TL;DR - Key Takeaways
- Government College Fees: ₹47,100 (general), ₹29,985 (core branches like Civil/Mech).
- Private Colleges (Unaided): Fees range from ₹1,20,320 to ₹1,30,320.
- SC/ST Exemption: Students with income up to ₹10 Lakhs have ₹0 fees across all college types.
- SNQ Quota: Supernumerary Quota fees range between ₹17,910 and ₹32,320 depending on college.
The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) has released the provisional fee structure for UGCET (KCET) 2026-27 for Engineering and Architecture courses. Understanding the fee structure is crucial for students participating in the counseling process to make informed decisions about college choices based on category and financial implications.
Here is the complete, detailed breakdown of the KCET 2026-27 fee structure for various college types and reservation categories.
Official KCET 2026-27 Fee Structure Table
Base University Fees Included
The fee structures listed in the primary table already include the mandatory university fees. For transparency, KEA provides the breakdown of this embedded university fee component:
Important Notes & Exceptions
Before finalizing your college choices and budget planning, keep these crucial caveats outlined by the Government of Karnataka in mind:
- Architecture Surcharge: For Architecture courses, an additional Rs. 750/- is charged extra apart from the base university fees mentioned above.
- Government & Aided College Overheads: An amount of Rs. 10,590/- as “other fees” is already included in the table values for Government and Aided engineering colleges.
- Private College Overheads: A higher amount of Rs. 20,000/- as “other fees” is included in the table values for Unaided, Private, and Deemed Universities Engineering colleges.
Understanding KCET Fee Categories
To maximize your options during KCET counselling, it’s essential to understand the different fee categories and quotas:
What is the SNQ (Supernumerary Quota)?
The SNQ (Supernumerary Quota) is a special reservation category where 5% of the seats in each college and course are reserved for meritorious students from economically weaker sections. If you secure a seat under the SNQ quota, your tuition fees are entirely waived, and you only pay a fraction of the total cost (ranging from ₹17,910 to ₹32,320 depending on the college).
- Eligibility: Family annual income must be below ₹4.5 Lakhs.
- How to apply: It is automatically considered during counselling if you have submitted a valid Income Certificate during registration.
Government vs. Private Colleges Fees
As seen in the table, Government Engineering Colleges offer the most affordable education, with fees as low as ₹29,985 for core branches (Civil, Mechanical) and ₹47,100 for other branches (Computer Science, Electronics). Conversely, Private (Unaided) Colleges and Deemed Universities charge significantly higher fees ranging from ₹1,20,320 to ₹1,30,320 for general merit students.
Fee Exemptions for SC/ST/Category-1
The Government of Karnataka provides massive financial relief for reserved categories.
- SC/ST Students: If the annual family income is up to ₹10 Lakhs, the tuition fee is effectively ₹0 across all college types, including private and deemed universities.
- Category-1 Students: Students with an annual income of up to ₹2.5 Lakhs also enjoy substantially subsidized fees, paying only ₹12,075 in government colleges and between ₹86,760 to ₹1,06,170 in private institutions.
Are There Any Hidden Costs?
While the KEA fee structure includes tuition and standard university fees (like e-consortium and sports fees), students should budget for additional expenses that are usually collected directly by the colleges at the time of admission. These may include:
- Hostel & Mess Fees: Ranging from ₹60,000 to ₹1.5 Lakhs per year depending on the city (Bangalore being more expensive) and college.
- Skill Development & Placement Training Fees: Many private colleges mandate additional fees for soft skills or technical training (often ₹10,000 - ₹25,000 annually).
- Transport Fees: If utilizing college buses.
- Library Deposits: Usually a one-time refundable amount.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Does this fee structure apply to COMEDK seats as well?
No, this fee structure is strictly for seats allotted through KEA UGCET (KCET) counselling. COMEDK has a separate, generally higher fee structure for private colleges.
Q: How do we pay the KCET fees?
Once you are allotted a seat and you select “Choice 1” or “Choice 2” during counselling, you will have to download a challan from the KEA portal and pay the fees either online (Net banking/UPI) or offline at designated bank branches.
Q: Is the fee mentioned per year or for the entire course?
The fees mentioned in the KCET fee structure are per annum (per year). You will have to pay this amount every year for the 4-year duration of your B.E./B.Tech degree.
Source: Official Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) notification dated 01-07-2026.
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