NEET Counselling 2026: Complete Guide to Dates, Process, Fees, Merit List & State-Wise Admissions

NEET Counselling 2026 is the gateway that turns a NEET-UG rank into an actual MBBS or BDS seat, and this year the wait for NEET UG Counselling 2026 has been longer and more nerve-wracking than usual. After the NEET-UG 2026 original exam on May 3, 2026 was canceled and the Re-NEET UG was conducted on June 21, 2026 the National Testing Agency (NTA) declared the new Re-NEET UG results on July 16, 2026. Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) will now release the official NEET UG Counselling 2026 schedule likely by the 4th week of July 2026 and the registration process is expected to start from anywhere between July 25 to July 30, 2026 as per previous trends for All India Quota (AIQ) Round 1 registration. 

If you have cleared 12th grade and managed to clear the NEET-UG 2026 entrance, you have arrived at your go-to page to navigate all things related to NEET 2026 Counselling be it the highlights, quota wise details, dates, registration process, eligibility, documents required, application fee, merit list, cut off marks, choice filling, seat allotment, admission process for state wise colleges, and so on. 

Every section below links out to a more detailed page on the specific topic, so treat this as your starting point and dig deeper wherever you need to. We update this page continuously as MCC, NMC and the state authorities release fresh notifications, bookmark it and check back often.

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Latest News & Notifications – NEET Counselling 2026

Stay updated with the latest NEET Counselling 2026 announcements from the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), National Testing Agency (NTA), and respective State Counselling Authorities. Important updates such as the counselling schedule, information bulletin, registration dates, seat matrix, merit list, choice filling, allotment results, and reporting instructions are released throughout the counselling process. This section will be updated regularly with the latest official notifications to help candidates stay informed. 

NEET Counselling 2026 Latest Updates

Date	Latest Notification	Download / View
July 16, 2026	NTA declares revised Re-NEET UG 2026 result	[Link – Coming Soon]
To Be Announced	NEET Counselling 2026 Information Bulletin	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	MCC NEET Counselling 2026 Schedule	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	AIQ Round 1 Registration Notice	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	Round 1 Seat Matrix	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	Round 1 Choice Filling & Locking Notice	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	Round 1 Seat Allotment Result	Check Result
To Be Announced	Round 2 Counselling Schedule	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	Round 2 Seat Matrix	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	Round 2 Seat Allotment Result	Check Result
To Be Announced	Mop-up Round Schedule	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	Mop-up Round Seat Matrix	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	Mop-up Round Seat Allotment Result	Check Result
To Be Announced	Stray Vacancy Round Schedule	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	Stray Vacancy Round Result	Check Result
To Be Announced	State Counselling Schedule (All States)	Download PDF (Available Soon)
To Be Announced	Revised Notifications / Corrigendum	Download PDF
To Be Announced	NRI / OCI Candidate Notices	Download PDF
To Be Announced	PwD Verification & Eligibility Notice	Download PDF
To Be Announced	Final Reporting & Admission Notice	Download PDF (Available Soon)

NEET Counselling 2026 Highlights

Here's a quick snapshot before we go into the details of NEET 2026 counselling.

Particulars	Details
Exam Name	NEET-UG (Re-NEET UG) 2026
Conducting Bodies	Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) & respective State Counselling Authorities
Re-NEET UG Result Declared	July 16, 2026
NEET UG Counselling 2026 Start Date	Tentatively July 25–30, 2026 (Round 1 registration)
NEET Counselling 2026 Last Date	To be announced by MCC/State Authorities (round-wise)
Courses Covered	MBBS, BDS, B.Sc. Nursing (Central Institutes)
Total MBBS Seats	Approx. 1,29,602 seats across 822 Medical Colleges
Govt. MBBS Seats	Approx. 63,859 seats across 456 Government Medical Colleges
Private MBBS Seats	Approx. 65,743 seats across 366 Private Medical Colleges
Total BDS Seats	Approx. 27,618 seats across 329 Dental Colleges
Govt. BDS Seats	Approx. 3,958 seats across 60 Government Dental Colleges
Private BDS Seats	Approx. 23,660 seats across 269 Private Dental Colleges
Counselling Rounds	Round 1, Round 2, Round 3 (Mop-Up), Stray Vacancy Round
Mode of Counselling	Online
Official Website (MCC)	mcc.nic.in

What is NEET Counselling?

NEET Counselling is the seat-allotment process that follows the NEET-UG exam every year. Clearing NEET-UG only makes you eligible, it does not automatically allot you a seat. To actually join an MBBS, BDS, or B.Sc. Nursing course, every qualified candidate must separately register for counselling, fill college/course preferences, and get allotted a seat based on rank, category, and seat availability.

Types of NEET Counselling 2026

One of the most confusing parts of counselling for NEET 2026 is understanding who conducts what. NEET UG admissions in India are handled by two separate sets of authorities, based on the quota a seat falls under.

1. MCC Counselling (Central Authority)

Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, conducts this part of Counselling NEET UG 2026 for the following seats:

• 15% All India Quota (AIQ) MBBS/BDS seats contributed by states (participation of Jammu & Kashmir is subject to their seat contribution)
• 100% MBBS/BDS seats of Banaras Hindu University (BHU)
• 100% MBBS seats of all AIIMS across India
• 100% JIPMER seats (Puducherry/Karaikal)
• 100% seats of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU)
• 85% State Quota seats of Delhi University/IP University (VMMC/ABVIMS/ESIC Dental)
• 100% Faculty of Dentistry, Jamia Millia Islamia, along with a 5% internal quota for Jamia students
• 15% IP quota seats of ESIC

2. State Counselling (State Authorities)

The respective State Counselling Authority of each state conducts NEET UG Counselling 2026 for:

• 85% seats in Government Medical/Dental Colleges of that state
• 100% seats in Private Medical/Dental Colleges of that state

In short, if you're targeting an AIQ, Deemed University, AIIMS, JIPMER, BHU, or AMU seat, MCC is your point of contact. For state government quota or any private college seat, you'll register separately with that state's counselling body. Many candidates end up registering for both NEET UG Counselling 2026 (MCC) and their home state counselling to maximise their chances. See the full state-wise table later in this guide.

3. Sub-Categories Worth Knowing

• Institutional Quota – A small percentage of seats reserved by certain universities/colleges for their own eligible candidates (e.g., internal quota at Jamia Millia Islamia, AMU).
• Management/NRI Quota – Applicable mostly in private and deemed colleges, filled through the respective institution or state authority as per its own norms.
• Central Pool Nomination Seats – A small number of seats maintained by Ministries such as Defence and External Affairs; these are not part of MCC or state counselling at all.

Courses Covered Under NEET Counselling

This isn't limited to MBBS. Depending on the authority, several undergraduate medical courses are covered under NEET UG Counselling 2026:

Course	Conducted Through	Notes
MBBS	MCC (AIQ/Central) + State Authorities	Largest number of seats; covered in detail in our MBBS Counselling 2026 guide
BDS	MCC (AIQ/Central) + State Authorities	See our BDS Counselling 2026 guide for dental-specific cut-offs and colleges
B.Sc. Nursing	MCC (Central Institutes only)	Limited seats, mostly in AIIMS and other central institutes

NEET Counselling 2026 Dates & Round-Wise Schedule

The NEET Counselling 2026 date for the official schedule release, registration, choice filling, and seat allotment will be notified round-wise. Based on the current timeline and past patterns, here is the tentative NEET UG Counselling 2026 schedule:

Counselling Schedule – Round 1

Event	Date
Verification of Tentative Seat Matrix by Participating Institutes & NMC	To Be Notified
Online Registration & Fee Payment	To Be Notified
Choice Filling & Choice Locking	To Be Notified
Seat Allotment Processing	To Be Notified
Round 1 Seat Allotment Result	To Be Notified
Reporting & Joining at Allotted College	To Be Notified
Verification of Joined Candidates' Data by Institutes & Data Sharing with MCC	To Be Notified

Counselling Schedule – Round 2

Event	Date
Verification of Tentative Seat Matrix by Participating Institutes & NMC	To Be Notified
Online Registration & Fee Payment	To Be Notified
Choice Filling & Choice Locking	To Be Notified
Seat Allotment Processing	To Be Notified
Round 2 Seat Allotment Result	To Be Notified
Reporting & Joining at Allotted College	To Be Notified
Verification of Joined Candidates' Data by Institutes & Data Sharing with MCC	To Be Notified

Counselling Schedule – Mop-up Round (Round 3)

Event	Date
Verification of Tentative Seat Matrix by Participating Institutes & NMC	To Be Notified
Online Registration & Fee Payment	To Be Notified
Choice Filling & Choice Locking	To Be Notified
Seat Allotment Processing	To Be Notified
Mop-up Round Seat Allotment Result	To Be Notified
Reporting & Joining at Allotted College	To Be Notified
Verification of Joined Candidates' Data by Institutes & Data Sharing with MCC	To Be Notified

Counselling Schedule – Stray Vacancy Round

Event	Date
Verification of Tentative Seat Matrix by Participating Institutes & NMC	To Be Notified
Online Registration & Fee Payment	To Be Notified
Choice Filling & Choice Locking	To Be Notified
Seat Allotment Processing	To Be Notified
Stray Vacancy Round Seat Allotment Result	To Be Notified
Reporting & Joining at Allotted College	To Be Notified
Verification of Joined Candidates' Data by Institutes & Data Sharing with MCC	Not Applicable

Downloadable PDF – Official Schedule

Document	Status	Download
MCC NEET UG Counselling 2026 Schedule PDF	To be updated once released	[Download PDF – Coming Soon]
Round-Wise Detailed Timetable PDF	To be updated once released	[Download PDF – Coming Soon]

NEET Counselling 2026 Registration Process

If you are applying either through the MCC or your state authority, follow these basics steps:

1. Registration – You have to register on the MCC portal (mcc.nic.in for AIQ) or on your State Authority’s website and use the same phone number and email id as used in NEET UG Registration on the NTA website.

2. Fee Payment – Pay the non-refundable registration fee along with the refundable security deposit as applicable to your category and the quota you have applied to.

3. Choice Filling – You are given a list of colleges and courses and you have to select and arrange them according to your preferences (add, delete or reorder your choices as many times as you want before locking).

4. Locking of Choices – Once you are done with adding your choices you can lock your preferences by a specific deadline otherwise by default your last saved choices will be considered as locked.

5. Seat Allotment Result – seats will be allotted to candidates based on their NEET rank, category and locked choices in accordance with the seat matrix. 

6. Document Verification & Reporting – report to the allocated institution for admission process and original document verification within the allotted window.

7. Upgradation/Next Round – You can appear in the next round after retaining your allotted seat if you are aiming for better colleges.

8. Exit/Resignation – Rules about exiting and resignation from an allotted seat become more strict in each subsequent round; in some cases (from round 2 onwards) you will forfeit your security deposit.

Being aware of these steps ahead of time will surely help ease the Counselling NEET UG 2026 process once the exact dates are announced. 

NEET Counselling Eligibility Criteria

To participate in this year's process, a candidate must meet the following conditions:

Eligibility Requirement	Details
NEET Qualification	Candidate must have a valid qualifying rank in NEET UG 2026 (Re-NEET UG 2026).
Educational Qualification	Must have passed Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology, and English individually in the qualifying examination (Class 12 or equivalent).
Minimum PCB Marks – General / EWS	Must have secured at least 50% aggregate marks in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology/Biotechnology.
Minimum PCB Marks – SC / ST / OBC (NCL)	Must have secured at least 40% aggregate marks in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology/Biotechnology.
Minimum PCB Marks – PwBD Candidates	Must have secured at least 40% aggregate marks in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology/Biotechnology, as per NMC/DCI norms.
Minimum Age Requirement	Candidate must be 17 years of age on or before 31 December 2026.
Eligibility for AIQ Seats	No domicile requirement applies for 15% All India Quota (AIQ) counselling conducted by MCC.
Eligibility for Institutional Quota	Candidates applying for Central Universities, JIPMER, AFMC, ESIC, or other Institutional Quota seats must satisfy the specific eligibility criteria prescribed by the respective institution.
State Counselling Eligibility	Candidates applying through State NEET Counselling must also fulfil the domicile, reservation, and other eligibility conditions prescribed by the respective state counselling authority.

NEET Counselling 2026 Reservation Policy & Category-Wise Seats

Reservation under the 15% All India Quota follows central government norms, while state quota reservation varies by state. Here's the AIQ breakdown:

Category	AIQ Reservation
Scheduled Caste (SC)	15%
Scheduled Tribe (ST)	7.5%
Other Backward Classes – Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL)	27%
Economically Weaker Section (EWS)	10%
Persons with Disability (PwD)	5% (horizontal, across all categories)

• Unfilled ST seats convert to SC; unfilled SC seats convert to UR.
• Unfilled EWS and NRI seats convert to UR.
• PwD seats within each category convert back to the parent category (e.g., ST-PwD → ST) if left vacant.
• Category conversion generally happens only in Round 3, once eligible candidates in that category have been exhausted.
• There is no SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwD reservation in Deemed Universities; however, some deemed universities offer minority-quota reservation (e.g., Jain or Muslim minority), which candidates should verify individually.

For a state-wise reservation matrix (SC/ST/OBC/EWS plus any state-specific categories like local/domicile quotas), see our State Reservation Policy guide.

NEET Counselling 2026 Documents Required

Keep the following original documents (with photocopies) ready before reporting to your allotted college:

• MCC/State counselling allotment letter
• NEET-UG 2026 admit card
• NEET-UG 2026 result/rank letter
• Class 10th certificate and mark sheet (as date of birth proof)
• Class 12th certificate and mark sheet
• Eight passport-size photographs (same as used in the application form)
• Proof of identity (Aadhaar/PAN/Driving Licence/Passport)
• Category certificate (SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS), issued in the prescribed format, in English or Hindi
• PwBD certificate, if applicable
• Citizenship/OCI/PIO documents, for NRI/foreign national/OCI candidates
• Domicile certificate, where applicable for state quota

Missing even one document can lead to your admission being denied at the reporting stage, so it's worth preparing a checklist well before your NEET UG Counselling 2026 start date arrives. Download our printable Documents Checklist PDF at the end of this section.

NEET Counselling 2026 Fees

Fees for NEET UG Counselling 2026 are split into a non-refundable registration fee and a refundable security deposit, and they vary depending on the quota and category.

Quota	Category	Registration Fee (Non-Refundable)	Security Deposit (Refundable)
15% AIQ / Central Universities (DU, AMU, BHU, Jamia) / AFMC / ESI / AIIMS / JIPMER	UR/EWS	Rs.1,000	Rs.10,000
15% AIQ / Central Universities / AFMC / ESI / AIIMS / JIPMER	SC/ST/OBC/PwD	Rs.500	Rs.5,000
Deemed Universities	All Candidates	Rs.5,000	Rs.2,00,000
State Quota (Govt./Private Colleges)	Varies by state	As per state authority	As per state authority

If a candidate opts for both AIQ/Central seats and Deemed University seats, only the higher fee (Deemed University fee) is applicable. State quota fees differ significantly across states and colleges, so always cross-check with the respective state counselling brochure. The security deposit is refunded to the same bank account it was paid from, generally within 30 days of the counselling round's completion, provided the candidate has not violated exit rules.

NEET Counselling 2026 Merit List

Merit list for NEET 2026 Counselling is prepared separately for AIQ seats (by MCC) and state quota seats (by respective state authorities), based on:

1. NEET-UG 2026 (Re-NEET UG) score and All India Rank
2. Category-wise reservation (SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS/PwBD/UR)
3. Applicable state domicile or institutional reservation rules, for state counselling

Candidates do not need to apply separately for the merit list, it is generated automatically based on your NEET rank and the choices/preferences you fill during registration. Your position on this list determines which colleges you're eligible for in each round.

Downloadable PDF – Merit List

Document	Status	Download
AIQ Merit List (Round 1)	To be updated once released	[Download PDF – Coming Soon]
State Quota Merit Lists	To be updated once released	[Download PDF – Coming Soon]

NEET Counselling Cut Off

NEET cut off is the minimum qualifying percentile set by NTA to be eligible to appear for NEET UG Counselling 2026, while the counselling cut off (opening and closing ranks) is decided round-by-round based on seat availability, applications received, and category-wise demand for each college. 

Previous Year’s Trend (For Reference)

While every year's cut off depends on the number of candidates, paper difficulty, and total seats, tracking the previous 2–3 years' opening and closing ranks for your target colleges is one of the smartest ways to build a realistic choice list. Our detailed Cutoff Trends (2026–2027) guide breaks this down college-wise and category-wise.

Downloadable PDF – Category Wise MBBS/MBBS Cutoff 2026

Category	Download
UR / EWS	[Download PDF – Coming Soon]
OBC-NCL	[Download PDF – Coming Soon]
SC	[Download PDF – Coming Soon]
ST	[Download PDF – Coming Soon]
PwBD	[Download PDF – Coming Soon]

NEET Counselling 2026 Choice Filling

Choice filling is the most important step of the entire process the order in which you arrange your college and course preferences directly decides where you can be allotted. A few tips that matter every year:

• Fill as many choices as you're genuinely willing to join, a shorter list reduces your allotment chances.
• Arrange choices strictly in the order of your actual preference, not just "safe" ones first.
• Research each college's fee structure, location, and past cut-off trends before locking choices once locked, choices cannot be edited for that round.
• Keep re-checking and reordering right up to the choice-locking deadline; you can freely edit until you lock.
• If you don't lock manually, the system will auto-lock your last saved order at the deadline, so save your list even if you're unsure and want to keep editing later.
• Remember: filling a choice does not guarantee a seat; it only makes you eligible to be considered for that seat if your rank permits.

NEET Counselling 2026 Seat Allotment Result & How to Check It

After the choice filling and locking are completed for a round, MCC/State authorities then will compare and check the seat matrix with each candidate's rank, category, and preferences (locked to get the result of the allotment. If you want to know your results, simply do the following: 

• Go to the MCC's official website i.e., mcc.nic.in or to your State counselling's official website. 
• Login using the registration details you had entered. 
• Download your Provisional allotment letter (if there is an allotted seat for you). 
• Remember the dates by which you should report, along with the necessary documents, on the letter. 

If you're not allotted a seat in a round, you automatically remain in contention for the next round (unless the round is a stray vacancy round with no carry-forward, per that year's rules). See our guide on What to Do If You Don't Get a Seat in Round 1 for next steps.

NEET Counselling 2026 Reporting, Admission & Joining Formalities

Once You Are Allotted a seat and have to Report at college- once You are allotted a seat to report at that particular college is non-negotiable. Some of the procedures followed usually are:

1. Report at your allocated institute, prior to the date specified in the allotted letters. 
2. Your original certificates will be verified by the respective college’s admissions committee. 
3. You would then have to pay the college-specific admission/tuition fees (in addition to the fee paid to MCC/State registration). 
4. Depending on the college, there may be biometric/photo verification as well. 
5. Take your confirmation letter for admission/ID card back from the college. 

You will generally forfeit the seat, security deposit and have the seat deemed vacant for next round, if you do not report within the specified timeline and without a plan to upgrade.

NEET Counselling 2026 Upgradation, Resignation & Exit Rules

• Upgradation – If you're allotted a seat but want a better one, you can retain your current seat and participate in the next round; if upgraded, you must relieve your earlier seat and join the new one.
• Resignation – Withdrawing from an allotted seat entirely. Rules and consequences depend on the round.
• Exit with Forfeiture – From Round 2 onwards, if you don't wish to join your allotted seat, you can exit, but your security deposit is forfeited.
• No Exit After Joining – Once you've physically joined and completed admission formalities at a college, you generally cannot resign or exit that seat.
• No Exit in the Final Round – Candidates who accept a seat in the Stray Vacancy Round (or equivalent final round) usually cannot resign at all; take this decision carefully.

Because these rules directly affect your refundable security deposit, read our detailed Exit Rules & Forfeiture Guide before locking your final-round choices.

NEET Counselling 2026 Stray Vacancy Round & Special Rounds

Stray Vacancy Round is conducted to fill any seats still vacant after Round 3/Mop-Up, mainly for candidates who registered earlier but remained unallotted. Key points:

• Generally, no fresh registration is allowed for AIQ/Deemed seats in this round.
• Seat acceptance in this round is usually final, no upgradation or exit is permitted afterward.
• Some states conduct their own special/stray rounds beyond the AIQ Stray Vacancy Round, with slightly different rules.

NEET Counselling 2026 – State Quota Counselling

Apart from MCC, each state runs its own NEET UG Counselling 2026 process for 85% government quota and 100% private college seats. Every state has its own registration portal, schedule, reservation policy, and domicile rules. So candidates must register separately with their respective state counselling authority in addition to (or instead of) MCC counselling. Below is a quick-access table; click on your state to go to its detailed counselling process.

States	Counselling Authorities	Counselling Process
Andhra Pradesh	Dr. YSR University Of Health Science, Andhra Pradesh	Andhra Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh	Arunachal Pradesh’s Directorate Of Higher And Technical Education (DME)	Arunachal Pradesh
Assam	Directorate Of Medical Education, Assam	Assam
Bihar	Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board	Bihar
Chandigarh	Government Medical College And Hospital (GMCH), Chandigarh	Chandigarh
Chhattisgarh	Directorate Of Medical Education (DME), Raipur	Chhattisgarh
Dadra & Nagar Haveli	Directorate Of Medical & Health Services, Dadra & Nagar	Dadra & Nagar Haveli
Goa	Directorate Of Technical Education, Goa	Goa
Gujarat	Admission Committee For Professional Undergraduate Medical Educational Courses (ACPUGMEC)	Gujarat
Haryana	Directorate Of Medical Education And Research (DMER) Haryana	Haryana
Himachal Pradesh	Atal Medical & Research University, HP	Himachal Pradesh
Jammu & Kashmir	J&K Board Of Professional Entrance Examinations (JKBOPEE)	Jammu & Kashmir
Jharkhand	Jharkhand Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board	Jharkhand
Karnataka	Karnataka Education Authority (KEA)	Karnataka
Kerala	Commissioner Of Entrance Examinations (CEE)	Kerala
Lakshadweep	Department Of Education, Lakshadweep	Lakshadweep
Madhya Pradesh	Directorate Of Medical Education	Madhya Pradesh
Maharashtra	Directorate Of Medical Education And Research (DMER)	Maharashtra
Meghalaya	North East Indira Gandhi Regional Institute Of Health And Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong	Meghalaya
Manipur	Directorate Of Health Services, Manipur	Manipur
Mizoram	Department Of Higher And Technical Education, Government Of Mizoram	Mizoram
Nagaland	Directorate Of Technical Education, Kohima	Nagaland
Odisha	Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) Cell.	Odisha
Puducherry	Centralised Admission Committee Of The Government Of Puducherry	Puducherry
Punjab	Baba Farid University Of Health Sciences (BFUHS)	Punjab
Rajasthan	Medical Education Government Of Rajasthan	Rajasthan
Sikkim	Government Of Sikkim Human Resource Development Department	Sikkim
Tamil Nadu	Directorate Of Medical Education, Tamil Nadu	Tamil
Telangana	Kaloji Narayana Rao University Of Health Sciences	Telangana
Tripura	Directorate Of Medical Education, Health, And Family Welfare Of The Tripura	Tripura
Uttarakhand	Directorate General Of Medical Education And Training	Uttarakhand
West Bengal	Department Of Health & Family Welfare	West Bengal
Delhi	Faculty Of Ayurvedic And Unani Medicine, GGSIPU	Delhi
Uttar Pradesh	Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DMET)	Uttar Pradesh

Deemed & Private Medical/Dental College Counselling

Deemed universities and private medical/dental colleges form a large chunk of India's total seats, and they follow slightly different rules from government colleges:

• Deemed university seats are 100% counselled by MCC, across four rounds, with a much higher registration fee and security deposit (see Fees section above).
• There is no SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwD reservation in deemed universities.
• Private colleges under state authority follow that state's own fee, reservation, and management-quota norms.
• Fee structures at private/deemed colleges can vary hugely, always verify directly with the college or check our Private Medical College Fee Comparison before finalising choices.

NRI & OCI Quota Counselling

NRI (Non-Resident Indian) and OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) candidates have specific provisions in this year's counselling:

• NRI quota seats are typically available in private/deemed colleges as per that institution's own policy.
• Following Supreme Court directions, OCI cardholders are treated at par with Indian citizens and are eligible for both UR (General) category seats and NRI seats.
• Required documents for OCI/NRI candidates include citizenship/OCI card details and, where applicable, a sponsor's relationship proof for NRI-quota seats.
• Always verify fee structures for NRI-quota seats directly with the college, since these are usually significantly higher than regular fees.

AIQ vs State Quota Counselling – Key Differences

Parameter	AIQ / MCC Counselling	State Quota Counselling
Conducting Authority	MCC (DGHS, MoHFW)	Respective State Counselling Authority
Seats Covered	15% of state govt. colleges + 100% Central Institutes/Deemed Universities	85% state govt. colleges + 100% private colleges
Domicile Requirement	Domicile-free	Usually domicile-required (varies by state)
Registration Portal	mcc.nic.in	State-specific portal
Reservation Policy	Central norms (SC 15%, ST 7.5%, OBC-NCL 27%, EWS 10%, PwD 5%)	State-specific reservation categories
Number of Rounds	Typically 4 (Round 1, 2, 3, Stray)	Varies by state (often 3–5 rounds)

NEET Counselling 2026 - Top Medical & Dental Colleges to Target

While the "best" college for you depends on your rank, category, and budget, most candidates shortlist a mix of AIIMS/central institutes, top state government medical colleges, and reputed private/deemed universities. Explore our detailed, regularly updated lists:

• Top Government Medical Colleges in India (2026 Session)
• Top Private Medical Colleges in India (2026 Session)
• Top Dental (BDS) Colleges in India (2026 Session)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. When will NEET UG Counselling 2026 start?

A. The official NEET UG Counselling 2026 start date will be announced by MCC after releasing the schedule, expected in the fourth week of July 2026. Round 1 registration is tentatively projected between July 25 and 30, 2026.

Q. What is the NEET Counselling 2026 last date?

A. The NEET Counselling 2026 last date varies by round, Round 1, Round 2, Round 3 (Mop-Up), and the Stray Vacancy Round each have their own registration and reporting deadlines, which MCC and state authorities will notify separately.

Q. Who conducts NEET UG Counselling 2026?

A. Two authorities conduct it: the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) for 15% AIQ and central institute seats, and the respective State Counselling Authority for 85% state government quota and 100% private college seats.

Q. Is NEET 2026 counselling registration compulsory even after qualifying NEET-UG?

A. Yes. Qualifying NEET-UG 2026 only makes you eligible; you must still complete separate NEET 2026 counselling registration on the MCC portal and/or your state's counselling portal to be considered for seat allotment.

Q. Can I participate in both MCC and state counselling for NEET 2026?

A. Yes, most candidates register for both NEET UG Counselling 2026 (MCC, for AIQ/Central seats) and their home state's counselling (for state quota/private seats) to maximise their options.

Q. What happens if I don't lock my choices during counselling?

A. If you don't lock manually before the deadline, the system automatically locks your last saved choice order, so always save your preferences even if you plan to edit them later.

Q. What is the difference between AIQ and state quota counselling?

A. AIQ/MCC counselling covers 15% of state govt. college seats plus 100% of central institutes, is domicile-free, and follows central reservation norms. State quota counselling covers 85% of govt. college seats plus 100% of private college seats and usually requires domicile, with state-specific reservation rules.

Why Choose Us for NEET Counselling?

NEET counselling might be difficult for candidates due to multiple counselling bodies, various quotas, deadlines, and choice filling. Failure to complete any of these stages may adversely impact one's admission prospects. However, at Admission Advice, we make sure that the entire procedure becomes easier for the candidates with our expert and customized counselling right from registration till admission.

As a leading NEET counselling expert, GLN Admission Advice Pvt. Ltd. has helped 3,000+ students secure MBBS and BDS seats in government, private, deemed, and state medical colleges across India. The experience of our counsellors will help you with college selection, choice filling, documents verification, cutoffs, fee structures and reporting in NEET Counselling 2026.

neetcounselling2025.in is an independent informational and counselling support portal that has been made in order to provide proper guidance to students and their parents regarding the process of NEET UG Counselling. Though neetcounselling2025.in is not a government portal, all the data that is published on our website is checked from authentic sources including MCC, NMC, NTA, DGHS, and respective State NEET Counselling Bodies.