75% of deemed medical colleges see MBBS fees rise, cross Rs 1 crore

The cost of pursuing a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree at deemed universities had risen sharply in 2026, with nearly three-fourths which is seventy five percent, of medical colleges under this category charging more than Rs 1 crore, reports Musab Qazi.

Two medical colleges, Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College, Perambalur and Srinivasan Medical College, Tiruchirapalli, both part of Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan University, have recently received deemed-university status and have revised their annual MBBS tuition fees to Rs 24 lakh and Rs 25 lakh, respectively.

Earlier, when the institutions were functioning as self-financed colleges affiliated with Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University, the permitted annual fees were Rs 5.4 lakh for state quota seats and Rs 16.2 lakh for management quota seats. This incident has raised concerns about the indiscriminate hike in MBBS fees in deemed universities, says Musab.

46 deemed medical colleges cross Rs 1 crore MBBS cost

An analysis of the 2026 to 27 MBBS fee structures of 62 deemed-university medical colleges by Careers360 and medical Muzaffar Khan, education counsellor found that 46 institutions have a total cost exceeding Rs 1 crore, as reported by Musab Qazi.

The overall cost calculation covers tuition for the four-and-a-half-year MBBS programme along with other mandatory charges applied annually. These include registration, examinations, books, uniforms and research and development fees. Hostel and mess costs have not been included because charges vary across institutions and categories of accommodation.

Private deemed universities have the freedom to decide their fees when compared to medical colleges affiliated with state or central universities. This means that they can charge higher fees irrespective of caste or economic background.

Tamil Nadu tops costliest deemed medical colleges list

Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (SRIHER), Chennai, remains the most expensive medical college in India, with the total MBBS cost rising to Rs 1.58 crore. The institute has increased its annual fee from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 35 lakh and changed its payment system from five equal instalments to annual payments over a period of four and a half years. 

This year, four other medical colleges in Tamil Nadu have received deemed-university status, Musab reports. Following this, the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University challenged the University Grants Commission (UGC) rules which allow institutions to get the status of a deemed-university without the approval of the affiliated state university. Below is a table showing the list of medical colleges with the highest MBBS course fees.

Fees include the total estimated cost of the MBBS programme, excluding hostel and mess charges.

Deemed medical colleges MBBS fees cut

Amrita School of Medicine, Kochi, reduced its total MBBS fee by Rs 12.5 lakh to around Rs 1.14 crore, a ten percent drop from last year. Whereas Symbiosis Medical College for Women, Pune, remains the most affordable among the colleges analysed, with a total fee of Rs 54.2 lakh, Musab Qazi reports. Check the table below, which shows medical colleges with the lowest MBBS course fees.

Discussions have been going on for fee fixation at deemed university colleges, as reported by Musab.