Commerce And Mangement

CUET Cutoff Comparison 2023-2025: DU, BHU, JNU, and JMI Trends

Likhith Likhith · February 26, 2026
this image contains a yellow educational graphic with the text “CUET Cutoff Comparison 2023–2025: DU, BHU, JNU, and JMI Trends” and a circular illustration of students using a laptop in front of a university building, with geometric shapes and the Career Plan B green bird logo in the top left, representing cutoff comparison and admission trend analysis

Introduction

Do cutoff scores at central universities really change much year to year? Or do top colleges like University of Delhi (DU), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) stick to familiar cutoffs through CUET?

Over the past three admission cycles — 2023, 2024, and 2025 — CUET cutoffs have shown distinct patterns influenced by:

  • Rising test-taker numbers
  • Seat demand versus availability
  • Course preferences
  • Relative difficulty of CUET sessions

In this article, we compare cutoffs across DU, BHU, JNU, and JMI — showing how trends have shifted and what patterns appear consistent.

In CUET-based admission, a cutoff is the minimum score or percentile required for a seat in a program during a particular admission round. Higher cutoff = more competition.

Cutoffs are typically expressed as:

  • Normalized scores (e.g., 790/800 in DU)
  • Percentiles (e.g., JNU 95th percentile)
  • Raw marks ranges (e.g., JMI, out of 200)

Across years, changes in these figures reflect shifts in competitive intensity.

DU 2023 Cutoffs

In the early years of CUET admissions, high-demand programs like B.Com (Hons), BA (Hons) Political Science, and BA (Hons) Economics consistently crossed 98–99 percentile ranges in top DU colleges. (FundaMakers)

DU 2024 Cutoffs

By the 2024 cycle, demand had intensified further. For competitive programs like BA (Hons) Economics, Political Science, and Psychology, percentiles hovered around 98–100 across top colleges. (FundaMakers)

DU 2025 Cutoffs

The 2025 first-round cutoff data officially released on the DU admission portal showed:

  • Hindu College and St. Stephen’s leading the charts
  • Normalised cutoffs near the upper scale (e.g., Hindu College leading)
  • BA (Hons) English requiring ~850+ normalized scores
    This underscores how intensely cutoffs have climbed over three years. (IMS India)

Trend Summary (DU)

Year Top Program Cutoff Pattern
2023 High 98–100 percentile (top honors)
2024 Cutoffs remain high across popular courses
2025 Extremely high in first round (e.g., 850+ normalized scores)

Across these years, top DU courses show a consistently high threshold, often requiring very competitive CUET scores for admission.

 BHU 2023

BHU has traditionally used raw scores (marks) or combined totals for UG cutoffs. In earlier years, programs like B.Com (Hons) and Science streams had higher raw score requirements compared with humanities.

 BHU 2024

Cutoffs saw modest increases due to a growing applicant base and limited seats in professional and science programs. Trends suggested BHU overall cutoffs being more reachable compared to DU, but still competitive. 

 BHU 2025

For 2025, reported expected cutoffs show:

  • B.Com (Hons): ~483+ (General)
  • B.Sc Agriculture: ~498+
  • B.Sc Mathematics & Physics: competitive mark ranges
    Reflecting how BHU cutoffs remain tougher for commerce and science programs. 

Trend Summary (BHU)

Year Expected Raw Marks / Trends
2023 Competitive but achievable
2024 Slight upwards trend
2025 Higher marks for science and commerce

BHU cutoffs lag slightly behind DU’s percentile rigour, yet they exhibit steady upward movement where applicant interest is high.

JNU’s admission structure through CUET is different — it focuses heavily on percentile bands per program, especially for language and social sciences.

 JNU Cutoffs 2023–2024

In previous years, popular language programs at JNU — such as French, German, and others — generally fell around 80–90+ percentile in earlier years, influenced by niche demand and seat availability. (Careers360)

 JNU 2025

Projected JNU cutoffs for languages in 2025 were similarly competitive, typically requiring high percentile ranks for popular foreign languages. Cutoff descriptions indicated percentile bands like 90–95 for B.A. in foreign languages in many cases. (Prabhat Khabar)

Trend Summary (JNU)

Year Dominant Cutoff Pattern
2023 High percentiles in languages
2024 Stable high percentile ranges
2025 Continued strong competition in niche programs

JNU cutoffs illustrate stable demand particularly where program seats are limited and competition is niche but intense.

Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) uses CUET scores for UG admissions across arts, science, and commerce.

2025 Snapshots

Official reports show JMI’s 2025 cutoffs for various programs:

  • BA Economics: ~170–200 (out of 200)
  • BA History: ~180–200
  • B.Sc Biotechnology & Physics: ~180–200
  • BA Hindi & other languages: variable ranges
    These figures indicate quite competitive marks for core streams relative to the total score.
    (Direct comparative cutoff data for 2023–2024 is less widely published officially, but trends suggest relative stability with slight upward movement in competitive programs.)

Trend Summary (JMI)

Year Rough Expected Cutoff Pattern
2023 Moderate competitive scores
2024 Slight increases in key streams
2025 Strong marks required, similar to DU/BHU patterns

JMI shows competition that responds to seat demand, particularly in mainstream programs like Economics and Biotechnology.

 1. DU Stays Most Competitive

Across the three years:

  • DU’s elite programs often required near-top CUET scores (98–100 percentile or high normalized scores). Especially in sought-after honors streams (e.g., Economics, Political Science).

 2. BHU Stabilizes Behind DU

  • BHU shows cutoffs based on raw marks with moderate upward trends.
  • Commerce and science streams see tougher cutoffs than general humanities.

3. JNU Focuses on Percentile Bands

  • JNU programs, especially languages and interdisciplinary streams, consistently require high percentiles.Competition is specialized rather than volume-driven.

 4. JMI Holds Strong in Core Streams

  • JMI’s popular courses (Economics, History, Science) show competitive marks, close to central trends. Language and niche programs vary more.

Why Cutoffs Shift Over Time

Cutoff trends are not random. Here’s why they evolve:

 More Applicants Every Year

CUET’s growth in exam registrations increases competition across all central universities.

 Seat Demand–Supply Gap

High demand relative to fixed seats pushes cutoffs up.

 Course Popularity Changes

Courses like B.Sc Zoology have seen rising demand, pushing cutoffs unexpectedly higher. (Indiatimes)

 Normalization and Difficulty Changes

CUET uses normalization across multiple shifts, affecting percentile bands year by year.

What This Means for You

When preparing for CUET or choosing preferences:

  • Don’t compare across programs directly — analyze department and college trends
  • DU’s top streams consistently demand exceptionally high scores
  • BHU’s strong science and commerce programs can be targeted with slightly lower raw marks than DU percentile
  • JNU’s niche programs require excellent percentiles in language/social streams
  • JMI sits between mainstream and specialized patterns

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FAQs 

  1. Have CUET cutoffs increased from 2023 to 2025?
    Yes, cutoffs have generally increased due to rising competition and higher application numbers.
  2. Which university has the highest CUET cutoffs among DU, BHU, JNU, and JMI?
    DU consistently records the highest cutoffs, especially for Commerce and Economics programs.
  3. Did BHU and JMI cutoffs also rise in 2025 compared to 2023?
    Yes, both BHU and JMI saw noticeable increases in popular course cutoffs over the three years.
  4. Are JNU cutoffs lower than DU?
    Generally yes, JNU cutoffs are competitive but slightly lower than DU’s top programs.
  5. Do CUET cutoffs vary by category and course?
    Yes, cutoffs differ based on course demand, category, and seat availability.

Conclusion

Understanding the Cutoff Comparison: DU, BHU, JNU & JMI – Trends in 2023–2025 shows that:

  • DU remains the benchmark for intense competition.
  • BHU and JMI follow with rising but more diverse cutoffs.
  • JNU’s niche programs reflect sustained high percentile requirements.

Cutoff trends are shaped by demand patterns, seat allocation, and exam participation growth. Looking at the last three years helps you set realistic target scores, preferences, and strategies for CUET 2026.

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