Top 10 Private Medical Colleges in Karnataka with Low Fee Structure 2026

Karnataka is one of India’s largest hubs for medical education, home to more than 70 medical colleges offering over 14,000 MBBS seats combined. While government colleges remain the most affordable route into medicine, a private-college MBBS doesn’t always have to mean a fee running into tens of lakhs. A handful of private and deemed medical colleges in the state offer comparatively low-fee MBBS seats, making them a practical option for NEET-qualified students who don’t clear the high cutoffs of government colleges but still want to avoid the steepest management or NRI quota charges.

This article walks through the ten private medical colleges in Karnataka currently offering the lowest MBBS fees, how the state’s quota system affects what you actually pay and what you’ll need in hand when it’s time to secure your seat.

Karnataka’s Medical Education Landscape

Admissions to both government and private medical colleges in Karnataka go through NEET-UG, followed by counselling conducted by the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA). Fees at private colleges in the state typically range from around ₹8 lakh to over ₹26 lakh per year, depending on the college’s reputation, location, and the quota under which a seat is allotted. At the very top end, deemed universities and NRI-quota seats can run several times higher than the lowest-fee options covered here.

For students weighing their choices after NEET results, knowing which colleges sit at the more affordable end of that range can make a real difference in planning finances for a 4.5-year MBBS programme plus a year of internship.

Understanding the Fee Quota System

Before looking at the list, it helps to understand how fees are structured, since the same college can charge very different amounts depending on the seat category:

• Government (G) Quota: A subsidised fee available only to Karnataka domicile students who secure a seat through KEA state counselling. This is the cheapest way into a private college, but seats are limited and competitive.
• Private/Management (P) Quota: Open to students from any state, subject to NEET qualification and KEA counselling. This is the quota referenced throughout this article, since it applies uniformly regardless of domicile.
• NRI Quota: The most expensive category, reserved for NRI/OCI candidates and their sponsors, usually ranging from ₹25 lakh to ₹45 lakh per year at the same colleges.

The rankings below are based on Private/Management quota fees, since that’s the category most relevant to non-domicile and general-category students exploring low-fee options.

Top 10 Private Medical Colleges in Karnataka with Low Fees

S.No.	College Name	City	Type	Annual Fee
1	Kasturba Medical College (KMC)	Mangalore	Deemed	₹10,99,000
2	St. John’s Medical College	Bengaluru	Private	₹8,11,285
3	G R Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre	Mangalore	Private	₹10,92,852
4	Father Muller Institute of Medical Education & Research	Mangalore	Private	₹11,88,167
5	K. Venkataramana Gowda (KVG) Medical College & Hospital	Sullia	Private	₹11,88,167
6	Al-Ameen Medical College	Vijayapur	Private	₹12,00,117
7	AJ Institute of Medical Sciences	Mangalore	Private	₹12,00,117
8	Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS)	Bengaluru	Private	₹12,00,117
9	Mahadevappa Rampure Medical College	Kalaburagi	Private	₹12,00,117
10	Sri Basaveshwara Medical College & Hospital	Chitradurga	Private	₹12,00,117

At the top of the list, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore is the only deemed university among the low-fee group, and notably keeps its fee close to what private colleges charge despite deemed universities elsewhere in the state running well above ₹17 lakh per year. Among the private colleges, St. John’s Medical College, Bengaluru stands out as the most affordable option overall, largely because it’s run by a Christian minority trust with a fee structure well below the typical private-college range. G R Medical College follows closely, keeping annual tuition just under ₹11 lakh. From rank four onward, fees cluster tightly between roughly ₹11.9 lakh and ₹12 lakh, a band that includes several well-established Mangalore- and Bengaluru-based institutions along with colleges in Vijayapur, Kalaburagi, and Chitradurga.

It’s worth noting that these numbers reflect tuition alone. Hostel accommodation, mess charges, and exam fees typically add another ₹80,000 to ₹1.5 lakh per year on top of the tuition figure, so it’s worth budgeting for the full cost rather than the headline fee alone.

Other Well-Known Private & Deemed Medical Colleges in Karnataka

Beyond the ten lowest-fee options above, Karnataka is also home to several well-established private and deemed medical colleges that carry strong brand recognition, larger campuses, and long-standing clinical training reputations – even though their fees run somewhat higher. Karnataka has 12 deemed medical universities in total; here’s the complete list along with their approximate Management quota fees:

S.No.	College Name	City	Type	Annual Fee
1.	Kasturba Medical College (KMC)	Manipal	Deemed	₹10,99,000
2.	Sri Siddhartha Medical College	Tumkur	Deemed	₹18,09,000
3.	Sri Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences	Bangalore	Deemed	₹18,80,000
4.	Shri BM Patil Medical College	Bijapur	Deemed	₹19,15,000
5.	JGMM Medical College	Belgaum	Deemed	₹17,36,000
6.	Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College	Belgaum	Deemed	₹18,30,000
7.	Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College	Kolar	Deemed	₹19,40,000
8.	KS Hegde Medical Academy	Mangalore	Deemed	₹20,00,000
9.	JSS Medical College	Mysuru	Deemed	₹21,95,100
10.	Yenepoya Medical College	Mangalore	Deemed	₹23,00,000
11.	Rajarajeswari Medical College & Hospital	Bangalore	Deemed	₹24,50,000

Among the well-known private (non-deemed) colleges outside the low-fee group, a few stand out for infrastructure and demand despite higher fees:

S.No.	College Name	City	Type	Annual Fee
1.	M.S. Ramaiah Medical College	Bengaluru	Private	₹25,00,000
2.	Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences	Bellur	Private	₹22,15,000
3.	SDM College of Medical Sciences and Hospital	Dharwad	Private	₹20,15,000

These colleges are widely recognised for their infrastructure, faculty strength and hospital tie-ups, making them popular choices even at a higher fee point than the low-fee group covered earlier. Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, notably appears in both this section and the Top 10 list, since it’s a deemed university that still keeps its fee close to the low-fee private-college range.

Eligibility for Admission

Criteria	Requirement
Academic Qualification	10+2 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology & English from a recognized board
Minimum Marks	50% aggregate in PCB for General (45% for OBC, 40% for SC/ST/PWD)
Age Limit	At least 17 years by December 31 of the admission year
Entrance Exam	Valid NEET UG qualifying score/rank
Domicile Requirement	Karnataka domicile certificate required only for Government (G) quota seats
Quota Eligibility	Private (P) and NRI quota open to candidates from any state
Nationality	Indian citizens; NRI/OCI candidates admitted under the NRI quota

Documents to Keep Ready

Candidates should keep both originals and photocopies of the following documents ready for counselling and admission:

• NEET UG Admit Card
• NEET UG Scorecard
• KEA Allotment Letter
• Class 10th Mark Sheet & Certificate (as proof of date of birth)
• Class 12th Mark Sheet & Certificate
• Transfer Certificate (TC)
• Migration Certificate
• Character Certificate
• Proof of Identity (Aadhaar Card/PAN/Passport/Driving License)
• Passport-size Photographs (6–8 copies)
• Caste/Category Certificate (if applicable under a reserved category)
• Domicile Certificate (only if applying under Government/G quota)
• Income Certificate (if applying for fee concession or scholarship, where applicable)
• Medical Fitness Certificate (as required by some colleges at the time of admission)
• Anti-Ragging Affidavit (student and parent, as mandated by NMC/UGC norms)