India hits record 1.37 lakh MBBS seats; private colleges hold 54% share
India has witnessed an expansion in undergraduate medical education over the past decade, with MBBS seats increasing from 51,348 in 2014-15 to 1,36,939 in 2026-27
Private medical colleges in India now hold a record 54% of the MBBS seats offered for the academic year 2026-27, according to the National Medical Commission’s seat matrix released recently. This marks the first time that a majority of undergraduate medical seats in the country are privately administered, with 73,643 private college seats compared to 63,296 government-run college seats.
Of the 9,911 new MBBS seats added for this year, 7,800 (79%) are in private colleges, while 2,111 (21%) are in government institutions. Former national president of the Indian Medical Association, Ravi S. Wankhedkar, noted that this shift towards private MBBS seats is a trend that has been increasing over the past few years. However, the affordability of medical education has become a pressing concern, as tuition costs in private colleges can range from ₹3 lakh to ₹12 lakh per year.
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