“What score will land me my dream university?” If this question has been on your mind during your preparation, you’re not alone. This blog examines CUET PG Psychology cut-off trends to estimate safe score ranges for various universities, helping aspirants make informed, strategic admission decisions amid rising competition and limited seat availability.

The Common University Entrance Test for Postgraduate Programs (CUET PG) is a national-level examination conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). It provides common opportunities for aspirants for admission into various postgraduate programmes across central, state, deemed and private universities of the country. The introduction of CUET PG has played a pivotal role in making the admission process more transparent and centralised.

CUET PG Psychology (code: HUQP20) has become a very popular subject, with approximately 14,409 appearing for this subject’s examination in 2025. While the number of seats remains limited, the competition is increasing at a rapid speed.

• Official 2026 CUET PG Prospectus: https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s388a839f2f6f1427879fc33ee4acf4f66/uploads/2025/12/202512161583029269.pdf#page=13.06

Reservations

CUET PG offers reservations to aspirants belonging to certain categories, such as OBC-NCL, Gen-EWS, SC, and ST, in accordance with the rules prescribed by the Government of India. However, reservation details are provided by participating universities, and NTA has no part in it.

Each university set their own cut-offs based on internal policies, available seats, and reservation categories. This means the same score could get you into one university but not another. Some universities also give preference to students from specific backgrounds; for example, Delhi University reserves some seats for students who graduated from DU itself, Ambedkar University has separate lists for Delhi and outside Delhi candidates, and Pondicherry University sets aside seats for students from the Union Territory. These factors, along with category reservations and the number of applicants in each category, directly influence the cut-offs.

In recent years, psychology has become a highly popular subject, with many students pursuing careers in therapy, counselling, teaching, IO/OB, and research. As a result, competition for admissions is increasing every year. The number of applicants is also rising with each exam cycle. Therefore, it is important for students to understand what a safe score might be to secure admission to their desired university. This blog by Powerwithinpsychology provides estimated safe scores for different universities based on previous years’ trends.

To read more about last year’s cut-off and a detailed analysis, check out our dedicated blog:
Delhi University 2025 Cut-Off List for CUET PG Psychology. (blog.powerwithinpsychology.com)

This blog provides insights into previous cut-off trends, helping aspirants understand the level of competition and plan their preparation accordingly.

Expected Cut-offs for 2026

With increasing competition, every single mark matters, as it would determine not only the college but also the quality of resources, exposure, and mentorship. However, most universities release numerous cut-off lists; with each the cut-off lowers. So, even if your score doesn’t meet the first list, you can still have a chance in the second or third list.

Delhi University (DU)

DU offers two courses, M.A. Psychology (North Campus) and M.A. Applied Psychology (South Campus), which is one of the most competitive destinations for psychology PG aspirants. In the last few years, South Campus colleges have closed at higher cut-offs than North Campus, particularly in the first round.

Department/College Campus	2025 Cut-off (Unreserved)	Expected Cut-off of 2026 (Unreserved)
North Campus	276	280-290
South Campus	285	285-290

PS: Both campuses see around 2-3 rounds, so a safe score to target would be between 275 and 280.

Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)

TISS offers a course in M.A. Applied Psychology for aspirants with a regular-mode undergraduate degree in psychology and is known to be one of the most competitive universities in India for psychology.

Department/College Campus	2025 Cut-off (Unreserved)	Expected Cut-off of 2026 (Unreserved)
Mumbai Campus	Around 281	285-295

PS: Unlike other universities, there aren’t multiple rounds for admission (Top 30 students are selected based on the merit list).

Banaras Hindu University (BHU)

BHU offers both M.A. and M.Sc. degrees in psychology for aspirants from psychology backgrounds and aspirants from non-psychology backgrounds.

Paid seats at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) are a special category of seats offered in addition to the regular (merit-based) seats in various regular courses. These are called supernumerary paid seats, meaning they are extra seats (not exceeding 15% of the total seats in a course) and do not reduce the number of regular seats available.

Quota	2025 Cut-off (Unreserved)	Expected Cut-off of 2026 (Unreserved)
Open Quota (for students from other universities)	276	280-285
BHU Internal Quota (for BHU undergraduate students)	264	280-290

PS: BHU sees around 2-3 rounds and offers spot admission too, if seats remain.

Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD)

AUD is a state university that offers M.A. Psychology (Psychosocial Clinical Studies) and releases separate cut-off lists for Delhi and non-Delhi candidates.

Quota	2025 Cut-off (Unreserved)	Expected Cut-off of 2026 (Unreserved)
Outside Delhi	277	280-285
Delhi Quota	262	275-280

PS: AUD is a very popular choice among students and can have maximum two rounds of admission.

Pondicherry University

Pondicherry University offers an M.Sc. in Applied Psychology with a specialization in Clinical Psychology, Industrial/Organisational Psychology, and Counselling Psychology.

Quota	2025 Cut-off (Unreserved)	Expected Cut-off of 2026 (Unreserved)
Outside Pondicherry	275	280-285
Pondicherry Quota	119	125-135

PS: Pondicherry University releases a rank list and students are selected on the basis of the list.

Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI)

JMI conducts its own entrance test for admission to its programmes, with a maximum score of 100. The cut-off scores are based on this internal examination and reflect the minimum marks required out of 100 in each category. Applicants should keep in mind that these cut-offs may vary slightly each year depending on the number of applicants, category reservations, and seat availability

2025 Cut-off (Unreserved)	Expected Cut-off of 2026 (Unreserved)
73.50	70-80

PS: Jamia releases 3-4 lists for admissions and, if seats remain, also offers spot admissions.

Netaji Subhas University of Technology (NSUT)

NSUT offers an M.A. in Applied Psychology in the East Campus with a focus on clinical, counselling, OB, and forensic psychology.

2025 Cut-off (Unreserved)	Expected Cut-off of 2026 (Unreserved)
275	275-280

PS: In 2025, NSUT released 5 lists; a similar trend can follow this year as well.

Strategic Recommendations

Set score-based Targets	Instead of preparing only with one “dream university” in mind, align your preparation with score brackets. Aiming for 280+ keeps top universities and first lists within reach, while 270+ still offers strong chances across multiple rounds.
Reservation and Quota Dynamics	Your category, domicile status, and in-house eligibility can significantly shift cut-offs. Carefully map which universities offer advantages based on your background, and prioritise those during counselling and application stages.
Accuracy>Risky Attempts	With cut-offs rising by 5–10 marks yearly, precision matters more than volume. Focus on strengthening high-weightage areas (statistics, research methods, core theories) and avoid negative marking traps in mocks.
Mock Tests	Analyse mock tests to identify recurring weak areas rather than only tracking scores. Improvement of even 3–5 marks can change your admission outcome dramatically in competitive universities.
Apply Strategically	Do not limit applications to only top-tier universities. Include a mix of central, state, deemed, and private universities that align with your career goals (clinical, counselling, IO/OB, research) to reduce admission-related stress.
Regularity	Many aspirants exit early after the first list. Staying active through later rounds, spot admissions, and mop-up rounds often opens doors-especially in universities like BHU, JMI, and DU. Cut-offs, counselling schedules, and seat matrices can change quickly. Rely only on official university portals and CUET updates for official decisions.
Backup Plans	Alongside CUET PG, consider other entrance exams, private university admissions, or a gap-year strategy focused on internships, research assistance, or certification courses if needed.

In comparison to previous years, the cut-offs have increased by 5-10 marks for most universities, so it is safe to assume that a similar trend can be expected this year as well. However, the purpose of this blog was to just provide you with an idea about cut-off trends, so stay positive, believe in your preparation, take mock exams, keep your options open, and apply to various universities and various entrance exams. Some universities also run spot admissions or mop-up rounds to fill their vacant seats, giving students with lower scores a chance to get admission to these universities. Despite cut-offs increasing every year, we at PowerWithinPsychology believe that psychology has a place for every scorer and that every scorer has potential somewhere.

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