NEET 2025: 36 deemed universities hike fees, MBBS now costs over Rs 1 crore at 32 institutes

New Delhi: Medical education in India is getting costlier every year, as altogether 36 of the 54 deemed universities have increased their fees.

As a result, the 4.5-year MBBS course fee structure has crossed more than Rs 1 crore at altogether 32 institutes, which is more than half of all deemed institutes. Three years ago, only 16 institutes had a crore-plus tuition fee.

The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) conducts the counselling for admission to deemed universities based on the candidates' scores in the National Eligibility-Entrance Test (NEET).

MBBS fees at the privately run deemed universities have always remained under the scanner for their exorbitant fees, especially due to the fact that the government has little control over their affairs. Even though self-financing medical colleges have to follow the fee structure fixed by the fee committee, no such regulations exist for the deemed universities.

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As per a recent review of the MBBS fee structure for 2025-2026 at 54 private medical colleges in deemed universities across the country, two-thirds of these institutes, meaning altogether 36 deemed universities, have revised their fees. The remaining 18 institutes have persisted with last year's rates, Careers 360 has reported.

While most of these institutes have increased their yearly charges by a few lakhs, one institute has reportedly hiked the annual fee by a whopping Rs 8 lakh. As a result, the maximum per annum MBBS fees at the institute now stand at Rs 30.5 lakh. Therefore, for the entire four-and-a-half-year MBBS programme, the candidates will have to pay Rs 1.37 crore. When the hostel, mess, and university fees are taken into consideration, the student will have to pay more than Rs 1.5 crore to become a doctor.

Career 360 has reported that the fee hike spans from less than Rs 1 lakh to Rs 4 lakh, with the average difference amounting to around Rs 1.45 lakh. Among these institutes, Villuppuram-based JR Medical College has increased the MBBS fees the most. Even though last year, the institute used to charge Rs 18 lakh per annum from its inaugural batch in 2024-2025, it has now increased the fee by 44% to Rs 26 lakh. With this, it has now become one of the most expensive MBBS institutes across the country.

Gujarat-based Smt BK Shah Medical Institute and Research Centre has increased its annual fees to Rs 22.75 lakh, which is Rs 4 lakh more than Rs 18.75 lakh, which it used to charge for the past three academic years. Meanwhile, Aarupadai Veedu Medical College, Puducherry and Meenakshi Medical College, Chennai, have increased the fees by Rs 3.5 lakh, taking their annual MBBS fees to Rs 23 lakh.

Most Expensive Medical College:

With an annual fee hike of Rs 3 lakh, Chennai-based Sree Balaji Medical College will now charge Rs 30.5 lakh per annum for MBBS course. With this, it has become the most expensive medical college.

Located in the same city, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, which has continued with last year's rate of Rs 30 lakh, is the second most expensive medical college.

Pune-based Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College (with Rs 28.6 lakh annual fee) has secured the third position in the list of costliest medical colleges.

As per the Daily, while some of the medical colleges gradually revise their fees every year, others keep them stable for two to three years. For instance, Sree Balaji College steadily increased its fees from Rs 25 lakh three years ago. Till now, the fees at the institute have increased by Rs 5.5 lakh.

On the other hand, Kochi-based Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences kept its fees stable at Rs 19 lakh for 2022-2023 and 2023-2024, before increasing it by Rs 6 lakh in the last academic session. Following this, there has been no increase.

Lowest MBBS Fees:

The majority of the deemed universities, which did not increase their rates this year, are MBBS institutes with the lowest fees among the deemed institutes. Some of these institutes have not changed their fee structure during the last two or three cycles.

For instance, since 2022-2023, Pune-based Symbiosis Medical College for Women has maintained the lowest cost of Rs 10 lakh per annum. During the same period, Bhubaneswar-based Kalinga Institute of Medical Science has continued with Rs 18.5 lakh annual fees. After revising the tuition fee from Rs 14 lakh to Rs 16 lakh, the fee structure at Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research has not undergone any changes.

Medical institutes with the lowest fees (in Rs. lakh)