The NEET 2025 cut-off is one of the most crucial deciding factors in a medical aspirant’s journey. It determines eligibility, college allotment, and whether you qualify for counseling. As the exam season winds down and results draw near, understanding how cut-offs work becomes essential.
This blog post covers:
- What is the NEET cut-off?
- Types of NEET cut-offs
- Expected NEET 2025 cut-off scores
- Cut-off trends from previous years
- Factors influencing the NEET cut-off
- State-wise vs All India Quota cut-offs
- What to do if your score is near or below the cut-off
What is the NEET Cut-off?
The NEET cut-off is the minimum score required to qualify for admission into medical and dental colleges in India. It is announced by the National Testing Agency (NTA) along with the result.
The cut-off is released in two main forms:
- Qualifying Cut-off: The minimum percentile required to be eligible for counseling (e.g., 50th percentile for General category)
- Admission Cut-off: The minimum score required to get admission into specific colleges or under a certain category
Types of NEET Cut-offs
1. Qualifying Cut-off
This is a fixed percentile:
| Category | Percentile |
|---|---|
| General (UR) | 50th |
| SC/ST/OBC | 40th |
| UR-PwD | 45th |
The actual score corresponding to these percentiles varies each year based on the highest scores and the difficulty level of the paper.
2. College-wise Admission Cut-off
These are the closing ranks or scores at which a particular college closes its admission during counseling rounds. These vary by:
- College type (Government vs Private)
- Category (General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS)
- Quota (All India vs State)
- Domicile
NEET 2025 Expected Cut-off Scores:
While the official NEET 2025 cut-off will be declared with the results, based on previous trends and analysis, here’s what we can expect:
| Category | Expected Percentile | Expected Score Range |
|---|---|---|
| General (UR) | 50th | 720 – 162 |
| EWS | 45th | 720-155 |
| OBC/SC/ST | 40th | 161– 127 |
| UR-PwD | 45th | 100 – 90 |
NEET Cut-off Trends (Past Years)
Here’s a look at qualifying cut-off scores from previous NEET exams:
| Year | General Cut-off (50th Percentile) | OBC/SC/ST (40th Percentile) | UR-PwD (45th Percentile) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 720 – 137 | 136 – 107 | 136 – 121 |
| 2023 | 720 – 137 | 136 – 107 | 136 – 121 |
| 2022 | 715 – 117 | 116 – 93 | 116 – 105 |
| 2021 | 720 – 138 | 137 – 108 | 137 – 122 |
Observation: The general trend shows a cut-off hovering between 715–135 for the general category, but slight variations occur every year.
Factors Affecting NEET Cut-off
Several dynamic factors influence how high or low the cut-off will be:
- Exam Difficulty
A tougher paper usually leads to a lower cut-off, while an easier one raises it. - Number of Applicants
If more candidates appear, competition increases, potentially pushing the cut-off higher. - Seat Availability
New medical colleges and additional seat intake can lower cut-offs slightly. - Overall Performance
If a large number of candidates score high, the cut-off naturally goes up. - Category-wise Reservation
Cut-offs differ significantly across categories due to reservation policies.
State-wise vs All India Quota Cut-offs
There are two major types of counseling based on NEET scores:
1. All India Quota (AIQ) – 15% seats
- Centralized counseling by MCC
- Includes AIIMS, JIPMER, ESIC, and central universities
- Open to students from all over India
- Higher cut-offs due to national competition
2. State Quota – 85% seats
- Conducted by respective state authorities
- Reserved for students with domicile
- Lower cut-offs (especially in home states)
- Includes private, government, and semi-government colleges
Example (2024 AIQ Round 1 closing ranks):
- AIIMS Delhi (General): Rank 1–50
- Maulana Azad Medical College: ~Rank 87
- Government Medical College Nagpur: ~Rank 10,000
- Private colleges (State quota): ~Rank 200,000+ for some categories
What if My Score is Near or Below the Cut-off?
Scoring close to the cut-off can be stressful. Here’s how you can plan:
🔹 Just Above the Cut-off
- Participate in state-level counseling (some states have lower cut-offs)
- Opt for private or deemed universities
- Consider BDS, BAMS, BHMS, BPT, B.Sc. Nursing options
🔹 Below the Cut-off
- You will not be eligible for counseling in that year
- Consider taking a drop year with proper coaching support
- Work on weak subjects, improve test-taking strategy, and reappear next year
Expert Tips to Handle NEET Cut-off Uncertainty
- Don’t panic if you’re on the edge
- Every year, many students with average scores secure seats through multiple counseling rounds.
- Explore all options
- Look beyond MBBS: BDS, AYUSH, and paramedical fields are rewarding careers too.
- Keep documents ready
- If you meet the cut-off, be prompt in registering for counseling and document verification.
- Track multiple counseling rounds
- Some seats open up in later rounds (Round 2, Mop-up, Stray Vacancy rounds)
- Use Rank Predictors & Cut-off Tools
- Platforms like Careers360, Shiksha, and Allen often provide useful estimators.