Maharashtra NEET UG counselling ends: 11,293 seats filled, 138 MBBS and BDS seats vacant
By TUF News Desk · Published 30 October 2026 · 4 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
Maharashtra has closed its NEET UG 2026 counselling with 11,293 students admitted to MBBS and BDS courses for the 2026-27 academic year. The Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test Cell put the overall fill rate at 98.79 percent, out of 11,431 seats on offer. That leaves 138 seats vacant after the final round.
MBBS admissions reached 8,730 of 8,814 seats, a fill rate of 99.04 percent, leaving 84 seats empty. BDS admissions reached 2,563 of 2,617 seats, or 97.93 percent, leaving 54 seats empty. The seats were spread across 70 medical colleges and universities and 29 dental institutions in the state.
Where the vacant seats sit
Government medical colleges filled completely: all 5,065 MBBS seats across 43 colleges were taken, while the remaining seats are concentrated in the private sector.
Private medical colleges admitted 3,260 students against 3,299 seats, leaving 39 vacant. Two private medical universities admitted 405 students against 450 seats, leaving 45 vacant. Together, private medical colleges and private universities account for 84 of the vacant MBBS seats, which is the full MBBS shortfall.
Dental seats followed a similar pattern. Government dental colleges admitted 315 students against 317 seats. Private dental colleges filled 2,178 of 2,200 seats, and a private medical university filled 70 of 100 BDS seats, together accounting for the 54 vacant BDS seats.
Many of these colleges are affiliated to Maharashtra University of Health Sciences. Admitted students had to report with original documents and the required fee, and our admission documents checklist sets out the standard papers colleges ask for at verification.
Six rounds, one authority
The CET Cell ran six rounds this year: three rounds of the Centralised Admission Process, followed by three stray vacancy rounds. That structure itself was new. In earlier years, seats left after the central rounds and a stray round could be filled through counselling run by individual institutions.
The state government’s Medical Education Department changed that arrangement for 2026-27. After students raised complaints about the admission process, the department placed every round under the CET Cell and removed the institution-level route. The CET Cell has said no student complaints were received during this year’s MBBS and BDS admission process.
The change was also tested in court. The Bombay High Court recently declined a petition from a private medical college that sought permission to conduct institution-level counselling for the remaining MBBS seats. Our guide to central, state and private universities explains how the state quota track differs from the All India Quota.
A break from recent years
The final MBBS figure breaks a recent run. Seats rose from 8,537 in 2025-26 to 8,814 this year, and in the previous three years every MBBS seat had been filled. This year, 84 were not.
BDS admissions stayed closer to their recent pattern. In 2025-26, 2,617 of 2,618 BDS seats were filled, and in 2023-24, 2,664 of 2,675 seats were filled. The 2026-27 total of 2,563 admissions against 2,617 seats is lower in percentage terms, but the gap is far smaller than the change in MBBS admissions.
The counselling cycle is over. Candidates can check official notices on the official Maharashtra NEET UG counselling portal. With no institution-level round to follow, the 138 vacant seats will stay empty for this academic year unless the CET Cell announces otherwise.
Frequently asked questions
Has Maharashtra NEET UG 2026 counselling ended?
Yes. The State CET Cell has completed all six rounds for 2026-27, and 11,293 of the 11,431 MBBS and BDS seats were filled.
How many MBBS and BDS seats are still vacant in Maharashtra?
138 seats remain vacant: 84 MBBS seats and 54 BDS seats, almost all of them in private medical colleges, private dental colleges and private universities.
Can colleges fill the vacant seats on their own now?
No. Under the revised framework for 2026-27, all rounds were run by the State CET Cell, and the Bombay High Court declined a private medical college’s plea to conduct institution-level counselling for the remaining MBBS seats.
Were all government MBBS seats in Maharashtra filled?
Yes. All 5,065 MBBS seats across 43 government medical colleges were filled, while two government dental seats remained vacant.
Frequently asked questions
Has Maharashtra NEET UG 2026 counselling ended?
Yes. The State CET Cell has completed all six rounds for 2026-27, and 11,293 of the 11,431 MBBS and BDS seats were filled.
How many MBBS and BDS seats are still vacant in Maharashtra?
138 seats remain vacant: 84 MBBS seats and 54 BDS seats, almost all of them in private medical colleges, private dental colleges and private universities.
Can colleges fill the vacant seats on their own now?
No. Under the revised framework for 2026-27, all rounds were run by the State CET Cell, and the Bombay High Court declined a private medical college's plea to conduct institution-level counselling for the remaining MBBS seats.
Were all government MBBS seats in Maharashtra filled?
Yes. All 5,065 MBBS seats across 43 government medical colleges were filled, while two government dental seats remained vacant.
Sources: The Telegraph, Free Press Journal