NMC Releases Final MBBS Seat Matrix for 2026-27: 136,939 Seats Across 823 Colleges

On 14 July 2026, the National Medical Commission's Medical Assessment & Rating Board (MARB) released the final Seat Matrix for Undergraduate (MBBS) Courses for the Academic Year 2026-27. This document lists, college by college and state by state, exactly how many MBBS seats exist this year — separately for government and private colleges — and it excludes the Institutes of National Importance (INIs) such as AIIMS and JIPMER, which are counted separately. This is not an application or a result; it is the official capacity list that the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) and every state counselling authority must follow while conducting NEET UG 2026 counselling. Alongside the matrix, NMC issued directions to colleges about compliance, and a covering letter from the NMC Secretary asking all colleges and counselling committees to strictly follow it.

Why this seat matrix matters to you

Every year before NEET UG counselling begins, NMC finalises how many MBBS seats each recognised college is allowed to fill. This number can change from the previous year — some colleges get new permission to increase their intake, and some entirely new colleges open. The seat matrix is the single authoritative record of this year's capacity.

When you fill your choices during MCC (All India Quota) or state counselling, the seats shown to you should match this matrix. If a college or agent tells you it has more seats than what NMC has approved here, that claim cannot be trusted — and any admission beyond the approved number is treated as illegal under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019.

The national picture: how many MBBS seats exist for 2026-27

Across the country, excluding the INIs, here is the total capacity for this admission cycle:

25 brand-new medical colleges start admitting this year

NMC's note on the matrix confirms that 2,400 of this year's seats come from 25 entirely new medical colleges that did not exist before — 7 new government colleges contributing 400 seats, and 18 new private colleges contributing 2,000 seats. If you are targeting a specific state, check whether one of these new colleges is in your list of options, since they are first-time entrants to counselling.

Which states have the most MBBS seats this year

Seats are spread very unevenly across states. Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra together account for more than a third of all-India seats. The table below lists the top states by total seats; the full state-by-state figures for all 35 states/UTs are in the official annexure.

Existing colleges that got more seats — and the bank guarantee condition

Apart from the 25 new colleges, many already-running colleges were allowed to increase their intake this year — the matrix shows this as a separate 'Seats Increased' column against each college's existing 'Seats Renewed' count. Examples include Government Medical College, Chandigarh (up by 50 to 200), Adichunchanagiri and several ESIC and GMERS colleges, among many others.

There is an important condition attached to these increases and to every new college. NMC has directed that all private colleges given a new establishment approval or an increase in intake must submit an Electronic Bank Guarantee (E-Bank Guarantee) — a financial security deposit — to the Director, MARB, within 7 days of this notice (by around 21 July 2026). Only after this guarantee is submitted and accepted will NMC issue the college's Letter of Permission (LoP). In practical terms, a private college's newly added or new-establishment seats are not fully secured for counselling until this compliance step is completed.

• Track whether a private college you are targeting appears with 'Seats Increased' or 'New Establishment' in this matrix — that seat count depends on the college completing its bank guarantee formality.
• If a private college's seats do not eventually appear correctly on the MCC/state counselling seat matrix at the time of choice-filling, treat the counselling body's live seat matrix as final, not this notice alone.

This matrix can still be revised — don't assume it is final

NMC has explicitly stated that this Seat Matrix 'shall remain subject to revision, if required, based on the decisions of the Appeal Committee or any other competent authority.' This means a college's seat count in this document could still go up or down before counselling actually starts, if that college has an appeal pending with NMC.

Colleges themselves have been asked to verify their own entries and report any discrepancy to MARB before counselling begins. Any revised matrix will be uploaded on the NMC website and used by counselling committees. As a candidate, always check the seat matrix on the official MCC or state counselling portal at the time of choice-filling — that is your most current source, not this notice.

The rule that protects you: no admission beyond approved seats

NMC has directed all medical colleges, in the strongest terms, that admissions for 2026-27 can be made only against the number of seats approved and shown in this matrix. Any admission made in excess of the approved intake is treated as a violation of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, and can attract regulatory and penal action against the college.

This matters directly to you: if you are ever offered a seat in a college beyond its officially approved capacity — through a management quota conversation, a direct college contact, or any route outside official counselling — that admission carries serious risk. Your medical degree and future registration depend on your seat being within the college's NMC-approved intake. Always verify a seat through the official counselling authority (MCC for All India Quota, the respective state body for state quota), never take a college's own assurance as final.

Frequently asked questions

This seat matrix gives you the clearest early picture of where MBBS seats exist for 2026-27 — but it is a planning tool, not the final counselling seat list. As MCC and state counselling schedules open, cross-check your shortlisted colleges' seat counts on the official counselling portal, and be cautious of any college claiming seats beyond what NMC has approved here. Keep watching MedAdmit for the revised matrix and counselling schedule updates.