NMC MBBS seat matrix: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has released the final MBBS seat matrix for 2026-27, confirming that 1,36,939 MBBS seats are available across 823 medical colleges in India, paving the way for the upcoming NEET UG 2026 counselling process. The seat matrix, issued by the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) on 14 July 2026, marks an increase of about 8% over last year’s intake.
NMC MBBS Seat Matrix 2026-27: Key Numbers
Of the total 1,36,939 MBBS seats, 1,27,028 seats have been renewed from the previous academic session, while 9,911 seats have been newly added through approved intake increases and newly established medical colleges. The 823 participating colleges include 441 government and 382 private institutions.
Government medical colleges will offer 63,296 seats (61,185 renewed and 2,111 new), while private and deemed institutions will provide 73,643 seats (65,843 renewed and 7,800 new). Notably, this seat matrix excludes Institutes of National Importance (INIs) such as AIIMS, JIPMER Puducherry, and PGIMER Chandigarh, which are counted separately.
New Medical Colleges and Compliance Directions
As part of this year’s expansion, the NMC has approved 25 new medical colleges, adding 2,400 MBBS seats, comprising 7 government colleges with 400 seats and 18 private colleges with 2,000 seats. In its public notice, MARB clarified that the published seat matrix is based on approvals granted as of 13 July 2026, and may be revised further based on decisions of the Appeal Committee or other competent authorities.
Any revised matrix will be uploaded on the official NMC website and factored into the counselling process by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) and state authorities.
Instructions for Medical Colleges
The NMC has directed all medical colleges to strictly ensure admissions are made only against the approved intake for the 2026-27 academic session. Admissions made beyond the approved capacity will be treated as a violation of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, attracting regulatory and penal action against defaulting institutions.
Colleges that received approval for a new institution or an increase in MBBS seats have also been directed to submit the required Electronic Bank Guarantee (E-Bank Guarantee) to MARB within seven days of the notice. Additionally, colleges have been asked to carefully verify their listed seat matrix and immediately flag any discrepancy to the President or Director of MARB before counselling begins.
