NMC Releases MBBS Seat Matrix for 2026-27: 1,36,939 Seats Across 823 Medical Colleges

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has released the much-awaited Seat Matrix for Undergraduate (MBBS) Courses for the Academic Year 2026-27, confirming that 1,36,939 MBBS seats are available across 823 medical colleges in the country. The list was issued by the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) through a public notice dated July 14, 2026, and excludes seats in Institutes of National Importance such as AIIMS, JIPMER Puducherry, and PGI Chandigarh, which follow a separate admission process. The release comes at a crucial time, with the NEET UG 2026 counselling process expected to begin shortly through the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC). Candidates can review complete exam details on the NEET UG 2026 exam page before choice-filling begins.

MBBS Seats Rise Nearly 7% Compared to 2025-26

This year's seat count marks a clear increase over the 1,28,976 seats that were available across 818 medical colleges during the 2025-26 academic session. That works out to a rise of close to seven percent, both in terms of total seats and the number of participating colleges. Of the total 1,36,939 seats notified for 2026-27, MARB confirmed that 1,27,028 seats have simply been renewed from existing approvals, while 9,911 seats are entirely new, arising either from newly approved medical colleges or from sanctioned increases in intake capacity at colleges that were already functional.

Government Versus Private College Seat Split

The seat matrix shows a fairly even split between the public and private sectors. Government medical colleges account for 63,296 seats this year, made up of 61,185 renewed seats and 2,111 newly added ones, spread across 441 colleges. Private medical colleges, on the other hand, will offer 73,643 seats, comprising 65,843 renewed and 7,800 new, across 382 institutions. The larger share of new seats going to private colleges reflects the pace at which private medical education capacity has expanded over the past two admission cycles, even as government colleges continue to add seats at a steadier rate.

25 New Medical Colleges Add 2,400 Fresh Seats

A significant part of this year's growth comes from entirely new institutions entering the fold. MARB has approved 25 new medical colleges for the 2026-27 session, contributing 2,400 MBBS seats to the national tally. This includes 7 new government medical colleges offering 400 seats and 18 new private medical colleges offering 2,000 seats. The remaining new seats, beyond those tied to new colleges, have come from approved intake increases at medical colleges that were already recognised and functioning in previous academic years. Candidates can browse the full, updated list of institutions in the Top Medical Colleges in India directory.

State-wise Seat Matrix: Karnataka Records the Biggest Jump

Among individual states, Karnataka has emerged as the single biggest gainer, adding 1,300 MBBS seats to take its overall count to 15,395, the highest increase recorded by any state this year. Uttar Pradesh has added 800 new seats, pushing its total to 14,000, while Maharashtra has gained 400 seats to reach an overall strength of 13,099. Telangana has added 810 seats to touch 10,250, West Bengal has gained 825 seats to reach 7,200, and Bihar has been allotted 740 additional seats, taking its total to 4,160. The table below summarises the year-on-year change for these states.

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NMC's Strict Warning Against Admissions Beyond Approved Intake

Alongside the seat matrix, MARB has issued a firm advisory to every medical college in the country. All colleges have been directed to admit students strictly against the number of seats approved for them, with no exceptions permitted under any circumstance. NMC Secretary Dr Raghav Langer separately wrote to all Directors, Principals and Deans of colleges that had applied under the commission's December 22, 2025 public notice, as well as to the MCC, asking them to strictly follow the approved figures. The commission has made clear that any admission beyond the sanctioned intake will be treated as a violation of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, inviting regulatory and penal action against the institution concerned.

Colleges have been told to verify their entries in the matrix and flag any discrepancy to MARB before counselling begins, rather than after admissions are underway.— NMC Public Notice, July 14, 2026

E-Bank Guarantee Mandatory for Colleges With New or Increased Seats

For private medical colleges that have received approval either for a new college or for an increase in intake capacity, MARB has made submission of an Electronic Bank Guarantee (E-Bank Guarantee) mandatory. These colleges must furnish the guarantee to the Director of MARB within seven days of the public notice, failing which their Letter of Permission (LoP) will not be issued. The commission has clarified that the LoP, which formally allows a college to admit students, will only follow once the bank guarantee has been received and verified. This step is meant to ensure that private institutions have the financial backing required to support the infrastructure and faculty commitments tied to their approved seats.

What This Means for NEET UG 2026 Aspirants

For lakhs of NEET UG 2026 aspirants, this seat matrix is the reference point against which every choice will be filled during counselling. NEET UG 2026 faced an unusual disruption this year after the original May 3 exam was cancelled by the NTA and a re-examination was held on June 21; the Re-NEET 2026 result is expected to be declared soon, after which the MCC is likely to open registration and choice-filling for the first round of counselling. Candidates are advised to cross-check their target colleges against the official matrix, keep an eye on category-wise and quota-wise splits, and avoid relying on unofficial seat counts circulating on social media or coaching websites. Meanwhile, aspirants can use the NEET UG College Predictor to gauge their likely admission chances once their score is known. The matrix itself is not final; MARB has clarified that it remains subject to revision based on decisions of the Appeal Committee or any other competent authority, and any updated version will be uploaded directly on the official NMC website.

Key Highlights

• Total MBBS seats for 2026-27: 1,36,939, across 823 medical colleges (excluding INIs)
• Government colleges: 63,296 seats across 441 colleges
• Private colleges: 73,643 seats across 382 colleges
• 1,27,028 seats renewed; 9,911 seats newly added
• 25 new medical colleges approved, adding 2,400 seats
• Karnataka records the highest seat gain among states, up by 1,300 seats to 15,395
• Private colleges with new or increased seats must submit an E-Bank Guarantee within 7 days
• Admissions beyond approved intake will attract action under the NMC Act, 2019

Conclusion

The 2026-27 seat matrix reflects a steady, though not dramatic, expansion of India's MBBS capacity, with new colleges and intake increases together adding close to 10,000 seats over the previous year. For students preparing to enter NEET UG counselling, the matrix offers the clearest official picture yet of where seats stand before choice-filling begins, while the NMC's compliance directives signal that regulators are keeping a close watch on how colleges honour their approved intake.