Quick answer
280 marks out of 300 is about 99.96–99.99 percentile in JEE Main 2026. This is above the highest percentile published for every shift (99.9). Expected rank: 137–646. You qualify for JEE Advanced.
Check for my shift280 marks: percentile and rank by shift difficulty
| Your shift | Percentile | Rank ≈ |
|---|---|---|
| Easy shift | 99.96–99.97 | 401–646 |
| Moderate shift | 99.97–99.99 | 152–492 |
| Tough shift | 99.97–99.99 | 137–413 |
An easy shift needs more marks for the same percentile, so 280 marks is worth less there; a tough shift is the opposite. This is NTA's normalisation at work. Not sure how your shift went? Compare it in the shift-wise table below.
Shift-wise percentile for 280 marks in JEE Main 2026
| Session | Shift | Percentile at 280 marks |
|---|---|---|
| January | 21 Jan S1 | above 99.9 |
| January | 21 Jan S2 | above 99.9 |
| January | 22 Jan S1 | above 99.9 |
| January | 22 Jan S2 | above 99.9 |
| January | 23 Jan S1 | above 99.9 |
| January | 23 Jan S2 | above 99.9 |
| January | 24 Jan S1 | above 99.9 |
| January | 24 Jan S2 | above 99.9 |
| January | 28 Jan S1 | above 99.9 |
| January | 28 Jan S2 | above 99.9 |
| April | 2 Apr S1 | above 99.9 |
| April | 2 Apr S2 | above 99.9 |
| April | 4 Apr S1 | above 99.9 |
| April | 4 Apr S2 | above 99.9 |
| April | 5 Apr S1 | above 99.9 |
| April | 5 Apr S2 | above 99.9 |
| April | 6 Apr S1 | above 99.9 |
| April | 6 Apr S2 | above 99.9 |
Interpolated from each shift's published marks at fixed percentiles (full marks vs percentile table). "Above" or "below" means the score is outside the range published for that shift.
280 marks in JEE Main: 2026 vs 2025
| Year | Typical percentile | Toughest shift | Easiest shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 99.9 | above 99.9 (21 Jan S1) | above 99.9 (21 Jan S1) |
| 2025 | 99 | above 99 (22 Jan S1) | above 99 (22 Jan S1) |
The typical shift gave 0.9 percentile more in 2026 than in 2025, so the 2026 paper was tougher at this score. See the 2025 marks vs percentile data.
Is 280 a good score in JEE Main?
Excellent. 280 marks is about the top 0.1% of roughly 15,50,000 candidates. Strong branches at top NITs, IIITs and GFTIs are realistic on JoSAA, and you comfortably qualify for JEE Advanced.
Can you qualify for JEE Advanced with 280 marks?
| Category | Cutoff 2026 (percentile) | With 280 marks |
|---|---|---|
| UR (General) | 93.4123549 | Qualifies |
| EWS | 82.4164528 | Qualifies |
| OBC-NCL | 80.9232583 | Qualifies |
| SC | 63.9172792 | Qualifies |
| ST | 52.0174712 | Qualifies |
The top 2.5 lakh candidates who clear these cutoffs can register for JEE Advanced, the exam for IIT admission. See JEE Main cutoff and JEE Advanced eligibility.
Colleges you can get with 280 marks (rank about 388)
At about rank 388, 695 programmes closed at or beyond that rank in JoSAA 2026 for General, gender-neutral Other State and All India seats (336 at NITs, 127 at IIITs, 232 at GFTIs), including B.Tech in Mathematics and Computing at IISc Bangalore, Computer Science and Engineering at NIT Trichy, Computer Science and Engineering at NIT Surathkal. Home State quota seats close at higher ranks.
- IISc Bangalore: B.Tech in Mathematics and Computing
- NIT Trichy: Computer Science and Engineering
- NIT Surathkal: Computer Science and Engineering
- NIT Warangal: Computer Science and Engineering
- NIT Rourkela: Computer Science and Engineering
- IIIT Allahabad: Information Technology-Business Informatics
See every option for your category, state and gender · Colleges for rank 1,000 · State counselling through JEE Main
Marks needed for higher percentiles
| Target percentile | Marks (moderate shift) | Rank ≈ |
|---|---|---|
| 99.5 | 190–206 | 7,750 |
| 99 | 165–180 | 15,500 |
| 98 | 141–155 | 31,000 |
| 97 | 127–140 | 46,500 |
| 95 | 110–125 | 77,500 |
| 93 | 96–110 | 1,08,500 |
FAQs
What percentile is 280 marks in JEE Main 2026?
280 marks out of 300 is about 99.96–99.99 percentile in JEE Main 2026. This is above the highest percentile published for every shift (99.9).
What rank will I get with 280 marks in JEE Main?
About 137–646 (CRL), using rank ≈ (100 − percentile) × 15,50,000 ÷ 100. For your own shift, use the rank predictor.
Is 280 a good score in JEE Main?
Excellent. 280 marks is about the top 0.1% of roughly 15,50,000 candidates. Strong branches at top NITs, IIITs and GFTIs are realistic on JoSAA, and you comfortably qualify for JEE Advanced.
Can I qualify for JEE Advanced with 280 marks?
Yes. 99.96–99.99 percentile is above the General qualifying cutoff of 93.4123549 percentile (2026), so you qualify in every category.
Which NIT can I get with 280 marks in JEE Main?
At about rank 388, 695 programmes closed at or beyond that rank in JoSAA 2026 for General, gender-neutral Other State and All India seats (336 at NITs, 127 at IIITs, 232 at GFTIs), including B.Tech in Mathematics and Computing at IISc Bangalore, Computer Science and Engineering at NIT Trichy, Computer Science and Engineering at NIT Surathkal. Home State quota seats close at higher ranks.
Why do the same 280 marks give different percentiles?
NTA normalises each shift separately: your percentile is the share of candidates in your own shift who scored the same or less. In a tough shift fewer students score high, so the same marks earn a higher percentile.
Percentile for other JEE Main scores
- 300 marks
- 290 marks
- 280 marks
- 270 marks
- 260 marks
- 250 marks
- 240 marks
- 230 marks
- 220 marks
- 210 marks
- 200 marks
- 190 marks
- 180 marks
- 170 marks
- 160 marks
- 150 marks
- 140 marks
- 130 marks
- 120 marks
- 110 marks
- 100 marks
- 90 marks
- 80 marks
- 70 marks
- 60 marks
- 50 marks
Colleges by JEE Main rank
- Rank 1,000
- Rank 2,000
- Rank 3,000
- Rank 5,000
- Rank 7,500
- Rank 10,000
- Rank 15,000
- Rank 20,000
- Rank 25,000
- Rank 30,000
- Rank 40,000
- Rank 50,000
- Rank 60,000
- Rank 75,000
- Rank 1,00,000