NEET UG 2026 · Counselling Guide

NEET UG 2026 Seat Matrix & Medical Colleges

By the Envision Career Counselling Team · Last updated: 31 July 2026

In short: The seat matrix is the official count of seats per college, course, category and quota, released for each round. In government colleges, 15% is All India Quota (MCC) and 85% is state quota. Read your target college's row against its previous closing rank to judge your chances, and watch the vacancy matrix before Mop-Up and Stray Vacancy rounds.

What is the NEET UG seat matrix?

The seat matrix is the official table of how many seats each college offers, split by course (MBBS, BDS, and AYUSH where relevant), category (General/OBC/SC/ST/EWS/PwD) and quota (AIQ, state, management, NRI). MCC and each state release it before their counselling rounds, and an updated vacancy matrix before later rounds.

AIQ vs state-quota split (government colleges)

Government medical college seat split
QuotaShareFilled by
All India Quota (AIQ)15%MCC (mcc.nic.in)
State Quota85%State counselling authority

Deemed universities, central universities, ESIC and AFMC seats are filled through MCC; most private-college seats are filled through the state or institutional process.

Seats by college type

  • Government colleges — lowest fees, most competitive cutoffs; AIQ + state split.
  • Private colleges — state-quota, management and NRI seats at higher fees.
  • Deemed universities — all-India admission via MCC, higher fees, no domicile bar.
  • Central institutes — AIIMS, JIPMER, ESIC, AFMC and central universities.

New colleges and seats are typically added each year, which can slightly ease cutoffs. Explore options with our college finder.

How to read a college-wise seat matrix

  1. Find your collegeLocate the college and campus you're targeting in the matrix.
  2. Read your row and columnCross the course row with your category/quota column to see seats available to you.
  3. Compare with closing rankCheck the college's previous-year closing rank for that category to judge whether your rank is a reach, match or safe option.

Then translate that into a smart preference order using our choice-filling guide.

Vacant seats, Mop-Up & Stray Vacancy

After each round, unfilled seats appear in the updated vacancy matrix. Before the Mop-Up and Stray Vacancy rounds, this is your most important document — it shows exactly which seats remain and where a strong late-round strategy can still win you a seat. See our counselling rounds guide.

Turn the seat matrix into a shortlist

Envision Career reads the matrix and cutoffs with you and builds a college list matched to your rank.

Talk to a counsellor

Seat matrix — frequently asked questions

What is the NEET UG seat matrix?

The official list of seats per college, course, category and quota, published for each counselling round.

How many MBBS seats are there in India?

Over one lakh across government, private and deemed colleges, rising most years — confirm the current total from official NMC/MCC and state matrices for 2026.

What is the AIQ vs state-quota difference?

In government colleges, 15% is All India Quota (MCC) and 85% is state quota (state authority).

How do I read a college-wise seat matrix?

Find your college, cross the course row with your category/quota column, and compare with the previous closing rank.

What are vacant seats and why do they matter?

Seats unfilled after a round; the vacancy matrix before Mop-Up/Stray Vacancy shows exactly what you can still target.

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