Info Comparison KGMU Lucknow IMS Varanasi

Which college should I choose - IMS BHU or KGMU Lucknow?

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2 Answers

Anjali Yadav

Posted On - May 1, 2026

IMS BHU (Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi) vs KGMU (King George's Medical University, Lucknow) — both are excellent UP government medical colleges. here's the honest comparison:

IMS BHU: part of the Central University of BHU, one of India's oldest and most prestigious universities. excellent academic reputation, strong research culture, good faculty. Varanasi campus life is unique. admission via NEET+AIAPGET centralized counseling for BHU seats.

KGMU Lucknow: one of India's oldest medical colleges (est. 1911), largest teaching hospital in UP, excellent clinical exposure due to huge patient load. very strong for postgraduate medical education. Lucknow is a major metro with good infrastructure.

verdict: both are genuinely top-tier government medical colleges in North India. for clinical exposure and PG preparation, many prefer KGMU due to the sheer volume of cases. for academic prestige and university ecosystem, IMS BHU has the edge. if your goal is PG (MD/MS) — KGMU's clinical load may serve you better. if research/academic career is the aim — BHU's central university environment is better. location preference (Varanasi vs Lucknow) also matters.

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Nivedita Trivedi

Posted On - Sep 26, 2023

Lives in Varanasi

In my opinion, IMS BHU is a better option than KGMU Lucknow. Here are a few strong reasons to support my opinion

IMS BHU is under the central government, unlike KGMU which is under the State Government. So it’s not affected by the unpredictability of different rules brought by the government.
IMS BHU has only a smaller batch size than KGMU which translates to better student-teacher ratio and also more exposure.
IMS BHU has an internal PG reservation while KGMU has a State reservation. PG reservation isn’t very appealing because most toppers choose AIIMS.
IMS BHU is under the central government so it offers more stipend as compared to KGMU.
KGMU has a more urban life while Varanaari offers a more traditional and peaceful life perfect for nature lovers.
IMS BHU Medical ranking by Outlook is 2 out of 13 colleges in India in 2023 while that of KGMU is 4 out of 13
KGMU’s biggest con is the rural service bond of 2 years for UG while IMS BHU does not have any rural service bond because it is not under the state government.
KGMU has a better infrastructure surrounded by a green campus.

Both the colleges are excellent in their own way but if I had to choose one, I would have chosen IMS BHU.