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Table Of Contents

How many students qualify NEET UG every year?

NEET UG

How many students qualify NEET UG every year?

Every year, millions of students prepare for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), one of the toughest exams in the country. One of the most common questions asked by candidates is how many students qualify NEET UG every year. 



The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Over 23 lakh candidates have registered for the NEET UG 2026 exam, which is scheduled to be conducted on May 3rd, 2026. Understanding how many students qualify NEET UG every year is vital, as it helps candidates predict the competition level and prepare accordingly for the exam. In this article, candidates will understand how many students qualify NEET UG every year, what qualifying actually means, how competition works, and what they should aim for in NEET 2026.

Overview of the NEET UG 2026 Exam

Before candidates understand how many students qualify NEET UG every year, they need to know what NEET 2026 looks like. The NEET UG 2026 exam is a nationwide entrance exam that assesses and confirms candidates' eligibility for admission to medical colleges across India. Candidates must have applied for the exam before the NEET UG 2026 application deadline, appeared for the exam, cleared it with higher qualifying percentiles, and then participated in the counselling process for admission to medical colleges across the country.

 

The NEET UG 2026 exam is scheduled for May 3rd, 2026. The NEET UG 2026 exam will be conducted offline (pen-and-paper mode) in designated exam centres in various cities across India. Candidates must strictly adhere to all the dates and deadlines posted on the official website.

 

The NEET UG 2026 exam will be conducted for a duration of 3 hours from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on May 3rd, 2026. There will be 180 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) to be attempted. +4 marks will be granted for a correct answer and -1 for a wrong answer. No marks will be added or reduced for unattempted questions. The total NEET UG 2026 exam marks will be 720.

 

 

Also Read How many days are left for NEET UG 2026 Exam?

What Does it Mean to Qualify NEET?

To properly understand how many students qualify NEET UG every year, candidates must first know what “qualifying” actually means. Qualifying NEET does not mean just clearing the exam. It simply means scoring above the cutoff percentile set by the NTA. Here are the category-wise NEET cut offs for the NEET UG 2025 session:

 

Category-wise NEET Cut Off for MBBS in 2025

Category

Qualifying Percentile

Qualifying Category-wise NEET 2025 Cut Off Marks

General (UR)

50th Percentile

720-144

General (PH)

50th Percentile

720-144

OBC/SC/ST

40th Percentile

143-113

 

The table above shows how many students qualify NEET UG every year depending on percentile and not fixed marks. For example, if the paper is tough, the cutoff marks go lower. If it’s easy, the cutoff goes higher. This system ensures that a certain percentage of students always qualify, which directly affects how many students qualify NEET UG every year.

How Many Students Qualify NEET UG Every Year? 

When candidates look at the previous years’ trends, they can predict how many students qualify NEET UG every year. Here’s the direct answer to the question how many students qualify NEET UG every year:

 

How Many Students Qualify NEET UG Every Year (Based on Previous Years)

Year

Appeared

Qualified

2023

20,38,596

11,45,976

2024

23,33,162

13,15,853

2025

22,09,318

12,36,531

 

From the past 3 years, 2024 had the highest number of appeared and qualified candidates, with 23,33,162 and 13,15,853 candidates, respectively. The direct answer to how many students qualify NEET UG every year is nearly half of the appearing candidates.

How Do Many Students Qualify NEET Every Year?

It is surprising to know how many students qualify NEET UG every year, especially as the exam is difficult. Here are a few reasons how many students qualify NEET UG every year:

 

  • Percentile-based System: The percentile based system set by the NTA ensures that a fixed group of candidates qualify the NEET exam. This is one of the factors that determines how many students qualify NEET UG every year.
  • Increasing Number of Participants: A lot of candidates appear for the NEET exam, directly impacting the number of qualifiers. This trend explains the steady rise in how many students qualify NEET UG every year. 
  • Better Preparation Strategies: Online coaching, YouTube lectures, and test series have improved preparation quality, influencing how many students qualify NEET UG every year

What Candidates Must Aim For in NEET 2026?

After understanding how many students qualify NEET UG every year, the next crucial question is what students should aim for in NEET 2026.

 

Students wishing to get seats in top government colleges must score 650+ marks in the NEET 2026 exam. A NEET score between 600 and 650 can get candidates seats in good government colleges across the country. Candidates with scores ranging from 500 to 600 can get seat allotments in prestigious private medical colleges. Those with scores below 500 have limited chances of securing seats in government colleges; they can, however, get seat allotments in good private medical colleges.

 

Knowing how many students qualify NEET UG every year alone is not enough; candidates must aim to be among the top scorers to have higher chances of seat allotments in the colleges of their choice.

 

 

Also Read How many students will appear for NEET UG 2026?



How many students qualify NEET UG every year?