NEET UG 2026 Round 3 seat matrix released: Karnataka option entry by September 29

In short

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) and Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) released the provisional Round 3 seat matrix for NEET UG 2026 MBBS and BDS courses on September 25, 2026.
The KEA's provisional seat matrix is available on cetonline.karnataka.gov.in, while the MCC's documents are on its official portal.
Candidates participating in Karnataka NEET UG counselling must complete their caution deposit by September 28, 2026, and option entry by September 29, 2026.
Round 3 is the final major opportunity for candidates to secure a government MBBS seat under the All India Quota before the Stray Vacancy round.
Fresh registration is permitted for eligible candidates who did not participate in previous rounds, but those who did not join a Round 2 allotted seat are ineligible.

The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) and the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) released the provisional Round 3 seat matrix for NEET UG 2026 MBBS and BDS courses on September 25, 2026. This release details the vacant seats available for candidates participating in the third round of counselling for admissions to medical and dental colleges across Karnataka and under the All India Quota (AIQ).

Round 3 is considered a significant stage as it represents the final realistic opportunity for candidates to secure a government MBBS seat under the All India Quota before the Stray Vacancy round. The seat matrix reflects vacancies arising from candidates who withdrew after Round 2 allotments, those who did not report to their allotted colleges, and seats added by newly recognised medical colleges.

Karnataka and All India Quota Seat Matrix Details

The KEA released the Karnataka NEET UG Counselling 2026 Round 3 provisional seat matrix on September 25, 2026, accessible via its official website, cetonline.karnataka.gov.in. This document provides specific details such as course code, college name, course, category, number of seats, and fee information. Concurrently, the MCC made its Round 3 seat matrix for NEET UG 2026 available on its official portal.

The MCC document outlines vacant MBBS, BDS, and other medical course seats across government colleges, deemed universities, and central institutions. It is organised by state, college, course, and reservation category, providing course-wise vacancies for MBBS, BDS, BSc Nursing, and BVSc. The MCC released three separate PDF documents covering AIQ, Central Universities and ESIC Seats; Deemed Universities Seat Matrix; and AFMS and Special Category Seats. Both the KEA and MCC have stated that their respective Round 3 seat matrices are provisional and may be revised, advising candidates to download the latest PDF before submitting options.

Eligibility and Reservation Policy for Round 3

All NEET UG 2026 qualified candidates who meet the MCC eligibility criteria can participate in Round 3. Fresh registration is allowed for eligible candidates who did not participate in Rounds 1 or 2. However, candidates allotted a seat in Round 2 but who did not join are not eligible for Round 3. Such candidates face penalties, including forfeiture of their security deposit and ineligibility for further rounds of counselling. Only candidates who have completed registration and paid the counselling fee can participate in choice filling and locking.

The Government of India’s All India Quota reservation policy applies to the MCC Round 3 seat matrix. This policy includes specific reservation percentages for various categories, which are detailed in the table below.

Category	Reservation Percentage
Scheduled Caste (SC)	15%
Scheduled Tribe (ST)	7.5%
Other Backward Classes (OBC-NCL)	27%
Economically Weaker Section (EWS)	10%
Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD)	5% (horizontal across all categories)

Karnataka NEET UG Counselling Round 3 Schedule and Next Steps

For Karnataka NEET UG Round 3 counselling, the caution deposit window is open from September 24 to September 28, 2026. The option entry period for KEA counselling is from September 25 to September 29, 2026. The Karnataka NEET Round 3 Seat Allotment 2026 will be based on NEET 2026 score and rank, Karnataka NEET merit rank, choices entered, reservation criteria, and seat availability.

Candidates are advised to download the latest provisional seat matrix, check available MBBS or BDS seats in their preferred colleges, and review category and course details. They must prepare their preference order carefully, complete the required caution deposit process, and enter and lock their choices within the specified deadlines. Further instructions and allotment results will be released on the KEA website.

Round 3 Activity	Date
Caution deposit	September 24 to 28, 2026
Option entry	September 25 to 29, 2026
Provisional seat allotment	To be announced
Second provisional allotment	To be announced
Final seat allotment	To be announced
Fee payment	To be announced
Reporting	To be announced

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

View all posts →