Fundamental frequency of composite stiffened cylindrical shell panel in the presence of a cutout is optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Free vibration of the laminated composite shell panel is analyzed using finite element method. Fibre orientation angle, width-to-thickness ratio, degree of orthotropy and cutout location are considered as controlling parameters that affect vibration response. The shell panel is considered to have mixed boundary condition (FCFC) involving free (F) and clamped (C) boundaries. Mathematical equation for predicting the fundamental frequency is developed using regression analysis. The adequacy of the model is confirmed through ANOVA and residual analysis. The optimized parametric condition for maximum fundamental frequency is obtained as fibre orientation angle 45°, width-to-thickness ratio 10, degree of orthotropy 50 and cutout location (0.6, 0.6).