Top Deemed Medical Colleges in India 2026: Expected Cutoffs, Fees, and MCC Counselling Decoded
·Admission Guardian Editorial Team
Last updated: May 30, 2026
Top Deemed Medical Colleges in India 2026: Expected Cutoffs, Fees, and MCC Counselling Decoded
TL;DR: Deemed Medical Universities run 100% MCC-counselled admissions with no state quota and 2 seat categories (Management 85% · NRI 15%). The participation cost is a ₹5,000 non-refundable registration plus a ₹2,00,000 refundable security deposit, which is forfeited completely if you accept a Round 2 or later allotment and fail to join. The realistic tier picture for NEET 2026: Tier 1 (KMC Manipal · HIMSR Delhi · KMC Mangalore) needs 570-620+ marks with all-in budgets of ₹75L-₹90L. Tier 2 (JSS Mysore · KS Hegde · Amrita Kochi) needs 450-550+ marks at ₹90L-₹1.2 crore. Tier 3 (Sri Ramachandra · DY Patil Pune · DY Patil Navi Mumbai) admits at 250-400+ marks but costs ₹1.25-₹1.45 crore, with DY Patil's 7% compounding annual tuition hike adding ₹12L+ over the course. Plan the budget before the choice list.
If you have stared at deemed-university brochures for an hour and come away more confused than informed, you are not alone. Most online lists copy the headline tuition figure, skip the ₹2 lakh security deposit forfeiture rule, never mention the compounding annual fee hikes, and treat all deemed colleges as roughly equivalent. They are not. The realistic differences in cutoff, total cost, clinical exposure, and rule-set between Kasturba Manipal and DY Patil Navi Mumbai are enormous, and they decide whether your NEET 2026 deemed choice is a wise allocation of or a regretted one. To skip the abstract analysis and see exactly which deemed universities your projected NEET 2026 score realistically unlocks across your category and family budget, plug your numbers into the to check your admission chances → before MCC Deemed counselling opens in August.
This guide is written for NEET UG 2026 aspirants seriously considering deemed universities, and the parents who will end up signing the cheque for a ₹75 lakh to ₹1.45 crore MBBS program. It walks through the MCC Deemed counselling structure (including the registration fee · security deposit · forfeiture rules), maps every premium deemed university across three competitive tiers, surfaces the hidden non-tuition costs that most articles omit, explains the NRI-to-Management seat conversion that quietly reshapes Round 3 and stray vacancy allotments, and breaks down the compounding fee hike at DY Patil that adds ₹12 lakh+ over the program if you miss it. Every figure has been cross-checked against MCC Deemed counselling archives, NTA result data, individual university fee notifications, and the NMC's 2025-2026 seat register, with context updated for the cancelled 3 May paper and the rescheduled 21 June 2026 Re-NEET.
Key takeaways
Deemed Universities follow 100% All India Quota under MCC. No state domicile reservation. Open to candidates from every Indian state.
Counselling participation requires ₹5,000 non-refundable registration + ₹2,00,000 refundable security deposit. The deposit is forfeited completely if you accept a Round 2 or later seat and fail to join.
Round 1 has a free exit. Round 2 onwards triggers forfeiture rules. Plan the choice list around what you would actually accept.
Tier 1 (KMC Manipal · HIMSR · KMC Mangalore) sits at ₹16L-₹17.8L/yr tuition. Tier 2 (JSS · KS Hegde · Amrita Kochi) at ₹17.5L-₹25L/yr. Tier 3 (Sri Ramachandra · DY Patil) at ₹25L-₹27L/yr.
DY Patil Pune implements a 7% compounding annual tuition hike. A headline ₹27L/yr first-year fee becomes ₹33L by year 4, and the total 4.5-year tuition crosses ₹1.38 crore.
Vacant NRI seats convert to General Management seats from Round 3 onwards, but the fee structure remains identical to Management quota fees. The seat opens up, the price does not drop.
What "Top Deemed Medical Colleges in India" actually means
A Deemed-to-be-University status is granted by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under Section 3 of the UGC Act to institutions of high academic excellence, allowing them to set their own admission policies, curriculum, and degree titles within national regulatory frameworks. For MBBS admissions, deemed universities are regulated by the National Medical Commission (NMC) on curriculum and seat approval, and by MCC on counselling and seat allotment. The combination produces a distinct admission pathway: high-quality private institutions with 100% central counselling and uniform fee disclosure.
The "Top" qualifier in this guide refers to deemed universities that combine three attributes: NMC-approved MBBS seat capacity of 100+ seats per cycle, demonstrated clinical infrastructure (typically 750-2,000+ bed hospital with high outpatient and inpatient load), and consistent MCC participation across all counselling rounds. The eight institutions in this article are the most-asked-about premium deemed options for NEET aspirants, ranked into three tiers by closing-rank competitiveness and total-cost profile.
How MCC Deemed counselling actually works
Three structural rules shape every closing rank in this article. Read them once carefully.
100% All India Quota, no state domicile
Unlike state government medical colleges (where 85% of seats are reserved for state domicile candidates), deemed universities have no domicile concept. Every Indian national can compete for every deemed seat based purely on NEET UG All India Rank. A Tamil Nadu candidate has the same admission status at KMC Manipal as a Delhi candidate. The seat is allocated by rank, full stop.
Two seat categories: Management and NRI
Deemed MBBS seats are divided into two pools:
Management Quota (~85% of seats). Open to all qualified candidates based on NEET AIR.
NRI Quota (~15% of seats). Reserved for Non-Resident Indian and Overseas Citizen of India candidates with specific eligibility documentation. NRI fees are typically higher (often denominated in US dollars).
Centralised counselling via MCC
All deemed MBBS allotments run through Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) under the Directorate General of Health Services, in the same online portal that handles AIQ and Central University counselling. The Deemed counselling typically runs:
Round 1. First allotment based on NEET AIR. Free-exit round (no security forfeiture for non-joining).
Round 2. Upgradation and fresh allotment. Forfeiture rules begin.
Stray Vacancy Round. Final allotment. Strict rules; non-joining can bar from future cycles.
The security deposit forfeiture trap by round
This is the single most expensive misunderstanding in deemed counselling, and the rule that costs aspirants ₹2 lakh every year.
The participation cost
Non-refundable registration fee.₹5,000 paid to MCC for deemed counselling registration. This is not returned regardless of outcome.
Refundable security deposit.₹2,00,000 paid through MCC at the time of registration. Returned to your registered bank account after counselling concludes, provided you have not triggered forfeiture conditions.
If a candidate is registered for both Deemed counselling and All India Quota / Central University counselling, the Deemed fee structure applies once. There is no double payment.
The forfeiture conditions, round by round
Round 1. Free exit. If you are allotted a seat in Round 1 and choose not to report to the college, your ₹2L security deposit is safe and you can continue to Round 2.
Round 2 and Round 3. Forfeiture in full. If you are allotted a seat in either round and fail to report to the college within the specified window, your ₹2L security deposit is forfeited completely. You are also barred from participating in further counselling rounds in that cycle.
Stray Vacancy Round. Strictest rules. Allotment in stray vacancy with non-joining typically forfeits the deposit and bars you from re-attempting deemed counselling in the next NEET cycle.
Upgrade scenario. If you join your Round 1 allotted college, pay the institutional fees, and then upgrade in Round 2 to a different deemed college, your ₹2L deposit is adjusted against the first-year tuition fee at the new college.
The bank-account refund trap
The refundable deposit is returned only to the bank account from which the original payment was made and that matches the candidate's verified profile in MCC records. A common failure mode: candidates pay through an internet cafe, a third-party credit card, or a parent's account that does not match the registered name. The refund then goes to the third party, and recovering it becomes a separate dispute. Always pay the ₹2L from the candidate's own verified bank account.
NRI to Management seat conversion: how Round 3 reshapes allotments
A detail that most articles ignore: if NRI seats remain vacant after Round 2, they are converted into General Management seats and reallocated in Round 3 and stray vacancy. This is significant for two reasons.
The seat opens up to non-NRI candidates. A candidate who could not afford NRI fees in Round 1 or Round 2 may suddenly become eligible for the converted seat in Round 3 based purely on NEET AIR.
The fee structure does not change to NRI-converted-cheaper. The converted seat is allocated at the regular Management fee, which is the same Management fee that applied throughout. Some agent pitches promise "NRI-converted seats at deemed are cheaper," but this is not how the conversion works. Same Management fees apply.
The practical implication for choice-filling: do not skip a deemed college in Round 1 because you assumed the NRI seats were untouchable. Those seats become Management seats from Round 3 and can shift closing ranks meaningfully.
These three colleges combine the strongest clinical infrastructure in the deemed pool, the most competitive closing ranks, and the best tuition-to-quality ratio. They are the natural top of any deemed wishlist.
Kasturba Medical College, Manipal
KMC Manipal is the original Manipal Academy of Higher Education flagship and consistently ranks among India's top private medical institutions on NIRF rankings. Closing rank held tight in 2025 (Management Quota AIR ~31,834), well above where you can comfortably plan from a 2024-style inflation year (~43,835). For NEET 2026, the realistic target is top 30,000-38,000 AIR (roughly 570-620+ marks in a tough paper, 600-640+ in a moderate one).
Annual tuition:₹17,80,000/yr.
Total course tuition + admin: approximately ₹70.88L-₹72.34L.
Hostel and mess:₹60,000-₹2,82,000/yr depending on room category.
Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (HIMSR), New Delhi
HIMSR Delhi carries minority institution status (Jamia Hamdard) and operates one of Delhi's busier private teaching hospitals. The 2025 closing-rank pattern was unusual: Round 1 closed around AIR ~22,000-28,000 while Round 2 stretched to ~50,000-55,000, reflecting late-round seat openings. For NEET 2026, plan against AIR ~25,000 for Round 1 access.
Annual tuition:₹16,00,000/yr.
Total course tuition + admin: approximately ₹75L-₹85L.
Hostel and mess:₹1.1L-₹1.6L/yr.
Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore
KMC Mangalore is the sister campus of KMC Manipal, sharing the Manipal Academy of Higher Education academic framework with a separate clinical setup in Mangalore. Closing rank sits looser than Manipal (~45,000-65,000 AIR in 2025) at identical tuition, which makes it the most accessible Tier 1 option.
Annual tuition:₹17,80,000/yr.
Total course tuition + admin: approximately ₹70.89L.
Hostel and mess:₹1L-₹1.6L/yr inclusive.
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Tier 2 Deemed: JSS Mysore, KS Hegde, Amrita Kochi
Tier 2 deemed universities admit at deeper ranks and run at higher tuition, with strong clinical infrastructure but slightly more variable patient flow than Tier 1.
JSS Medical College, Mysuru
JSS Medical College is JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research's medical flagship in Mysuru. Closing rank pattern in 2025 showed wide spread: Round 1 around AIR ~1,17,000, Round 2 stretching to ~1,67,900. For NEET 2026, target AIR 1,10,000-1,60,000 (roughly 505-555 marks moderate, 460-510 marks tough).
Annual tuition:₹19,86,000/yr.
Total 5-year course budget: approximately ₹1.00 crore (tuition + hostel + mandatory fees).
Hostel and mess:₹1.6L-₹2L/yr.
KS Hegde Medical Academy, Mangalore
KS Hegde Medical Academy (KSHEMA) operates within Nitte (Deemed to be University) in Mangalore. Closing rank sits at AIR ~1,00,000-1,48,000 (2025). Strong clinical infrastructure for the cutoff band.
Annual tuition:₹17.5L-₹20L/yr (varies by category).
Total course budget: approximately ₹80L-₹90L.
Hostel and mess:₹1L-₹1.5L/yr inclusive.
Amrita School of Medicine, Kochi
Amrita School of Medicine under Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is Kerala's flagship deemed medical institution with a large, busy teaching hospital. Closing rank in 2025 was AIR ~95,000-2,40,000 depending on round and category. Significantly higher tuition than other Tier 2 options, but the campus and clinical exposure are widely respected.
Annual tuition:₹25,00,000/yr.
Total 5-year course budget: approximately ₹1.15 crore.
Hostel and mess: compulsory on-campus residency, charges as part of the integrated package.
Note on Amrita Kochi. On-campus hostel residency is strictly mandatory; off-campus alternatives are not permitted. Factor this into the budget plan from day one.
Tier 3 Deemed: Sri Ramachandra, DY Patil Pune, DY Patil Navi Mumbai
Tier 3 sits at the highest tuition and the deepest closing ranks. These are accessible at 250-400+ marks but require the largest financial commitment.
Sri Ramachandra Medical College, Chennai
Sri Ramachandra Medical College within Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research operates one of South India's largest private teaching hospitals. Closing rank ~2,10,000-3,00,000 AIR in 2025.
Annual tuition:₹25,00,000/yr.
Total 5-year course budget: approximately ₹1.15 crore.
Hostel and mess:₹2L-₹2.65L/yr.
Dr DY Patil Medical College, Pune
DY Patil Pune is the most-discussed Tier 3 deemed because of the headline tuition figure and the closing-rank accessibility. Closing rank was AIR 3,60,000-6,40,000 in 2025. The crucial detail: a 5% to 7% compounding annual tuition hike applies to the base fee. The headline ₹27L/yr first-year fee becomes:
Year 1: ₹27,00,000
Year 2: ₹28,89,000 (at 7%)
Year 3: ₹30,91,230
Year 4: ₹33,07,616
Year 4.5 (final half-year): ~₹17,69,574
The total 4.5-year tuition lands at roughly ₹1.38 crore, not the simple ₹1.21 crore you would calculate from the first-year fee. Add hostel and mess (₹3L/yr triple-sharing) plus admission and miscellaneous, and the realistic 5.5-year all-in cost crosses ₹1.55 crore. Plan for the compounding, or expect the surprise.
Dr DY Patil Medical College, Navi Mumbai
The Navi Mumbai campus operates similarly to Pune. Closing rank ~4,00,000-5,30,000 AIR in 2025.
Read the closing-rank columns as bands, not point estimates. Round 1 cutoffs are tighter than Round 2 and stray vacancy figures across all colleges. Plan your AIR target against Round 1 numbers to keep your strategy realistic.
Hidden expenses you need to budget for
Headline tuition is the marketing number. The realistic cash outflow includes line items most articles never mention. The list for a typical deemed MBBS:
University eligibility fee (one-time).₹1L-₹2L at colleges like DY Patil and JSS.
Caution deposits.₹50,000-₹2L, partially refundable on course completion.
Mandatory hostel residency. Some colleges (Amrita Kochi, several DY Patil campuses) enforce compulsory on-campus residency for all years.
University examination fees.₹50,000-₹1.5L/yr separately billed.
Development fees, library, lab, sports. Bundled differently by college, typically ₹50,000-₹1.5L/yr.
Hostel mess deposits and monthly mess charges. Often separate from hostel rent and added to monthly billing.
For Tier 1 deemed (KMC, HIMSR), the realistic all-in cost is roughly ₹75L-₹90L across 5.5 years. For Tier 2 (JSS, KS Hegde, Amrita), the range is ₹90L-₹1.2 crore. For Tier 3 (Sri Ramachandra, DY Patil), the range is ₹1.25-₹1.45 crore+. Plan against the upper end of each range.
The DY Patil compounding fee hike: worked example
The 7% compounding annual tuition hike at DY Patil Pune deserves its own callout because it is the single largest cost surprise in deemed-university planning.
Year
Base Tuition
Cumulative Extra Cost
Year 1
₹27,00,000
₹0
Year 2
₹28,89,000
₹1,89,000
Year 3
₹30,91,230
₹5,80,230 cumulative
Year 4
₹33,07,616
₹11,87,846 cumulative
Year 4.5 (half)
₹17,69,574
adds ~₹3.7L over flat-rate baseline
The accumulated tuition increase over the program from compounding alone is more than ₹12L. Most family budget plans use the first-year tuition multiplied by 5 (or 4.5) and miss this entirely. If you are seriously considering DY Patil or any college with a compounding-hike clause, do the actual year-by-year calculation before accepting the seat. The fee notification on the institutional website is the authoritative source.
Strategic choice-filling tips for MCC Deemed counselling 2026
A clean working plan for the August counselling window.
Calibrate to Round 1 closing ranks, not stray vacancy figures. The realistic admission window is Round 1; stray vacancy ranks deepen materially and are not a reliable target.
Build a tiered choice list. Roughly 30% ambitious (Tier 1 stretch), 50% realistic (Tier 1-2 base), 20% safe (Tier 2-3 floor). Never fill the list with only Tier 1 hopes.
Use Round 1's free exit thoughtfully. Aim slightly higher in Round 1 than your projected band, because the free exit lets you decline and continue. From Round 2 onwards, only fill choices you would actually accept and afford.
Match the choice list to your real family budget. Do not list a Tier 3 college you cannot fund. A Round 2 allotment to a college you decline forfeits ₹2L and bars you from further counselling.
Pay the security deposit from the candidate's own verified bank account. Refund processing matches the original payment source. Avoid third-party cards or shared accounts.
For DY Patil and other compounding-hike colleges, do the year-by-year cost calculation upfront. Treat the brochure figure as Year 1, not Year 5.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is there a state domicile quota in Deemed Universities?
No. Deemed Universities operate 100% All India Quota counselling through MCC. Every Indian national competes for every deemed seat purely on NEET UG All India Rank. There is no state domicile preference, advantage, or local quota at any deemed medical college.
Q: What is the security deposit for MCC Deemed counselling and when do I lose it?
The refundable security deposit is ₹2,00,000, paid alongside a ₹5,000 non-refundable registration fee at the time of MCC Deemed counselling registration. The deposit is forfeited completely if you accept a Round 2 or later allotment and fail to report to the college. Round 1 offers a free exit with full deposit refund.
Q: Can I get direct admission to a Deemed University without qualifying NEET UG?
No. NEET UG qualification is mandatory for every MBBS admission in India, including all Deemed Universities and NRI seats. Any agent offering "direct admission without NEET" is misrepresenting the regulatory framework, and the resulting admission would not be recognised by the NMC.
Q: Are hostel facilities compulsory at all Deemed Medical Universities?
It varies. Some colleges (Amrita Kochi, several DY Patil campuses) enforce compulsory on-campus residency for all 5.5 years. Others (KMC Manipal, HIMSR Delhi, JSS) recommend but do not strictly mandate. Verify the residency policy with the college admission cell before accepting a seat, especially if you have local family arrangements.
Q: Will the 21 June Re-NEET 2026 change Deemed University cutoffs?
The pattern, syllabus, and seat pool are unchanged. Difficulty risk leans high after the leak, which means a tougher Re-NEET is likely. For deemed universities, that compresses the upper rank bands slightly but keeps the realistic cutoff windows broadly stable. MCC Deemed counselling is expected to begin in August 2026.
The bottom line
Deemed Universities are a serious medical education pathway, not a fallback. The candidates who land good deemed seats in NEET 2026 will be the ones who treated MCC Deemed counselling as a financial and strategic exercise rather than a panic decision. That means understanding the ₹2L security deposit forfeiture rule before Round 1, calibrating the choice list to Round 1 closing ranks rather than stray vacancy figures, calculating the real all-in cost (including compounding hikes for DY Patil) before accepting an allotment, and matching the college tier to a family budget that holds across the full 5.5-year program.
Map your projected NEET 2026 score and family budget to the realistic deemed-university outcomes using the NEET 2026 College Predictor →. Then use the NEET 2026 cut-off target tool to work backward from a specific deemed institution and your real financial plan. The Re-NEET window from now to August is genuinely enough time to convert a projection into a confirmed Tier 1 or Tier 2 deemed seat, but only if you walk in with budget realism rather than brochure optimism.
Official references: Medical Counselling Committee Deemed University counselling brochures and allotment archives, Rounds 1, 2, 3, Stray and Special Stray Vacancy (mcc.nic.in) · National Testing Agency 2024 and 2025 result gazettes (neet.nta.nic.in) · National Medical Commission seat approvals and Minimum Standards Regulations for the 2025-2026 cycle (nmc.org.in) · Ministry of Health and Family Welfare seat-expansion notifications · individual deemed university fee notifications and admission brochures published by the respective institutions. Closing ranks reflect the most recent available counselling-round data. Tuition and ancillary fee figures reflect 2025-26 disclosures by each institution and can change year to year; the compounding annual tuition hike at DY Patil is confirmed via institutional fee schedule. Verify all fee and residency details with the specific institution before counselling registration or seat acceptance.
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