AIQ vs State Quota NEET Counselling 2026 — Complete Comparison
NEET counselling runs on two parallel tracks: All India Quota (AIQ) handled by MCC for 15% of government seats plus all deemed/central universities, and State Quota handled by 29 state authorities for the remaining 85% seats. Every NEET aspirant should understand both systems to maximize their admission chances.
AIQ counselling is conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) at mcc.nic.in. It covers 15% of government medical college seats across India, all seats in deemed universities, central universities (AMU, BHU, DU), AIIMS, JIPMER, ESIC and AFMC institutes. AIQ is open to candidates from any Indian state with no domicile restriction.
State quota counselling covers 85% of seats in government medical colleges of each state. It is conducted by individual state counselling authorities (KEA for Karnataka, CET Cell for Maharashtra, DGME for Uttar Pradesh, etc.). State quota is generally restricted to candidates who meet the state's domicile requirements, though some states like Karnataka's OPN quota are open to all-India candidates.
You should register for both. They run on parallel timelines from July to October. Register on mcc.nic.in for AIQ and on your state's counselling portal for state quota. Maximise your options by participating in both.
AIQ vs State Quota — Key Differences
| Feature | Option A | Option B |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Share | 15% of govt MBBS seats + all deemed/central/AIIMS/JIPMER | 85% of govt MBBS seats + all private college seats in each state |
| Conducting Body | MCC (Medical Counselling Committee) at mcc.nic.in | 29 state authorities (KEA, CET Cell, DGME, BCECEB, etc.) |
| Eligibility | Open to all Indian citizens — no domicile requirement | State domicile required (varies by state; some states have open quota) |
| Courses Covered | MBBS, BDS, B.Sc. Nursing (limited) | MBBS, BDS, AYUSH (BAMS, BHMS, BUMS, BSMS) |
| Number of Rounds | 4 rounds (R1, R2, Mop-Up, Stray Vacancy) | Typically 3-4 rounds per state |
| Registration Fee | ₹1,000 (General) / ₹500 (SC/ST/OBC) | ₹500-₹2,500 varies by state |
| Security Deposit | ₹2,00,000 (General) / ₹50,000 (Reserved) | Varies by state (typically lower) |
| Timeline | July to October (same as state but offset) | July to October (varies by state) |
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Also explore: State Counselling Guides · College Directory · FAQs