The competition for medical seats in Tamil Nadu witnessed a surprising reversal in 2025, with the cut-off ranks for management quota admissions in private MBBS colleges experiencing a steep fall. The last student admitted under this quota secured an all-time high rank of 26,378, a significant plunge from previous years, indicating a major shift in student preferences and admission dynamics.
A Sharp Decline in NEET Scores and Ranks
Data from the recent admission cycle reveals a stark contrast. In 2025, the last management quota seat was filled by a candidate with a NEET rank of 26,378, corresponding to 154 marks. This marks a dramatic drop when compared to 2024, where the last seat went to a student with rank 6,907 (387 marks), and 2023, where the closing rank was 9,274 (222 marks).
This trend of falling cut-offs was also observed in deemed universities, which command the highest tuition fees. This year, the cut-off for deemed universities settled at 175 marks, up from 135 in 2024 and 107 in 2023. However, the number of high scorers also saw a drastic reduction. Only 34 students scored above 600 out of 720 in NEET 2025, compared to 773 in 2024 and 314 in 2023.
Key Factors Behind the Admission Shift
Experts and counsellors point to a confluence of reasons for this intensified competition shift and the surprising drop in cut-off ranks for management seats.
Student counsellor Manickavel Arumugam clarified that the drop in high scorers alone isn't the cause. The seat allotment process, based on merit order and the state's 69% reservation policy, played a crucial role. "This means many students with higher marks did not opt for self-financing colleges and private universities where the tuition fee is fixed at 15 lakh," he explained.
Two major procedural changes significantly impacted the landscape. First, the state medical selection committee added 650 seats to the matrix during the counselling process itself. This late addition led many students, initially doubtful of securing a seat in these colleges, to instead opt for deemed universities earlier in the cycle.
Second, a critical rule change involved the removal of the 'NRI lapsed' category. Previously, these seats had fees between management and NRI quotas. In 2025, all such lapsed seats were transferred to the management quota. NEET coach R Sathish noted, "This means more seats were available at lower rates, and students who can't afford seats in deemed universities could opt for them."
Student Choices: Infrastructure and Transparency Win
Despite higher fees, deemed universities remained a preferred choice for many students and parents, primarily for two reasons. First, these institutions often boast superior infrastructure, faculty, and clinical material compared to newer private colleges or even some state universities.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, transparency in fees played a decisive role. Parents reported that while the tuition fee in deemed universities is high, there are typically no hidden costs. In contrast, many self-financing colleges demand an additional 9 to 15 lakh per year for hostel, mess, and other ancillary fees, as highlighted by Saravanan P, whose nephew joined a deemed university in Chennai.
The 2025 MBBS admissions cycle in Tamil Nadu, particularly in Chennai, underscores a market correction where factors beyond mere cut-off ranks—such as fee transparency, institutional quality, and strategic counselling choices—are increasingly dictating seat allocation trends in private medical education.
