
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has officially published the highly anticipated NMC MBBS Seat Matrix 2026 for the upcoming NEET UG 2026 counselling cycle. Providing much-needed clarity to lakhs of medical aspirants nationwide, the official release confirms that a record-breaking 1,36,939 MBBS seats are up for grabs across 823 medical colleges in India this year.
This updated figure highlights a significant injection of 9,911 new medical seats compared to the previous academic session, translating to an impressive year-on-year growth rate of 7.80%.
Important Note for Candidates: This specific NMC matrix strictly covers state and all-India quota seats in standard government and private medical institutions. It does not include the seat counts for Institutes of National Importance (INIs) such as AIIMS, JIPMER, and PGIMER, which manage their admissions through distinct independent counseling channels.
The 2026 seat distribution brings a significant shift in the medical education landscape, characterized by the entry of 25 brand-new medical colleges. Below is a macro-level overview of the current admission cycle:
| Particulars | Details |
| Conducting Authority | National Medical Commission (NMC) |
| Admission Route | NEET UG 2026 Counselling |
| Total MBBS Colleges in India | 823 |
| Government Medical Colleges | 441 |
| Private Medical Colleges | 382 |
| Total MBBS Seats | 1,36,939 |
| NMC MBBS Govt Colleges Seat Matrix 2026 | 63,296 |
| NMC MBBS Private Colleges Seat Matrix 2026 | 73,643 |
| Net Seats Added (vs 2025) | 9,911 |
| Overall Seat Growth Percentage | 7.80% |
| Total New Medical Colleges Added | 25 (7 Government / 18 Private) |
| Total Seats from New Colleges | 2,400 |
| State with Highest Overall Seats | Karnataka (15,395 seats) |
| State with Highest Government Seats | Maharashtra (6,000 seats) |
| State with Highest Private Seats | Karnataka (10,995 seats) |
For students currently mapping out their preferences for the NEET UG 2026 counselling process, having exact numbers is critical. The official state-by-state allocation of government and private medical college seats is detailed below:
| State / Union Territory | Government Seats | Private Seats | Total MBBS 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 |
| GRAND TOTAL | 63,296 | 73,643 | 1,36,939 |
A deep dive into the MBBS seat matrix 2026 structure reveals that the private sector remains the primary engine of growth. Out of the 9,911 total seats added across the country, government institutions account for 2,111 new seats—moving from 61,185 up to 63,296 (a steady 3.45% increment).
In contrast, private medical college capacity grew sharply by adding 7,800 seats, climbing from 65,843 to 73,643—a massive 11.85% spike. This indicates that approximately 79% of all new infrastructure options available to medical aspirants this year belong to private institutions, maintaining the long-term trend of private sector capacity outstripping state-funded additions.
The current academic session welcomes 25 newly approved medical campuses, injecting 2,400 immediate seats into the core MBBS seats in India pool:
7 New Government Colleges: Contributing 400 seats.
18 New Private Colleges: Contributing 2,000 seats.
This shows that nearly 83% of the seats derived specifically from new colleges are private. The states that observed the maximum expansion via new college approvals include Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh.
The targeted state-by-state impact of these 25 new medical institutions reveals exactly where options have expanded:
| State | New Approved Colleges | Govt. Seats Added | Private Seats Added | Total New Seats |
| Chhattisgarh | 6 | 250 | 100 | 350 |
| Rajasthan | 3 | 0 | 350 | 350 |
| Karnataka | 2 | 250 | 0 | 250 |
| Maharashtra | 2 | 250 | 0 | 250 |
| Bihar | 2 | 0 | 200 | 200 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 2 | 0 | 150 | 150 |
| West Bengal | 1 | 0 | 150 | 150 |
| Telangana | 1 | 0 | 150 | 150 |
| Tamil Nadu | 1 | 0 | 150 | 150 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 2 | 50 | 50 | 100 |
| Haryana | 1 | 0 | 100 | 100 |
| Jharkhand | 1 | 0 | 100 | 100 |
| Sikkim | 1 | 100 | 0 | 100 |
Comparing the 2025 baseline of 1,27,028 seats against the current NMC MBBS Seat Matrix 2026 outlines the absolute winners of this expansion cycle.
Karnataka firmly retains its crown as India's medical education hub, introducing 1,300 additional seats to bring its total capacity to a staggering 15,395. Tamil Nadu closely follows with an increase of 950 seats, while West Bengal (+825), Telangana (+810), and Uttar Pradesh (+800) have rapidly scaled up their intake capabilities. Alternatively, regions like Delhi, Assam, and Meghalaya experienced zero expansion, holding exactly onto their previous capacities.
With the official seat structure confirmed, the competition canvas for aspirants is entirely clear. As the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) aligns schedules following the announcement of final test results, students should actively prepare their choices.
Because the final available capacity can experience minor marginal adjustments right up until active counseling windows open, candidates are strongly advised to routinely verify live institutional tallies directly on the official portals of the NMC and MCC before locking in their final choice-filling preferences.