824 MBBS Seats Vacant in Tamil Nadu: More than 800 MBBS seats remained vacant in deemed medical universities of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry post the last round of NEET UG 2026 counselling. It has again drawn attention towards the hefty cost involved in medical education.
As per the reports quoting sources from Medical Counselling Committee (MCC), a total of 824 seats of 14 deemed universities in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry remained unfilled. Post the last stray vacancy round across India, 837 MBBS seats were said to remain vacant.
Why More Than 800 MBBS Seats Are Vacant?
High fees have been identified as one of the most important reasons for vacancies, as claimed by educationists and medical admission counsellors as per reports published recently.
“The lesser scorer who is financially sound applies and secures the seat,” Senior educationist and State Platform for Common School System – Tamil Nadu general secretary P B Prince Gajendra Babu said, adding, “NEET failed in both of its objectives: neither ensure merit nor curb commercialisation of medical education.”
“The state governments should be encouraged to open an adequate number of medical colleges wherever needed,” he added.
MBBS fees in deemed universities of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are reported to be between ₹23 lakh and ₹35 lakh annually. Hostel, mess and other institutional costs could further increase the total cost.
It is indeed not easy for those who do not have sufficient financial background to bear such a huge cost for several years despite qualifying for admission through NEET UG.
College-Wise MBBS Seat Vacancies in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry
Recent reports state that the above-mentioned colleges have the highest number of vacant MBBS seats after the final counselling.
- Shri Sathya Sai Medical College and Research Institute, Chennai: 188 vacant seats.
- Meenakshi Medical College and Research Institute, Kancheepuram: 117 vacant seats.
- Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Puducherry: 92 vacant seats.
- Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Chennai: 82 vacant seats.
All of these four colleges collectively had 479 vacant MBBS seats, which constituted a significant portion of the 824 total reported MBBS vacancies from the two regions.
Apart from the above colleges, there are other colleges such as SRM Medical College and Research Institute, Saveetha Medical College and Chettinad Medical College and Research Institute that have reported vacant seats too.
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MBBS Degree Can Cost More than ₹1 Crore
Fees for getting the degree of MBBS from a private deemed university is one of the concerns of medical aspirants and their parents.
Annual tuition fees ranging between ₹23 lakh and ₹35 lakh at certain institutes mean that the total tuition fees come to more than ₹1 crore for an MBBS program.
“The students have to pay hostel and mess fees between Rs 1.2 lakh and Rs 2.5 lakh per year in private institutions. In contrast, the average annual fee across other parts of India in private institutions stands at around Rs 17 lakh, resulting in a substantial fee disparity over the four and a half year duration of the course,” he said.
MBBS program in India is usually completed in four-and-a-half years of academic education with one mandatory year of internship. The concerned fee structure and charges may differ from institute to institute and also from different admission categories.
Will MCC Conduct One More Counselling Session of NEET UG 2026?
One more counselling session will be a very important issue for the candidates who are aspiring to get a seat in MBBS course.
There have been reports about conducting another counselling session, but one more session of counselling cannot be regarded as confirmed unless there is an official announcement made by MCC.
The candidates are advised to keep visiting the official website of MCC for any such announcements.
Official website: https://mcc.nic.in/
