The National Medical Commission (NMC) has published the official MBBS seat matrix for NEET UG 2026 counselling, giving lakhs of aspiring doctors across the country their first clear picture of how many seats they will be competing for this admission cycle. The matrix confirms a total of 1,36,939 MBBS seats on offer this year, split between 63,296 government seats and 73,643 private seats.
This marks a jump of 9,911 seats over last year's count, taking the year-on-year growth to roughly 7.8%. It is worth noting that this matrix does not cover the Institutes of National Importance, AIIMS, JIPMER, PGIMER and similar centrally administered institutions, which follow their own separate admission process.
Here is a complete breakdown of what the 2026 matrix contains, how it compares to 2025, and how seats are distributed state by state.
NMC MBBS Seat Matrix 2026: Key Numbers at a Glance
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Conducting Authority | National Medical Commission (NMC) |
| Admission Route | NEET UG 2026 Counselling |
| Total MBBS Colleges | 823 |
| Government Medical Colleges | 441 |
| Private Medical Colleges | 382 |
| Total MBBS Seats | 1,36,939 |
| Government MBBS Seats | 63,296 |
| Private MBBS Seats | 73,643 |
| Seats Added Compared to 2025 | 9,911 |
| Overall Growth | 7.80% |
| New Medical Colleges This Year | 25 |
| — of which Government | 7 |
| — of which Private | 18 |
| Seats From New Colleges | 2,400 |
| State With Most Total Seats | Karnataka (15,395) |
| State With Most Government Seats | Maharashtra (6,000) |
| State With Most Private Seats | Karnataka (10,995) |
| Not Covered in This Matrix | AIIMS, JIPMER, PGIMER and other INIs |
Complete State-Wise MBBS Seat Matrix for NEET UG 2026
For candidates preparing to register for NEET UG 2026 counselling, here is the full state-wise split between government and private MBBS seats, as released by the NMC:
| State/UT | Government Seats | Private Seats | Total Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andaman & Nicobar | 114 | 0 | 114 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 3,515 | 3,950 | 7,465 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 100 | 0 | 100 |
| Assam | 1,875 | 0 | 1,875 |
| Bihar | 1,710 | 2,450 | 4,160 |
| Chandigarh | 200 | 0 | 200 |
| Chhattisgarh | 1,725 | 1,200 | 2,925 |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli | 177 | 0 | 177 |
| Delhi | 1,165 | 250 | 1,415 |
| Goa | 250 | 0 | 250 |
| Gujarat | 4,250 | 3,500 | 7,750 |
| Haryana | 1,060 | 1,900 | 2,960 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 721 | 150 | 871 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 1,525 | 150 | 1,675 |
| Jharkhand | 800 | 700 | 1,500 |
| Karnataka | 4,400 | 10,995 | 15,395 |
| Kerala | 1,855 | 3,849 | 5,704 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 3,020 | 3,000 | 6,020 |
| Maharashtra | 6,000 | 7,099 | 13,099 |
| Manipur | 400 | 150 | 550 |
| Meghalaya | 100 | 150 | 250 |
| Mizoram | 100 | 0 | 100 |
| Nagaland | 100 | 0 | 100 |
| Odisha | 1,850 | 1,100 | 2,950 |
| Puducherry | 180 | 1,600 | 1,780 |
| Punjab | 900 | 950 | 1,850 |
| Rajasthan | 4,480 | 3,600 | 8,080 |
| Sikkim | 100 | 100 | 200 |
| Tamil Nadu | 5,349 | 8,650 | 13,999 |
| Telangana | 4,400 | 5,850 | 10,250 |
| Tripura | 200 | 300 | 500 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 5,700 | 8,300 | 14,000 |
| Uttarakhand | 625 | 850 | 1,475 |
| West Bengal | 4,350 | 2,850 | 7,200 |
| Total | 63,296 | 73,643 |
1,36,939
|
Private Colleges Drive Most of the Growth
A closer look at the numbers shows that private medical colleges have contributed the lion's share of new seats this year. Government colleges added 2,111 seats, growing from 61,185 to 63,296, a rise of about 3.45%. Private colleges, on the other hand, grew far more sharply, adding 7,800 seats to go from 65,843 to 73,643, a jump of nearly 11.85%.
Put simply, close to 79% of every new MBBS seat added this year has come from the private sector, continuing a trend of private capacity expanding faster than government capacity nationally.
25 New Medical Colleges Enter the Fray
The 2026 cycle also welcomes 25 brand-new medical colleges, together bringing 2,400 additional seats into the system for the current academic session:
- 7 new government colleges → 400 seats
- 18 new private colleges → 2,000 seats
That means roughly 83% of seats created through new colleges this year are private. States that saw the most action on this front include Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.
NMC MBBS Seat Matrix 2026: New Colleges and Seats, State by State
| State | New Colleges | Govt. Seats Added | Private Seats Added | Total Seats Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chhattisgarh | 6 | 250 | 100 | 350 |
| Rajasthan | 3 | 0 | 350 | 350 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 2 | 50 | 50 | 100 |
| Bihar | 2 | 0 | 200 | 200 |
| Karnataka | 2 | 250 | 0 | 250 |
| Maharashtra | 2 | 250 | 0 | 250 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 2 | 0 | 150 | 150 |
| Haryana | 1 | 0 | 100 | 100 |
| Jharkhand | 1 | 0 | 100 | 100 |
| Sikkim | 1 | 100 | 0 | 100 |
| Tamil Nadu | 1 | 0 | 150 | 150 |
| Telangana | 1 | 0 | 150 | 150 |
| West Bengal | 1 | 0 | 150 | 150 |
| Total | 25 | 400 | 2,000 | 2,400 |
Which States Gained the Most Seats This Year?
Karnataka leads the pack in absolute terms, adding 1,300 seats to touch 15,395, comfortably the highest tally in the country. Tamil Nadu picked up 950 additional seats, while Uttar Pradesh added 800, and West Bengal and Telangana followed with gains of 825 and 810 seats respectively. Several smaller states and Union Territories, including Assam, Delhi, Meghalaya and a few island territories, saw no change in their seat count this year.
NMC MBBS Seat Matrix 2026: State-Wise Seat Comparison of 2025 vs 2026
| State/UT | 2025 Seats | 2026 Seats | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karnataka | 14,095 | 15,395 | +1,300 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 13,200 | 14,000 | +800 |
| Tamil Nadu | 13,049 | 13,999 | +950 |
| Maharashtra | 12,699 | 13,099 | +400 |
| Telangana | 9,440 | 10,250 | +810 |
| Rajasthan | 7,180 | 8,080 | +900 |
| Gujarat | 7,550 | 7,750 | +200 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 7,090 | 7,465 | +375 |
| West Bengal | 6,375 | 7,200 | +825 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 5,600 | 6,020 | +420 |
| Kerala | 5,454 | 5,704 | +250 |
| Bihar | 3,420 | 4,160 | +740 |
| Haryana | 2,710 | 2,960 | +250 |
| Odisha | 2,900 | 2,950 | +50 |
| Chhattisgarh | 2,380 | 2,575 | +195 |
| Assam | 1,875 | 1,875 | 0 |
| Punjab | 1,800 | 1,850 | +50 |
| Puducherry | 1,630 | 1,780 | +150 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 1,575 | 1,675 | +100 |
| Jharkhand | 1,130 | 1,500 | +370 |
| Uttarakhand | 1,325 | 1,475 | +150 |
| Delhi | 1,415 | 1,415 | 0 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 870 | 871 | +1 |
| Manipur | 525 | 550 | +25 |
| Tripura | 450 | 500 | +50 |
| Goa | 200 | 250 | +50 |
| Meghalaya | 250 | 250 | 0 |
| Chandigarh | 150 | 200 | +50 |
| Sikkim | 100 | 200 | +100 |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli | 177 | 177 | 0 |
| Andaman & Nicobar | 114 | 114 | 0 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 100 | 100 | 0 |
| Mizoram | 100 | 100 | 0 |
| Nagaland | 100 | 100 | 0 |
| Grand Total | 1,27,028 | 1,36,939 | +9,911 |
What This Means for NEET UG 2026 Candidates
With over 1.36 lakh MBBS seats now confirmed and counselling expected to follow the release of the NEET UG 2026 result, candidates should keep a close eye on official notifications from the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) for all-India quota seats, and their respective state counselling authorities for state quota seats. As always, seat availability at the time of actual counselling can see minor revisions, so students are advised to cross-check figures on the official NMC and MCC websites before finalising their preferences.
