GATE 2026 Data Science (DS) Safe Score Predictions & Cutoff Trends for IITs, NITs
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| Updated On - Mar 20, 2026
Safe score for GATE admission to the top institutes varies with the difficulty level of the exam, the number of applicants who appeared, and the seat availability for the 2026 GATE Data Science and Artificial Intelligence exam.
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65-75 marks in GATE DS can help you secure a seat for M.Tech in Data Science or AI in NITs, IIITs, and some newly established IITs.
- 85 to 90+ marks in GATE DS is a remarkable score, which could give you a top AIR and allow you to enter premier IITs and research-oriented data science specialisations.
Key Summary:
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|---|
GATE DS Expected Cutoff for 2026
Expectations may differ a little according to the difficulty level of the exam and the number of students appearing in the exam.
| Category | GATE 2026 DS Expected Cutoff |
|---|---|
| General | 29.5-32 |
| OBC-NCL/EWS | 26.5-28.5 |
| SC/ST/PwD | 19.5-21 |
Source: YouTube
Previous years' cutoff for GATE DS
- The GATE Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DS) paper was introduced in 2024; so we only have past-year cutoff trends for 2024 and 2025.
- Last year's cutoff published by IIT Roorkee for General was 29, for OBC/NCL/EWS was 26.1, and for SC/ST/PwD was 19.3.
- The first time it was conducted by IISc Bangalore, and the cutoff for general was 37.1, for OBC/NCL/EWS 33.3, and for SC/ST/PwD 24.7.
| Program/Course Offered | GEN | OBC/EWS | SC/ST |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.Tech in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence | 813 | OBC 703 / EWS 744 | SC 693 / ST 551 |
| M.Tech in Artificial Intelligence | 796 | 710 | 590 |
| M.Tech in Computational & Data Sciences | 800 | 775 | 550 |
| M.Tech in Machine Intelligence and Data Science | 720 | 686 | 472 |
| M.Tech in Artificial Intelligence | 835 | 745-854 | 475-667 |
| Computational and Data Science/AII variants | 675-813 | 550-744 | 400-693 |
Source: YouTube
Factors Influencing GATE 2026 DS Cutoff
The GATE 2026 cutoff for IITs will largely depend on the exam's difficulty, the number of candidates, and the availability of seats. These factors will determine the level of competition and the percentile needed for admission.
- Generally, higher competition and better performance tend to push the cutoffs towards higher percentiles (95-99+), particularly for the best IIT programs.
- Exam Difficulty (GATE 2026): If the paper is difficult, the cutoff and percentile go down; conversely, if the paper is easy, they go up. Usually, for IITs, the cutoff is around the 95-99+ percentile depending on the difficulty.
- Number of Candidates (GATE 2026): With more than 8 lakh candidates, competition gets stiffer, which will probably drive IIT cutoffs higher to the 97-99+ percentile range for the top branches.
- Qualified Candidates (GATE 2026): The more the number of students who score well, the higher the cutoff will be, and a higher percentile will be required (9599+). On the other hand, fewer toppers can slightly reduce it.
- Seats Available (IITs): The limited number of IIT seats in the face of high demand leads to cutoffs that are quite high, making a percentile of 9899+ a safer bet for admission into top IITs.
GATE 2026 DS Safe Marks for IITs and NITs Admission
For GATE 2026, Data Science (DS) candidates should target significantly higher than the qualifying marks, as the demand for AI & Data Science is increasing day by day. IITs always record high cut-off marks, so a good score and percentile will be necessary for the admission without any risk.
- IITs are considered as the best ones (IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras): You have to aim for 70-80+ marks (98-99+ percentile) if you belong to the General category, 60-70+ (95-97 percentile) for OBC/EWS, and 50-60+ (90-95 percentile) for SC/ST to maintain competitiveness.
- Somewhat lower-level IITs (IIT Kanpur, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Roorkee): For the general category, you must try to get 50-70+ marks (95-98 percentile); for OBC/EWS, 40-60+ (90-95 percentile); and for SC/ST, 40-50+ (85-90 percentile) to have decent chances.
| Institute/Program | GEN | OBC/EWS | SC/ST | Notes from Source |
| IISc Bangalore - M.Tech in Artificial Intelligence | 796 | 710 | 590 | High demand; often requires interview/written test |
| IISc Bangalore - M.Tech in Computational & Data Sciences (CDS) | 800+ | 775+ | 550+ | Frequently higher than AI for GEN/OBC |
| IISc Bangalore - M.Tech in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DS1Y or similar) | 813-835 | OBC 703 / EWS 744-854 | SC 693 / ST 551-667 | Top-end for 2025 cycles; 835 GEN in some rounds |
| IIT Kharagpur - Related (e.g., AI/Cyber Physical Systems variants) | 701 | OBC 638 / EWS 668 | SC 469 / ST 437 | Popular AI branches higher |
| IIT Guwahati - Data Science | 500+ | Varies | Lower | Apply if around 500 or below in the later COAP rounds |
| Other IITs (e.g., Madras, Bombay variants for Machine Intelligence/Data Science) | 720-813 | 686-744 | 472-693 | IIT Madras: Higher for research-focused DS/AI; Bombay: MS lower but interview-based |
| Newer IITs (e.g., Tirupati, Indore, Bhilai, etc.) | 639-720 | Varies | Lower | Lower competition; good for 600+ GEN |
| NITs (via CCMT, e.g., AI/Data Science programs) | 389-407+ | Varies | Lower | Much lower; e.g., NIT Silchar 389-407 range |
Source: YouTube
FYQs
Ques. What is a safe score in GATE 2026 for Data Science (DS)?
Ans. A score in the range of 65-75+ marks is typically viewed as safe for getting admission to the good IITs and NITs in the Data Science or AI programs. Candidates aspiring for the top IITs should target a score of 7585+ marks, which will naturally depend upon the exam difficulty level and the extent of competition.
Ques. Can I get admission to NITs with 4050 marks in GATE 2026 DS?
Ans. It is possible for the candidates who score in the range of 40-50 marks to obtain admission to the leading or middle-level NITs, more so in the branches of NCE, data science, artificial intelligence, or their allied areas. Admission, of course, would depend on the category and number of seats available at that time.
Ques. Does the GATE DS cutoff change every year?
Ans. Indeed, the GATE cutoff does change every year; it's primarily determined by factors such as exam difficulty level, number of candidates appearing, and total number of seats available in the participating institutes.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.