MBBS takes 5.5 years and needs a good NEET-UG rank; a government seat costs under 1 lakh a year in most states, while a private state-quota seat costs about 10 to 40 lakh in total. B.Sc Nursing takes 4 years, with entry through the AIIMS exam, NEET-UG or state tests, and a Karnataka government college charges Rs 10,000 a year. Medicine suits students who can reach a government MBBS seat and want a doctor’s pay (about 13 lakh to start in government, against about 8.6 lakh for a nursing officer); nursing suits those who want a shorter, cheaper degree in health care.
Degree
Medicine
MBBS (the basic medical degree), 5.5 years
Nursing
B.Sc Nursing, 4 years
Entrance
Medicine
NEET-UG
Nursing
AIIMS exam, NEET-UG, State tests
Total cost
Medicine
Low at AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) and state colleges. More than half of MBBS seats are now private (76,543 of 1,40,664 in 2026-27): state-quota seats there cost about 10 to 40 lakh in total, management and NRI seats about 50 lakh to 1.25 crore, and some deemed universities more.
Nursing
Under Rs 5,000 in fees and deposits for the whole four years at AIIMS, plus mess at Rs 700 a month (2026 prospectus); about 9 lakh in total at Manipal (2026-27)
Open to
Medicine
PCMPCBCommerceHumanities
Nursing
PCMPCBCommerceHumanities
Pay at start
Medicine
about 13 lakh (government doctor); about 8 to 12 lakh (private specialist)
Nursing
about 8.6 lakh (government nursing officer)
After 5 years
Medicine
about 16 lakh; about 12 to 18 lakh
Nursing
about 10 lakh
After 10 years
Medicine
about 19 lakh; about 20 to 30 lakh
Nursing
about 11.6 lakh
Key numbers
Medicine
About 20 lakh sat NEET-UG in 2026 (about 22.8 lakh registered; 11.21 lakh qualified); 1,40,664 MBBS seats in 839 colleges, 2026-27; About 86,000 postgraduate seats
Nursing
Not given
AI risk
Medicine
Not rated
Nursing
Not rated
Good fit if
Medicine
you love biology and want to care for people; you can study hard for 5.5 years of MBBS, including the internship, and about 3 more years for a postgraduate degree
Nursing
Not given
Think twice if
Medicine
only a private seat, on a large loan, is within reach
Low at AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) and state colleges. More than half of MBBS seats are now private (76,543 of 1,40,664 in 2026-27): state-quota seats there cost about 10 to 40 lakh in total, management and NRI seats about 50 lakh to 1.25 crore, and some deemed universities more.
Under Rs 5,000 in fees and deposits for the whole four years at AIIMS, plus mess at Rs 700 a month (2026 prospectus); about 9 lakh in total at Manipal (2026-27)
Open to
PCMPCBCommerceHumanities
PCMPCBCommerceHumanities
Pay at start
about 13 lakh (government doctor); about 8 to 12 lakh (private specialist)
about 8.6 lakh (government nursing officer)
After 5 years
about 16 lakh; about 12 to 18 lakh
about 10 lakh
After 10 years
about 19 lakh; about 20 to 30 lakh
about 11.6 lakh
Key numbers
About 20 lakh sat NEET-UG in 2026 (about 22.8 lakh registered; 11.21 lakh qualified); 1,40,664 MBBS seats in 839 colleges, 2026-27; About 86,000 postgraduate seats
Not given
AI risk
Not rated
Not rated
Good fit if
you love biology and want to care for people; you can study hard for 5.5 years of MBBS, including the internship, and about 3 more years for a postgraduate degree
Not given
Think twice if
only a private seat, on a large loan, is within reach
Not given
Figures come from the portal’s guide, rounded, with pay in rupees a year. Confirm fees in each official notice.