SNPMB 2026 Quota Rises to 604,446 as Ministry Adds 163 New Study Programmes

The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek) has set the total quota for the 2026 National Selection for New Student Admissions (SNPMB) at 604,446 seats. This figure represents an increase compared to 2025, which recorded 595,558 seats. Secretary General of Kemdiktisaintek, Badri Munir Sukoco, explained that the increase in capacity aligns with the addition of 163 new study programmes in 2026. The statement was made during a hearing with the SPMB 2026 Working Committee. “The proposal for 2026 was 617,853, and the approved quota is 604,446. This occurred due to the addition of 163 new study programmes, 149 new programmes that have not yet graduated students, and approximately 4,554 existing programmes,” said Badri. Ministry data detailed that 81 universities experienced an increase in capacity, 9 universities remained unchanged, and 30 universities saw a decrease. At the study programme level, capacity increases occurred in 3,958 programmes, while 1,283 other programmes experienced declines. Badri also emphasised the aspect of inclusivity within the SNPMB 2026. He outlined several success stories from students of various backgrounds, ranging from visually impaired participants and deaf students accepted into the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), to children of farm labourers and online motorcycle taxi drivers who succeeded in entering state universities through the SNBP route. “There were also students from underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost regions who were accepted; one instance saw nine people admitted to Brawijaya University. They hailed from East Nusa Tenggara, Southwest Papua, North Sumatra, and Central Papua,” he added. Chairman of the SNPMB Responsibility Team, Eduart Wolok, revealed that his party is implementing significant changes to the registration system to minimise cheating practices that were discovered in 2025. In this year’s implementation, participants are no longer given full freedom to choose specific Computer-Based Written Exam centres. Participants are only permitted to select the city where they will test, while the specific exam location will be determined by the committee. “Responding to the case in 2025, we are conducting early anticipation in 2026. This includes the choice of test locations; we are no longer giving prospective participants the freedom to choose their specific UTBK centre because our system can now detect anomalies,” Wolok stressed.