Over 12 lakh qualify NEET UG 2025, but only 1.18 lakh MBBS seats available

India Today

5 hours ago

This year, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has declared that out of 22.09 lakh students who appeared, 12.36 lakh have cleared the exam -- slightly fewer than the 13.15 lakh who qualified last year.That's slightly more than half of all candidates clearing one of the most competitive entrance exams in the country. However, the next hurdle is steeper: securing an MBBS seat.advertisementAs per the National Medical Commission (NMC)'s revised UG seat matrix for 2025-26, there are a total of 1,18,190 MBBS seats available across 780 medical colleges (both government and private) in India. These include institutions like AIIMS, JIPMER, and state-run as well as private colleges.
That means nearly 12 lakh qualified students will not get an MBBS seat, unless they choose to study abroad or consider alternate medical or allied health pathways.TOP 5 STATES WITH THE HIGHEST MBBS SEATSHere are the five states with the largest share of MBBS seats in the country, according to the NMC's UG seat matrix 2024-25 PDF:Tamil Nadu: 11,725 seatsUttar Pradesh: 11,225 seatsKarnataka: 11,045 seatsMaharashtra: 10,595 seatsTelangana: 8,540 seatsTogether, these five states contribute over 53,000 seats, which is nearly 45% of the national total.STATES WITH THE LOWEST MBBS SEATSadvertisementSome states and union territories continue to struggle with medical infrastructure, offering very few MBBS seats to local aspirants:Arunachal Pradesh: 50 seatsMeghalaya: 50 seatsAndaman & Nicobar Islands: 114 seatsDadra & Nagar Haveli: 177 seatsSikkim: 150 seatsIn some of these regions, government medical seats are extremely limited, so students often rely on private colleges within the state or look to other states for more affordable options.FEE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE MEDICAL COLLEGESIf you're one of the students hoping to bag an MBBS seat this year, the cost of medical education is going to be a major factor, especially if you're eyeing private colleges due to limited government seats.Here's a rough comparison to give you an idea of what students and families are up against:Government medical colleges:These colleges are heavily subsidised and remain the most affordable route into the medical profession.Annual tuition: Rs 20,000 to Rs 1,50,000Total 5.5-year MBBS cost: Rs 1 lakh to Rs 7 lakhPrivate medical colleges:These include privately run institutions and deemed universities. The fees vary widely, but most fall on the higher end of the spectrum.Annual tuition: Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakhadvertisementTotal MBBS cost: Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1.25 croreDeemed universities:These operate under a different regulatory category and often charge the highest tuition among private institutions.AIIMS and JIPMER:If you're lucky enough to get into one of the elite government institutes like AIIMS or JIPMER, you'll pay under Rs 10,000 per year, making it one of the most affordable MBBS pathways in the country.MEDICAL SEAT EXPANSION IN RECENT YEARSThe government has been steadily increasing MBBS seats across India:In 2014, India had 51,000 MBBS seats and 387 colleges.By 2023, this number had more than doubled to 1.07 lakh seats and 706 colleges.In 2024-25, the number now stands at 1,18,190 seats across 780 colleges.This includes the expansion of AIIMS institutions under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), and the addition of both government and private medical colleges in underserved districts.According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, this push aims to improve the doctor-population ratio and reduce regional healthcare disparities.Still, seat availability is uneven, with some states still lacking even a single government medical college.MEDICAL COUNSELLING TO GIVE FINAL WORDWith almost 13 lakh qualified students and just 1.18 lakh MBBS seats, the numbers speak for themselves. Despite the surge in medical education infrastructure, the demand far outpaces availability.advertisementFor aspirants, this means the competition is far from over. Centralised counselling will now decide who gets to join the country's limited list of future doctors.For others, it may be time to consider alternate courses, private institutions, or even medical education abroad.Check out the detailed UG medical seat matrix 2025-26 released by the NMC here.