Cotton University Admission 2026 covers undergraduate and postgraduate study, including BA and MSc. The application fee is INR 350 for UG courses and INR 1,200 for PG courses.

Students enter UG programmes through CUET UG or direct Class 12 merit, while most PG selections use the university's CPGEE. PhD applicants follow an entrance test and viva voce process unless they qualify for an exemption.

  • UG admission follows two routes: CUET scores and Assam-domicile merit. In-state and non-Assam applicants therefore use different routes to compete for seats.
  • The university conducts CPGEE for PG admission and prepares merit lists according to its own examination process instead of relying on a national entrance test.
  • Admission includes equity measures such as fee waivers for PwD and EWS students and a PG seat category reserved for recent Cotton University graduates.
Admission Process:
  • UG programmes: BA, BSc and BCA admission includes merit lists, spot admission and vacancy-based rounds through the official portal.
  • PG programmes: Applicants to MA, MSc, MCA, MCom and LLM follow the applicable entrance and merit-list process. CPGEE merit lists are normally expected within 15 days after the examination ends.
  • PhD programmes: The process includes an application, entrance test where applicable, departmental viva voce and final enrollment for selected scholars.
  • The FYUGP structure under NEP 2020 provides 1,410 UG seats across BA, BSc, BCA and BCom Honours.
  • Assam-domicile applicants alone can compete for the 40% direct HS merit share. Applicants from outside Assam must use CUET UG.
  • The UG form costs INR 350, while the PG application charge is INR 1,200.
  • Cotton University graduates from the 2025-26 session receive a reservation of 50% of PG seats under the Cotton Graduate Category.
  • OBC/MOBC students must produce a valid Non-Creamy Layer Certificate during admission.
  • PwD and EWS students receive a complete tuition fee waiver. SC, ST, OBC/MOBC and EWS reservation is applied according to Government of Assam rules.

Direct admission: Cotton University is a state government university and has no management quota. Every UG, PG and PhD seat is allotted through merit and the university's authorised admission procedure.

Cotton University Admission Portal 2026: admissions.cottonuniversity.ac.in

Cotton University UG Admission 2026

At the UG level, Cotton University has 1,410 seats in four Honours programmes. Students submit their forms through the Assam Higher Education Admission Portal on the Samarth platform. Seat allotment is based either on CUET UG performance or direct HS merit.

Cotton University UG Eligibility Criteria 2026

The eligibility conditions depend on the chosen route. Students from anywhere in India may use CUET UG, but the direct Class 12 merit option is limited to Assam-domicile applicants.

Admission Route Required Qualification Share of Seats
CUET UG 2026 Students from any recognised board need at least 50% aggregate in Class 12. This route is available across India. 60% (846 seats)
Direct HS Merit Applicants must have completed Class 12 through AHSEC or an equivalent Assam board. The minimum is 60% for General, 55% for OBC/MOBC and 50% for SC, ST and PwD students. Assam domicile is compulsory. 40% (564 seats)

Admission note: An Assam-domicile student may seek a seat through both CUET and direct HS merit. A non-Assam applicant can compete only for the 60% CUET share. Assam students can therefore take CUET UG and list Cotton University as a preference while also using the direct route.

Cotton University UG Selection Criteria 2026

For the CUET share, the university checks the CUET UG score in the subject linked to the selected Honours discipline. The CUET paper must match the Honours subject named in the application.

The direct route uses Class 12 marks awarded by AHSEC or another equivalent Assam board. Separate category merit lists are prepared under Government of Assam reservation rules for SC, ST, OBC/MOBC, EWS and PwD applicants.

How to Apply for UG at Cotton University?

  • Create an account on the Samarth admission portal at admissions.cottonuniversity.ac.in.
  • Select an Honours subject and choose either CUET or Direct HS Merit as the admission route.
  • Upload the Class 12 marksheet, Assam domicile proof for the direct route and an OBC Non-Creamy Layer Certificate when relevant.
  • Complete the online payment of the INR 350 application fee.
  • Save the acknowledgement slip and use the portal to follow merit-list notices.

Cotton University PG Admission 2026

The Cotton Post Graduate Entrance Examination, or CPGEE 2026, is the university's online test for most PG admissions. Available programmes include MA, MSc, MCA, MCom, LLM, MLISc and PG Diploma courses. MSc Molecular Biology and Biotechnology follows the NTA GATB-2026 route instead of CPGEE.

Cotton University PG Eligibility Criteria 2026

Applicants need a bachelor's degree from a recognised university. Students completing the final semester of their UG programme may also sit for CPGEE 2026.

A student who graduated before 2023 cannot apply through CPGEE. This gap-year condition does not apply to LLM applicants.

Programme Academic Requirement Basis of Selection
MA in all subjects A bachelor's degree in the relevant humanities or social science field CPGEE 2026
MSc, excluding MBBT A bachelor's degree in the appropriate science subject CPGEE 2026
MSc Molecular Biology & Biotechnology A bachelor's degree in Life Sciences or Biotechnology GATB-2026 conducted by NTA
MCA A bachelor's degree in any discipline, with no Honours requirement CPGEE 2026
LLM An LLB from a recognised university, with no gap-year restriction CPGEE 2026

Cotton University PG Selection Criteria 2026

Most PG seats are split equally between two groups. The Cotton Graduate Category assigns 50% of seats to students who completed their degree at Cotton University in the 2025-26 batch. The other 50% form the Open Category and can be contested by graduates of any recognised university.

MLISo, LLM and MCom do not use the Cotton Graduate reservation because every seat in these programmes belongs to the Open Category. CPGEE 2026 scores are used for selection, and the university draws up separate subject-wise merit lists for the relevant categories.

For MSc MBBT, the admission process starts within 7 working days after NTA announces the GATB-2026 result.

How to Apply for PG at Cotton University?

  • Open admissions.cottonuniversity.ac.in and register for CPGEE 2026.
  • Choose a PG course, then enter the requested personal and academic information.
  • Add the degree documents and marksheets listed on the portal.
  • Pay the INR 1,200 application charge online.
  • Obtain the admit card through the candidate login when the university makes it available.
  • Take CPGEE 2026 and follow the official admission portal for the applicable merit list.

Cotton University PhD Admission 2026

More than 20 departments admit PhD scholars at Cotton University. Research departments cover Humanities, Social Sciences, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Earth Sciences. The participating subjects include Economics, English, History, Botany, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and Zoology, along with other disciplines.

Cotton University PhD Eligibility Criteria 2026

A master's degree in a field connected to the chosen PhD discipline is required, with at least 55% marks. SC, ST, OBC, EWS and PwD applicants with more than 40% disability receive a relaxation of 5%. A student studying in the fourth semester of a PG course may also submit an application.

Cotton University PhD Selection Criteria 2026

Selection has an entrance test followed by a departmental viva voce. A score of at least 50% in the test is needed to reach the viva stage. Final merit gives 70% weight to the entrance score and 30% weight to the viva voce.

The entrance examination is worth 70 marks. Half of its content tests Research Methodology, and the other half covers the relevant academic subject.

Applicants holding valid UGC-NET, CSIR-NET, GATE, ICMR or DBT fellowship scores do not have to take the entrance examination. They move directly to the departmental viva voce. The same exemption applies to NET Category 2 and Category 3 candidates qualified from June 2024 onwards.

Admission note: A valid NET or GATE certificate provides a direct route to the viva voce by removing the university entrance-test requirement. The certificate must be uploaded with the application to claim this exemption.

How to Apply for a PhD at Cotton University?

  • Check admissions.cottonuniversity.ac.in for the university's next PhD notification.
  • Register online, choose a department and enter the required academic information.
  • Upload the master's marksheets and a NET or GATE certificate if claiming an exemption.
  • Send the completed form before the deadline announced by the university.
  • Attend the entrance test when no exemption applies, followed by the departmental viva voce.

Cotton University Scholarship 2026

Students at Cotton University may receive government scholarships or university fee relief. EWS and PwD students are granted a full tuition fee waiver upon admission. The available support includes the following schemes:

Scholarship or Waiver Who Can Apply Benefit
Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child A single girl child from any category studying at PG level Financial assistance
PG Scholarship for University Rank Holders Students who secured the 1st or 2nd rank in their UG final examination Financial assistance
Ishan Uday Special Scholarship UG or PG students from Northeast India whose yearly family income is below INR 4.5 lakh Financial assistance
Post-Matric Scholarship for SC Students SC students with annual family income below INR 2.5 lakh Financial assistance
EWS and PwD Scholarship Students in the EWS or PwD category Full tuition fee waiver at admission

Cotton University Admission FAQs

Ques. Which Cotton University applicants need a CUET UG score?

Ans. CUET UG is required for the 60% CUET allocation, which contains 846 seats. The other 40% is filled by direct HS merit and is limited to Assam-domicile students. Applicants from outside Assam have to use CUET, while eligible Assam students may compete through both routes.

Ques. What is the UG intake and route-wise seat distribution?

Ans. BA, BSc, BCA and BCom Honours together have 1,410 FYUGP seats. CUET UG applicants compete for 846 seats, and the Assam direct HS merit pool contains the remaining 564 seats.

Ques. What Class 12 marks are needed for the Assam direct merit route?

Ans. General applicants need at least 60% from AHSEC or an equivalent Assam board. The threshold is 55% for OBC/MOBC and 50% for SC, ST and PwD applicants. Only students with Assam domicile can use this route.

Ques. How does Cotton University select students for its PG courses?

Ans. Cotton University conducts the Cotton Post Graduate Entrance Examination for MA, MSc except MBBT, MCA and several other PG programmes. MSc Molecular Biology and Biotechnology instead uses NTA's GATB-2026. MLISo, LLM and MCom place all seats in the Open Category, with the applicable merit process used for selection.

Ques. Are graduates of other universities eligible for Cotton University PG admission?

Ans. Yes. Graduates from any recognised university may compete for the Open Category, which covers 50% of most PG seats. The other half is kept for Cotton University graduates from the 2025-26 session. Every LLM, MLISo and MCom seat belongs to the Open Category.

Ques. Who can skip the Cotton University PhD entrance examination?

Ans. Applicants with a valid UGC-NET, CSIR-NET, GATE, ICMR or DBT fellowship score are exempt and proceed to the departmental viva voce. NET Category 2 and Category 3 candidates qualified from June 2024 onwards receive the same exemption.

Ques. What weight does each PhD selection stage carry?

Ans. The entrance test contributes 70% to final merit, and the viva voce contributes 30%. A candidate must earn at least 50% in the entrance examination to qualify for the viva. Exempt NET or GATE applicants move directly to the interview stage.

Ques. How much does it cost to submit a Cotton University admission form?

Ans. A UG application costs INR 350, and a PG application costs INR 1,200. These application charges apply to every category. After admission, eligible PwD and EWS students receive a full tuition fee waiver.

Ques. Which financial support schemes can Cotton University students use?

Ans. The schemes include Ishan Uday for eligible students from Northeast India, the Indira Gandhi Scholarship for a single girl child at PG level, the PG Scholarship for University Rank Holders and the Post-Matric Scholarship for SC students. EWS and PwD students also receive a full tuition fee waiver upon admission.

Ques. Can a student obtain a paid or management-quota seat at Cotton University?

Ans. No. As a state government university, Cotton University does not allot management-quota seats. Admission to UG, PG and PhD programmes depends on merit through CUET UG, CPGEE or the university's relevant entrance and selection procedure.