The Medical Counseling Committee (MCC) is expected to announce the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) 2026 counseling scheme soon, paving the way for the admission of more than 20 lakh medical candidates across the country. For many candidates, the next question is where their role will take them. The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025 rankings provide one indicator of how top medical colleges in India compare, though admission under the MCC is based on NEET UG rankings, category, seat availability and counseling options. The latest NIRF ranking places All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), New Delhi, at the top of the list, followed by Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, and Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore.
Advice covering MBBS, BDS and other seats
MCC will offer counseling for 15 percent of All India Quota seats in Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programs. It will also conduct 100 percent seat counseling for All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and other participating institutions. According to the National Medical Commission (NMC) for the academic session 2026-27, there are 1,36,939 MBBS seats in 823 medical colleges in the country. Apart from MBBS admissions, the scheme will also include 27,868 seats for Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) in 319 dental colleges, according to the Dental Council of India (DCI).
AIIMS Delhi they lead the rankings
The NIRF 2025 rankings continue to place AIIMS New Delhi at the top among medical institutions, while the state and private sector institutions are in the top 10. Top 10 medical courses in India according to NIRF 2025:
| Responsibility | Medical college | State/UT |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi | Delhi |
| 2 | Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) | Chandigarh |
| 3 | Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore | Tamil Nadu |
| 4 | Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) | Puducherry |
| 5 | Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) | Uttar Pradesh |
| 6 | Banaras Hindu University (BHU) | Uttar Pradesh |
| 7 | National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) | Karnataka |
| 8 | King George’s Medical University (KGMU) | Uttar Pradesh |
| 9 | Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham | Tamil Nadu |
| 10 | Kasturba Medical College, Manipal | Karnataka |
The NMC seat shows that government medical colleges have 63,296 MBBS seats, while 73,643 seats are available in private medical colleges across the country. The increase in the availability of seats comes before the counseling process, which includes registration, filling the selection, allotment of seats, verification of documents, payment of fees and reporting to the assigned colleges.
What candidates should do
Candidates are advised to keep their documents ready and check the MCC website regularly to know the counseling schedule and registration dates when announced. Although the NIRF ranking gives an indication of the performance of the institutions, the admission will depend on the NEET UG rank of the candidates, the reservation group, the preferences filled during the counseling and the availability of seats in each section.