Tamil Nadu NEET UG Counselling 2026 — MBBS & BDS Selection, 7.5% Quota, Reservation & Fees
Tamil Nadu admits students to MBBS and BDS in government colleges, ESIC Medical College (K.K. Nagar), government quota seats in self-financing colleges and state private university colleges through the Selection Committee of the Directorate of Medical Education & Research. This page follows the 2026-27 government quota prospectus (G.O.(D) No. 667, 5 June 2026) and the stray round notice.
Single-window MBBS and BDS counselling on NEET score
Qualified candidates register online on the Selection Committee website; the Committee does not allot any general seat manually. Selection is made on the NEET-UG 2026 score by single-window counselling, following Tamil Nadu's rule of reservation. A separate prospectus covers management quota, minority and NRI seats in self-financing colleges. [1]
Seat categories [1]
| Category | Seats |
|---|---|
| A | 85% of seats in government medical colleges |
| A1 | ESIC Medical College, K.K. Nagar, Chennai |
| B | Government quota seats in self-financing medical colleges |
| C | 85% of seats in government dental colleges |
| D | Government quota seats in self-financing dental colleges |
The other 15% of seats in government medical and dental colleges and ESIC K.K. Nagar is surrendered to the All India quota. [1]
Native of Tamil Nadu, 17 years old, NEET percentile
- Indian citizen (OCI / PIO registered under Section 7A may apply, but only as open category), at least 17 years old by 31 December 2026.
- Native of Tamil Nadu, with a Nativity Certificate from the Tamil Nadu government. People from other states living in Tamil Nadu cannot claim nativity; a candidate who sat NEET as a native of another state cannot apply as a Tamil Nadu native; a permanent residence certificate is not accepted.
- NEET-UG 2026 at the 50th percentile (40th for SC, ST, OBC; 45th for unreserved PwBD), unless the Government of India lowers it.
- Passed Physics, Chemistry, Biology / Biotechnology and English in Class 12. [1]
Round 1, 2, 3 and a stray round, all online
- Four rounds: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3 and the Stray Round. Register and lock choices within each round's schedule; locked choices cannot be changed.
- Special categories (PwBD, eminent sports persons, children of ex-servicemen) are counselled separately; the mode and venue are announced on the website.
- In Round 3 and the stray round, paying the fee and downloading the allotment order counts as joining. [1]
2026 stray vacancy round [2]
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Registration & choice locking | 18 – 21 Oct 2026 |
| Result | 22 Oct 2026 |
| Last date of reporting | 26 Oct 2026, 5 pm |
| Ranks called (government quota) | General rank 1 – 35,926 (NEET 705 – 177) |
| Ranks called (management quota) | General rank 1 – 26,956 |
Only candidates not holding any MBBS / BDS seat in All India or state quota could take part in the stray round. [2]
₹500 to apply, ₹18,073 a year in a government college
Government medical and dental colleges (per year) [1]
| Course | Total | of which tuition |
|---|---|---|
| MBBS | ₹18,073 | ₹6,000 |
| BDS | ₹16,073 | ₹4,000 |
- Application fee ₹500 (SC / SCA / ST exempt); counselling registration fee ₹500; ₹100 extra per special category claimed.
- Security deposit: nil for government colleges; ₹30,000 for government quota seats in self-financing colleges (SC / SCA / ST with family income below ₹2.5 lakh exempt). It is forfeited if you do not join a Round 3 or later seat.
- Government quota seats in self-financing dental colleges: ₹2,50,000 a year; self-financing medical college fees are fixed by the Fee Committee. ESIC K.K. Nagar: ₹1 lakh (₹24,000 for wards of insured persons). [1]
69% communal reservation plus 7.5% for government-school students
| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| Open Competition | 31% |
| Backward Class (incl. 3.5% for Muslims, BCM) | 30% |
| Most Backward Class / Denotified Communities | 20% |
| Scheduled Caste (16% of it for Arunthathiyars, SCA) | 18% |
| Scheduled Tribe | 1% |
Source [1]
- 7.5% special preferential quota: 7.5% of government seats in government and self-financing colleges go to students who studied Classes 6 to 12 in Tamil Nadu government schools and qualified NEET-UG 2026; unfilled seats go to private-school students.
- Children of ex-servicemen (MBBS 10, BDS 1) and eminent sports persons (MBBS 13, BDS 2) have reserved seats in government colleges.
- Reserved-category candidates also compete in Open Competition on rank. Unfilled SCA seats go to other SC and vice versa; unfilled ST seats go to SC. [1]
Nativity and community certificates
- Nativity Certificate (uploaded with the application only) and a Community Certificate of either parent from the Tamil Nadu revenue authority to claim reservation.
- Government-school quota: bonafide certificates from the schools for Classes 6 to 12.
- Special categories upload a separate form; sports candidates are verified in person.
- All originals go to the Dean / Principal at admission, or the selection is cancelled. [1]
₹10 lakh if you leave late
- Discontinuing after the permitted resignation date in Round 2, or later, costs a ₹10,00,000 discontinuation fee by demand draft to the Secretary, Selection Committee.
- Not joining a Round 3 or stray round seat also costs ₹10,00,000 plus forfeiture of the security deposit and tuition fee.
- MBBS lasts 5½ years and BDS 5 years, each including a one-year internship. [1]
Pay online, download the order, join
An allotment gives no right to the seat until the tuition fee is paid online and the provisional allotment order is downloaded within the time limit; then the candidate joins the college with original documents and signs the discipline declaration. [1]
Where these facts come from
Every fact on this page is taken from the official files below, read on 19 October 2026. Boards change rules, fees and dates every cycle — open the current notification before you apply.
- Selection Committee, DME&R Chennai — Prospectus for MBBS / BDS in government colleges, government quota in self-financing colleges, ESIC K.K. Nagar and state private universities, 2026-27 (G.O.(D) No. 667, 5 Jun 2026) (opens in a new tab) online-only allotment, seat categories, AIQ 15%, age, nativity, percentile, rounds, joining rule, fees, deposits, reservation shares, 7.5% quota, special categories, documents, discontinuation fee, course length · Last checked 31 Oct 2026
- Selection Committee — Tentative stray vacancy round schedule for MBBS & BDS, 2026-27 (92.5%) (opens in a new tab) stray round dates, rank ranges called, who is eligible · Last checked 31 Oct 2026
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