DU Admission Without CUET 2027: Is It Possible? What Happened in 2026 and What It Means for You 

In August 2026, headlines announced that Delhi University colleges were admitting students "without CUET". If you are a Class 12 student planning for 2027, the obvious question is: do you still need to take CUET to get into DU? 

The answer is yes for almost every student — but the full story is more useful than a one-line answer. Here is exactly what DU allowed in 2026, for which colleges and courses, who could apply, and what it means for your CUET 2027 plan. 

Status check (11 November 2026): DU has not announced its 2027 admission policy, and NTA has not released the CUET UG 2027 information bulletin. Everything about 2027 below is clearly marked as expected or advice. 

Short Answer 

• Regular DU admission (CSAS-UG) is based only on CUET scores. This was the rule for 2026 and is expected to continue. 

• In August 2026, after the CUET-based rounds, DU allowed a limited number of colleges to fill leftover vacant seats in specific, lower-demand courses on the basis of Class 12 marks. By 23 August, this covered 35 colleges, as per Careers360's tally of DU notices. 

• These seats were mainly in courses such as BA (Hons) Hindi, Sanskrit, Punjabi, Urdu and Persian, some B.Sc. programmes, and evening or off-campus colleges — not popular courses at top colleges. 

• DU's School of Open Learning (SOL) and NCWEB (for women) admit students without CUET, but these are open-learning and weekend-class programmes, not regular college admission. 
• Do not skip CUET 2027 if you want regular admission at DU. 

Which colleges and courses were included 

The 11 colleges in DU's 21 August notice were Kalindi College, Zakir Husain Delhi College (Evening), Lakshmibai College, Rajdhani College, Shyama Prasad Mukherji College for Women, PGDAV College (Evening), Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, Vivekananda College, Shyam Lal College, Aditi Mahavidyalaya and Bhagini Nivedita College. 

The nine colleges added on 23 August were Indraprastha College for Women, Mata Sundri College for Women, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College, Sri Aurobindo College (Evening), Motilal Nehru College (Evening), Shyam Lal College (Evening), Ramanujan College, Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences and Gargi College. 

The courses were limited. Examples: 

Notice the pattern: these were courses and colleges where seats were left over, not B.Com (Hons), Economics, English or Political Science at the most sought-after colleges. 

Who was eligible — and who was not 

• Admission was on the merit of Class 12 marks, "subject to meeting the eligibility criteria" of each programme. 

• Students already admitted to any DU college could not apply through this route. 

• Each college ran its own process — online application, merit list, document verification and fee payment — mostly within a few days in the second half of August. Students had to track individual college websites. 

Why Did DU Admit Students Without CUET? 

DU and its colleges gave different reasons: 

• Low demand for certain courses. Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh told ANI: "It is not because of CUET that these seats are vacant. These courses are not that much in demand." He said about 66,000 students were admitted through CUET against around 71,600 available UG seats. 

• Location and applicant pool. Off-campus and women-only colleges said many seats stayed vacant. Aditi Mahavidyalaya (Bawana) said around 40% of its seats had remained vacant in recent years under CUET, and many local students — especially girls — do not register for CUET. 

The move was criticised by some DU teachers, who called for a uniform policy. For students, the key point is simple: this was a late-stage measure to fill leftover seats, not a new admission route. 

This Was Not a First: The 2025 Mop-Up Round 

In September 2025, DU ran an on-the-spot mop-up round for UG admissions based on Class 12 marks: 

• Registration: 17–19 September 2025. 

• Open to students registered on CSAS who had not got a seat, and to fresh applicants (₹1,000 one-time fee for new applicants). 

• Shortlisting on Class 12 marks; physical reporting; no upgradation or withdrawal. 

Admissions through such rounds come very late in the academic session — DU's classes start in July/August — so students admitted this way miss weeks of teaching. 

Other DU Routes That Do Not Need CUET (SOL and NCWEB) 

These are genuine DU degree options, but they are not the same as regular admission to a DU college through CSAS. 

Will DU Offer Admission Without CUET in 2027? 

Nobody can confirm this yet. DU has not announced its 2027 admission policy. Based on 2025 and 2026, it is possible that DU again allows Class 12-based admission for leftover seats late in the cycle — but: 

• it is decided only after CUET-based rounds show how many seats are vacant; 

• it is limited to specific colleges and low-demand courses; 

• the colleges, courses and dates can change completely. 

You cannot plan your admission around it. 

Should You Skip CUET 2027? Here's Why Not 

1. Every popular DU course needs CUET. B.Com (Hons), BA (Hons) Economics, English, Political Science, Psychology, BMS, BBA (FIA) and B.Sc. (Hons) courses in demand are filled through CUET-based CSAS rounds. 

1. Top colleges fill through CUET. The Class 12 route in 2026 did not include colleges such as SRCC, Hindu or LSR. 

1. The Class 12 route is uncertain and late. It came in August, with windows of just a few days. 

1. CUET opens far more than DU. Over 200 universities used CUET UG scores in 2026, including BHU, JNU, Jamia and many state and private universities. 

1. CUET is affordable insurance. Registering and preparing keeps every option open; any leftover Class 12 route is a bonus, not a plan. 

What CUET 2027 Aspirants Should Do Now 

1. Plan to register for CUET UG 2027 when the form opens — expected around January 2027 (the 2026 form opened on 3 January 2026). See: CUET UG 2027 registration date. 

1. Fix your subject combination for your target DU courses before registration. Read: best CUET 2027 subject combination. 

1. Add the General Aptitude Test if needed (BMS, BBA FIA, BA LLB etc.). Read: CUET General Test 2027 guide. 

1. Keep your Class 12 marks strong. They matter for board results, DU eligibility, tie-breaking — and for any Class 12-based route if one opens. 

1. Keep documents ready — Class 10 and 12 marksheets, category/EWS/PwBD certificates and a valid ID — so you can act quickly in any late round. 

1. Know the back-ups: SOL, NCWEB (for women in Delhi) and other universities' admission processes. 

Test where you stand with the Drishti CUET Test Series. 

Key Takeaways 

• Regular DU admission is through CUET + CSAS. That is not changing for 2027 as far as any official information shows. 

• In August 2026, DU allowed 35 colleges (by 23 August) to fill leftover seats in selected lower-demand courses on Class 12 marks; already-admitted students were not eligible. 

• A similar Class 12-based mop-up round was held in September 2025. 

• SOL and NCWEB admit without CUET, but they are open-learning and weekend-class programmes. 

• Whether DU repeats this in 2027 is not confirmed — so register for CUET UG 2027. 

Related reading: CUET UG 2027 syllabus · CBSE date sheet 2027 and CUET · Good CUET score for DU 

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. Can I get admission in DU without CUET in 2027? Regular admission to DU colleges is through CUET scores on the CSAS portal. In 2025 and 2026, DU allowed Class 12-based admission only for leftover seats in some colleges and courses, late in the cycle. DU has not said whether this will happen in 2027, so you should take CUET.
2. Which DU colleges admitted students on Class 12 marks in 2026? By 23 August 2026, 35 colleges were allowed, including Kalindi, Rajdhani, Lakshmibai, Shyam Lal, Vivekananda, Aditi Mahavidyalaya, Bhagini Nivedita, Indraprastha College for Women, Gargi and Ramanujan — but only for specific courses.
3. Which courses were offered without CUET in DU? Mostly BA (Hons) Hindi, Sanskrit, Punjabi, Urdu and Persian, some B.Sc. courses (Physics, Mathematics, Electronics, Physical Science) and some BA Programme combinations, plus seats in evening colleges.
4. Could students already admitted in DU apply on Class 12 marks? No. DU's notice said no candidate who already had admission in any DU college was eligible.
5. Is CUET compulsory for DU admission? Yes, for regular admission through CSAS-UG. Exceptions in 2026 were limited late rounds for vacant seats, plus SOL and NCWEB, which have their own Class 12-based admission.
6. Is DU SOL admission possible without CUET? Yes. SOL admits students on Class 12 eligibility without CUET, but it is an open and distance learning programme, not regular college study.
7. What is NCWEB and does it need CUET? NCWEB (Non-Collegiate Women's Education Board) offers DU degrees to women in Delhi through weekend classes. Admission is based on Class 12 marks through cut-off lists, not CUET.
8. When will DU announce its 2027 admission process? DU usually releases its UG information bulletin after CUET registration begins; the 2026 bulletin was released in January 2026. Watch du.ac.in and admission.uod.ac.in.