Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Higher Education Department on Monday published the first selection merit list for Phase-I admissions into Undergraduate (UG Degree/+3) courses for the 2026-27 academic session, with a total of 1,78,782 students securing seats across higher educational institutions in the state.

According to official statistics, admissions are being conducted against a total sanctioned seat strength of 2,87,327. A total of 2,37,200 students had applied for admission this year.

Of the 1,78,782 candidates selected in the first round, 69,182 are male students, 1,09,591 are female students and nine are transgender applicants.

The data shows that girls continue to outnumber boys in UG admissions across Odisha colleges.

Ravenshaw University dominates cut-off rankings

The Ravenshaw University emerged as the top-performing institution across multiple streams, recording the highest cut-off marks in Arts, Science and Commerce disciplines.

The highest cut-offs in various streams are:

• Arts: Ravenshaw University, Cuttack – 94.50% in Political Science
• Physical Science: Ravenshaw University, Cuttack – 96.50% in Physics
• Biological Science: Ravenshaw University, Cuttack – 94.83% in Zoology
• Commerce: Ravenshaw University, Cuttack – 89.17% in Commerce
• Shastri: Brajakishore Sanskrit Degree College – 67.57%
• Self-Financing: BJB (Buxi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar) (Autonomous) College – 92.00% in Computer Science
• Law: Madhusudan Law University – 89.40% in the five-year integrated B.A. LL.B programme        

Stream-wise selection figures

The stream-wise distribution of selected students is as follows:

• Science: 43,693
• Arts: 1,12,822
• Commerce: 15,624
• Shastri: 3,371
• Self-Financing Courses: 3,245
• Law: 167

Arts remained the most preferred stream, accounting for more than one lakh selections in the first round.

Admission process begins June 23

Students opting for the "Freeze" option must report to their allotted Higher Educational Institution (HEI) between June 23 and June 25 from 10 am to 5 pm to complete admission formalities.

Candidates choosing the "Slide" or "Float" options are required to pay the admission fee for the allotted seat and wait for the second-round selection process. They are not required to visit the allotted institution at this stage.

The Higher Education Department has also introduced a new "Alter" option, allowing students who have been allotted their first preference but are unwilling to take admission to modify their choices through an OTP-based verification system.

Officials said the new feature is aimed at providing greater flexibility to applicants during the admission process and ensuring better utilisation of available seats across institutions.