The National Testing Agency (NTA) has published an official data sheet titled 'Key Data Points of NEET (UG) Over Years'. It is not an announcement of a new deadline or process — it is a statistical summary showing how many candidates registered, appeared and qualified for NEET UG 2026, broken down by category, gender, state, nationality and disability status. It also gives the exact marks range and percentile used to decide who qualified in each category for 2026, alongside the same figures for 2024 and 2025 for comparison. This is useful background for candidates and parents trying to understand how tough this year's exam was and where their own score or rank might stand relative to others.
NEET UG 2026 had 2,279,743 registered candidates but only 1,999,895 appeared (279,848 absent) and just 1,121,185 candidates qualified — noticeably fewer than the 1,236,531 who qualified in 2025.
Overall Registration and Appearance Numbers
NTA's data shows that registrations for NEET UG have grown almost every year since 2019, but the picture for 2026 is mixed. While the total number of candidates who registered (2,279,743) was slightly higher than in 2025 (2,276,069), the number who actually appeared for the exam dropped sharply — from 2,209,318 in 2025 to 1,999,895 in 2026. This means 279,848 registered candidates did not sit for the exam in 2026, compared to only 66,751 absentees in 2025.
This is the highest absenteeism figure in the eight years of data shown (2019–2026). The reasons are not stated in this notice, so no assumption should be made about why — the data only records the numbers.
| Year | Registered | Appeared | Absent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2,087,462 | 2,038,596 | 48,866 |
| 2024 | 2,406,079 | 2,333,297 | 72,782 |
| 2025 | 2,276,069 | 2,209,318 | 66,751 |
| 2026 | 2,279,743 | 1,999,895 | 279,848 |
Category-wise Registration, Appearance and Qualification (2025 vs 2026)
The notice gives a category-wise comparison for 2025 and 2026 across General, OBC, SC, ST and EWS candidates. Total candidates qualified across all categories fell from 1,236,531 in 2025 to 1,121,185 in 2026.
- OBC: 952,249 registered, 843,032 appeared, 512,014 qualified in 2026 (compared to 948,507 / 925,739 / 564,611 in 2025)
- SC: 345,519 registered, 304,115 appeared, 159,296 qualified in 2026 (compared to 333,646 / 322,538 / 168,873 in 2025)
- ST: 151,366 registered, 129,957 appeared, 63,716 qualified in 2026 (compared to 150,224 / 143,602 / 67,234 in 2025)
- General (UR): 665,036 registered, 569,098 appeared, 291,133 qualified in 2026 (compared to 689,366 / 665,853 / 338,728 in 2025)
- EWS: 165,573 registered, 153,693 appeared, 95,026 qualified in 2026 (compared to 154,326 / 151,586 / 97,085 in 2025)
Qualifying Criteria — Percentile and Marks Range (2024, 2025, 2026)
This is the most directly useful part of the data for candidates trying to understand cutoffs. NEET UG does not use a fixed pass mark — it uses a percentile system. The percentile a candidate needs depends on their category, and the actual marks range corresponding to that percentile changes every year depending on how the whole cohort performed.
For 2026, the marks range for General/EWS candidates who needed to score at or above the 50th percentile was 715 to 213. OBC, SC and ST candidates needed the 40th to below 50th percentile, corresponding to a marks range of 212 to 177. Candidates with PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disability) status in each category had a separate, slightly relaxed percentile band.
| Category | Qualifying percentile | 2024 marks range | 2025 marks range | 2026 marks range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UR/EWS | ≥50th percentile | 720–162 | 686–144 | 715–213 |
| OBC | ≥40th but <50th | 161–127 | 143–113 | 212–177 |
| SC | ≥40th but <50th | 161–127 | 143–113 | 212–177 |
| ST | ≥40th but <50th | 161–127 | 143–113 | 212–177 |
| UR/EWS & PwBD | ≥45th but <50th | 161–144 | 143–127 | 212–194 |
| OBC & PwBD | ≥40th but <45th | 143–127 | 126–113 | 193–177 |
| SC & PwBD | ≥40th but <45th | 143–127 | 126–113 | 193–177 |
| ST & PwBD | ≥40th but <45th | 142–127 | 126–113 | 191–177 |
Gender-wise Numbers
Female candidates continue to outnumber male candidates in both registration and appearance, though male candidates showed a marginally higher qualification rate relative to appearances in 2026.
- 2026: Male — 946,815 registered, 847,732 appeared, 467,134 qualified
- 2026: Female — 1,332,914 registered, 1,152,152 appeared, 654,049 qualified
- 2026: Third gender — 14 registered, 11 appeared, 2 qualified
PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disability) Candidates
The notice separately reports numbers for PwBD candidates. In 2026, 9,893 PwBD candidates registered, 8,912 appeared, and 3,666 qualified. This is broadly similar to 2025, when 9,167 registered, 8,842 appeared and 3,673 qualified.
State-wise Registration, Appearance and Qualification
The data breaks down candidate numbers by state and union territory for both 2025 and 2026. Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of registered candidates in 2026, followed by Bihar, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Candidates preparing for state counselling rounds may find it useful to see how many candidates from their state actually qualified, since this affects the level of competition within state quota seats.
| State | Registered 2026 | Appeared 2026 | Qualified 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh | 356,079 | 328,847 | 170,770 |
| Bihar | 152,924 | 140,079 | 68,968 |
| Maharashtra | 222,849 | 201,100 | 107,304 |
| Rajasthan | 208,583 | 192,023 | 133,140 |
| Karnataka | 145,852 | 117,564 | 65,901 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 118,084 | 105,514 | 55,655 |
| Tamil Nadu | 142,494 | 108,601 | 61,306 |
| Kerala | 113,786 | 84,664 | 51,782 |
| West Bengal | 108,944 | 93,381 | 52,746 |
| Gujarat | 79,190 | 68,833 | 36,622 |
Nationality-wise Numbers
Most NEET UG candidates are Indian nationals. In 2026, of the 2,279,743 total registrations, 2,276,743 were Indian nationals, 927 were foreign nationals, 1,066 were NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) and 1,007 were OCIs (Overseas Citizens of India). Qualification numbers for these smaller groups were 1,119,699 (Indian), 454 (foreign nationals), 451 (NRI) and 581 (OCI).
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See My CollegesFrequently asked questions
Is this notice announcing a new NEET UG 2026 process or deadline?
No. This is a statistical data release by NTA summarising registration, appearance and qualification numbers for NEET UG over past years, including the completed 2026 exam. It does not contain any new application step or deadline.
How many candidates actually qualified NEET UG 2026?
A total of 1,121,185 candidates qualified NEET UG 2026, out of 1,999,895 who appeared and 2,279,743 who had registered.
Why is the qualifying mark different for different categories?
NEET UG uses a percentile-based system, not a fixed pass mark. General/EWS candidates must score at or above the 50th percentile of all candidates, while OBC, SC and ST candidates must score at or above the 40th percentile. Because the percentile depends on how everyone performed that year, the actual marks corresponding to it change annually — in 2026 the 50th percentile for General/EWS corresponded to a marks range of 715 to 213.
What was the qualifying marks range for OBC/SC/ST candidates in NEET UG 2026?
For OBC, SC and ST candidates (40th to below 50th percentile), the marks range was 212 to 177 in 2026.
Why did fewer candidates appear in 2026 compared to 2025 even though more registered?
The data shows 279,848 registered candidates were absent in 2026, compared to only 66,751 in 2025. The notice does not give a reason for this — it only reports the numbers.
Does this data affect my NEET UG 2026 counselling or seat allotment?
Not directly. This notice is informational and does not change counselling schedules, seat matrices or eligibility rules. It simply shows the overall competition landscape for the exam already conducted.
Where can I find how many candidates qualified from my state?
The notice includes a state-wise table for 2025 and 2026 showing registered, appeared and qualified numbers for every state and union territory, which can give you an idea of competition levels in your state's quota.
Are PwBD candidates counted separately for qualifying criteria?
Yes. PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disability) candidates in each category (UR/EWS, OBC, SC, ST) have a slightly relaxed qualifying percentile band and a separate marks range, as shown in the qualifying criteria table in this notice.
This data is useful for understanding where your NEET UG 2026 score stands relative to the overall candidate pool, category-wise cutoffs and state-level competition — but it does not change any counselling step you need to take. Keep tracking your respective counselling authority (MCC for All India Quota, or your state authority) for the actual round schedules, seat matrices and document verification dates.
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