Maharashtra NEET Cutoff 2026: Expected Opening and Closing Ranks for MBBS State Quota
·Admission Guardian Editorial Team
Last updated: May 30, 2026
Maharashtra NEET Cutoff 2026: Expected Opening and Closing Ranks for MBBS State Quota
TL;DR: Maharashtra's 85% State Quota MBBS admissions are run by the CET Cell under DMER, with a "One Maharashtra, One Merit" framework after the September 2020 abolition of the old 70:30 regional quota (Vidarbha · Marathwada · Rest of Maharashtra). For NEET 2026 across the top four colleges, the realistic General-category target ranks are: Seth GS Medical College Mumbai AIR ~3,500-3,800 (690+ marks) · BJMC Pune ~5,000-5,500 (685+) · Grant Medical College Mumbai ~10,500-11,500 (678+) · LTMMC Sion ~16,500-17,500 (670+). Newer peripheral GMCs (Satara · Alibag · Sindhudurg · Nandurbar · Ratnagiri · Parbhani · Bhandara) close at AIR 90,000-1,30,000 (555-585 marks). Reservation matrix is dense: SC 13% · ST 7% · OBC 19% · SEBC 10% · EWS 10% supernumerary · plus horizontal Women 30%, PwD 5%, Defence 5%, Hilly Area 3%, Orphan 1%, MKB seats. Fee waivers go up to 100% for SC/ST/VJNT and 50% for OBC/SEBC/EWS at government colleges, where standard tuition is just ₹1.2L-₹1.25L/yr.
If you are a Maharashtra-domicile NEET 2026 aspirant or planning to compete under Maharashtra State Quota through any of the Type A to Type E eligibility categories, the CET Cell counselling is the most consequential single document set you will navigate this year. The state's reservation structure is genuinely the most layered in India (combining vertical, horizontal, sub-quota Defence DEF1/2/3, and the Maharashtra-Karnataka Border MKB classifications), the fee waivers are the most generous (up to for SC/ST and for OBC at premier colleges like Seth GS Mumbai), and the "One Maharashtra, One Merit" framework has materially changed which colleges are realistically reachable since the 2020 regional-quota abolition. To skip the abstract framing and see exactly which Maharashtra government medical colleges your projected NEET 2026 score actually unlocks for your specific Type and category, plug your numbers into the to check your admission chances → before CET Cell counselling opens in August.
This guide is written for NEET UG 2026 Maharashtra-domicile aspirants and the families navigating the CET Cell state-quota counselling. It walks through the AIQ-versus-State-Quota split, the five domicile eligibility types (A through E including MKB), the September 2020 abolition of the 70:30 regional quota and what "One Maharashtra, One Merit" actually means in practice, the historical 2024 cutoffs at top government medical colleges (Seth GS · BJMC · Grant · LTMMC Sion) with full category breakdown including SC, ST, OBC, EWS, SEBC, VJ, NT, MKB, the peripheral GMC closing ranks (Satara · Alibag · Sindhudurg · Nandurbar · Ratnagiri · Parbhani · Bhandara), expected NEET 2026 cutoffs at top colleges, the vertical and horizontal reservation matrix (including the Defence sub-quotas DEF1/2/3), category-wise tuition fee waivers, and the complete document checklist for CET Cell counselling. Every figure has been cross-checked against CET Cell Maharashtra's official quota-wise admission lists, MCC AIQ allotment archives, the Government of Maharashtra GR on 70:30 abolition, and the latest NTA result data, with context updated for the cancelled 3 May paper and the rescheduled 21 June 2026 Re-NEET.
Key takeaways
Maharashtra MBBS admissions split into 15% AIQ (MCC) and 85% State Quota (CET Cell under DMER).
The "One Maharashtra, One Merit" framework (effective from September 2020) replaced the old 70:30 regional quota. All seats are now allotted strictly on State Merit List position regardless of college region.
Seth GS Medical College Mumbai is the most competitive government college: General closing AIR 3,724 in 2024, expected ~3,500-3,800 for NEET 2026.
Defence quota is sub-divided into DEF1 (retired domicile) · DEF2 (active domicile) · DEF3 (active stationed non-domicile).
Tuition fee waivers: 100% for SC/ST/VJNT/SBC · 50% for OBC/SEBC/EWS · standard ₹1.2L-₹1.25L/yr for Open at Government Medical Colleges.
What "Maharashtra NEET Cutoff 2026" actually means
Maharashtra NEET cutoff 2026 is the projected closing All India Rank (and corresponding marks) at which the last MBBS seat in a Maharashtra government medical college will be allotted under the 85% State Quota counselling in NEET 2026, broken down by category and counselling round. The cutoff is a rank prediction first, with corresponding score bands that swing materially across paper-difficulty scenarios.
Two terms worth getting clear before the data starts:
State Merit List (SML). The merit ranking maintained by CET Cell Maharashtra for State Quota allotment, derived from candidate NEET UG scores after applying Maharashtra-specific domicile and eligibility validation.
Quota-wise List of First and Last Admitted Candidates. The official CET Cell post-counselling publication that lists the first and last AIR admitted under each category at each Maharashtra government medical college. This is the most authoritative source for historical cutoff verification.
The counselling architecture: AIQ vs State Quota in Maharashtra
Every Maharashtra government medical college MBBS seat is allocated through one of two distinct counselling tracks.
15% All India Quota (AIQ)
Conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee on behalf of the Directorate General of Health Services. Covers 15% of MBBS seats at all Maharashtra government medical colleges (state government, municipal corporation, and government-aided). Open to all NEET-qualified candidates nationwide based purely on AIR. Counselling rounds: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Stray Vacancy, Special Stray Vacancy.
85% State Quota
Conducted by the CET Cell Maharashtra under the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER). Covers 85% of seats at all Maharashtra government, municipal corporation, and government-aided medical colleges, plus all private medical college State Quota seats. Restricted to candidates meeting one of the Type A through Type E eligibility criteria (next section).
For a serious Maharashtra-domicile aspirant, both tracks should be navigated in parallel: AIQ for premier government colleges nationwide, State Quota for the structural advantage at Maharashtra GMCs.
Domicile and eligibility: the five types under Rule 4.1.1
CET Cell Maharashtra's Rule 4.1.1 defines five distinct eligibility types for the 85% State Quota. Each requires specific documentation, and misclassification is a common reason candidates lose seats at verification.
Type A: Maharashtra domicile + Maharashtra schooling
The standard route. Candidate is domiciled in Maharashtra AND has passed SSC (10th) and HSC (12th) from an institution situated in Maharashtra.
Type B: Maharashtra schooling + Parent's Maharashtra domicile
Candidate has passed SSC and HSC from Maharashtra, is not personally domiciled, but their parent possesses a valid Maharashtra Domicile Certificate.
Type C: Central Government employee parent in Maharashtra
Candidate's parent is an employee of the Government of India or a Government of India Undertaking, currently posted in Maharashtra. Schooling may have occurred outside Maharashtra.
Type D: State Government employee parent
Candidate's parent is an employee of the Government of Maharashtra or a Government of Maharashtra Undertaking.
Type E: Maharashtra-Karnataka Border (MKB)
Candidate belongs to the disputed Maharashtra-Karnataka Border area, has Marathi as their mother tongue, AND has passed SSC/HSC from an institution within the disputed MKB area. This is a small but distinct quota with ~8 total seats across Maharashtra GMCs.
The disciplined approach: identify your exact Type before counselling registration, gather the documentation specific to that Type (domicile certificates, parent's service record, MKB nativity proof), and register accordingly. Switching Types mid-counselling is generally not permitted.
The 70:30 abolition and "One Maharashtra, One Merit"
A material change that competitor articles frequently miss. Until 2020, Maharashtra followed a regional quota system where each medical college reserved 70% of seats for candidates from its specific university region (Rest of Maharashtra · Vidarbha · Marathwada), with only 30% open to candidates from other regions of the state.
In September 2020, the Government of Maharashtra officially scrapped the 70:30 regional quota and transitioned to the "One Maharashtra, One Merit" framework. Under the current system:
All seats at Maharashtra government medical colleges are allotted strictly based on the State Merit List (SML) generated by the CET Cell.
Candidates' home region (Rest of Maharashtra, Vidarbha, or Marathwada) is no longer a factor in college allocation.
Students from Marathwada and Vidarbha (who historically had access to fewer medical colleges in their home regions) can now compete for any Maharashtra GMC seat on equal terms with students from Mumbai, Pune, or Nagpur.
The practical implication: an aspirant from Aurangabad (Marathwada) targeting Seth GS Medical College Mumbai is no longer disadvantaged by region; only the State Merit List rank decides. Competitor articles that still reference the 70:30 quota are working from outdated information.
NEET 2026 scoring rules and the tie-breaker
Per NTA, NEET UG 2026 is a 180-question compulsory paper (Physics 45 · Chemistry 45 · Biology 90), with +4 for a correct answer, -1 for an incorrect one, 0 for unattempted, and a maximum of 720. The Re-NEET runs 2:00 PM to 5:15 PM with 15 extra minutes.
The NTA has completely retired "candidate age" and "application number" as tie-breakers. Ties resolve through Biology marks → Chemistry marks → Physics marks → overall accuracy ratio → Biology accuracy → Chemistry accuracy → Physics accuracy, and finally a computerised draw of lots under an independent expert committee. At Maharashtra State Quota cutoff levels, Biology accuracy is the largest tie-breaker lever inside a cluster.
The Re-NEET 2026 factor
The original NEET UG 2026, held on 3 May 2026, was cancelled by the NTA after a paper-leak controversy, with the Central Bureau of Investigation taking up the case. Re-NEET 2026 is scheduled for 21 June 2026, with no re-registration, no extra fee, the same pattern, and the same syllabus. Results are expected in July, with MCC AIQ and CET Cell State Quota counselling now likely to begin only in August 2026. For a Maharashtra-domicile aspirant:
Difficulty risk leans high. A harder Re-NEET deflates scores, which improves the relative AIR of mid-band candidates. A 570-620 mark Maharashtra candidate has a better chance at premier GMCs in a tough paper than in an easy one.
Use the longer counselling runway. With CET Cell counselling pushed to August, ensure all certificates (Caste, CVC, NCL, Domicile, Type-specific documents) are issued and verified well in advance.
Plan AIQ and State Quota in parallel. Register for MCC AIQ for premier Delhi and nationwide central institutions; register for CET Cell for Maharashtra GMCs where the State Quota cushion applies.
Historical NEET 2024 State Quota cutoffs: top government medical colleges
The cleanest reference for understanding category dynamics at Maharashtra's premier institutions. All figures are CET Cell official Round-wise Final Selection data.
Table 1: NEET 2024 State Quota closing ranks and marks (Maharashtra top 4 GMCs)
Two patterns matter. First, Seth GS Mumbai sits at the tightest end of the State Quota list for almost every category, reflecting its position as the most-coveted Maharashtra GMC due to KEM Hospital's clinical exposure and Mumbai location. Second, SC, ST, VJ, and NT sub-category closing ranks loosen meaningfully across the four colleges, providing real options for reserved-category candidates in the 25,000-135,000 AIR range.
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Newer and peripheral government medical colleges
For candidates in the AIR 90,000-130,000 range, the newer Maharashtra GMCs are the realistic State Quota target. These colleges were established as part of Maharashtra's medical seat expansion under MoHFW's 2025-26 capacity drive.
These newer colleges close at considerably more accessible AIR than the established Mumbai-Pune flagship institutions. For a 555-585 mark Maharashtra-domicile candidate, the realistic State Quota target shifts from the top-4 list to these peripheral GMCs.
Expected NEET 2026 Maharashtra State Quota cutoffs
Based on the seat expansion drive, the 2024 vs 2025 swing, and the projected Re-NEET difficulty, the expected closing ranks for top Maharashtra GMCs in NEET 2026 are modelled below.
Table 3: NEET 2026 expected State Quota cutoffs (General Open category)
The score targets assume a moderate-to-tough paper difficulty (Scenario B/A in the standard NEET planning framework). For an easy-paper scenario, the corresponding marks would scale upward by 50-80 points across each band; for an extremely tough paper, the marks would compress downward by a similar margin while rank targets stay relatively stable.
Maharashtra State Quota reservation matrix: vertical reservation
Maharashtra has one of the most layered reservation structures in India, with both vertical (constitutional) and horizontal (parallel) reservations applied simultaneously.
Table 4: Vertical reservation percentages (85% State Quota)
Category
Reservation Code
Reservation Percentage
Scheduled Castes (SC)
SC
13%
Scheduled Tribes (ST)
ST
7%
Vimukta Jati (VJ) / NT-A
VJ
3%
Nomadic Tribes 1 (NT-B)
NT-1
2.5%
Nomadic Tribes 2 (NT-C)
NT-2
3.5%
Nomadic Tribes 3 (NT-D)
NT-3
2%
Other Backward Classes (OBC)
OBC
19%
Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC)
SEBC
10% (Maratha)
Economically Weaker Section (EWS)
EWS
10% (supernumerary)
SEBC reservation has been subject to ongoing judicial scrutiny but remains actively implemented under current state notifications. EWS reservation operates as a supernumerary quota, meaning seats are created over and above the regular intake; this is structurally favourable for EWS candidates because it does not reduce the seat pool available to other categories.
Horizontal/parallel reservation: the layer most articles flatten
Horizontal reservations cut across each vertical category and apply within them.
Table 5: Horizontal/parallel reservation in Maharashtra State Quota
Category
Quota Details
Percentage / Seat Count
Women Reservation
30% seats reserved for female candidates within each category
30%
Persons with Disability (PwD)
5% seats for benchmark disability candidates
5%
Defence Personnel Children (DEF)
Subdivided into DEF1, DEF2, DEF3 sub-quotas
5%
Hilly Area (HA)
Candidates domiciled in notified hilly talukas
3%
Orphan Quota
Candidates with institutional orphan status
1%
MKB Quota
Maharashtra-Karnataka Border disputed areas
Specified seat count (~8 seats total)
Defence sub-quota breakdown (DEF1 vs DEF2 vs DEF3)
A detail that competitor articles routinely omit. The Defence quota is not a single pool; it is split by parent's service status and domicile.
DEF-1. Parents are retired Defence personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra.
DEF-2. Parents are active Defence personnel who are domiciled in Maharashtra.
DEF-3. Parents are active Defence personnel currently stationed or transferred to Maharashtra, but are not domiciled in Maharashtra.
Each sub-quota has its own merit list and closing rank, with documentation requirements specific to each (retirement certificate for DEF-1, active service certificate for DEF-2, posting orders for DEF-3). Candidates eligible for Defence quota should identify their exact sub-category before counselling registration.
Maharashtra GMC tuition fees and category-wise waivers
A planning advantage that does not get enough attention: Maharashtra's category-wise fee concession scheme is one of the most generous in India.
Standard fee structure (Open category)
Tuition Fee: Approximately ₹1,20,000-₹1,25,000/yr at most Maharashtra Government Medical Colleges.
Library, Development, Gymkhana Fees: Approximately ₹15,000/yr.
Hostel Fee: Highly subsidised at ₹4,000-₹8,000/yr across most government hostels.
Table 6: Category-wise fee waiver scheme (Maharashtra Government Medical Colleges)
Admission Category
Tuition Fee Waiver
Effective Tuition Fee
Open (family income > ₹8L/yr)
0%
Full fee (₹1.2L-₹1.25L/yr)
OBC / SEBC
50% waiver
~₹62,500/yr
EWS (EBC Scheme, family income < ₹8L/yr)
50% waiver
~₹62,500/yr
SC / ST
100% waiver
₹0/yr
VJ / DT / NT-A / NT-B / NT-C / NT-D
100% waiver
₹0/yr
SBC (Special Backward Class)
100% waiver
₹0/yr
For SC, ST, VJNT, and SBC candidates from Maharashtra, a confirmed seat at any state government medical college means essentially zero tuition for the full 5.5-year program. The EBC (Economically Backward Class) scheme provides the 50% waiver to EWS-eligible candidates with family income under ₹8L/yr. Compare this to private MBBS in Maharashtra (where tuition runs ₹8L-₹15L/yr under State Quota and even higher under management quota), and the financial value of a Maharashtra GMC seat under State Quota becomes clear.
The Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Fee Reimbursement Scheme operates as the implementation framework for EWS fee waivers at Maharashtra GMCs.
Document checklist for CET Cell Maharashtra counselling
A pre-counselling discipline that catches the issues that cost Maharashtra State Quota candidates seats every year.
NEET UG admit card and scorecard. Both physical and digital copies.
Nationality certificate or valid Indian passport. Required for Indian Citizenship verification.
Domicile certificate of Maharashtra. Issued by competent authority (Tehsildar or above). Required for Type A and Type B candidates.
HSC (12th) marks sheet and passing certificate. From a Maharashtra institution for Type A and Type B candidates.
SSC (10th) passing certificate. Required as age proof and Maharashtra schooling validation.
Medical fitness certificate. In the prescribed format as per the CET Cell information brochure.
Caste certificate. Required if claiming SC, ST, OBC, SEBC, VJ, NT, or SBC reservation.
Caste Validity Certificate (CVC). Mandatory for SC, ST, VJ, NT, OBC, and SEBC. Issued by the Scrutiny Committee. Missing CVC is one of the most common reasons reserved-category seats are converted to General at verification.
Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) certificate. Mandatory for VJ, NT, OBC, SEBC, and SBC. Must be valid up to 31 March of the admission year (so for NEET 2026 counselling in August 2026, the NCL certificate must be valid for FY 2026-27). Not required for SC and ST.
EWS Eligibility Certificate. Issued by competent authority (SDM/Tehsildar) for the current financial year. For NEET 2026, the certificate must reflect FY 2025-26 assessment and be issued on or after 1 April 2026.
Hilly Area Certificate (Annexure F). Parent's domicile certificate in the hilly area AND school certificate proving candidate studied 10th or 12th in that taluka.
Defence Certificate (Proforma C, D, or E). Issued by the District Sainik Board or competent authority. Specific proforma depends on DEF-1, DEF-2, or DEF-3 sub-category.
For Type B, C, D, and E candidates, additional documents apply: parent's Maharashtra domicile certificate (Type B), parent's central government service certificate (Type C), parent's state government service certificate (Type D), and MKB nativity proof with Marathi mother-tongue declaration (Type E).
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is the minimum NEET 2026 score for Seth GS Medical College Mumbai under State Quota?
For General Open category, target a NEET score of 690+ in a moderate paper or ~620+ in a tough Re-NEET. The corresponding closing AIR is expected to be ~3,500-3,800. Reserved categories (OBC, SC, ST) close at deeper ranks: OBC ~6,000-7,000 AIR, SC ~30,000-40,000, ST ~95,000-1,15,000.
Q: Does Maharashtra still have a 70:30 regional quota in NEET MBBS admissions?
No. The 70:30 regional quota (which reserved 70% of seats in a medical college for candidates from that college's specific university region) was officially abolished in September 2020. Under the current "One Maharashtra, One Merit" framework, all seats are allotted strictly on State Merit List rank regardless of home region or college region.
Q: Who is eligible for the Hilly Area (HA) quota in Maharashtra NEET counselling?
Candidates whose parents are domiciled in a notified hilly taluka of Maharashtra AND who have personally studied Class 10 or Class 12 in that taluka. Both conditions must be satisfied. The Hilly Area Certificate (Annexure F) is the operative document, issued by competent authority covering both parent domicile and candidate schooling.
Q: What is the difference between DEF-1, DEF-2, and DEF-3 Defence quotas?
DEF-1 covers children of retired Defence personnel domiciled in Maharashtra. DEF-2 covers children of active Defence personnel domiciled in Maharashtra. DEF-3 covers children of active Defence personnel who are currently stationed or transferred to Maharashtra but are not personally domiciled in the state. Each sub-quota has its own merit list and closing rank under the broader 5% Defence reservation.
Q: Will the 21 June Re-NEET 2026 change Maharashtra State Quota cutoffs?
The pattern, syllabus, and seat pool are unchanged. Difficulty risk leans high after the leak, which means a tougher paper is likely. For Maharashtra State Quota planning, that improves the relative rank of mid-band candidates: a 570-620 mark Maharashtra candidate is more competitive in Scenario A (tough) than in Scenario C (easy). Rank targets stay broadly stable; score targets adjust downward. CET Cell counselling is expected from August 2026.
The bottom line
Maharashtra MBBS State Quota in NEET 2026 is a structurally generous pathway: subsidised tuition, deep category-wise fee waivers, and a now-unified "One Maharashtra, One Merit" framework that gives Marathwada and Vidarbha aspirants equal access to Mumbai and Pune flagship colleges. The candidates who land seats at Seth GS, BJMC, Grant, LTMMC, or the strong peripheral GMCs in 2026 will be the ones who identified their exact Type (A through E) before counselling registration, gathered the Caste Validity, NCL, and EWS certificates well before the August window, planned both AIQ and CET Cell tracks in parallel, and targeted the rank that matches their realistic NEET 2026 score band.
Map your projected NEET 2026 score and Maharashtra Type/category to a personalised State Quota college list using the NEET 2026 College Predictor →. Then use the NEET 2026 cut-off target tool to work backward from a specific Maharashtra GMC and your real category and domicile situation. The Re-NEET window from now to August is enough to convert a Maharashtra projection into a confirmed seat at a premier or peripheral Maharashtra GMC, but only with a rank-first plan and clean CET Cell documentation that holds up at verification.
Official references: State Common Entrance Test Cell Maharashtra and Directorate of Medical Education and Research (cetcell.mahacet.org, med-edu.maharashtra.gov.in) · CET Cell Maharashtra Quota-wise List of First and Last Admitted Candidates (NEET UG 2024 and 2025 official publications) · Medical Counselling Committee All India Quota allotment archives (mcc.nic.in) · National Testing Agency 2024 and 2025 result gazettes (neet.nta.nic.in) · National Medical Commission seat approvals for the 2025-2026 cycle (nmc.org.in) · Government of Maharashtra GR on abolition of 70:30 regional quota (September 2020) · Maharashtra state reservation notifications including SEBC, EWS, and Defence sub-quotas. Closing ranks reflect official CET Cell quota-wise admission lists. Projections for 2026 are modelled estimates and will move with the actual 21 June Re-NEET paper, cohort behaviour, and round-wise allotment. Reservation percentages and fee waiver structures are subject to state policy revisions and judicial notifications; verify current rules with CET Cell before counselling registration.
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