How Many Seats Are There in UCEED 2026? - Category-wise Seat Matrix & Allotment Guide

Overview: The UCEED 2026 seat matrix offers a total of 245 B.Des seats across IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, and IIITDM Jabalpur. With thousands of aspirants competing fiercly for this small number of admissions, information on how many seats are there in UCEED across participating institutes is crucial to plan your admission strategically. Follow the article till the end to understand everything from seats distribution to past trends, admission planning, counselling info and backup plans.

If you're searching how many seats are there in UCEED 2026, you're in the right place. With very limited seats and high applicant volume, the exam is considered highly competitive.

In 2025, the total number of seats increased to 245, making it the most coveted information for aspiring design students.

Over 15000 students appeared for UCEED this year, resulting in a high student-to-seat ratio.

This blog goes beyond mere numbers, it dives into seat distribution across IITs, overview of Category-wise seats reservation, UCEED seat trends over the years, additional UCEED-accepting institutes, and smart seat strategy for applicants.

By the end, you’ll know everything about UCEED seats, the UCEED number of seats, and how to leverage it for your advantage.

Download Free Study Material for UCEED 2026 by CreativeEdge

Total Number of Seats in UCEED 2026

How Many seats are there in UCEED? According to the official seat matrix released by IIT Bombay, the total number of seats in UCEED 2025 rose to 245. This is up from 225 seats in 2024.

These UCEED seats are distributed across seven core Indian Institute of Technology offering the Bachelor of Design (B.Des) program:

1. IIT Bombay
2. IIT Delhi
3. IIT Guwahati
4. IIT Hyderabad
5. IIT Roorkee
6. IIITDM Jabalpur
7. IIT Indore

If you are also looking for more information on how many seats are there in UCEED 2026, here’s a complete overview of the category-wise distribution (of 2025, as 2026 notification is not released yet):

Institute	Open	Open-PwD	EWS	EWS-PwD	OBC-NCL	OBC-NCL-PwD	SC	SC-PwD	ST	ST-PwD	Total
IIT Bombay	14	0	4	1	9	0	5	1	3	0	37
IIT Delhi	8	1	2	0	5	0	3	0	1	0	20
IIT Guwahati	22	1	6	0	15	0	7	1	3	1	56
IIT Hyderabad	11	1	3	0	8	0	4	1	2	0	30
IIT Roorkee	8	0	2	0	4	1	3	0	2	0	20
IIITDM Jabalpur	25	1	6	1	18	0	10	0	4	1	66
IIT Indore	6	1	2	0	4	0	2	0	1	0	16
Total	94	5	25	2	63	1	34	3	16	2	245

Read more: UCEED 2026 Reservation Policy

How Many Seats are there in UCEED 2026: Institute-Wise Breakdown 

Here's how the seats are allocated across the participating institutes in 2025:

Institute	Total Seats
IIT Bombay	37
IIT Delhi	20
IIT Guwahati	56
IIT Hyderabad	30
IIT Roorkee	20
IIITDM Jabalpur	66
IIT Indore	16
Total UCEED seats	245

Also Check: UCEED Eligibility Criteria 2026: Know Age Limit, Number of Valid Attempts

UCEED Colleges Comparison Chart: Fees + Placement + Cut-Offs All @ One Place!

Why UCEED Seats Increased (2024 → 2025)

The jump from 225 (in 2024) to 245 (in 2025) UCEED seats is major. The primary reason: IIT Indore became a participating institute in 2025, contributing 16 additional B.Des seats .

Even small additions like these can significantly affect seat availability, competition, and cut-off trends.

Historical Seat Trends UCEED Seats Over the Years

To provide perspective on how the UCEED number of seats has evolved:

2025: 245 total UCEED seats (after IIT Indore inclusion)

2024: 225 total no. of seats in UCEED (before IIT Indore).

2023 and earlier: Approximately 205 seats, reflecting fewer participating institutes.

This upward trend suggests that seat availability may grow in the future as well. However, the competition is expected to only get more intense. Why? Let’s find out.

Why Competition Will Remain Intense Even If New Seats Are Added:

Many aspirants feel relieved when they hear “IITs are increasing seats for UCEED”. But here’s the truth:

1. Rising Number of Test-Takers

Every year, the popularity of UCEED grows. With more and more students turning to design careers and IITs being aspirational, the number of applicants is increasing faster than the number of new seats.

For example, if 200 new seats are added but 2,000 more students apply, the competition ratio still worsens.

2. Quality Aspirants with Coaching & Resources

Students today have access to first-rate coaching institutes like CreativEdge, exam-like UCEED mock tests, and highest quality study material from professionals, like never before.

This raises the average performance level, which means cut-offs rise even if more seats are available.

3. IIT Brand Value

Regardless of how many seats are there in UCEED each year or how may new ones are added, the top IITs like Bombay and Delhi will always be limited.

With just 20 seats in the coveted IIT Delhi & 37 in IIT Bombay, plus reservation rules in place, you can imagine the extremely high intensity of competition amongst aspirants to secure a seat in their dream colleges.

Thousands aim only for them, so the fight for the first few hundred ranks always stay cut-throat.

4. Broader Awareness of Design Careers

Unlike a decade ago, design is no longer 'niche'. Students & parents have become more acceptable towards turning creative passion into careers. Even just a decade ago, parents mostly pushed their kids for Engineering, Medical, or CA.

Additionally, thanks to media, social platforms, and career counselling, design has gained mainstream recognition.

Many schools even encourage creative aptitude tests and design thinking workshops at the high school level.

This cultural shift ensures a growing applicant base year after year.

How Many Seats are there in UCEED 2026: Other UCEED Accepting Institutes Beyond IITs

While UCEED seats are mainly at IITs and IIITDM Jabalpur, many other top institutions of the country also offer B.Des programs using UCEED ranks. These are known as result-sharing institutes.

1. BITS Pilani Design School
2. Institute of Design, Nirma University, Ahmedabad
3. Department of Design, Netaji Subhas University of Technology (NSUT), New Delhi
4. RV University, Bengaluru
5. P. Jindal Global University
6. Delhi Technological University
7. CEPT University, Ahmedabad
8. UPES School of Design, Dehradun
9. Footwear Design & Development Institute (FDDI)
10. Srishti-Manipal Institute of Art, Design & Technology

And many more top-level colleges and universities.

Although many of these institutes don't participate in round-based seat allotment, they offer additional UCEED seats, increasing overall options for design aspirants concerned about how many seats are there in UCEED 2026. Here’s how this can be a game-changer:

• Institutes like BITS Pilani already have global recognition in engineering and innovation. Their entry into design signals that design is becoming a high-value profession.
• BITS Pilani and similar institutes focus strongly on innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship.
• A design degree here often blends design + engineering + business, preparing students to become product innovators, start-up founders, and global designers.
• This interdisciplinary exposure is highly valued in industries like UI/UX, product design, gaming, AR/VR, and automotive design.

Check: List of Private Colleges That Accept UCEED Score​ 2026

Attempt Exam-like UCEED Mock Tests for Real Exam Practice

Why Knowing How Many Seats are there in UCEED 2026 Matters for Aspirants

1. Realistic Goal Setting:

Knowing how many seats in UCEED helps you set rank and score targets intelligently.

2. Assess Admission Chances:

If there are 245 UCEED seats and 6000+ qualifiers, you understand the level of competition.

3. Focus on Categories & Reservations:

Students from reserved categories can evaluate their winning chances by checking relevant seat breakdowns.

4. Strategic Targeting:

If a specific IIT has fewer seats, you may want to adjust strategies or consider alternative participating institutes.

Learn more: UCEED 2026 Preparation Tips by Past Year Toppers

Smart Strategy Based on UCEED Seat Matrix

(a) Analyze Your Category’s Seat Pool

For example, if you’re OBC-NCL, there are 63 seats. If 300 aspirants from your category are aiming for top ranks, the effective competition ratio is 5:1.

(b) Target Alternate Colleges

If you know IIT Bombay or Delhi seats are limited, you may aim for IIT Guwahati or IIITDM Jabalpur where seat count is higher.

(c) Prepare for Reservation Filters

Knowing how many seats are there in UCEED 2026 can help you understand that horizontal (PwD) seats do not reduce vertical category count, they are overlaid. This can help in calculating realistic competition within your bracket.

UCEED Seats vs Applicants - Competition Reality

UCEED consistently sees over 14,000+ test takers annually .

With just 245 seats at IITs, this takes the acceptance rate to under 2%, even before considering result-sharing institutes.

Adding them improves this rates marginally, but the competition still remains extremely tight.

UCEED Seat Allotment Process + Schedule

The seat allotment process in UCEED is centralized and conducted by IIT Bombay, the organizing institute. After the results are declared, qualified candidates must participate in the official counselling process to secure admission.

Step-by-Step Seat Allotment Process:

1. Result Declaration & Rank List

IIT Bombay releases the UCEED result along with the All India Rank (AIR).

Only candidates who meet the cutoff in both Part A and Part B are included in the rank list.

2. Online Counselling Registration

Candidates must register on the official UCEED admission portal within the specified timeline. A non-refundable counselling fee is to be paid at this stage.

3. Choice Filling

Candidates can list their preferred IITs and B.Des programs in order of priority.

Higher your rank, more flexibility you get in choosing the preferred institute.

4. Seat Allotment Rounds

UCEED seat allotment is carried out in up to 5 rounds, based on merit, rank, preferences, and seat availability. Candidates usually have 3 options:

• Freeze Option:

If you are satisfied with the seat and institute allotted to you, you can choose Freeze. 7Once frozen, you will not be considered for any higher preference in the next rounds.

This is usually chosen by students who get their top IIT choice early.

Plus, candidates allotted a seat must confirm it by paying the seat acceptance fee.

• Float Option:

If you want to accept the seat allotted but also want to be considered for an upgrade to a higher preference in subsequent rounds, you can choose Float.

This keeps you in the system while holding your current seat as backup.

Example: If you are allotted IIT Hyderabad but your first choice is IIT Bombay, selecting Float keeps the possibility open.

• Decline/Withdraw:

If you do not wish to accept the allotted seat, you can choose to decline or simply not pay the seat acceptance fee.

In such cases, you are out of the counselling process entirely and won’t be considered for further rounds.

Tip for aspirants: Always lock your best available option with Float (unless it’s already your top choice). This ensures you don’t lose a seat while still being open to upgrades.

5. Seat Confirmation & Document Verification

Once a seat is confirmed, candidates must upload the required documents for verification.

Failure to confirm results in forfeiture of the allotted seat.

6. Final Admission

After completion of counselling, candidates must report to the allotted institute to complete admission formalities.

UCEED 2026 (Tentative) Seat Allotment Schedule

Event	Expected Timeline
UCEED 2026 Result Declaration	March 2026
UCEED Counselling Registration Starts	March - April 2026
Round 1 Seat Allotment	May 2026
Round 2 Seat Allotment	June 2026
Round 3 Seat Allotment	July 2026
Reporting to Allotted Institutes	July - August 2026

 Note: The schedule may vary slightly, but the structure remains the same every year.

Unlock Most Probable UCEED Part-B Drawing Questions

UCEED Admission Process

Following is the step-by-step admission process as per the official UCEED sources:

1. Appear for UCEED

Candidates must register and appear for UCEED conducted in January every year. The registrations start from September to October.

2. Qualify the Exam

Secure a place in the UCEED Rank List by clearing the minimum cut-off.

3. Apply for B.Des Admissions

Register separately for B.Des admissions via the UCEED admission portal managed by IIT Bombay.

4. Participate in Counselling & Seat Allotment

Fill choices, participate in counselling rounds, and wait for allotment results.

5. Accept Seat & Verify Documents

Confirm seat by paying acceptance fee and uploading required documents (marksheets, category certificate, etc.).

6. Institute-Level Formalities

Report to the allotted institute (IIT or other UCEED participating college) and complete the admission process, including payment of semester fees.

Do Check: UCEED Registration 2026: Check Direct Link to fill UCEED Application Form [Step-by-Step Process]

Required Documents for Admission

• UCEED Scorecard
• Class 10th & 12th Mark Sheets
• Category Certificate (if applicable)
• PwD Certificate (if applicable)
• Photo ID Proof
• Passport-size Photographs

What’s the Future for UCEED Seats?

Trend: More institutes may join (like IIT Indore did in 2025), increasing seats gradually.

Toprankers Tip: Never rely on seat count growth, plan based on current numbers, but stay adaptable.

Alternative Pathways: Look into result-sharing institutes that offer UCEED seats beyond IITs.

Check: UCEED Fee Structure 2026

Backup Plans for UCEED Aspirants After Results

Many students ask us, “What if I don't get a seat in UCEED?”

Every year, many students don’t get a seat IIT UCEED seats even after qualifying the exam, because the number of seats (245 in 2025) is far smaller than the number of qualified candidates (close to 5,000+). This makes having a Plan B essential.

You can either go for private design colleges accepting UCEED scores, try for other design entrances like NID, NIFT, NATA or JEE B.Arch or plan for a drop year.

Many of our past students now engaged in their dream design jobs have reported that not getting into IITs is not your dream's end.

More often than not, it will lead you to equally successful careers in NID, NIFT, or private design schools, as the industry ultimately values portfolio and skillset more than just the institute name.

Click to Get Original Solved UCEED Previous Year Papers Now!

Conclusion

When someone asks “how many seats are there in UCEED 2026”, the answer is 245 in IITs for 2025. This number may or may not change in 2026 & can only be confirmed after the official notification is released by IIT Bombay (tentatively in September 2025). But really, it's about what those seats mean for you:

• 245 seats = limited scope
• IIT Indore’s addition made it 245
• Seat distribution varies by institute & category
• Other colleges further increase opportunities
• Focus should be on smart rank targeting, not just seat count

UCEED is competitive, but clarity on seat numbers can turn that into clarity on your preparation strategy. Want help planning your rank-goal based on target institute and category? Our CreativeEdge mentors can help you build a customized plan, feel free to reach out @6363286363.

Need professionals guidance to crack UCEED 2026? Join UCEED Online Coaching 2026 by Creative Edge today!