List of Dental Colleges in India Accepting NEET Scores

Choosing a dental college sounds simple. Until you actually sit down with your NEET score.

Suddenly, questions pile up. Government or private? AIQ or state quota? How many colleges even accept NEET?

Let’s clear the noise.

If you want to study BDS in India, there is only one entry gate. NEET-UG Exam. Every dental college in the country, government, private, deemed, or central, admits students only through NEET merit and NEET counselling. No exceptions.

Why NEET Is Non-Negotiable for Dental Admissions

NEET is the single national entrance exam for undergraduate medical and dental courses.

For BDS aspirants, this means:

• Qualify NEET
• Meet the eligibility criteria set by the Dental Council of India (DCI)
• Participate in centralised counselling

That’s it. There is no separate dental entrance exam. No college-level test. No backdoor.

As of now, 300+ DCI-recognised dental colleges across India accept NEET scores for BDS admissions.

Types of Dental Colleges Accepting NEET Scores

Not all colleges are the same but the admission rule is.

Government Dental Colleges

These are usually the top preference. Why? They bring:

• Lower fees
• Heavy patient inflow
• Strong clinical exposure.

The catch?

• Limited seats
• High cutoffs
• Zero margin for error.

Private and Deemed Dental Colleges

These colleges also admit students only through NEET. They offer:

• Better infrastructure in many cases
• More seat availability
• Multiple counselling rounds

Fees are higher. But they provide realistic options when government cutoffs go out of reach.

List of Government Dental Colleges in India Accepting NEET

Below is a consolidated list of government dental colleges accepting NEET scores, along with their AIQ seat intake. These colleges participate in central and state counselling.

Total AIQ seats across these colleges: 419

NEET Cutoffs for Government Dental Colleges

Let’s be honest. Government dental seats are tough. At top colleges like MAIDS Delhi or Mumbai GDC:

• General category cutoffs often sit above 550 marks

At other colleges:

• Cutoffs may be slightly lower
• Competition is still intense

Cutoffs change every year. They depend on:

• Number of candidates
• Exam difficulty
• Seat matrix

Private and Deemed Dental Colleges Accepting NEET

Private and deemed colleges expand your options.

Some well-known names include:

• Manipal College of Dental Sciences
• Saveetha Dental College
• SRM Dental College
• Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education
• Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education

These colleges admit students strictly through NEET-based counselling.

How BDS Admission Through NEET Works

First, eligibility.

• Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology
• NEET qualification
• Age and category rules as per official guidelines

Then, counselling.

• All India Quota (MCC)
• State counselling
• Deemed/private counselling

Marks matter. But choice filling matters more than students realise.

What Students Often Get Wrong

They chase marks but ignore the strategy.

• Not understanding quota distribution
• Random college preference order
• Ignoring seat trends

Counselling is not guesswork. It is a calculated process.

Final Word

Dental admissions are not confusing. They are just competitive. NEET opens the door. Counselling decides which room you enter.

• Know your options.
• Know your cutoffs.
• And choose smart.

That’s how BDS admissions work in India.

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