UP NEET Medical Colleges 2026: Expected Cutoffs, Seat Matrix, and State Quota Strategy
·Admission Guardian Editorial Team
Last updated: May 30, 2026
UP NEET Medical Colleges 2026: Expected Cutoffs, Seat Matrix, and State Quota Strategy
TL;DR: Uttar Pradesh's 85% State Quota MBBS counselling is run by DGME UP, covering ~50 government medical colleges with ~5,800+ MBBS seats. For NEET 2026, the expected General-category closing ranks at the top four UP GMCs are: KGMU Lucknow AIR 3,500-4,200 · RMLIMS Lucknow AIR 6,000-6,600 · GSVM Kanpur AIR 9,000-10,200 · LLRM Meerut AIR 10,000-11,000. Newer GMCs (Bulandshahr · Sultanpur · Bijnor · Pilibhit · Kanpur Dehat · Kushinagar · Lalitpur · Amethi) close at AIR 17,000-34,000. UP is unique: domicile certificate is not required if you completed both Class 10 and Class 12 from a UP-located institution. UP also has a powerful 20% horizontal Women's Quota that drops female candidate cutoffs by 500-1,500 ranks within each vertical category. The state has abolished the monetary seat-leaving penalty in favour of a 1-year debarment from the next academic session's state counselling. Service bond remains: 2 years rural service or ₹10L penalty.
If you are a Uttar Pradesh-domicile NEET 2026 aspirant or planning to navigate the UP DGME 85% State Quota counselling, you are working with one of India's largest government MBBS seat pools (~5,800+ seats across ~50 colleges), one of the friendliest domicile rules (no certificate needed if you did 10th and 12th from UP), one of the most powerful horizontal reservations (a 20% Women's Quota that genuinely changes outcomes for female candidates), and one of the most candidate-friendly recent policy revisions (the seat-leaving monetary penalty has been replaced by a debarment-only rule). The catch is that the system is layered: vertical reservation (UR · OBC · SC · ST · EWS), horizontal reservation (Women · PwD · DFF · ESM · NCC), the government security deposit (or for private), the -year compulsory service bond, and the newly-approved district GMCs that are reshaping mid-range AIR access every year. To skip the abstract framing and see exactly which UP government medical colleges your projected NEET 2026 score actually unlocks for your category and subcategory, plug your numbers into the to check your admission chances → before UP DGME counselling opens in August.
This guide is written for NEET UG 2026 UP-domicile aspirants and the families navigating the upneet.gov.in counselling process. It walks through the AIQ versus State Quota architecture, the precise domicile rules (including the 10th-and-12th-from-UP exemption that saves candidates from bureaucratic hassle), the registration fee and refundable security deposit structure, the updated seat-leaving policy that replaces the old monetary penalty with a 1-year debarment, the vertical and horizontal reservation matrix (with the 20% Women's Quota deep-dive), the historical 2024 and 2025 closing ranks at KGMU, RMLIMS, GSVM, and LLRM, the seat matrix and cutoffs for the newly-approved GMCs added in 2024 and 2025, the upcoming PPP-model district hospital upgrades, expected NEET 2026 cutoffs across categories, and a complete choice-filling strategy. Every figure has been cross-checked against DGME UP's official counselling notifications, MCC AIQ archives, NTA result data, and the National Medical Commission's 2025-2026 seat register, with context updated for the cancelled 3 May paper and the rescheduled 21 June 2026 Re-NEET.
Key takeaways
UP State Quota MBBS counselling covers ~5,800+ government seats across ~50 colleges, run by DGME at upneet.gov.in.
Domicile certificate is not required if you completed both Class 10 and Class 12 from a UP-located institution. Otherwise, a Tehsildar/SDM-issued domicile certificate is mandatory.
KGMU Lucknow is the top target: General-category closing AIR 4,013 in 2025, expected 3,500-4,200 for NEET 2026.
Vertical reservation: UR 40% · OBC 27% · SC 21% · ST 2% · EWS 10%.
Horizontal reservation includes a powerful 20% Women's Quota (within each vertical), 5% PwD, 2% DFF, 2% ESM, 1% NCC.
Service bond: 2 years rural service or ₹10L penalty. Seat-leaving rule: 1-year debarment (the old monetary penalty has been abolished).
10 newly-approved GMCs (2024-2025 additions) provide accessible options at AIR 17,000-34,000.
What "UP NEET Cutoff and Seat Matrix 2026" actually means
UP NEET expected cutoff 2026 is the projected closing All India Rank (AIR) at which the last seat in each UP government medical college, under each category and counselling round, will be allotted in NEET 2026 through DGME UP's 85% State Quota counselling. The seat matrix is the consolidated capacity across all eligible institutions: state government medical colleges, autonomous state medical colleges (ASMCs), central universities (BHU and AMU), AIIMS branches in UP (Gorakhpur, Rae Bareli), and ESIC medical colleges (Noida, Varanasi).
Two terms worth getting clear before the data starts:
DGME UP. The Directorate General of Medical Education and Training, Uttar Pradesh. The administering authority for State Quota counselling at upneet.gov.in.
ASMC (Autonomous State Medical College). Newer government medical colleges established by the UP government under the model of attaching medical training to existing district hospitals. Most of UP's 2024 and 2025 GMC additions are structured as ASMCs.
The UP NEET counselling architecture
Every UP government medical college MBBS seat is allocated through one of two distinct counselling tracks.
15% All India Quota (AIQ)
Managed by the Medical Counselling Committee at mcc.nic.in. Covers 15% of MBBS seats at UP government medical colleges, plus 100% of seats at AIIMS Gorakhpur, AIIMS Rae Bareli, ESIC Noida, ESIC Varanasi (where applicable), and Central University quotas at IMS BHU Varanasi and JNMC AMU Aligarh. Open to all NEET-qualified candidates nationwide based purely on AIR.
85% State Quota
Managed by DGME UP at upneet.gov.in. Covers 85% of seats at state government medical colleges, ASMCs, and the state share of central institutions. Counselling rounds: Round 1 → Round 2 → Mop-up Round → Stray Vacancy Round. Restricted to UP-domicile candidates only for government seats. For private medical college seats, UP is an "open state" and accepts non-domicile candidates as well.
Domicile and eligibility: the UP rule that saves candidates from bureaucratic hassle
The single most candidate-friendly domicile rule in any major Indian state.
The 10th + 12th exemption
If a candidate has successfully completed both Class 10 (High School) and Class 12 (Intermediate) from a recognised board located physically inside Uttar Pradesh (UP Board, CBSE schools in UP, ICSE schools in UP, IB schools in UP), they do not require a separate domicile certificate. The marksheets themselves serve as proof of UP eligibility for the State Quota.
This rule covers the majority of UP-resident candidates and eliminates the typical bureaucratic process of obtaining a Tehsildar-issued domicile certificate.
The mandatory domicile case
If a candidate completed either Class 10 or Class 12 (or both) outside Uttar Pradesh but is a native UP resident (parental domicile, family residence, ancestral property), they must produce a valid native UP Domicile Certificate issued by the competent state authority (Tehsildar or Sub-Divisional Magistrate).
Non-domicile candidates
Candidates from other states are completely ineligible for UP government medical college seats under the State Quota. The exception: UP is an "open state" for private medical college seats, so non-domicile candidates can participate in choice-filling for private MBBS seats under the management quota, paying applicable fees.
Registration fee and the refundable security deposit structure
A non-trivial financial commitment is required to participate in DGME UP counselling.
Counselling Registration Fee:₹2,000 (non-refundable, applicable to all categories).
Government Medical or Dental Colleges Security Deposit:₹30,000 (refundable after admission completion or if no seat is allocated).
Private Medical Colleges Security Deposit:₹2,00,000 (refundable).
Consolidated deposit (both government and private choice-filling):₹2,00,000.
The disciplined approach: if you are confident you will accept a government seat, the ₹30,000 government-only deposit is enough. If you want to keep private MBBS options open as backup, post the consolidated ₹2,00,000 upfront.
The updated seat-leaving policy: debarment replaces monetary penalty
A material policy revision that competitor articles consistently get wrong. Until recently, UP candidates who left their MBBS seat mid-course faced a monetary penalty of ₹5L to ₹10L. The UP government has officially abolished the monetary seat-leaving penalty.
The new rule
Any student who leaves or surrenders their MBBS seat mid-course is debarred from participating in UP state NEET counselling for the subsequent academic session (one year). No monetary penalty applies to the seat-leaving event itself.
The service bond (separate from seat-leaving)
The 2-year compulsory rural service bond remains in force. All candidates admitted to government MBBS seats under UP State Quota must execute a service bond committing to 2 years of service in rural or designated areas after graduation. Non-compliance with the service bond carries a penalty of ₹10,00,000 (₹10 Lakh).
The distinction is important: leaving the seat mid-course triggers debarment (no money). Completing the degree and then refusing the 2-year rural service triggers the ₹10L penalty.
NEET 2026 scoring rules and the tie-breaker
A common misconception: the brief mentions "200 questions, attempt 180." This is outdated. Per NTA's 2025-26 pattern, 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 optional Section A/B format was discontinued in 2025.
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.
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. 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 DGME UP counselling now likely to begin only in August 2026. For UP State Quota planning:
Difficulty risk leans high. A harder Re-NEET deflates scores, improving the relative rank of mid-band UP candidates and making KGMU/RMLIMS targets more reachable.
Use the longer counselling runway. Obtain Caste, Caste Validity, and NCL certificates (where applicable), EWS certificate (issued on or after 1 April 2026), and Defence/Hilly/NCC supporting documents well in advance.
Plan AIQ and State Quota in parallel. AIQ for AIIMS Gorakhpur, AIIMS Rae Bareli, IMS BHU, and JNMC AMU; State Quota for the rest of the UP GMC list.
UP government MBBS seat matrix 2026
The total state government seat capacity is one of the largest in India, with substantial recent expansion.
Table 1: UP government MBBS seat matrix (NEET 2026)
College Category
Approximate Institutions
Approximate Seat Intake
State Government Medical Colleges (established and autonomous)
Total Estimated Government MBBS Pool (UP State Quota focus)
~50
~5,800+
For an UP-domicile candidate, this pool is the largest single-state government MBBS opportunity in India. Even a borderline-rank candidate has realistic State Quota options at one of the newer GMCs.
Top UP government medical college closing trends (2024 vs 2025 vs 2026 expected)
The reality anchor for serious choice-filling planning.
Table 2: UP State Quota (85%) closing ranks at top GMCs (category-wise)
KGMU Lucknow sits at the tightest end of the UP State Quota list across every category, reflecting its position as the state's top medical institution. RMLIMS sits as the second-tier flagship in Lucknow, with closing ranks roughly 2,000-2,500 deeper than KGMU. GSVM Kanpur and LLRM Meerut absorb the next tier of strong UP candidates, with closing ranks in the AIR 9,000-11,000 band for General.
For SC and ST candidates, the closing ranks loosen meaningfully across the four colleges (SC AIR 42,000-95,000; ST AIR 88,000-2,30,000), reflecting the broader reserved-category seat distribution.
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Newly approved UP GMCs: 2024 and 2025 additions
UP's seat expansion has been the most aggressive of any major state, with 10 new GMCs added across 2024 and 2025 under the model of attaching medical education to district hospitals.
Table 3: Newly approved UP GMCs (2024 and 2025 additions, General Open category)
GMC
Year Established
Annual MBBS Intake
2025 Closing Rank (AIR · UR)
NEET 2026 Expected Cutoff (AIR · UR)
GMC Bulandshahr (Kalyan Singh GMC)
2024
100
18,200
17,000-18,500
GMC Sultanpur (ASMC Sultanpur)
2024
100
21,564
20,500-22,000
GMC Bijnor (Mahatma Vidur ASMC)
2024
100
25,500
22,000-26,000
GMC Pilibhit (ASMC Pilibhit)
2024
100
27,000
25,000-27,500
GMC Kanpur Dehat (ASMC Kanpur Dehat)
2024
100
30,000
29,000-31,500
GMC Kushinagar (ASMC Kushinagar)
2024
100
30,824
30,000-32,000
GMC Lalitpur (ASMC Lalitpur)
2024
100
33,000
30,000-33,500
ASMC Amethi
2025
100
33,500
31,000-34,000
ESIC Medical College Noida
2025
50
14,000
13,000-15,000
These newer GMCs absorb UP candidates in the AIR 17,000-34,000 General range. For a 560-630 mark UP-domicile candidate, this is the realistic State Quota target list rather than KGMU or RMLIMS.
Upcoming PPP-model district hospital upgrades
The UP government has announced 11 additional district hospital upgrades under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, expected to add medical college seats in districts like Baghpat, Hathras, Mainpuri, Kasganj, Mahoba, Hamirpur, and others. These additions, when operationalised, will further loosen the bottom-tier State Quota closing ranks. Borderline candidates (AIR 28,000-35,000) should monitor DGME UP notifications for new GMC additions during the August counselling window.
UP State Quota reservation matrix
UP implements a strict vertical and horizontal reservation policy that materially affects category-wise outcomes.
Vertical reservation (social categories)
Unreserved / General (UR):40%
Other Backward Classes (OBC):27%
Scheduled Castes (SC):21%
Economically Weaker Section (EWS):10%
Scheduled Tribes (ST):2%
UP's SC reservation at 21% is one of the highest in India, reflecting the state's large SC population. The ST percentage at 2% is among the lowest, mirroring the relatively small tribal population in the state.
Horizontal reservation (applied within each vertical category)
Female Candidates (Women's Quota):20% applied horizontally within each vertical category
Persons with Disability (PwD/Divyangjan):5%
Dependents of Freedom Fighters (DFF):2%
Ex-Servicemen (ESM):2%
NCC Cadets (with B or C Certificate):1%
The Women's Quota: UP's most powerful horizontal reservation
The 20% Women's Quota is a major differentiator in UP and competitor articles consistently flatten its mechanics. The 20% is applied horizontally within each vertical category, which means:
Within the General-UR pool, 20% of seats are reserved for General-Female candidates.
Within the OBC pool, 20% are reserved for OBC-Female candidates.
Within the SC pool, 20% for SC-Female. Within EWS pool, 20% for EWS-Female. And so on across each vertical category.
The practical effect: female candidates in UP often secure seats at closing ranks 500-1,500 deeper than the corresponding male cutoff within the same category. A General-UR-Female candidate at KGMU might secure a seat at AIR 4,500-5,500, where the General-UR-Male closing was 4,013 in 2025. The same advantage applies across every vertical category.
For female aspirants in UP, the Women's Quota is genuinely the single most valuable horizontal reservation, and choice-filling should explicitly model the female-specific closing rank rather than the gender-neutral cutoff.
UP government MBBS fees and concessions
UP government medical college fees are nominal compared to private alternatives.
Standard tuition (Open category): typically ₹50,000-₹80,000/yr at most UP GMCs, with KGMU and RMLIMS at the higher end (₹60,000-₹85,000/yr).
Hostel charges: highly subsidised, typically ₹15,000-₹30,000/yr.
Category-wise fee scholarships: SC, ST, and OBC candidates with valid certificates and income proof are eligible for state government scholarships that cover tuition and hostel fees substantially.
For an UP-domicile General candidate landing a KGMU MBBS seat, the all-in 5.5-year cost (tuition + hostel + miscellaneous) lands well under ₹6 lakh, compared to ₹70L-₹1.2 crore for a UP private MBBS open-quota seat. The financial value of a UP government MBBS seat is roughly ₹70L-₹1.15 crore over the program.
Step-by-step choice-filling strategy for UP State Quota
A practical sequence after the 21 June Re-NEET result drops.
Verify domicile eligibility. Confirm whether you qualify under the 10th-plus-12th-from-UP exemption (no certificate needed) or whether you require a Tehsildar/SDM domicile certificate. Get the certificate well before counselling registration if required.
Identify your category and horizontal sub-category. Vertical: UR · OBC · SC · ST · EWS. Horizontal: Female · PwD · DFF · ESM · NCC. Document each.
Calculate your female-specific closing rank if applicable. A female candidate should plan against the gender-specific cutoff within her vertical category, not the gender-neutral figure.
Build a tiered choice list.
Top tier (AIR <6,500): KGMU Lucknow, RMLIMS Lucknow, AIIMS Gorakhpur, AIIMS Rae Bareli, IMS BHU.
Strong second tier (AIR 6,500-12,000): GSVM Kanpur, LLRM Meerut, JNMC AMU Aligarh, SNMC Agra (Sarojini Naidu Medical College).
Established mid-tier GMCs (AIR 12,000-20,000): Other state government medical colleges.
Match colleges to your projected AIR. Use Round 1 closing ranks as the realistic target; stray vacancy figures loosen but should not be the anchor.
Post security deposit by category.₹30,000 for government-only choice-filling; ₹2,00,000 consolidated if also opting for private MBBS choice-filling.
Keep all certificates verified and ready. Caste, Caste Validity, NCL (for OBC), EWS Certificate (issued on or after 1 April 2026), domicile (if applicable), PwD/Defence/NCC supporting documents.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Do non-domicile students stand a chance in UP government medical colleges?
No. UP State Quota government MBBS seats are restricted to UP-domicile candidates only. Non-domicile candidates can compete only through the 15% All India Quota (MCC) for the AIQ share of UP government seats, or through UP's open-state private MBBS counselling for private college seats.
Q: What happens if I leave my UP MBBS seat after Round 2 or mid-course?
You are debarred from participating in UP state NEET counselling for the subsequent academic session (one year). The old monetary seat-leaving penalty has been abolished. The ₹10L penalty applies only to candidates who complete MBBS but refuse the 2-year compulsory rural service bond.
Q: Is the ₹30,000 security deposit for UP government medical colleges fully refundable?
Yes. The ₹30,000 security deposit is fully refundable after admission is completed (if you join the allotted college) or if no seat is allocated to you through the counselling rounds. The ₹2,000 registration fee is non-refundable.
Q: Do I need a UP domicile certificate if I studied 10th and 12th in UP?
No. If you have successfully completed both Class 10 (High School) and Class 12 (Intermediate) from a recognised board located physically inside Uttar Pradesh, your marksheets serve as proof of UP eligibility, and you do not need a separate domicile certificate. This applies regardless of the board (UP Board, CBSE, ICSE, IB) as long as the school is physically located in UP.
Q: Will the 21 June Re-NEET 2026 change UP 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 UP State Quota, a tough paper improves the relative AIR of mid-band UP candidates, making targets like GSVM Kanpur and LLRM Meerut more reachable. Rank targets in the tables stay broadly stable; score targets adjust downward. DGME UP counselling is expected from August 2026.
The bottom line
UP State Quota MBBS in NEET 2026 offers one of India's largest government medical seat pools, the friendliest domicile rule (no certificate needed if 10th and 12th are from UP), and one of the most powerful horizontal reservations (20% Women's Quota that genuinely changes outcomes for female candidates). The candidates who secure UP GMC seats in 2026 will be the ones who identified their vertical and horizontal categories precisely, posted the right security deposit for their target track (government-only vs consolidated), planned a tiered choice list across KGMU through the newest ASMCs, and accepted that the rank target (not the score target) is the planning unit.
Map your projected NEET 2026 score and UP category status to a personalised, scenario-aware UP 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 UP GMC and your real category and domicile situation. The Re-NEET window from now to August is enough to convert a UP-domicile projection into a confirmed seat at KGMU, RMLIMS, GSVM, LLRM, or one of the rapidly-expanding ASMC network, but only with a rank-first plan, clean documentation, and a choice list that reflects realistic Round 1 closing ranks.
Official references: Directorate General of Medical Education and Training, Uttar Pradesh (upneet.gov.in) · DGME UP counselling notifications, brochures, and round-wise admission results for NEET 2024 and 2025 cycles · 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 Uttar Pradesh notifications on new GMC approvals (Bulandshahr, Sultanpur, Bijnor, Pilibhit, Kanpur Dehat, Kushinagar, Lalitpur, Amethi, ESIC Noida, ESIC Varanasi) and seat-leaving policy revisions abolishing the monetary penalty. Closing ranks reflect the most recent available counselling-round data published by DGME UP. 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; verify current rules with DGME UP before counselling registration.
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