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The NEET UG 2026 exam is expected to see the highest number of registrations in history. Till March 10, 2026, the NEET total registration 2026 had already crossed 23 lakh and it is expected that by March 11, 2026, this number could have crossed 26 lakh, making it the highest number of registrations in NEET UG exam ever. This highest number of NEET 2026 registration is mainly due to merging of multiple allied health entrance exams admissions through NEET UG.
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Over the past five years, NEET registrations have grown from 16.14 lakh in 2021 to over 22.76 lakh in 2025. For NEET 2026, several state level allied health entrance exams such as AP NCET, RPVT, RUHS Paramedical, etc are merged with NEET UG exam. Due to this, several candidates who used to sit for these specific exams now mandatorily need to appear for NEET 2026, potentially increasing the number of total NEET 2026 registrations. This article provides comprehensive details on NEET 2026 expected registrations, factors that could lead to highest registration, and past 5-year registration trends.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts NEET UG every year for admission to undergraduate medical courses such as MBBS, BDS, AYUSH, veterinary, nursing, and other allied health programmes. For NEET 2026, the total number of applicants is expected to surpass 26 lakh, breaking the previous record of 24 lakh registrations seen in 2024.
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Some of the possible reasons why NEET 2026 could see the highest registrations are -
1. Allied Health Entrance Exams Merged with NEET UG
Several state or institutional entrance exams for healthcare courses are now being merged with NEET UG. Some examples include: AP NCET (Allied Health Science Entrance), RPVT (Rajasthan Pre-Veterinary Test), Certain state-level paramedical entrance exams. With these exams now being replaced by NEET UG, many more students will register for the NEET 2026. This adds a large pool of students who previously appeared for separate entrance tests
2. Growing Interest in Medical Courses Under NEET UG
There are several courses for which admissions are granted based on the NEET UG exam. With the advancement in medical technology, the interest of students in medical education is increasing, potentially leading more candidates to register for NEET 2026.
The NEET last date of registration 2026 was March 11, 2026. As per the latest available data from media sources, the total number of NEET 2026 registrations has crossed 25 lakh. Based on various sources, the trend of total NEET registration 2026 is provided below.
Time Period | Estimated Registrations |
|---|---|
Feb 9 - Feb 15 | ~2 Lakh |
Feb 16 - Feb 22 | ~6 Lakh |
Feb 23 - Mar 1 | ~11 Lakh |
Mar 2 - Mar 6 | ~16 Lakh |
Mar 7 - Mar 9 | ~21 Lakh |
Mar 10 - Mar 11 | ~23 to 26 Lakh |
To get an idea about the approx number of applicants in NEET 2026, the previous year’s data of total registration is provided below.
Year | Registered Candidates | Appeared Candidates |
|---|---|---|
2025 | 22,76,069 | 22,09,318 |
2024 | 24,06,079 | 23,33,297 |
2023 | 20,87,462 | 20,38,596 |
2022 | 18,72,343 | 17,64,571 |
2021 | 16,14,777 | 15,44,275 |
With the total number of registrations expected to cross 26 lakh, NEET 2026 could become the most competitive NEET UG exam so far. As thousands of seats in veterinary, nursing, and allied health programmes are now being filled through the NEET exam, the level of competition is likely to increase significantly. With such a large number of candidates competing for approximately 1.30 lakh MBBS seats, 28,000 BDS seats, and over 52,000 AYUSH seats, candidates may see the highest-ever NEET cutoff.
On Question asked by student community
Hello Koushisk,
Yes, you can absolutely attend NEET UG 2025 as an engineering student. There are no restrictions on appearing for NEET UG based on your current field of study. Since you've completed your 12th grade with the required subjects (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and English), you are eligible to reappear
Sorry aspirant, the information you provided is unclear and difficult to understand. Could you please clarify the following:
Hello student,
I understand that you have a paramedical course without NEET cutoff and obtained a score of 172.
However, I'd like to clarify a few things to provide the most accurate guidance:
Hello,
Yes, you can participate in NEET Round 3 (Mop-up round) even if you skip Round 2 after not being allotted a seat in Round 1.
However, you don’t need to re-register or pay the security deposit again, provided you didn’t get a seat in Round 1 and haven't opted
Hello,
If you did not get a seat in the first round of NEET counselling and also do not wish to remain in the counselling process in order to prepare for a long term instead of proceeding further, then you can follow these steps below to withdraw from the counselling:
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