Why Students Are Returning to Kota for IIT-JEE and NEET Coaching in 2026
Kota's coaching industry witnesses a strong revival with 20-30% rise in admissions for 2026-27. Students flood back to India's coaching capital after three years of decline.
AC Team
After three tough years, Kota is buzzing with energy again. The city, known across India as the go-to place for IIT-JEE and NEET preparation, is seeing students return in big numbers. The 2026-27 academic session has kicked off with a bang, and early numbers suggest admissions are up by 20 to 30 percent.
If you're wondering what makes thousands of students pack their bags and head to this Rajasthan city every year, you're not alone. Let's look at what's happening in Kota right now and why it matters.
The Comeback Story
Between 2023 and 2025, Kota's coaching industry took a hard hit. Student numbers dropped from around 2.5 lakh to just about 85,000 to 1 lakh. Revenue fell from Rs 6,500-7,000 crore to roughly Rs 3,500 crore. That's a drop of nearly 30 to 40 percent.
But this year tells a different story. The new batches that started on March 25 brought a flood of students and parents from all corners of the country. The city's railway station saw long queues, auto drivers reported busy days, and hostels started filling up fast.
Firoj Khan, who heads the Kota Station Area Auto Union, summed it up well when he said they hope for the return of better times. And it looks like those times might actually be here.
Why Kota Still Matters
Kota has spent four decades building its reputation. The numbers speak for themselves. In the January 2026 session of JEE Main, 12 students scored a perfect 100th percentile. Eight of them came from Kota institutes.
Students from Kota have also bagged the top All India Rank in IIT-JEE for two years running. This track record matters to parents who want results.
The city offers everything a serious student might need. There are about 35 coaching institutes, including some big names in the industry. Around 4,000 hostels and 45,000 paying guest facilities provide housing options for every budget. Whether you need basic accommodation or something more comfortable, Kota has it.
What Parents and Students Are Saying
Ajay Kumar travelled from Imphal to get his child admitted. He said he'd been hearing good things about Kota from students in the Northeast for years. That positive word of mouth convinced him to make the trip.
Om Kumar, who came from Begusarai, called Kota a competitive environment that helps students stay focused. When you're surrounded by thousands of other students with the same goal, it changes how you study.
Bhavesh from Jalgaon put it simply. He called Kota the capital of engineering and medical exam preparation. That's the reputation the city has earned.
Dr Anurag Singh from Ambedkar Nagar made an interesting point. He said what people hear about Kota and what they see when they visit are often two different things. The academic facilities and environment, he noted, are hard to match anywhere else.
More Than Just Classes
The coaching institutes in Kota have learned from the past few difficult years. They're not just focusing on academics anymore.
With the rise in admissions, parenting and orientation sessions have picked up across the city. Thousands of students and parents now attend these programmes. Experts talk about behaviour patterns, stress management techniques, and motivation strategies. These sessions help both students and parents understand what lies ahead.
The hostel owners have also been advised not to raise rents despite the increased demand. Naveen Mittal, president of the Kota Hostel Association, said this was important to maintain trust. He believes if the current trend continues, both the coaching industry and the local economy will bounce back strong.
What This Means for the City
The revival of the coaching sector does more than just help institutes and teachers. It impacts the entire local economy.
Auto drivers, food vendors, bookshop owners, and landlords all depend on the student population. When student numbers dropped, the whole city felt it. Now, with students returning, there's a sense of cautious optimism in the air.
Om Birla, the Lok Sabha Speaker and MP from Kota-Bundi, has urged locals to contribute to student well-being. The city, he said, remains committed to providing a supportive environment for those preparing for engineering and medical entrance exams.
Looking Ahead
The admission process continues until early April, so the final numbers aren't in yet. But if the current trend holds, Kota could be looking at its strongest year since the pandemic.
What makes this comeback interesting is that it happened despite all the talk about online coaching and studying from home. Students and parents are choosing to come to Kota in person. They want the focused environment, the peer pressure that pushes you to work harder, and the expert guidance that comes from experienced teachers.
The city has proven that when it comes to cracking tough competitive exams, there's still value in the traditional coaching model. Not the old-fashioned rote learning, but a structured approach that combines quality teaching, regular tests, and an environment where everyone is working toward similar goals.
For now, the streets of Kota are filled with young faces carrying dreams of becoming engineers and doctors. The coaching institutes are back to conducting multiple batches. Hostels are putting up 'Rooms Full' signs. And the city that calls itself India's coaching capital is living up to that name once again.
