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NEET Expected Cut Off 2026 (Category Wise) – Marks, Rank & MBBS Admission Trends

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Shreshtha Mishra • 8 Mins read • 2 May 26
NEET Expected Cut Off 2026 NEET Expected Cut Off 2026

NEET Expected Cut Off 2026 is a key concern for medical aspirants after the NEET UG exam, as it helps to determine admission chances in top MBBS colleges. With limited government seats and high competition, the NEET expected cut-off for MBBS government colleges in 2026, especially for the general category, is important. 

The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted NEET UG on May 3rd. The provisional answer key was released in June 2026. The official cut-off will be after the NEET UG result 2026, which is in June 2026. 


NEET Cutoff Trends (Last 5 Years Analysis)

The data below represents the trend summary for the NEET over the past 5 years

  • Rising Cut-Off Scores: The minimum qualifying marks have gone up significantly across all categories over the years.
  • Significant Jump in 2024: From 2023 to 2024, the cut-off increased by around 10%, showing higher student performance and tougher competition.
  • General Category: The lower limit for UR/EWS is from 137 in 2023 to 162 in 2024, a notable increase.
  • Reserved Category Impact: OBC/SC/ST cut-offs also increased from 107 in 2023 to 127 in 2024, showing rising competition even in reserved quotas.
  • PwD Category Also Affected: Cut-offs for PwD students (UR/EWS & PH) rise from 121 in 2023 to 144 in 2024, following the same trend.
  • What to Expect in 2026: If this trend continues, the NEET 2026 expected cut-off may rise by another 5–10%, making preparation even more important.

The deadline varies with the difficulty of exams and the performance of students.

Trend

Year

Summary

UR/EWS cutoff drop

2025

Dropped to 686–144 from 720–162 (2024)

Reserved category (SC/ST)

2025

OBC, SC, and ST had the same cutoff: 143–113

PwD categories segmented

2025

Separate cutoffs for SC/OBC/ST-PwD introduced

Peak cutoff year

2024

Highest cutoff in all categories

Gradual drop observed

2023

General cutoff at 720–137; reserved: 136–107

Continued decline

2022

General: 715–117; reserved: 116–93

High cutoff consistency

2021

General cutoff again peaked at 720–138

Percentile stability

2021–2025

50% (UR), 40% (OBC/SC/ST), 45% (PwD) across years


Read More:NEET 2026 Result

Previous Year NEET Cut Off Trends

The table below represents the past 5-year NEET cut-off trends for different categories. Candidates can review the cut-off from the previous year and plan for the NEET 2026 cut-off, as the cut-off changes annually. 

Category

Qualifying Criteria

NEET(UG) 2026 Cut Off (Expected)

NEET(UG) 2024 Cut Off

NEET(UG) 2023 Cut Off

NEET(UG) 2022 Cut Off

UR/EWS

50th Percentile

720–165

720-162

720-137

715-117

OBC

40th Percentile

164–130

161-127

136-107

116-93

SC

40th Percentile

164–130

161-127

136-107

116-93

ST

40th Percentile

164–130

161-127

136-107

116-93

UR/EWS & PH

45th Percentile

164–148

161-144

136-121

116-105

OBC & PH

40th Percentile

148–130

143-127

120-107

104-93

SC & PH

40th Percentile

148–130

143-127

120-107

104-93

ST & PH

40th Percentile

147–130

142-127

120-108

104-93


NEET 2026 Expected Rank for MBBS Admission

Knowing rank is equal to marks. Rank is very dependent on the level of competition and normalization.

  • Rank under 5,000 → High chance of Govt MBBS
  • Rank under 15,000 → Possible Govt seat
  • Rank above 50,000 → Mostly private colleges


NEET Expected Cutoff Off 2026: Important Dates

The following table represents the upcoming important dates for NEET UG 2026.

Events

Dates

NEET UG Provisional Answer Key

3rd June 2026

NEET UG Final Answer Key

June 2026 (Expected)

NEET UG Result Date

June 2026


NEET 2026 Expected Cutoff: Category Wise

The table below represents the NEET expected cut-off for the different categories for 2026. 

Category

Qualifying Criteria

Expected NEET (UG) 2026 Cut Off

UR/EWS

50th Percentile

720–165

OBC

40th Percentile

164–130

SC

40th Percentile

164–130

ST

40th Percentile

164–130

UR/EWS & PH

45th Percentile

164–148

OBC & PH

40th Percentile

148–130

SC & PH

40th Percentile

148–130

ST & PH

40th Percentile

147–130


NEET Expected Cut Off 2026 for General Category

The table below represents the year-wise NEET cut-off for the general category. The qualifying percentile for the General category is the 50th percentile. The official NEET 2026 cut-off score for the General category will be announced after the NEET result.

Year

NEET Cutoff Scores

2026

720–165

2025

720-164

2024

720 - 162

2023

720 - 137

2022

715 - 117

2021

720 - 138

2020

720 - 147

2019

701 - 134


NEET 2026 Cutoff for OBC Category

The table below represents the year-wise NEET cut-off for the OBC category. The qualifying percentile for the OBC category is the 45th percentile.

Year

NEET Cutoff Scores

2026

164–130

2025

143-113

2024

161 - 127

2023

136 - 107

2022

116 - 93

2021

137 - 108

2020

146 - 113

2019

133 - 107


NEET 2026 Cut Off for SC Category

The table below represents the year-wise NEET cut-off for the SC category. The qualifying percentile for the SC category is the 40th percentile.

Year

NEET Cutoff Scores

2026

164–130

2025

143-113

2024

161 - 127

2023

136 - 107

2022

116 - 93

2021

137 - 108

2020

146 - 113

2019

133 - 107


NEET 2026 Marks Vs Percentile

The table below represents how NEET scores may correspond to percentiles, helping you better understand the NEET 2026 cut-off (expected).

Category

Qualifying Criteria

Expected NEET (UG) 2026 Cut Off

UR/EWS

50th Percentile

720–165

OBC

40th Percentile

164–130

SC

40th Percentile

164–130

ST

40th Percentile

164–130

UR/EWS & PH

45th Percentile

164–148

OBC & PH

40th Percentile

148–130

SC & PH

40th Percentile

148–130

ST & PH

40th Percentile

147–130


NEET Score vs College Type 

Verify the college type and the marks required to join that college type. This section is a direct response to the student's intention. This will assist students in making a clear picture of what they can realistically expect:

Score Range

College Type

700+

AIIMS / Top Govt Colleges

650–700

Govt Medical Colleges

600–650

Mid-level Govt Colleges

500–600

Private / Semi-Govt Colleges

400–500

Low-tier Private Colleges


NEET 2026 Cutoff for Private Medical Colleges

Cutoffs of the private colleges are comparatively lower than those of the government institutions. The fees are better, but the chances of admission are lower for lower scores.

Category

Expected Cutoff

General

400 – 550

OBC

380 – 500

SC

300 – 450

ST

280 – 420


Category-wise NEET 2026 Expected Cutoff Marks for Government College

The following data represents the expected NEET 2026 Cut-off marks for the government college. However, it is advised to check the college's official cut-off before applying.

Category

Marks Range

General

550-580

OBC

550-580

EWS

520-550

SC

450-480

ST

420-450


NEET 2026 Expected Cut Off for AIIMS

The table below represents the MBBS college closing rank for different colleges. The state of every college can influence closing ranks because of state-wise reservation policies and regional choices.

State

College

2022 Closing Rank

2023 Closing Rank

2024 Closing Rank

NEET 2026 Expected Closing Rank

Delhi

AIIMS Delhi

61

57

47

40

Madhya Pradesh

AIIMS Bhopal

579

621

79

70

Uttarakhand

AIIMS Rishikesh

2908

931

594

500

Odisha

AIIMS Bhubaneswar

72

603

655

600

Chhattisgarh

AIIMS Raipur

1082

1369

736

700

West Bengal

AIIMS Kalyani

2307

2176

891

850

Maharashtra

AIIMS Nagpur

1190

1264

953

900

Punjab

AIIMS Bathinda

1271

15114

1002

950

Bihar

AIIMS Patna

2737

1944

1476

1400

Andhra Pradesh

AIIMS Mangalagiri

3352

1606

1930

1800

Uttar Pradesh

AIIMS Gorakhpur

4518

2600

2448

2300

Telangana

AIIMS Hyderabad

6673

2811

2588

2400

Uttar Pradesh

AIIMS Raebareli

8713

6901

2994

2800

Jharkhand

AIIMS Deoghar

7975

6373

16179

15000


NEET 2026 Expected Cut Off for Government College

Apart from AIIMS, top medical colleges in India saw a significant rise in closing ranks and making admissions critical. The table below represents the different colleges' closing ranks along with the 2026 NEET expected closing ranks. 

State

College

2022 Closing Rank

2023 Closing Rank

2024 Closing Rank

NEET 2026 Expected Cut Off Rank

Delhi

Vardhman Mahavir Medical College

129

113

141

130

Delhi

Maulana Azad Medical College

107

87

151

140

Delhi

Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute

173

203

203

190

Puducherry

JIPMET Puducherry

302

60

350

320

Gujarat

B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad

630

594

704

650

Chandigarh

GMCH Chandigarh

21428

635

778

700

Rajasthan

S.M.S. Medical College

3767

2130

982

900

Maharashtra

Seth G. S. Medical College

7364

737

1010

950

Uttar Pradesh

King George’s Medical University

1457

2199

2059

1900

Kerala

Govt. Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram

8933

2304

4352

4000

Gujarat

AIIMS Rajkot

7046

3259

5455

5000

Delhi

Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Medical College

897

777

6924

6500

Tamil Nadu

Stanley Medical College

22353

23613

7301

7000


Common Mistakes Students Make While Analysing Cutoff

Cutoff data are misunderstood by many students, resulting in erroneous expectations. Always set the cutoff as a safety measure.

  • Mixing the qualifying cutoff and the admission cutoff.
  • Disregarding state quota benefits.
  • Failure to check past year trends.
  • Setting unrealistic targets

How Many Marks Are Required for MBBS in India?

The marks needed to have MBBS will depend on the category and the college.

  • General Category (Govt MBBS): 610-650+
  • Reserved Categories: 480–600 marks
  • Private Colleges: 400–550 marks

With the growing competition, 650+ marks is the surest plan.


MBBS Abroad Option 

In case your NEET score is poor, then studying MBBS abroad in 2026 is an option. India has a lot of students preferring Russia, Georgia and Kazakhstan to do the MBBS.

  • Lower cutoff requirements
  • Affordable fees
  • Globally recognized universities


Conclusion

Admission to top medical colleges in India is primarily focused on good NEET 2026 cut-off marks. The NEET 2026 Expected Cut Off for government colleges is the last rank and its equivalent mark at which admission is granted. The NEET cut-off for government colleges varies from one college to another.


FAQs

Ques: What is the minimum marks required to qualify for NEET 2026?

Ans: NEET 2026 minimum required marks will be approximately 155-165 marks in the general category and 120-140 in the reserved categories. These marks denote the qualification cutoff as per the percentile standards. Qualifying for NEET, however, does not ensure admission. The students require much higher marks to gain admission to MBBS, and in government medical colleges, much more.


Ques: How is the NEET cutoff calculated?

Ans: NEET cut off is computed using percentile scores instead of set marks. It is based on such factors as the total number of students who appeared, the difficulty of the exam and the overall performance. As an example, a general category cutoff is established at the 50th percentile, and the reserved categories are below the 40th percentile. This is the reason why cutoff marks differ each year.


Ques: Does NEET cutoff vary for different states?

Ans: Yes, NEET cutoff is different in various states since there is a difference in competition, applicants and medical seats. More competitive states, such as Delhi and Rajasthan, tend to have higher cutoffs, whereas some other states that have few applicants might have a little lower cutoffs. The state quota contributes significantly to the admission opportunities.


Ques: What rank is required for government MBBS through NEET?

Ans: In order to get a government MBBS seat under NEET, the student must have an average rank of 15,000 (general category), and the best colleges have a rank of 5,000 and below. In the case of reserved categories, the rank requirement can be eased a bit. But the rank is determined by state quota, category and counselling rounds.


Ques: Is NEET cutoff the same every year?

Ans: No, NEET cutoff does not remain the same each year. It varies with several aspects such as the difficulty of exams, the number of candidates and performance. A more difficult test will tend to have a lower cutoff and an easier test will have a higher cutoff. Students should, therefore, strive to score higher, instead of basing their cutoffs on the prior year.