Kerala has 35 medical colleges offering approximately 4,905 MBBS seats through CEE Kerala’s state counselling (2025 figures). One additional deemed university (Amrita, 150 seats) admits separately through MCC.
Government vs private split
| Type | Colleges | MBBS seats |
|---|---|---|
| Government | 14 | 1,855 |
| Private (non-minority) | 8 | ~1,350 |
| Private (minority) | 13 | ~1,700 |
| Total (state counselling) | 35 | ~4,905 |
| Deemed (Amrita, separate) | 1 | 150 |
Government colleges
Kerala’s 14 government medical colleges are spread across all districts. The largest are Medical College Thiruvananthapuram and Govt. Medical College Kozhikode (250 seats each), followed by Kottayam, Thrissur, and Alappuzha (175 seats each).
| College | City | Seats |
|---|---|---|
| Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram | Thiruvananthapuram | 250 |
| Govt. Medical College, Kozhikode | Kozhikode | 250 |
| Govt. Medical College, Kottayam | Kottayam | 175 |
| Govt. Medical College, Thrissur | Thrissur | 175 |
| T D Medical College, Alappuzha | Alappuzha | 175 |
| Govt. Medical College, Ernakulam | Ernakulam | 110 |
| Govt. Medical College, Manjeri | Manjeri | 110 |
| Govt. Medical College, Parippally | Kollam | 110 |
| Govt. Medical College, Palakkad | Palakkad | 100 |
| Govt. Medical College, Pariyaram | Kannur | 100 |
| Govt. Medical College, Konni | Pathanamthitta | 100 |
| Govt. Medical College, Idukki | Idukki | 100 |
| Govt. Medical College, Kasaragod | Kasaragod | 50 |
| Govt. Medical College, Wayanad | Wayanad | 50 |
The newer colleges (Kasaragod, Wayanad, Idukki, Konni) have 50-100 seats each and were established to bring government medical education to districts that previously lacked it.
Private colleges
Kerala’s 21 private colleges split into two groups: 8 non-minority and 13 minority institutions.
Non-minority private colleges include Malabar Medical College Hospital (Kozhikode, 200 seats), P K Das Institute (Palakkad, 200 seats), SUT Academy (Thiruvananthapuram, 150 seats), and Dr Moopen’s Medical College (Wayanad, 150 seats). Most have 150 seats.
Minority colleges are either Christian or Muslim institutions. Christian minority colleges include Dr Somervell Memorial CSI Medical College, Pushpagiri Institute, Jubilee Mission Medical College, and Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Medical College, among others. Muslim minority colleges include KMCT Medical College (Kozhikode), MES Medical College (Malappuram), and Al Azhar Medical College (Idukki).
In minority colleges, 50% of seats are reserved for the respective community (AC seats for Christian colleges, MM seats for Muslim colleges). These community seats are still allotted through CEE Kerala’s centralised process.
Key cities
Medical colleges are distributed widely across Kerala:
- Thiruvananthapuram: 3 colleges (1 govt + 2 private)
- Kozhikode: 3 colleges (1 govt + 2 private)
- Thrissur: 3 colleges (1 govt + 2 private)
- Palakkad: 4 colleges (1 govt + 3 private)
- Ernakulam: 3 colleges (1 govt + 2 private)
- Kollam: 3 colleges (1 govt + 2 private)
- Other districts: 1-2 colleges each in Kottayam, Alappuzha, Malappuram, Kannur, Idukki, Wayanad, Pathanamthitta, Kasaragod
Fee structure for Kerala medical colleges for NEET aspirants
| College type | Quota | Annual tuition | 5-year total (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government | State quota | Rs 23,100 – Rs 25,000 | Rs 1,15,500 – Rs 1,25,000 |
| Private | Government quota (50% of seats) | Rs 99,000 – Rs 1,50,000 | Rs 4,95,000 – Rs 7,50,000 |
| Private | Management quota (35% of seats) | Rs 6,00,000 – Rs 10,00,000 | Rs 30,00,000 – Rs 50,00,000 |
| Private | NRI quota (15% of seats) | Rs 20,00,000 – Rs 25,00,000 | Rs 1,00,00,000 – Rs 1,25,00,000 |
Additional costs: hostel fees of Rs 80,000 to Rs 1,50,000 per year and mess charges of Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 per month.
The gap between government and NRI quota fees is large. A full MBBS course (4.5 years + internship) at a government college costs approximately Rs 1.15-1.25 lakh total in tuition, while NRI quota can exceed Rs 1 crore.
Deemed university
Amrita School of Medicine (Ernakulam, 150 seats) is the only deemed university in Kerala offering MBBS. It admits through MCC’s All India Quota counselling, not through CEE Kerala. Candidates interested in Amrita must register separately with MCC.
Minority college mechanics
Thirteen of Kerala’s 21 private colleges have minority status. The seat allocation in these colleges works differently:
- 50% community seats (AC or MM): Reserved for candidates belonging to the minority community that established the college
- Remaining seats: Filled through standard government quota, management quota, and NRI streams
All streams are allotted centrally by CEE Kerala. A Christian candidate can access AC seats across all Christian minority colleges; similarly, a Muslim candidate can access MM seats in Muslim minority colleges. Non-minority candidates can still get seats in minority colleges through the government quota and management quota portions.