WBJEE counselling admissions surge by 75.4% in 2026, total UG admissions up 49.9%

West Bengal experienced a significant surge in admissions through the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations (WBJEE) counselling process for the 2026 academic year. The state recorded a 75.4% increase in WBJEE counselling admissions compared to the previous year, with total admissions reaching 27,599.

This rise in WBJEE admissions reflects a broader trend of increased student interest in higher education within West Bengal, as combined undergraduate admissions across all degree courses via the West Bengal Centralised Admission Portal (WBCAP) and West Bengal Decentralised Admission Portal (WBDAP) also saw a substantial increase of 49.9%.

WBJEE Counselling Admissions See Record Growth

The West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations Board (WBJEEB) reported that WBJEE counselling admissions for undergraduate engineering and pharmacy courses totalled 27,599 in 2026. This marks an increase of 11,870 admissions from the 15,729 recorded in 2025, representing a year-on-year growth of 75.4%.

West Bengal Higher Education Minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay shared these figures on 18 October 2026. The data indicates that all government and government-aided engineering colleges in the state successfully filled their seats after the first counselling round in 2026, a milestone achieved after several years of sustained effort.

Combined Undergraduate Admissions UP Nearly 50%

Beyond the WBJEE counselling, overall undergraduate admissions across West Bengal also saw a notable increase. Combined admissions through the West Bengal Centralised Admission Portal (WBCAP) and West Bengal Decentralised Admission Portal (WBDAP) reached 3,92,227 in 2026. This figure represents a 49.9% rise from the 2,61,692 admissions recorded in 2025, amounting to an increase of 1,30,535 students.

WBCAP manages centralised admissions for undergraduate degree courses across West Bengal, while WBDAP covers decentralised admissions. The growth in these combined admissions reflects a wider undergraduate interest in general degree courses offered across state universities and colleges, as stated by the West Bengal Higher Education Minister.

Counselling Mode Breakdown for WBJEE 2026

The WBJEEB breaks its counselling process into two distinct modes: centralised and decentralised. In 2026, centralised counselling, which is primarily for government and government-aided institutes, accounted for 16,409 admissions. This indicates a strong preference and uptake for seats in state-funded institutions.

Decentralised counselling, which caters to participating private institutions, recorded 11,190 admissions in 2026. The combined total of admissions from both modes aligns with the overall WBJEE counselling admissions figure of 27,599 for the year.

Further reading

• WBJEE DCAP 2026: Apply for JU by Oct 23, CU by Oct 27 for vacant seats
• WBJEE 2027 eligibility criteria expected soon for engineering, pharmacy, architecture courses
• WBJEE cutoff: previous closing ranks and marks Next step
• JEE Advanced 2026: Register by April 23; Aim for top 120 rank for IIT Delhi CSE
• AP EAPCET: Apply for Pharm.D admissions by April/May
• AIT Pune BTech: Apply for 2027 admissions now, opened around Oct 18 Applications open

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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