NEET MDS 2026 SC and ST Counselling Cutoff: Expected Marks by College

NEET MDS 2026 qualifying marks for SC and ST categories are 271 out of 960, corresponding to the 40th percentile, as officially released by NBEMS on June 2, 2026.

With NEET MDS 2026 counselling expected to begin around July 21, 2026 at mcc.nic.in, SC and ST students need to understand both their eligibility threshold and the expected closing marks at individual colleges. The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) conducts All India Quota (AIQ) counselling for 50% of seats across government dental colleges, deemed universities, and central institutions. The remaining 50% state quota seats are managed by respective state counselling authorities.

• SC and ST qualifying marks in 2026: 271 out of 960 (40th percentile)
• General/EWS qualifying marks in 2026: 308 out of 960 (50th percentile)
• MCC AIQ counselling is expected across 4 rounds: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, and Stray Vacancy
• Expected closing marks for SC at top government colleges: 580 to 730 marks based on 2024 and 2025 trends
• ST category closing marks are typically 30 to 60 marks lower than SC at the same college
• All college-wise and specialization-wise cutoffs below are expected figures based on 2024 and 2025 trends

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NEET MDS 2026 Qualifying Marks for SC and ST

The qualifying marks represent the minimum score for SC and ST students to be eligible for NEET MDS 2026 counselling. Scoring below 271 out of 960 disqualifies a student from all counselling rounds. These qualifying marks are not the counselling closing marks — actual allotment marks at individual colleges are significantly higher, depending on available seats and the number of eligible students who register.

The 2026 qualifying marks show a sharp rise compared to 2025, with SC/ST/OBC marks increasing from 227 to 271 — a jump of 44 marks. This reflects a significantly more competitive exam cycle and is expected to push counselling closing marks higher in 2026 as well. NEET MDS is conducted by NBEMS as a computer-based test of 240 questions carrying 4 marks each, with a negative marking of 1 mark per wrong answer, totalling 960 marks.

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Year-wise Qualifying Marks Comparison

Tracking year-wise qualifying marks helps you understand the competitive trajectory of NEET MDS and estimate how 2026 counselling closing marks may compare to previous years.

Qualifying marks for SC and ST students have risen steadily. Notably, NBEMS also released a revised relaxed cutoff in August 2025 to fill vacant seats, dropping the SC/ST/OBC threshold to the 20th percentile. A similar revision may happen in 2026 if seats remain unfilled after the main counselling rounds. SC and ST students who scored between 271 and 350 marks should target less competitive specializations and mid-tier government colleges when submitting counselling choices.

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Expected Counselling Cutoff by Specialization for SC and ST

The table below shows expected AIQ Round 1 closing marks by MDS specialization for SC and ST categories in 2026, based on 2024 and 2025 counselling data. These are expected figures and official results will be published by MCC at mcc.nic.in after each round.

Orthodontics consistently attracts the highest competition across all categories and carries the steepest expected closing marks. SC and ST students with marks near the qualifying threshold of 271 have the best chance of allotment in Public Health Dentistry or Oral Medicine seats at government colleges in smaller cities. In later rounds, closing marks for most specializations tend to drop as unfilled seats open up.

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Expected College-wise Cutoff Trends for SC and ST

The table below shows expected closing mark ranges for SC and ST categories at select government dental colleges in NEET MDS 2026 AIQ counselling, based on 2024 and 2025 round data. These are expected figures. Official college-wise closing marks for 2026 will be published by MCC at mcc.nic.in after each round result is declared.

Top government dental colleges in metro cities such as New Delhi and Mumbai consistently show the highest expected closing marks due to limited seats and strong candidate preference. SC and ST students scoring in the 380–500 range should consider mid-tier government colleges and fill choices across multiple specializations to improve their chances of allotment in at least one round.

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Factors Affecting SC and ST Counselling Cutoff

Several factors determine the final closing marks for SC and ST categories in NEET MDS 2026 counselling.

• Size of eligible SC/ST pool: A larger number of students scoring above 271 increases competition and raises closing marks across colleges.
• Reserved seat availability: SC seats make up 15% and ST seats make up 7.5% of total AIQ intake. Fewer ST seats reduce intra-category competition and lower ST closing marks relative to SC.
• Specialization preference: High-demand branches like Orthodontics and Prosthodontics raise closing marks sharply across all categories.
• Round number: Closing marks fall in later rounds as popular seats get allotted and remaining students choose from less-preferred options.
• College location: Colleges in metro cities draw more first-round choices, raising their closing marks compared to colleges in smaller cities.
• NBEMS revised qualifying cutoff: NBEMS has historically released a relaxed qualifying cutoff to fill vacant seats. If a revised cutoff is issued in 2026, it will expand the eligible pool and may alter closing marks in the Stray Vacancy Round.