The NEET UG exam is the primary gateway for admission to MBBS and other medical courses in India. The NEET UG 2026 re-exam was conducted on June 21. Candidates are now focusing on counselling and admission opportunities. It can be challenging to secure admission to top medical colleges with a lower score. Several government medical colleges continue to offer seats at comparatively higher cutoff ranks. Reviewing previous years' cutoff trends can help students make informed choices during the counselling process.
What is Considered a Low NEET Score?
A low NEET score generally refers to marks that are insufficient for admission to highly competitive institutions such as All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, or King George's Medical University. However, candidates who meet the qualifying cutoff remain eligible to participate in counselling and compete for available seats.
The NEET qualifying cutoff is determined based on factors such as the number of candidates appearing for the examination, the difficulty level of the paper, and the total number of seats available.
Previous Year's NEET Qualifying Cutoff
| Category | Percentile | Qualifying Score |
| General/EWS | 50th Percentile | 144 |
| OBC/SC/ST | 40th Percentile | 113 |
| PwBD | 45th-<50th Percentile | 127 |
| OBC/SC/ST-PwBD | 40th-<45th Percentile | 113 |
Government Medical Colleges Accepting Lower NEET Ranks
Candidates with comparatively lower NEET ranks can consider the following government medical colleges based on previous admission trends:
| College | Previous General Category Closing Rank |
| AIIMS Madurai | 16,728 |
| Government Medical College, Amritsar | 19,964 |
| Government Medical College, Latur | 20,588 |
| Shaheed Hasan Khan Mewati Government Medical College | 21,408 |
| Late Baliram Kashyap Memorial Government Medical College, Jagdalpur | 22,574 |
| Government Medical College, Pali | 23,302 |
| Government Medical College, Firozabad | 26,148 |
| Agartala Government Medical College | 27,001 |
Alternative Medical Courses for Candidates with Low NEET Scores
The following are some of the popular options:
- BSc Nursing
- BSc Physiotherapy (BPT)
- BSc Medical Laboratory Technology (BMLT)
- BSc Radiology and Imaging Technology
- BSc Optometry
- BSc Operation Theatre Technology
- BAMS
- BHMS
- BUMS
- BSMS
- BPharma
- DPharma
- BSc Nutrition and Dietetics
Candidates should carefully analyse previous years' cutoff data and participate in all counselling rounds, including state and All India Quota counselling. Admission cutoffs can fluctuate each year, and opportunities may arise in subsequent rounds.