The Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell has officially released the seat matrix for the MHT CET 2026, revealing a significant increase in engineering seats available for aspiring students. This year, a total of 1,92,180 Bachelor of Engineering (BE) and Bachelor of Technology (BTech) seats will be offered across 380 participating institutes, marking an increase of 14,195 seats compared to the previous year’s total of 1,77,985 seats.The rise in available seats is attributed to the addition of eight new institutes, bringing the total number of participating institutions from 372 in 2025 to 380 in 2026. This expansion reflects the state’s commitment to enhancing educational opportunities in engineering disciplines, thereby accommodating a growing number of candidates seeking admission through the Centralised Admission Process (CAP) 2026.The MHT CET 2026 seat matrix provides detailed insights into the distribution of seats across various categories, including government, government-aided, autonomous, university-managed, private unaided, and minority engineering colleges. Additionally, it outlines branch-wise intake for popular programs such as Computer Engineering, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, and Mechanical Engineering, among others.As part of the admission process, the CET Cell is currently conducting the option entry for CAP round 1, with the deadline for candidates to submit their choices set for July 30. The allocation of seats will be determined based on several factors, including candidates’ MHT CET merit ranks, their reservation categories, and the preferences they submit during the option entry phase.The allotment of seats for MHT CAP round 1 is scheduled for August 2, 2026. This timely release of the seat matrix and the structured admission process aim to streamline the engineering admissions for the upcoming academic year, ensuring that students have access to the necessary information to make informed decisions regarding their educational futures.
