NEET 2026: MBBS fees cross Rs 1 crore at 46 medical institutes

New Delhi: The dream of becoming a doctor will come at a steep cost for many aspirants, as 46 out of 62 medical colleges and deemed universities for the academic year 2026-27 have revised their fees and crossed the Rs 1 crore mark.

This accounts for nearly 75% of deemed university medical colleges in the country.

While the number stood at 38 out of 59 colleges last year that charged crore-plus fees, it has increased this year after three new medical colleges were added to the deemed university list for the ongoing NEET UG 2026 counselling conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC).

The sharp rise in fees is particularly visible in Tamil Nadu, where two medical colleges that recently received deemed university status have substantially increased their MBBS fees.

Aspirants seeking admission at the two recently deemed universities in Tamil Nadu will have to spend anywhere between 48% and 363% more in tuition fees.

The two colleges are Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College, Perambalur, and Srinivasan Medical College, Tiruchirappalli, both under Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan University. They are now charging annual MBBS fees of Rs 24 lakh and Rs 25 lakh, respectively, according to Careers360. The third new entrant is Chettinad Institute of Medical Education & Research (CIMER), Kolar, Karnataka.

Earlier, when the colleges were self-financed medical colleges affiliated with The Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University, Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College charged Rs 5.4 lakh for state quota seats and Rs 16.2 lakh for management quota seats.

With the change in status, the annual fee at the Perambalur college has increased substantially, while the Tiruchirappalli college has also moved to a much higher fee structure.

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).

46 deemed universities cross Rs 1 crore

As per a recent review of the MBBS fee structure for 2026-2027 at 62 private medical colleges /deemed universities across the country, 75% of these institutes- 46 institutes altogether, have revised their fees. The remaining 16 institutes have persisted with last year's rates.

This is eight more colleges than last year, when 38 of the 59 deemed university medical colleges had crossed the Rs 1 crore mark.

The cost is for the entire four-and-a-half-year MBBS programme along with several other charges collected by colleges and under myriad heads such as registration, examination, books, uniform, and research and development. However, the calculation does not include hostel and mess fees, which can vary depending on the type of accommodation and are compulsory at some institutes and optional at others. If taken into consideration, the student will have to pay above the Rs 1 crore mark.

While most of the colleges charge a uniform annual MBBS fee for the first four years, and half the amount for the final semester, some have increments ranging from 2.5% to 15%. The non-resident Indian (NRI) candidates, who have 15% seats reserved for them at deemed university medical colleges, are charged significantly more across the institutes.

New deemed universities also enter the crore-plus bracket

All three new entrants to the deemed university medical college list have an overall MBBS cost of more than Rs 1 crore.

The fees are Rs 1.09 crore for Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College, Perambalur; Rs 1.14 crore for Srinivasan Medical College, Tiruchirappalli; and Rs 1.01 crore for Chettinad Institute of Medical Education & Research (CIMER), Kolar, Karnataka.

The figures represent the overall cost of the MBBS programme based on the applicable tuition and other institutional charges, excluding hostel and mess expenses.

Medical Colleges With High Fees

The Sri Ramchandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (SRIHER), Chennai, continues to be the costliest medical education institute in the country. The institute, which had crossed the Rs 1.5 crore mark last year, has now increased its annual MBBS fee from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 35 lakh.

It has also changed its payment system from five equal instalments to annual payments spread over four-and-a-half years, in line with the fee payment pattern followed by several other medical colleges. Despite the change in payment structure, the total cost of the MBBS programme has increased to Rs 1.58 crore.

SRIHER is followed by several other high-fee medical colleges. These include Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital (SBMCH), Chennai; SRM Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Kancheepuram, which is part of SRM Institute of Science and Technology; Saveetha Medical College and Hospitals (SMCH), Chennai; and Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute (MGMCRI), Puducherry.

The southern state and union territory have the highest concentration of medical colleges attached to deemed universities. They are also among the most expensive ones in the country.

Medical Colleges With Low Fees

While several deemed university medical colleges have increased their fees, some institutions have reduced their overall MBBS cost or recorded only a marginal increase.

Two medical schools, each belonging to Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (AVV) – located in Kochi and Faridabad – and Maharashtra’s Bharati Vidyapeeth (BV) – located in Sangli and Pune reduced their fees considerably.

The Amrita School of Medicine, Kochi, brought its cost down by Rs 12.5 lakh – a 10% reduction from Rs 1.27 crore, while BV institutes had their fees cut by more than Rs 10 lakh or 8.5%.

At the lower end of the fee range, Symbiosis Medical College, Pune, which is a women-only medical college, has kept its fee unchanged from last year, i.e Rs 54.2 lakh.

Three medical colleges associated with Karnataka’s Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) – Kasturba Medical College (KMC) Manipal, KMC Mangalore and Manipal-Tata Medical College, Jamshedpur – and Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (HMISR), New Delhi, are among the relatively affordable institutes that recorded a marginal increase this year.

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