Tier 1 — High Probability Colleges for Rank 5,000–10,000 (OS)
Colleges where the final closing rank is at least 400+ above the band midpoint (7,500) under OS/AI quota
NIT Karnataka, Surathkal is the most reliable safe option(s) in the 5,000–10,000 band for OS/AI candidates. Candidates with ranks in the lower half of this band are comfortably inside the historical closing rank. NIT Karnataka, Surathkal has been easing (–11.4% YoY) — a favourable trajectory.