Tilak College of Engineering at Kopar Khairane remains another important option for students around the 90–93 percentile range.

Computer Engineering is generally among its most demanded branches.

Expected CAP Round 3 range:

Computer Engineering: approximately 90–92.5 percentile

IT or allied computing programme: approximately 88.5–91.5 percentile

Students who narrowly missed the branch in earlier rounds may therefore still have a chance depending on vacancy movement.

Cyber Security Could Be an Interesting Round 3 Opportunity

Cyber Security has become increasingly popular as students look beyond conventional Computer Engineering.

Courses may appear under different official names, including:

Computer Science and Engineering (Cyber Security)

or combinations involving Internet of Things, Cyber Security and Blockchain Technology.

Students should check the exact official course title rather than relying on abbreviated names used on college websites or admission forums.

The CET Cell's 2026 institute listings confirm that Cyber Security-related programmes are available at participating colleges.

Demand is strong, but in some colleges these specialised branches can close below core Computer Engineering.

That can create an opportunity for students whose priority is entering the broader computer/software field.

Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Is Also in High Demand

AI-related engineering programmes have expanded significantly across Maharashtra.

The CET Cell's current 2026 institute data shows programmes such as:

• Artificial Intelligence and Data Science

• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

• CSE (Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning)

These programmes often attract students who would otherwise choose Computer Engineering or IT.

At highly demanded colleges, the difference between Computer Engineering and AI-related cutoffs can be small.

At mid-tier colleges, however, AI or Data Science may close slightly lower and provide another route into a computing-focused engineering degree.

Expected Cutoff by College Tier

Rather than focusing only on individual college predictions, students can use a broader planning framework.

For top-tier and highly demanded Mumbai/Pune computing programmes, open-category cutoffs can remain around 97–99+ percentile.

For strong second-tier colleges, Computer Engineering, IT and related branches may broadly remain around 93–97 percentile.

For mid-tier colleges, students may find opportunities around 88–94 percentile.

And below 90 percentile, there can still be Computer, AI, Data Science and Cyber Security opportunities across Maharashtra, particularly as students expand their geographic preferences.

These are broad planning bands, not official cutoffs.

Why Category Matters

Students should never compare their percentile with a single cutoff number without checking the seat type.

MHT CET CAP allotments contain different categories and seat types.

The official CET Cell allotment documents identify Maharashtra seats, All India seats, ladies' seats, reserved-category seats, minority seats and other applicable seat types.

A cutoff seen for one category cannot automatically be applied to another.

For example, a linguistic-minority cutoff at SIES should not be interpreted as the open state-level cutoff.

Likewise, a TFWS seat can close at a very different percentile from an ordinary seat in the same course.

Should You Remove a College Because Round 2 Cutoff Was Higher?

Not necessarily.

Suppose your percentile is 92 and a preferred branch closed around 93 in Round II.

Removing it solely because of that one-point difference could be premature.

If you genuinely prefer that college and branch, keeping it higher in your option list can make sense because Round 3 vacancies may produce movement.

But the option form should not contain only dream choices.

Students should maintain a combination of:

Dream options – slightly above the current percentile.

Realistic options – close to the student's current percentile.

Safe options – comfortably below the student's percentile.

This reduces the risk of ending the round without a useful allotment.

CSE vs IT vs AI vs Cyber Security: What Should Students Prefer?

For students who are unsure, Computer Engineering/CSE remains the broadest option because it provides a strong foundation across programming, algorithms, databases, operating systems, networks and software development.

IT is also closely related and can lead to many of the same software careers.

AI and Data Science provide earlier specialisation in areas such as machine learning, data analytics and intelligent systems.

Cyber Security focuses more heavily on computer networks, information security, cryptography, ethical hacking and digital-security concepts.

Students should therefore avoid selecting a specialised branch simply because its cutoff is slightly lower.

Choose a branch you are genuinely willing to study for four years.

What Students Should Do Before CAP Round 3

Students should check three things carefully.

First, examine the official CAP Round II cutoff/allotment information rather than depending on social-media screenshots.

Second, check the vacancy position for Round 3 when the CET Cell publishes it.

Vacancy information can be even more useful than historical cutoffs because it shows where actual opportunities may exist.

Third, prepare the option form in genuine order of preference.

Do not place a lower-preference college above a college you actually want more simply because you think the cutoff is easier.

The CAP system evaluates your choices according to the preference order you submit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is MHT CET CAP Round 3 cutoff 2026 released?

Students should rely only on the official Maharashtra CET Cell engineering admission portal for the final Round 3 cutoff. Predicted ranges published before the official cutoff are estimates.

Will CAP Round 3 cutoff decrease?

It can decrease for some colleges and branches because of vacancies and betterment movement, but a decrease is not guaranteed.

Can I get Computer Engineering at 92 percentile?

Yes, Computer Engineering can be available at several Maharashtra colleges around this range, although the most competitive colleges may require significantly higher percentiles.

Can I get Cyber Security at 90–92 percentile?

There can be Cyber Security and related CSE specialisation opportunities in this range, depending on college, category and vacancies.

Is AI & Data Science better than IT?

Neither is universally “better.” IT offers a broad computing route, while AI & Data Science is more specialised. College quality, curriculum, placements and the student's interests should all be considered.

Final Word

MHT CET CAP Round 3 2026 could provide an important final betterment opportunity for thousands of engineering aspirants, particularly students targeting Computer Engineering, IT, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and Cyber Security.

But students should avoid treating unofficial “expected cutoff” tables as guaranteed admission numbers.

The most reliable strategy is to combine the official CAP Round II data, Round 3 vacancy position, previous-year cutoff movement and your own genuine college preferences.

Computer Engineering is likely to remain the most competitive of the major computing branches, while IT, AI & Data Science and Cyber Security may provide additional opportunities depending on the college.

Most importantly, don't build a CAP Round 3 option form around one predicted number.

Keep dream, realistic and safe choices — and always verify the final cutoff and vacancy information on the official Maharashtra CET Cell portal.

Follow XTrendingNewsX for MHT CET 2026 CAP updates, engineering cutoffs, college comparisons, admission results and student news.