Last updated: 15 October 2026. Figures are taken from the official CEE Kerala MDS 2026 prospectus and NBEMS notices. Always confirm the latest schedule on cee.kerala.gov.in.
MDS Admission in Kerala 2026 offers dental graduates an opportunity to start postgraduate dental courses in government and private dental colleges. Admission is based on NEET MDS scores and Kerala counselling conducted by the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE). Candidates should check eligibility, college fees, seat availability, merit lists, and counselling updates before applying.
Quick Answer
MDS Admission in Kerala 2026 is based on NEET MDS scores and state counselling conducted by the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE Kerala). Candidates can apply for MDS seats in government and private dental colleges by checking eligibility, seat availability, college fees, merit lists, and counselling schedules.
MDS Admission in Kerala 2026: Key Highlights
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Entrance exam | NEET MDS 2026 (conducted by NBEMS) |
| State counselling authority | CEE Kerala (Commissioner for Entrance Examinations), cee.kerala.gov.in |
| All India Quota counselling | MCC (DGHS), New Delhi – 50% of government seats + deemed universities |
| Government dental colleges offering MDS | 3 (Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Kozhikode) |
| Total government MDS seats | 70 (35 All India Quota + 35 State Quota) |
| Private self-financing colleges with MDS | 15+ colleges |
| Government college tuition fee | ₹52,100 per year |
| Private college tuition fee (2025-26) | ₹8,92,500 per year (Pushpagiri: ₹9,43,908) |
| NRI quota fee (2025-26) | ₹15,75,000 per year |
| Course duration | 3 years |
| Minimum qualifying percentile | 50th (General/EWS), 45th (General-PwD), 40th (SC/ST/OBC) |
Eligibility Criteria for MDS Admission in Kerala 2026
- Candidate must be an Indian citizen. OCI/PIO cardholders are treated at par for admission but are not eligible for reservation.
- BDS degree from a DCI-approved college, awarded by a university in Kerala or recognised as equivalent by the Government of India.
- Must have completed the 12-month compulsory rotating internship on or before 31 May 2026.
- Permanent or provisional registration with the Kerala State Dental Council is required at the time of admission.
- Must qualify NEET MDS 2026 with the minimum percentile for the category (see cutoff table below).
- Kerala State Quota seats are for Keralites (candidate or a parent born in Kerala). Non-Keralites who completed BDS from a Kerala dental college can also apply, but without communal or PwD reservation.
- There is no upper age limit for general quota candidates. Candidates already pursuing an MDS course are not eligible unless they first vacate that seat.
Latest Update: Kerala PG Dental MDS Counselling 2026
CEE Kerala opened Round 3 option registration for PG Dental 2026 on 7 October 2026 (closed 12 October 2026, 10:00 AM). The Round 3 allotment has since been postponed while CEE Kerala waits for the revised counselling schedule from MCC. The revised allotment and joining dates will be published on cee.kerala.gov.in. Candidates who join a Round 3 seat cannot take part in the later stray vacancy round.
Government MDS Colleges in Kerala
Only three government dental colleges in Kerala offer MDS courses. They are the most preferred choice because of the low fee (₹52,100 per year), high patient flow and experienced faculty. Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode offer 8 MDS specialties each, while Kottayam offers 9. Admission is through NEET MDS rank – 50% seats via MCC All India Quota and 50% via CEE Kerala state quota.
| S.No | Government Dental College | City | Total MDS Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government Dental College, Thiruvananthapuram | Thiruvananthapuram | 26 |
| 2 | Government Dental College, Kottayam | Kottayam | 26 |
| 3 | Government Dental College, Kozhikode | Kozhikode (Calicut) | 18 |
| Total | 70 |
MDS Seats in Kerala Government Dental Colleges
Kerala has a total of 70 MDS seats in government dental colleges. Of these, 35 seats go to the All India Quota and 35 seats remain in the Kerala State Quota. Within the state quota, 10% seats are reserved for in-service candidates (MESQ, HSQ and IMSQ in the ratio 1:2:1), and the rest are filled on merit with community reservation. Because the number of seats is small, the closing ranks for government MDS seats in Kerala are very competitive, especially for branches like Orthodontics, Prosthodontics and Conservative Dentistry. Specialty-wise seat matrix is released by CEE Kerala before each round.
Private MDS Colleges in Kerala
Private (self-financing) dental colleges hold most of the MDS seats in Kerala. Their seats – merit seats and NRI seats – are also allotted by CEE Kerala on the basis of the NEET MDS state rank list. The tuition fee is fixed every year by the Fee Regulatory Committee, and colleges are not allowed to collect any extra tuition beyond the fixed amount. Amrita School of Dentistry, Kochi is a deemed university, so its MDS seats are filled through MCC deemed university counselling. Read more on MDS fees in private colleges and MDS admission through management quota.
| S.No | Private Dental College | Location | MDS Fee per Year (2025-26) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PMS College of Dental Science & Research | Thiruvananthapuram | ₹8,92,500 |
| 2 | Pushpagiri College of Dental Sciences | Thiruvalla | ₹9,43,908 |
| 3 | Azeezia College of Dental Sciences & Research | Kollam | ₹8,92,500 |
| 4 | Sri Sankara Dental College | Varkala | ₹8,92,500 |
| 5 | Noorul Islam College of Dental Science | Neyyattinkara | ₹8,92,500 |
| 6 | Mar Baselios Dental College | Kothamangalam | ₹8,92,500 |
| 7 | St. Gregorios Dental College | Chelad, Ernakulam | ₹8,92,500 |
| 8 | Annoor Dental College & Hospital | Muvattupuzha | ₹8,92,500 |
| 9 | PSM College of Dental Science & Research | Thrissur | ₹8,92,500 |
| 10 | Royal Dental College | Palakkad | ₹8,92,500 |
| 11 | Malabar Dental College & Research Centre | Edappal | ₹8,92,500 |
| 12 | MES Dental College | Perinthalmanna | ₹8,92,500 |
| 13 | Educare Institute of Dental Sciences | Malappuram | ₹8,92,500 |
| 14 | KMCT Dental College | Kozhikode | ₹8,92,500 |
| 15 | Sree Anjaneya Institute of Dental Sciences | Atholi, Kozhikode | ₹8,92,500 |
| 16 | Kannur Dental College | Anjarakandy, Kannur | As notified by FRC |
| 17 | Amrita School of Dentistry (Deemed University) | Kochi | As per university (MCC counselling) |
MDS Specialties Available in Kerala
- Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopaedics
- Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge
- Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics
- Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
- Periodontology
- Pedodontics & Preventive Dentistry (Paediatric Dentistry)
- Oral Medicine & Radiology
- Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology and Oral Microbiology
- Public Health Dentistry
Kerala MDS Fee Structure 2026
| Fee Head | Government Colleges | Private Self-Financing Colleges |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition fee (per year) | ₹52,100 | ₹8,92,500 (Pushpagiri ₹9,43,908) |
| NRI quota tuition (per year) | Not applicable | ₹15,75,000 |
| Miscellaneous fee (per year) | ₹11,580 | As per college |
| Caution deposit (refundable) | ₹11,580 | As per college |
| CEE application fee | ₹1,000 (₹500 SC/ST) | ₹1,000 (₹500 SC/ST) |
| Option registration fee (CAP) | ₹10,000 (₹5,000 concession categories) – adjusted in fee | ₹10,000 – adjusted in fee |
Hostel, university and examination fees are charged separately. SC/ST/OEC candidates admitted on merit or reserved seats get fee concession as per government rules. Government seat holders must also sign a bond for at least one year of government service after the course. For a complete cost comparison, read cost of MDS in India.
Reservation in Kerala MDS State Quota
- Service quota: 10% (MESQ : HSQ : IMSQ = 1:2:1)
- SC 8% and ST 2%
- SEBC 27% – Ezhava 8%, Muslim 7%, Other Backward Hindu 7%, Latin Catholic/Anglo-Indian 3%, Other Backward Christian 1%, Kudumbi 1%
- EWS 10%
- Persons with Disabilities: 5% horizontal reservation (minimum 40% disability)
Documents Required for Kerala NEET MDS Counselling 2026
- NEET MDS 2026 admit card and scorecard
- CEE Kerala application acknowledgement and allotment memo
- BDS mark sheets (all years) and BDS degree/provisional certificate
- Compulsory rotating internship completion certificate
- Kerala State Dental Council registration certificate
- Class 10 (SSLC) certificate for date of birth
- Nativity proof – SSLC/passport/birth certificate showing birthplace in Kerala, or nativity certificate from the Village Officer
- Community/caste certificate and non-creamy layer certificate (if applicable)
- EWS certificate (if applicable)
- Disability certificate (for PwD candidates)
- Valid photo ID – Aadhaar, PAN, passport or voter ID
- Transfer certificate and conduct certificate
- Recent passport size photographs
- Fee concession / income certificate (if applicable)
See the detailed checklist of documents required for MDS admission.
FAQ’s on MDS Admission in Kerala
You must qualify NEET MDS 2026 and register with CEE Kerala on cee.kerala.gov.in for state quota and private college seats. For the 50% All India Quota seats in government colleges, you register with MCC. Seats are allotted on the basis of NEET MDS rank and your choices.
There are 70 MDS seats in Kerala government dental colleges – 26 in Thiruvananthapuram, 26 in Kottayam and 18 in Kozhikode. Of these, 35 are All India Quota seats and 35 are Kerala State Quota seats.
The tuition fee in Kerala government dental colleges is ₹52,100 per year, plus a miscellaneous fee of ₹11,580 and a refundable caution deposit of ₹11,580. University and hostel fees are extra.
For 2025-26 the Fee Regulatory Committee fixed the MDS tuition fee at ₹8,92,500 per year in most self-financing colleges (₹9,43,908 at Pushpagiri). The NRI quota fee is ₹15,75,000 per year.
The Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE), Kerala conducts the state MDS counselling for government state quota and private self-financing college seats. MCC conducts All India Quota and deemed university counselling.
For NEET MDS 2026 the qualifying cutoff is the 50th percentile (308 marks) for General/EWS, 45th percentile (289 marks) for General-PwD and 40th percentile (271 marks) for SC/ST/OBC. Higher scores are needed to get a government seat.
Yes. Non-Keralites can take All India Quota seats through MCC. For state quota, non-Keralites who completed BDS from a dental college in Kerala are eligible, but they do not get community or PwD reservation.
The MDS course in Kerala is a 3-year (36 months) full-time postgraduate dental programme.
Salary depends on specialty, experience and sector. Freshly qualified MDS doctors in Kerala usually earn around ₹60,000 to ₹1.5 lakh per month, and specialists with private practice can earn more.
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Conclusion
MDS admission in Kerala 2026 is completely merit-based through NEET MDS. Government dental colleges in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam and Kozhikode provide only 70 low-fee seats, while private self-financing colleges offer more seats at around ₹8.92 lakh per year. Keep your documents ready, track the CEE Kerala counselling schedule and fill your choices carefully to secure your preferred college and specialty.