NEET UG stray round seat matrix: where the 4,068 vacant seats actually sit
By TUF News Desk · Published 15 October 2026 · 3 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
4,068. That is the final tally the Medical Counselling Committee’s seat matrix adds up to for the NEET UG 2026 stray vacancy round, the fourth and last central counselling round for this session. The matrix, released on October 14, puts 3,426 MBBS seats, 499 BDS seats and 143 B.Sc Nursing seats on the table.
The headline number tells you less than the breakup. Of the 3,426 MBBS seats, only 1,245 sit in government medical colleges and 39 at AIIMS institutes. Those are the seats most candidates will rank first, because fees for government and AIIMS seats run far lower than the private options. Roughly two-thirds of the MBBS pool is something else entirely: 2,165 self-financed seats in deemed universities, including 16 seats under the NRI quota. Fees for those range from about Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore, according to career counselling expert Parijat Mishra, speaking to ETV Bharat.
The dental pool breaks down along similar lines. Of the 499 BDS seats, 321 are in government dental colleges, 103 are self-financed seats in deemed universities and 75 fall under the NRI quota. The 143 B.Sc Nursing seats round out the list.
The timeline from here
Registration for this round opened on October 13 and closed at 3 pm on October 14, with fee payment allowed until 6 pm the same day. Choice filling ran until 10 am on October 15. The MCC timetable, reported by The Times of India and NDTV, now puts the seat allotment result on October 17.
Candidates who land a seat will have to report in person to the allotted college between October 19 and October 27, carrying original documents and the admission fee. The reporting window is short, so it pays to keep an admission documents checklist ready rather than scrambling for paperwork after the result lands.
One practical point
Choice filling has closed, so the matrix now works best as a map of what is left and what it costs. Families who listed the deemed university seats should go through the fee tables once more before paying, because the gap between a government seat and a self-financed one runs into lakhs per year. It is also worth checking scholarships for Indian university students early, since some aid deadlines fall close to the reporting dates.
The full institute-wise matrix is published on the official MCC portal under UG Medical Counselling. Anything that decides your admission this year will appear there first, so it is the one page to keep refreshing until reporting ends.
Frequently asked questions
How many seats are on offer in the NEET UG 2026 stray vacancy round?
4,068 seats in all: 3,426 MBBS, 499 BDS and 143 B.Sc Nursing seats, as per the MCC seat matrix released on October 14.
When will the stray vacancy round result be declared?
The seat allotment result is scheduled for October 17, 2026. Candidates who get a seat must report to their colleges between October 19 and October 27.
How many government MBBS seats are in the stray round?
1,245 government MBBS seats and 39 AIIMS seats, out of the 3,426 MBBS seats on offer. The rest are self-financed seats in deemed universities, including 16 NRI quota seats.
Where can I see the full seat matrix?
On the official MCC portal at mcc.nic.in, in the UG Medical Counselling section, which carries the institute-wise seat matrix released by the committee.
Frequently asked questions
How many seats are on offer in the NEET UG 2026 stray vacancy round?
4,068 seats in all: 3,426 MBBS, 499 BDS and 143 B.Sc Nursing seats, as per the MCC seat matrix released on October 14.
When will the stray vacancy round result be declared?
The seat allotment result is scheduled for October 17, 2026. Candidates who get a seat must report to their colleges between October 19 and October 27.
How many government MBBS seats are in the stray round?
1,245 government MBBS seats and 39 AIIMS seats, out of the 3,426 MBBS seats on offer. The rest are self-financed seats in deemed universities, including 16 NRI quota seats.
Where can I see the full seat matrix?
On the official MCC portal at mcc.nic.in, in the UG Medical Counselling section, which carries the institute-wise seat matrix released by the committee.
Sources: ETV Bharat, Jagran Josh, The Times of India, NDTV