💊 MHT CET Pharmacy 2026
With 90 percentile in MHT CET (PCB group), you are in the top 10% of pharmacy aspirants. Government pharmacy colleges (Karad, Amravati, Aurangabad) still require 97.5%+ for Open category and are not accessible. However, quality private autonomous colleges accessible at 90 percentile include: Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Pharmacy Pune, MIT-WPU School of Pharmacy, Sinhgad Institute of Pharmacy, SVKM's Nanavati College Mumbai (borderline), R.C. Patel Shirpur, K.K. Wagh Nashik, GH Raisoni Nagpur, and others. DYPIPSR (91.89% cutoff) is accessible in CAP Round 2–3. TFWS-eligible students unlock significantly better options.
Scoring 90 percentile in MHT CET is genuinely competitive — it places you in the top 10% of all pharmacy aspirants who appeared. But here is the context most students miss: the pharmacy PCB merit pool is significantly more competitive than the engineering PCM pool because it includes NEET aspirants who use MHT CET PCB as a backup option.
Per IndCareer's 2026 pharmacy cutoff analysis, the competition is notably higher in the PCB group due to this NEET backup effect. This means your 90 percentile in the pharmacy merit pool is fighting against a larger and more motivated applicant base than a 90 percentile in the engineering pool. Understanding this context helps you set realistic expectations — 90 percentile is excellent, but it does not automatically unlock the top-tier colleges that an equivalent engineering percentile might.
2026 marks a significant change in the MHT CET system. The Two-Attempt System now allows students to appear in two sessions, with the best-of-two scores used for merit list preparation. This has a direct and quantifiable impact on pharmacy cutoffs.
Additionally, the PCB vs PCM dynamic remains relevant in 2026. The PCB group continues to face higher competition because students who appeared for NEET use it as a backup route. The normalization process across multiple exam shifts also means that a raw score producing 90 percentile in one shift might vary slightly — your final percentile on the scorecard is what matters for the CAP merit list, not the raw marks.
Let's address this directly because it is the most common misconception among 90 percentile pharmacy students.
The reason for this gap is straightforward: Maharashtra has very few government pharmacy colleges (approximately 6–8), with very limited seat intake. The demand-supply ratio for government pharmacy seats is even more extreme than for government engineering colleges. Until the government significantly expands its pharmacy college capacity, this 97.5%+ threshold is unlikely to change.
TFWS (Tuition Fee Waiver Scheme) seats at premium private colleges often close 3–6 percentile points below Open category. At 90 percentile with TFWS eligibility (family income below ₹8 lakh/year), you can access DYPIPSR or Poona College Pharm.D at government-equivalent fees. This is the single most powerful advantage available at 90 percentile — and it's underused because students don't obtain the income certificate in time. Get it from the tehsildar before CAP registration opens.
At the same college, Pharm.D cutoffs are typically 2–5 percentile lower than B.Pharm because Pharm.D has fewer seats and less applicant awareness. At 90 percentile, if DYPIPSR B.Pharm (91.89% cutoff) is just out of reach in Round 1, applying for DYPIPSR Pharm.D may get you into the same college's quality ecosystem — excellent faculty, premium recruiters, NAAC A++ — while studying a programme with strong hospital career prospects.
At 90 percentile, CAP Round 2 and Round 3 are often where the best colleges become accessible. As students with 92–95 percentile accept Poona College or ICT Mumbai offers, they vacate seats at DYPIPSR, Bharati Vidyapeeth, and SVKM's Nanavati Mumbai. Students who freeze their Round 1 allotment prematurely miss this window. Only freeze if Round 1 gives your absolute top preference. Otherwise, stay in all 3 rounds.
Navi Mumbai, Pune, Mumbai, Nashik, Aurangabad, and Nagpur-based colleges all have Home University (HU) reserved seats for students from those regions — which close at lower cutoffs than Other-Than-Home-University (OHU) seats. At 90 percentile, targeting colleges in your own home university zone dramatically increases your access. A student from Nashik at 90 percentile has much better access to K.K. Wagh or Amrutvahini College than an out-of-region student at the same score.
Your category changes everything at 90 percentile for pharmacy. Here is how different categories fare:
| Category | Government Pharmacy College Access | Premium Private Access | Additional Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open (General) | ✗ Not accessible (97.5%+ needed) | DYPIPSR, BVDU, MIT-WPU, Nanavati (borderline) | Home University seats help significantly |
| OBC / SEBC | ⚡ Government-aided private possible | All premium private comfortably accessible | 3–5 percentile effective advantage |
| EWS | ⚡ Borderline at government-aided | DYPIPSR EWS accessible at 90 percentile | BVDU verified EWS cutoff lower than Open |
| SC / ST | ✓ Government pharmacy colleges accessible | All private colleges very comfortable | 8–15 percentile effective advantage |
| NT1 / NT2 / NT3 / VJ | ⚡ Government-aided in reach | All premium private accessible | 4–8 percentile effective advantage |
| TFWS (All categories) | Not applicable (private scheme only) | DYPIPSR TFWS, BVDU TFWS accessible at 90% | 3–6 percentile advantage + fee waiver |
Log in to cetcell.mahacet.org and download your pharmacy scorecard. Confirm your PCB group percentile — not the PCM (engineering) percentile. Your pharmacy state merit number is the ranking used for CAP round seat allocation. Use the PredictCollege Rank Predictor to confirm your position in the pharmacy merit pool.
If your annual family income is below ₹8 lakh, you qualify for TFWS. At 90 percentile, TFWS is your most powerful tool — it opens DYPIPSR and potentially Poona College Pharm.D at lower cutoffs and significantly lower fees. The income certificate must be obtained from the tehsildar or SDM office — start this process before CAP registration opens because it can take 7–14 days.
Visit dtemaharashtra.gov.in for the pharmacy portal link (ph2026.mahacet.org). This is entirely separate from the engineering portal. Upload all documents accurately — mark sheets, domicile certificate, caste/income certificate, Aadhaar. Any mismatch causes delays.
Visit pci.nic.in and confirm PCI approval for every college you consider. This step cannot be skipped — even for colleges mentioned in this guide. PCI approval status can change between years.
Positions 1–3: DYPIPSR B.Pharm, SVKM Nanavati B.Pharm, Bharati Vidyapeeth B.Pharm — aspirational but realistic in Round 2–3. Positions 4–7: Bharati Vidyapeeth Pharm.D, MIT-WPU B.Pharm, MIT COF Kothrud B.Pharm. Positions 8–12: Sinhgad, Vivekanand Society Mumbai, K.K. Wagh Nashik, R.C. Patel Shirpur. Positions 13–20: Safety options in your home region. Include PredictCollege CAP Round Cutoffs to validate each choice with round-wise data.
Round 2 and Round 3 are where 90 percentile students get their best outcomes in pharmacy CAP. As students with 92–95+ percentile accept Poona College or ICT Mumbai offers, they vacate seats at DYPIPSR and Nanavati. These seats become available for 90 percentile students in Round 2. Only freeze if Round 1 gives your top 3 preferences.
Using 2025 closing cutoffs directly as 2026 targets without adjusting for the 0.2–0.5% upward shift caused by the two-attempt system. A college that closed at 89.8% in 2025 may close at 90.2% in 2026 — which changes your Round 1 access significantly.
✓ Fix: Add 0.3–0.5% buffer to 2025 data when estimating 2026 Round 1 accessTFWS is the most underused and most powerful strategy at 90 percentile. Students who are eligible but don't prepare the income certificate in time lose access to this significant advantage. Income certificates typically take 7–14 business days from the tehsildar office — don't wait for results to start this process.
✓ Fix: Apply for income certificate as soon as possible — don't wait for exam resultsStudents who only add B.Pharm preferences miss the 2–5 percentile cutoff advantage that Pharm.D offers at the same colleges. At 90 percentile, DYPIPSR Pharm.D or Poona College Pharm.D may be accessible where their B.Pharm equivalent is not — giving access to the same college quality, faculty, and recruiter network.
✓ Fix: Add Pharm.D at premium colleges as preferences 2–4 in your option formRound 1 rarely gives 90 percentile students their best available option. Freezing a Round 1 allotment at a college ranked 8th or 10th in your preferences means missing DYPIPSR, Nanavati, or Bharati Vidyapeeth that open in Round 2. Only freeze if Round 1 gives your top 3 choices.
✓ Fix: Set a clear rule — freeze only if top 3 preferences are given in Round 1At 90 percentile (PCB group), quality private autonomous pharmacy colleges accessible include: Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Pharmacy Pune (NAAC A++, ₹5.5 LPA median), MIT-WPU School of Pharmacy, Sinhgad Institute of Pharmacy, SVKM's Nanavati College Mumbai (borderline — Round 2–3), Vivekanand Society College Mumbai, R.C. Patel Institute Shirpur, K.K. Wagh Nashik, and GH Raisoni Nagpur. DYPIPSR (91.89% cutoff) is accessible in Round 2–3 or through TFWS. Government pharmacy colleges require 97.5%+ in Open category — not accessible at 90%.
Yes — 90 percentile places you in the top 10% of all pharmacy aspirants in Maharashtra. Per Collegedunia's MHT CET analysis, a score above 90 percentile is considered "good" and opens premium private pharmacy colleges. However, because the PCB group includes NEET backup aspirants (increasing competition), a 90 percentile is more competitive to achieve than an equivalent engineering percentile.
DYPIPSR's verified 2025 B.Pharm Open category cutoff was 91.89 percentile — just above 90. This means DYPIPSR B.Pharm is out of reach in CAP Round 1 Open category at exactly 90 percentile, but may be accessible in Round 2 or Round 3 as higher-percentile students vacate seats. Additionally, DYPIPSR Pharm.D typically closes 2–4 percentile below B.Pharm, and DYPIPSR TFWS/EWS seats close lower than Open category seats.
The 2026 two-attempt system (best of two scores for merit) is projected to push cutoffs up by 0.2–0.5% at top-tier institutes. For 90 percentile students, this means colleges that closed at 89.5–90% in 2025 may close at 90–90.5% in 2026. Always add a 0.3–0.5 percentile buffer when using 2025 data to estimate 2026 Round 1 access.
Yes — strategically. Pharm.D at the same college typically closes 2–5 percentile below B.Pharm because it has fewer seats and less applicant awareness. At 90 percentile, choosing Pharm.D at DYPIPSR or Bharati Vidyapeeth gives access to those colleges' quality — faculty, infrastructure, and recruiter networks — while potentially securing a seat where B.Pharm cutoff is higher. Choose Pharm.D only if you are genuinely interested in clinical pharmacy or hospital careers; it is a 6-year programme requiring clear career motivation.
Quality pharmacy colleges outside Pune accessible at 90 percentile include: SVKM's Nanavati College of Pharmacy Vile Parle Mumbai (borderline, Round 2–3); Vivekanand Education Society's College of Pharmacy Chembur Mumbai (accessible); R.C. Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education Shirpur (NAAC A, accessible); K.K. Wagh College of Pharmacy Nashik (accessible); and GH Raisoni College of Pharmacy Nagpur (NAAC A+, very accessible). All are PCI approved.
Enter your MHT CET percentile, category, and preferred location — get a personalised pharmacy college list with verified cutoff data across Maharashtra.
Try the Free College Predictor →Pharmacy colleges for 90 percentile in MHT CET span a genuinely good range — from premium options like DYPIPSR (with the right round strategy) and Bharati Vidyapeeth to quality options in Mumbai, Nashik, and Nagpur. The 2026 two-attempt system adds a 0.3–0.5% upward adjustment to cutoff expectations, but your fundamental position — top 10% of pharmacy aspirants — remains strong.
The three things that will determine your outcome at 90 percentile: whether you have your TFWS income certificate ready, whether you add Pharm.D options at premium colleges strategically, and whether you stay active through all 3 CAP rounds instead of freezing too early. Use the PredictCollege College Predictor to build a data-verified 20-preference option form — and verify every college at pci.nic.in before submitting.