NEET PG 2026 MD Pathology Closing Rank: Trends & Best Colleges

The MD Pathology closing rank in NEET PG 2025 All India Quota reached AIR 76,368 for the General category. It extended to AIR 1,57,131 for EWS, AIR 95,020 for OBC, AIR 1,12,645 for SC, and AIR 1,70,432 for ST. These are the final closing ranks, counted across all rounds. Pathology sits in the moderate zone among NEET PG branches. It stays open to a much wider rank band than Dermatology or Radiology. This guide breaks down the MD Pathology cutoff by quota, category, round, and state, using figures sourced from MCC allotment records.

Opening Rank, Closing Rank and Qualifying Cutoff: Know the Difference

Many aspirants mix up these three terms every season.

• Qualifying cutoff is the minimum percentile NBEMS sets for eligibility. Meeting it does not guarantee a seat.
• Opening rank is the best (lowest) AIR that got a seat in a college, quota, or category for a specific round.
• Closing rank is the last (highest) AIR that got a seat in that same college, quota, and category.

Your MD Pathology NEET PG rank changes value based on your category, home state, quota, and the counselling round you enter. A rank near 70,000 can secure a government seat in one state and miss it entirely in another.

NEET PG MD Pathology Cutoff: 2024 vs 2025 AIQ

The table below shows the confirmed All India Quota closing rank for MD Pathology, comparing the last two completed cycles.

(Source: MCC AIQ counselling allotment data)

Every category closed at a higher rank in 2025 than in 2024. More candidates, across a wider rank spread, secured Pathology seats last year. This shift can come from several factors: seat additions, choice filling patterns, and round-wise vacancies. It does not by itself prove that Pathology became more or less popular.

For NEET PG 2025 AIQ overall, the first seat went to AIR 8,211, and the last seat filled at AIR 76,368, across 733 seats spread over roughly 220 participating institutes.

MD Pathology Round Wise Cutoff: How Ranks Move Across Rounds

Your MD Pathology cutoff rank can shift a lot between rounds, since seats open up through upgrades, resignations, and non-joining candidates. In Round 2 of AIQ counselling for 2025, MD Pathology closed like this:

(Source: MCC AIQ Round 2 result, NEET PG 2025)

Compare this to the final General closing rank of 76,368 after all rounds. The number moved up considerably after Round 2, since later rounds added vacant seats and pulled in candidates with higher ranks. Later rounds can extend the closing rank to a higher AIR when seats become available through upgrades or fresh vacancies. This pattern varies by college, category, and quota, so treat any round-specific figure as a snapshot, not the final word.

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MD Pathology Closing Rank by MCC Quota

Beyond the standard 50% AIQ seats, MCC runs other central quotas for MD Pathology. Here is how each one closed in NEET PG 2025, General category:

(Source: MCC NEET PG 2025 counselling results, quota-wise)

The MD Pathology cutoff rank varies widely by quota. Deemed and NRI seats close far later than AIQ or central university quotas. For exact college wise cutoff figures, check the specific institute’s allotment result on the MCC website, since one quota’s figure does not represent every college inside it.

MD Pathology Cutoff by State: Wide Variation, Not a Simple Pattern

State quota closing ranks for MD Pathology moved independently of the AIQ figure in 2025. Here is the open category government quota closing rank in a few states, alongside AIQ for comparison:

(Source: MCC and state counselling allotment results, 2025)

Seat count alone does not decide how far a state quota cutoff moves. Maharashtra and Karnataka run large MD Pathology programs, yet their 2025 open-category government quota closing ranks ran far higher than smaller states like Uttarakhand or Jharkhand. Eligibility rules, domicile requirements, reservation structure, and candidate preference shape the final MD Pathology government college cutoff in each state. Check your own state’s Directorate of Medical Education portal alongside MCC, since a state list runs separately from the AIQ list.

Career Plan B recently mapped similar branch-specific trends for MS General Surgery NEET PG 2026 cutoff and college data, useful if you are weighing Pathology against a clinical branch before you lock your choice list.

NEET PG 2026 MD Pathology Cutoff: Current Status

NBEMS conducted the NEET PG 2026 exam on August 30, 2026. The result is expected around September 30, 2026, after which MCC will open counselling registration and choice filling. A confirmed NEET PG 2026 MD Pathology cutoff by rank will only exist once MCC publishes the 2026 allotment results. Until then, the 2025 AIQ General closing rank of AIR 76,368 works as a historical reference, not a guaranteed figure. Keep checking mcc.nic.in through the counselling window, since the seat matrix and category-wise movement can shift the final MD Pathology closing rank 2026 in either direction.

How Career Plan B Helps

Picking between a lower-rank clinical branch and a stable seat in MD Pathology confuses many aspirants. 

Career Plan B guides you with Personalised Career Counselling, Psycheintel and Career Assessment Tests to check your fit for lab-based work, Admission and Academic Profile Guidance for MCC and state counselling, and Career Roadmapping toward fellowship paths like Hematopathology, Oncopathology, and Molecular Pathology.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What will be the MD Pathology closing rank in NEET PG 2026?
A confirmed figure is not available until MCC completes 2026 counselling. As a historical reference, MD Pathology closed at AIR 76,368 for the General category in the 2025 AIQ counselling. Individual quotas and colleges vary a lot around this number.

Q2. What does the overall AIQ closing rank for MD Pathology actually represent?
It marks the last candidate allotted a seat under that category, across all rounds and all AIQ seats combined. It is not an average score or rank. Individual colleges inside the AIQ pool carry their own separate opening and closing ranks.

Q3. Does the MD Pathology cutoff by category and counselling round change a lot?
Yes, closing ranks shift between rounds as seats open through upgrades, resignations, and vacancies. The direction and size of the shift depend on the category, college, and quota, so check each round’s figure on its own terms.

Q4. Is the MD Pathology government college closing rank lower in states with more seats?
Not necessarily, Karnataka and Maharashtra run large MD Pathology programs, yet their 2025 open-category government quota closing ranks stretched well past the AIQ figure. Domicile rules, reservation, and local demand matter more than raw seat count.

Q5. Where can I verify the official NEET PG 2026 MD Pathology cutoff by rank?
Always cross-check mcc.nic.in for All India Quota and central university data, and your state’s Directorate of Medical Education website for state quota figures.

Conclusion

The MD Pathology closing rank rewards patience through counselling rounds and careful state-by-state research. Your rank alone does not decide your seat. Category, quota, round, and state domicile all play a part. Track mcc.nic.in through every round, keep a wide choice list, and revisit this MD Pathology cutoff 2026 guide once official allotment data is out. Curious how your rank stacks up against the 2025 numbers? For further guidance connect with Career Plan B today!!