How the AIQ seat matrix works
The All India Quota (AIQ) seat matrix determines exactly how many seats MCC fills at each government medical college in India. Understanding the AIQ seat matrix for NEET UG is the first step to knowing your realistic options outside your home state. This guide explains how the 15% quota is calculated, which institutions are included, how seats are distributed by category, and where to find the official seat matrix each year.
The 15% rule
Every government and corporation medical college in India surrenders 15% of its total sanctioned MBBS intake to the All India Quota. MCC fills these seats through central counselling based on NEET All India Rank, with no domicile restriction.
The arithmetic is straightforward. For a college with 250 sanctioned seats, 15% is 37.5. Since you cannot have half a seat, the number rounds to 37 or 38 depending on the rounding convention MCC applies that year. The remaining 212 or 213 seats stay with the state for state-level counselling.
For a college with 100 seats, 15 go to AIQ and 85 to the state. For a college with 150 seats, 22 or 23 go to AIQ.
This calculation applies only to government and corporation colleges. Private unaided colleges do not contribute to the AIQ pool. Their 15% institutional quota is a separate concept managed by the state counselling authority or the institution itself, depending on the state.
Only government and corporation colleges surrender 15% to the AIQ pool. Private unaided colleges have their own institutional quota, managed by the state or institution, not by MCC. Do not confuse the two.
What the 2025 AIQ seat matrix looked like
The 2025 MCC NEET UG seat matrix included approximately 26,515 total seats across all institution types. The breakdown by institution type:
| Institution type | MBBS seats | BDS seats | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15% AIQ government college seats | 8,159 | 492 | 8,651 |
| Deemed universities (88 institutions) | 10,649 | 3,290 | 13,939 |
| Central universities | 1,014 | 258 | 1,272 |
| AIIMS + JIPMER + IMS-BHU | 2,179 | — | 2,179 |
| ESIC | 446 | 28 | 474 |
| Total | ~22,447 | ~4,068 | ~26,515 |
The 8,159 MBBS seats in the AIQ government college row represent 15% extracted from government colleges across all states. The remaining 85% of those same colleges are filled by each state’s counselling authority.
AIIMS, JIPMER, and central universities: 100% through MCC
Unlike government colleges where only 15% goes to AIQ, certain institutions have all their seats filled by MCC:
AIIMS: All 17 AIIMS campuses contribute their entire intake to MCC. The 2025 seat matrix had 1,700 MBBS seats across AIIMS, ranging from AIIMS New Delhi (125 seats) to AIIMS Madurai (50 seats).
JIPMER: JIPMER Puducherry (134 MBBS seats) and JIPMER Karaikal (45 MBBS seats) are entirely under MCC. IMS-BHU adds 100 MBBS seats and 63 BDS seats.
Central universities: Delhi University colleges (MAMC with 207, LHMC with 189, UCMS with 144), JNMC-AMU (150), Jamia Millia Islamia (BDS only), and VMMC under IP University. Delhi University colleges split their seats: 85% Delhi quota and 15% AIQ. AMU has a 50-50 split between institutional and open categories.
ESIC: All 11 ESIC medical colleges participate through MCC, contributing 446 MBBS and 28 BDS seats.
How seats are distributed by category
Within the AIQ government college seats, MCC applies central government reservation:
| Category | % of AIQ govt seats | Approx. MBBS seats (of 8,159) |
|---|---|---|
| Open / UR | 40.5% | ~3,304 |
| OBC-NCL | 27% | ~2,203 |
| SC | 15% | ~1,224 |
| EWS | 10% | ~816 |
| ST | 7.5% | ~612 |
PwD gets 5% horizontal reservation within each category. So within the ~3,304 UR seats, approximately 165 are for PwD candidates; within the ~2,203 OBC-NCL seats, approximately 110 are for PwD; and so on.
AIIMS, JIPMER, ESIC, and central universities follow the same reservation structure. Deemed universities carry no reservation (see our AIQ categories guide for details).
What happens to unfilled AIQ seats
If AIQ seats at a government college go unfilled after MCC completes all its rounds (including stray vacancy), those seats revert to the respective state government. Maharashtra’s 2025 Information Brochure states explicitly that AIQ seats “will not be reverted back to the respective states” during the MCC counselling cycle. Per a Supreme Court direction from July 2022, no AIQ seats revert before MCC finishes its Round 3 and stray vacancy rounds.
For AYUSH courses (BAMS, BUMS, BHMS), the rule differs. The Ayush Admissions Central Counselling Committee (AACCC) fills 15% AIQ seats at government AYUSH colleges, and unfilled AYUSH AIQ seats can revert to the state mid-cycle.
Where to find the official seat matrix
MCC publishes the seat matrix on mcc.nic.in before choice filling opens for each round. The seat matrix is a downloadable PDF or Excel file listing every participating college, its sanctioned intake, category-wise seat distribution, and fee structure. The matrix may be updated between rounds if colleges are added (NMC approved 41 new colleges for 2025-26) or if seat counts change due to NMC inspection outcomes.
Always download the latest seat matrix from mcc.nic.in before each round’s choice filling. The matrix can change between rounds as colleges are added, removed, or have their intake revised.
Our AIQ colleges page tracks 359 colleges from the MCC counselling data. The breakdown: 112 government, 239 private (including deemed through MCC counselling), and 8 classified as deemed. This covers three years of data (2023-2025) across all rounds.
Cross-reference seat matrix numbers with historical closing ranks using our cutoff analyzer. A college with more AIQ seats does not always mean easier admission; competition depends on the institution’s reputation and location.
Year-over-year changes
The AIQ seat matrix grows each year as NMC approves new colleges and increases sanctioned intake at existing ones. In 2025-26, NMC approved approximately 10,650 new MBBS seats across 41 new colleges. India now has approximately 816 medical colleges with about 1,14,550 MBBS seats nationally, of which roughly 26,500 are filled through MCC.
This growth means MCC’s share of seats increases in absolute terms even though the 15% ratio stays the same. More government colleges with more seats means more AIQ seats. The number of deemed university seats under MCC also changes as new deemed institutions are approved or existing ones expand.
The AIQ seat pool grows each year as NMC approves new colleges. In 2025-26 alone, approximately 10,650 new MBBS seats were approved across 41 new colleges. More government colleges mean more AIQ seats, even though the 15% ratio stays fixed.
FAQ
Do private medical colleges contribute seats to the AIQ seat matrix?
No. Private unaided colleges do not surrender 15% to AIQ. Only government and corporation colleges do. Private colleges have a separate 15% institutional quota, but that is administered by the state counselling authority (or the institution), not by MCC.
Can the AIQ seat matrix change between rounds?
Yes. MCC may update the matrix if NMC grants approval to new colleges or revises intake at existing ones during the counselling cycle. Colleges that lose NMC recognition or fail inspection may be removed. Always check the latest matrix on mcc.nic.in before each round’s choice filling.
How does the AIQ seat matrix affect my state quota chances?
The 15% taken for AIQ reduces the seats available in state counselling. A 250-seat government college has roughly 213 seats for the state (85%). This is a fixed formula and does not change based on demand. Your state counselling authority works with the 85% share.
Are there separate seat matrices for MBBS and BDS?
MCC publishes a combined seat matrix that includes both MBBS and BDS seats. The seat matrix PDF or spreadsheet has separate rows or sections for MBBS and BDS at each institution.
Where can I see closing ranks alongside the AIQ seat matrix?
Our AIQ cutoff analyzer shows closing AIR by college, category, seat type, round, and year across 2023-2025 data. Combine the seat matrix information with historical cutoff data to estimate which colleges are realistic targets for your rank.