NEET Cutoff 2026 for Government Medical Colleges: Category-Wise Marks & Safe Score

Let’s skip the theory and not waste your precious time. If you’re aiming for a government medical college in NEET 2026, these are the cutoff numbers you actually need to care about.

Expected NEET 2026 cutoff for government medical colleges

Category	2026 Expected Safe Marks
General	665+
OBC	660+
EWS	655+
SC	560+
ST	530+

Context (important):

These are inflation-proof safe score targets based on past NEET volatility. They are meant to protect you if NEET 2026 turns out to be an easy or moderate paper, not a tough one like 2025.

What these marks actually mean (college-level reality)

Let me be straight with you.

You’re checking cutoff marks for one reason only:

“Will I get a government medical college with my score?”

That’s fair.

But here’s the mistake most students make:

they assume one year’s cutoff tells the full story.

It doesn’t.

A score of 665 in Delhi is not the same as 665 in Tamil Nadu.

A 665 through AIQ is not the same as 665 through state quota.

And most importantly:

2025 was not a normal year.

It was one of the toughest NEET papers in a decade.

Government medical colleges: Actual 2025 closing marks vs 2026 safe target

College	State	Quota	Actual 2025 Closing Mark (Tough Paper)	2026 Safe Target (If Paper Is Easy)
AIIMS Delhi	Delhi	AIQ	~685 (Rank ~50)	715+
MAMC	Delhi	AIQ	~672 (Rank ~103)	705+
SMS Medical College	Rajasthan	AIQ	~655 (Rank ~2,500)	680+
GMC Trivandrum	Kerala	AIQ	~648 (Rank ~4,900)	675+
GMC Patiala	Punjab	AIQ	~645 (Rank ~5,600)	665+

Critical note (do not skip):

2025 had a topper score of 686, not 720.

Do not assume NEET 2026 will be this forgiving.

Why I’m showing you this table

Because when someone hears “safe score is 665”, they often imagine top metro colleges.

That’s the dangerous assumption.

A 665 in 2026 likely means:

• a solid government medical college
• in a moderate-demand state
• not MAMC, AIIMS Delhi, or SMS Jaipur

Same marks. Very different outcomes.

Safe score vs borderline score (brutal but honest)

Let’s define this clearly.

Safe score = breathing room

You have a margin. If ranks shift by 5-10 positions, you’re still fine. If your state’s cutoff changes by 10 marks, you’re still in.

Borderline Score = depends on luck

It depends on:

• How many people scored in your range
• What state quota you get
• If there’s rank inflation that year
• How many seats opened up

Here’s the raw truth:

In high-demand states (Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Tamil Nadu), a borderline score often fails. You’ll miss the cutoff in round 2 or 3.

In moderate-demand states, borderline sometimes works, but you’re banking on luck.

Only a safe score gives you actual breathing room.

That’s why droppers who scored 630-640 last year but missed their college are this year aiming for 665+. They learned it the hard way.

The rank volatility warning (this changed everything)

Stop comparing raw marks alone.

Seriously.

Your marks matter less than your rank. Because marks don’t get you colleges. Rank does. And the rank-to-marks relationship has been completely broken by hyper-inflation.

Below’s the concrete reality:

2023 (Normal Paper)

610 marks → Rank ~22,000

2024 (Easy Paper, Heavy Inflation)

610 marks → Rank ~60,000

2025 (Tough Paper)

610 marks → Rank ~1,200

Same marks.

Wildly different ranks.

The lesson for NEET 2026

You do not know which paper NTA will give you.

• If NEET 2026 is tough like 2025, 610 is gold.
• If NEET 2026 is easy like 2024, 610 is average.
  

This is why we don’t set targets based on the best-case year.
We prepare for the worst-case scenario.

That’s why 665+ is the safe score.

Not because it sounds impressive.
Because it protects you in both realities.

“I’m scoring X marks” – What are my chances in NEET 2026?

Let me talk to you directly, based on your score range.

But before we proceed, I just wanted to clear one thing. 

In NEET, ranks cluster heavily within a 10–15 mark window. A student scoring 585 and one scoring 595 usually face the same counselling outcome. That’s why we group marks into decision ranges instead of showing misleading 5-mark differences.

For example, if your score falls between two ranges (let’s say, 640), consider yourself part of the lower range. Counselling outcomes usually align closer to the lower band than the higher one.

Under 520 marks

Government MBBS?

Very unlikely for General and OBC categories.

So who still has a chance?

SC/ST candidates may secure a seat through state quota in select moderate-cutoff states (like Karnataka or Madhya Pradesh).

Reality check:

For most students, private medical colleges or alternate courses (BDS, AYUSH) are the practical path here.

With 550–580 marks

You’re in the borderline zone. ANd this is where confusion hurts students the most.

• General category: Government MBBS is unlikely, especially through AIQ.
• OBC / EWS: Possible only via state quota in moderate-demand states.
  

High-risk warning:
In states like Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Bihar, this score range usually fails even for category students.

Think of this range as chance-based, not plan-based.

With 600–630 marks

Borderline to decent chances in moderate-risk states. Plus, this is a competitive zone, not a guarantee.

• General category: You may get tier-2 or tier-3 government colleges in moderate states.
• AIQ: Still very competitive. Selection depends heavily on paper difficulty and rank clustering.
• OBC / EWS: Stronger chances through state quota.
  

You’re close, but counselling luck still matters.

With 650–670 marks

This is the safe zone. Because you’ll get a strong chance across multiple states with 

• High probability of government medical college
• Wider choice of states
• Less dependence on counselling luck
  

General category: Solid government colleges in non-metro states become realistic.

AIQ: Still competitive but possible in newer AIIMS and central institutions.

With 680+ marks

• High probability for getting a good government medical college
• Very strong probability of admission
• Maximum flexibility in counselling
• Access to top-tier government colleges
  

Important clarity:
Premier institutions like AIIMS Delhi or MAMC typically require 700+ in easy-paper years. 680+ is powerful, but not a universal guarantee for top metros.

AIQ vs state quota – The only difference that changes outcomes

Here’s what actually matters. Nothing else.

AIQ (all India quota) = national competition

All India quota means you’re competing with top scorers from across India.

Tamil Nadu. Rajasthan. Kerala. Delhi. Maharashtra.
Everyone is in the same pool.

That’s why AIQ cutoffs are always higher.

• Fewer seats
• Higher rank density
• No home-state advantage
  

For 2026, this matters more than ever because the 640–660 range is overcrowded nationwide.

State quota = home state advantage (usually)

State quota limits competition to students from your own state.

Fewer candidates usually means:

• lower cutoffs
• more counselling flexibility
  

But this advantage is not universal.

In some states, the state quota is as competitive as AIQ, or even worse.

Quota	Competition Level
AIQ	Very High
State Quota	Moderate to Very High (state-dependent)

One important note: A “safe score” that works nationally means nothing in Delhi. Delhi has the densest concentration of high-scorers. A 665 in Maharashtra might secure you a solid college. The same 665 in Delhi might be borderline.

This isn’t unfair.

It’s just how density works.

State-wise risk breakdown (this is critical)

Not all states are equal.

Some states have intense competition. Others less so.

• High risk states (needs 665+): Delhi, Rajasthan, Bihar, Kerala, Haryana, and Tamil Nadu
• Moderate risk states (needs 630+): UP, Maharashtra, MP, and Gujarat
• Lower risk states (needs 600+): Karnataka, West Bengal, Assam, and Telangana

What this means: If you’re from Delhi and scored 665, you’re in safe zone. If you’re from Karnataka and scored 630, you’re also in safe zone. Same marks, different outcomes.

This is why state matters more than raw score.

What this NEET cutoff 2026 means for you

If you’re a class 12 student

Stop comparing your score with toppers.

Compare your mock test averages with the safe score for your category and your state.

Are you averaging 665+ in mocks and from a moderate-risk state?

Cool, you’re in safe zone. Focus on consistency now. That means reducing mistakes, not adding more chapters.

Are you averaging 650 and from Delhi?

You’re borderline. Push harder. Identify weak areas and fix them.

If you’re a dropper

Identify the exact score gap.

If you scored 630 last year and missed, and safe score is now 665, you need +35 marks. That’s your target.

Don’t restart the entire syllabus.

Instead: Fix the 2-3 weak subjects that cost you 35-40 marks. That’s your actual work.

Stop reading NCERT Biology for the 20th time if your Physics score is stuck at 80. Your gap isn’t knowledge; it’s application.

Most droppers waste 6 months re-reading chapters when they just need to master problem-solving in weak areas.

Don’t be that dropper.

One-glance trend snapshot (this proves the inflation)

See this?

Year	General Closing Mark	Total Candidates
2023	~610	20.8 Lakh
2024	~650+	24.0 Lakh
2025	~655+	25.0+ Lakh

This is why expectations for 2026 are what they are.

2024 saw a +40 mark jump from 2023. Why? More candidates. Better preparation across India. Harder paper.

2025 had even more candidates (25 lakh+) but the paper was brutal. Cutoff stabilized around 655+.

For 2026: Experts predict either slight increase (if candidates keep growing) or slight stabilization (if difficulty normalizes).

The trend?

Going up. And unlikely to come down.

This is your reality. Plan accordingly.

So, what does the NEET cutoff for government college really mean for you?

If you’ve read this far, you already have what most students don’t: clarity.

You now know that the NEET cutoff for government college is not a single magic number. It’s a moving target shaped by rank inflation, state competition, quota dynamics, and paper difficulty. That’s why chasing last year’s cutoff or comparing yourself to toppers rarely helps. Planning with realistic, safe benchmarks does.

If your mock scores are already in the safe range for your state, your job is simple: stay consistent. Stability beats one lucky test score every single time.

If you’re slightly below the safe zone but still have time, that’s not failure. That’s feedback. Identify the gap, fix weak areas, and work strategically.

And if you’re a dropper who missed out last year, remember this: gaps can be closed when effort is focused, measured, and honest.

These benchmarks are not guarantees. They are decision tools. Use them to plan calmly, not to panic.

If you want structured guidance, realistic targets, and preparation that respects today’s competition, reach out to Chaitanya’s Academy.

We focus on clarity over hype, strategy over noise, and outcomes that are grounded in reality.

All the best for your NEET 2026 exam 👍