Top Dental (BDS ) Colleges in India 2026: Rankings, Fees, NEET Cutoff & Admission Process
Top BDS Colleges in IndiaThe best BDS colleges in India, as per their rankings, include AIIMS Delhi, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, Saveetha Dental College & Hospital, etc. These colleges offer a 5-year BDS course, which includes 4 years of classroom learning and a 1-year compulsory internship period. Admissions to the BDS programs in these colleges are based on the NEET UG exam. Make sure to go through the eligibility criteria and admission process for BDS colleges in India given below.
In this blog, we will look at the top BDS colleges in India in terms of overall reputation, NIRF ranking, and the best government and private college options. You can also pick BDS colleges based on their affordability, low cutoff requirements, location, etc., and we have also included listings based on these factors below. To understand the impact of the top BDS colleges in India on your career, we will also look at the career opportunities and starting salary for various job roles.
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Best BDS Colleges in India 2026
The following table provides the overall best BDS colleges in India, along with the number of BDS seats they offer.
College | Number of BDS seats |
50 | |
100 | |
100 | |
60 | |
50 | |
ESIC Dental College, Rohini, Delhi | 100 |
100 | |
50 | |
100 | |
100 |
Best BDS Colleges in India 2026 Based on NIRF Ranking
The top 10 BDS colleges in India, as per their NIRF rankings in the Dental category, are provided in the table below.
College | NIRF ranking |
1 | |
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai | 2 |
Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, Delhi | 3 |
4 | |
5 | |
A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangaluru | 6 |
7 | |
8 | |
9 | |
10 |
Best Government BDS Colleges in India 2026
The following table shows the best government-owned medical colleges for studying BDS in India.
College | BDS Tuition fee (total) | Latest Ranking |
AIIMS Delhi | ₹2,927 | 1st in “Dental” by NIRF in 2025 |
Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New Delhi | ₹16,480 | 3rd in “Dental” by NIRF in 2025 |
King George’s Medical University, Lucknow | ₹1,20,000 | 7th in “Dental” by NIRF in 2025 |
Government Dental College and Hospital, Mumbai | ₹1,04,000/year | — |
Government Dental College and Hospital, Chennai | ₹80,000 - ₹81,000 | — |
Government Dental College and Hospital, Nagpur | ₹94,500/year | — |
Government Dental College and Hospital, Ahmedabad | ₹80,000 | 37 in “Dental” by NIRF in 2025 |
Dr. R. Ahmed Dental College and Hospital, Kolkata | ₹31,000 - ₹34,000 | — |
Government Dental College, Kozhikode | ₹83,000 - ₹85,000 | 38 in “Dental” by NIRF in 2025 |
Government Dental College, Thiruvananthapuram | ₹83,000 - ₹85,000 | 35 in “Dental” by NIRF in 2025 |
Best Private BDS Colleges in India 2026
Check the top private colleges for studying BDS in India from the table below.
College | Tuition fee | Latest Ranking |
Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Mangalore | ₹25–30 lakhs total | 11th in “Dental” by NIRF in 2025 |
A.B. Shetty Memorial Dental College, Mangalore | Around ₹20 lakhs total | 6th in “Dental” by NIRF in 2025 |
ITS Dental College, Ghaziabad | ₹15.36 lakhs total | 1st in “Private Dental Colleges in India 2025” by India Today |
School of Dental Sciences, Sharda University, Greater Noida | Around ₹15–20 lakhs total | 87th in “Universities” by NIRF in 2025 |
Around ₹15–20 lakhs total | — | |
Around ₹10–15 lakhs total | — | |
₹7 lakhs total | — | |
Saveetha Dental College, Chennai | Around ₹20–30 lakhs total | 2 |
Around ₹15–20 lakhs total | 33 | |
SRM Dental College, Chennai | Around ₹15–25 lakhs total | 8 |
Best BDS Colleges in India 2026: Zone-Wise
You will find a wide range of BDS colleges in Northern India, Southern India, Eastern India, and Western India. These include both public and private institutions in different states. The sections below provide the zone-wise best BDS colleges in India.
Best BDS Colleges in Northern India
The table below shows the top government and private BDS colleges available in Northern Indian states.
College Name | Location | Type (Government/Private) |
Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences (MAIDS) | New Delhi | Government |
AIIMS New Delhi (BDS) | New Delhi | Government (Autonomous) |
Faculty of Dentistry, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) | New Delhi | Government |
King George's Medical University (KGMU) | Lucknow | Government |
Faculty of Dental Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (BHU) | Varanasi | Government |
Ludhiana | Private (Minority) | |
Faculty of Dental Sciences, Lucknow University | Lucknow | Government |
Dr Ziauddin Ahmad Dental College, Aligarh Muslim University | Aligarh | Government |
ITS Dental College | Ghaziabad | Private |
Subharti Dental College | Meerut | Private |
Manav Rachna Dental College | Faridabad | Private (Deemed) |
Sudha Rustagi College of Dental Sciences | Faridabad | Private |
Jaipur | Private | |
Government Dental College & Hospital | Jaipur | Government |
Daswani Dental College | Kota | Private |
Dr Harvansh Singh Judge Institute of Dental Sciences | Chandigarh | Government |
Government Dental College & Hospital | Patiala | Government |
H.P. Government Dental College & Hospital | Shimla | Government |
Government Dental College | Jammu | Government |
Baba Jaswant Singh Dental College Hospital & Research Institute | Jammu | Private |
Moradabad | Private | |
Kothiwal Dental College and Research Centre | Muzaffarnagar | Private |
Mathura | Private | |
Delhi | Government |
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Best BDS Colleges in Southern India
Check the government and private BDS colleges available in Southern India from the table below.
College Name | Location | Type (Government/Private) |
Manipal, Karnataka | Private | |
A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences (ABSMIDS) | Mangalore, Karnataka | Private |
JSS Dental College and Hospital | Mysore, Karnataka | Private |
MCODS, Mangalore | Mangalore, Karnataka | Private |
SDM College of Dental Sciences and Hospital | Dharwad, Karnataka | Private |
Government Dental College, Bangalore | Bangalore, Karnataka | Government |
KLE VK Institute of Dental Sciences | Belagavi, Karnataka | Private |
Saveetha Dental College | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | Private |
SRM Dental College, Ramapuram Campus | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | Private |
Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | Private |
SIMTS (Sri Indu College of Dental Sciences) | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | Private |
Tamil Nadu Government Dental College & Hospital | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | Government |
Annamalai University (Rajah Muthiah Dental College) | Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu | Private |
Meenakshi Ammal Dental College and Hospital | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | Private |
Sri Ramakrishna Dental College and Hospital | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | Private |
Amrita School of Dentistry | Kochi, Kerala | Private |
Government Dental College, Thiruvananthapuram | Trivandrum, Kerala | Government |
Government Dental College, Kozhikode | Kozhikode, Kerala | Government |
Government Dental College, Alappuzha | Alappuzha, Kerala | Government |
Government Dental College, Thrissur | Thrissur, Kerala | Government |
Indira Gandhi Institute of Dental Sciences | Kothamangalam, Kerala | Private |
Government Dental College and Hospital | Hyderabad, Telangana | Government |
Anil Neerukonda Institute of Dental Sciences | Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh | Private |
G. Pulla Redgi Dental College & Hospital | Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh | Private |
Narayana Dental College & Hospital | Nellore, Andhra Pradesh | Private |
Mahatma Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Dental Sciences | Puducherry | Government |
Best BDS Colleges in Eastern India
The following are some of the top government and private medical colleges in eastern India that offer BDS courses.
College Name | Location | Type (Government/Private) |
Patna Dental College and Hospital | Patna, Bihar | Government |
Government Dental College and Hospital | Kolkata, West Bengal | Government |
Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) | Ranchi, Jharkhand | Government |
Dental Institute, R.D. University | Jamshedpur, Jharkhand | Government |
Buddha Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital | Patna, Bihar | Private |
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital | Patna, Bihar | Private |
Mithila Minority Dental College and Hospital | Darbhanga, Bihar | Private |
Awadh Dental College and Hospital | Patna, Bihar | Private |
Institute of Dental Sciences | Bhubaneswar, Odisha | Private |
North Bengal Dental College | Darjeeling, West Bengal | Private |
Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences | Gangtok, Sikkim | Private |
Tripura Dental College and Hospital | Agartala, Tripura | Private |
Assam Dental College and Hospital | Guwahati, Assam | Private |
Meghalya Dental College | Shillong, Meghalaya | Private |
Nagaland Dental College and Hospital | Kohima, Nagaland | Private |
Best BDS Colleges in Western India
Check the top BDS colleges in Western India across various states in Western India from the table below.
College Name | Location | Type (Government/Private) |
Government Dental College & Hospital | Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Government |
AMC Dental College | Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Government |
Bhaurao Kakasaheb Wal Dental College | Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Private |
Ahmedabad Dental College & Hospital | Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Private |
Rauktilal Jagannathram Shroff Dental College | Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Private |
Govt. Dental College & Hospital | Mumbai, Maharashtra | Government |
Nair Dental College | Mumbai, Maharashtra | Government |
D.Y. Patil Dental College | Mumbai, Maharashtra | Private (Deemed) |
Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed) Dental College | Pune, Maharashtra | Private (Deemed) |
Nagpur, Maharashtra | Government | |
Saraswati Dental College | Pune, Maharashtra | Private |
Abha Dental College | Pune, Maharashtra | Private |
Panaverse Dental College | Nashik, Maharashtra | Private |
Shree Yeshwantramitra Dental College | Kolhapur, Maharashtra | Private |
Tulsiramji Gaikwad-Patil Dental College | Mumbai, Maharashtra | Private |
Gujarat Ayurved University Dental College | Jamnagar, Gujarat | Government |
Parul Dental College | Vadodara, Gujarat | Private |
M.B. Dental College | Jamnagar, Gujarat | Private |
Goa Dental College & Hospital | Panaji, Goa | Government |
Yassmeen Dental College | Margao, Goa | Private |
Best BDS Colleges in India 2026: Cheapest Options
The following table shows the medical colleges in India that charge the lowest tuition fees for BDS.
College | Annual Tuition Fee (Approx.) |
AIIMS Delhi | ₹2,927 |
Government Dental College & Hospital, Nalanda | ₹10,700 |
₹16,720 | |
Dr. R. Ahmed Dental College & Hospital, Kolkata | ₹15,000 – ₹30,000 |
Government Dental College, Thiruvananthapuram | ₹20,000 – ₹40,000 |
Government Dental College, Mumbai | ₹30,000 – ₹50,000 |
Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, Delhi | ₹30,000 – ₹50,000 |
Government Dental College, Bengaluru | ₹30,000 – ₹50,000 |
Faculty of Dental Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi | ₹40,000 – ₹60,000 |
Faculty of Dental Sciences, KGMU, Lucknow | ₹40,000 – ₹80,000 |
Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Dental College | ₹50,000 – ₹70,000 |
Best BDS Colleges in India with the Lowest NEET Cutoffs
Many medical colleges offering BDS accept lower NEET closing ranks than the top institutions but offer good-quality education. Below are some of the best BDS colleges you should consider if you fail to meet the NEET cutoff rank for top colleges.
College | NEET Closing Rank / Cutoff (Approx.) |
Government Dental College, Silchar (Assam) | 48,000 – 55,000 |
Government Dental College & Hospital, Srinagar | 27,000 – 35,000 |
Government Dental College & Hospital, Jamnagar | 27,000 – 32,000 |
Himachal Pradesh Government Dental College, Shimla | 22,000 – 28,000 |
Faculty of Dental Sciences, KGMU Lucknow | 22,000 – 25,000 |
Institute of Medical Sciences (Dental), BHU Varanasi | 24,000 – 26,000 |
Government Dental College & Hospital, Nagpur | 20,000 – 25,000 |
Dr. R. Ahmed Dental College, Kolkata | 18,000 – 24,000 |
SCB Dental College, Cuttack | 10,000 – 15,000 |
Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences (MAIDS), Delhi | 8,000 – 10,000 |
Best BDS Colleges in India: Eligibility Criteria 2026
Check the table below and make sure to meet the eligibility criteria provided for admission to BDS colleges in India.
Eligibility Criteria | Details |
Educational Qualification | 10+2 / Higher Secondary / Pre-University with PCB (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) as core subjects |
Minimum Aggregate Marks |
|
Age Requirement | Minimum 17 years old as of December 31, 2026 No upper age limit (as per NTA NEET guidelines) |
Entrance Exam | NEET UG is mandatory |
Medical Fitness | Candidates must be medically fit as per the college requirements |
Domicile Requirements |
|
Best BDS Colleges in India: Admission Process 2026
The admission process for BDS colleges in India is provided in the illustration below.
Best BDS Colleges in India 2026: Student Perception
The table below shows the students' perception regarding various top BDS colleges available across India.
College | Strong Aspect | Areas of Improvement |
Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences (MAIDS), Delhi |
|
|
Manipal College of Dental Sciences (MCODS), Manipal |
|
|
Saveetha Dental College, Chennai |
|
|
Christian Dental College, Ludhiana |
|
|
Government Dental College & Hospital, Mumbai |
|
|
King George's Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow |
|
|
Bharati Vidyapeeth Dental College, Pune |
|
|
D.Y. Patil Dental College, Mumbai |
|
|
Patna Dental College, Patna |
|
|
Government Dental College, Kolkata |
|
|
Bapuji Dental College, Davanagere |
|
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Best BDS Colleges in India 2026: Career Opportunities
The career opportunities, including the job roles and starting annual salaries, after BDS from top colleges in India are shown in the table below.
Job Role | Starting Salary (LPA) |
General Dentist / Dental Practitioner | ₹4–15 LPA |
Dental Surgeon (Hospital-Based) | ₹5–12 LPA |
Dental Assistant | ₹2–8 LPA |
Clinical Practitioner | ₹6 LPA |
Dental Consultant (Corporate Wellness) | ₹5.1–14 LPA |
Orthodontist (Specialist) | ₹8–20 LPA |
Prosthodontist | ₹7–18 LPA |
Dental Implant Specialist | ₹9–22 LPA |
Public Health Dentist/NGO Health Worker | ₹4–8 LPA |
Dental Device / Pharmaceutical Sales Representative | ₹5–12 LPA |
Lecturer / Professor (Dental College) | ₹3.5–11 LPA |
Medical Transcriptionist | ₹3.1 LPA |
Forensic Dentist | ₹5–10 LPA |
Research Associate (Dental Research) | ₹4–9 LPA |
Private Practice Owner (Established) | ₹15–20+ LPA |
Career Progression with Experience Level after BDS in India
The specific salary you can expect after studying from a BDS college in India depends on the experience level and the specific type of job role. Check the table below to get an understanding of the average salary range with various experience levels after studying BDS.
Experience Level | Average Salary Range |
Fresh Graduate (0–2 years) | ₹3–5.4 LPA |
Government Hospital (Fresh) | ₹4–6.5 LPA |
Private Clinic (Fresh) | ₹5–7 LPA |
3–5 Years Experience | ₹6–8.4 LPA |
Senior Role (8–10 years) | Up to ₹10 LPA |
With MDS Specialisation | ₹10–30 LPA |
Best BDS Colleges in India 2026: FAQs
Ques: Which state is best for a dental college?
Ans: The states that have the best BDS colleges in India include Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi NCR, etc. Top BDS colleges in these states include AIIMS Delhi, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, etc. These colleges include both public and private institutions with various rankings, fees, and cutoff requirements.
Ques: Which is the best BDS college in India?
Ans: As per the NIRF rankings, AIIMS Delhi is the best college for studying BDS in India. Moreover, it is also considered the best medical college in India as per the latest NIRF rankings. You can study a very affordable BDS program at AIIMS Delhi. Other high-ranking BDS colleges in India include Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, etc.
Ques: How many BDS colleges are there in India?
Ans: There are at least 300 to 350 or more BDS colleges in India. These colleges are spread across various states such as Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Assam, etc. The specific number of institutions may vary each year, depending on the new institutions added to the list. Moreover, the number of seats may also vary based on this aspect.
Ques: Which city is the best for BDS in India?
Ans: The best BDS colleges in India are located in cities like Delhi, Lucknow, Chennai, Mumbai, etc. Thus, you have various destinations to choose from. The best option for you will depend on your budget, options available to you based on your eligibility, distance, etc. Therefore, you must choose the destination for your BDS studies based on these factors.
Ques: Does college matter in BDS?
Ans: Yes, the college you study in can be a significant factor in the type of clinical exposure and practical experience you get. Thus, you must choose from the hundreds of available options carefully. Make sure to go through the list of top colleges based on aspects like rankings, fees, cutoff, etc., before making a choice. There are both government and private medical colleges that can offer you a high-quality BDS course and ensure great career opportunities.
Ques: What are the eligibility criteria for BDS colleges in India?
Ans: All BDS admissions in India are entrance-based, and you must clear the NEET UG exam. Apart from that, you must pass your 10+2 exam with Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and English as core subjects. You must also meet the NEET UG cutoff requirements, which depend on your category. To get a seat, you must register for the NEET UG counselling at the central level for AIQ seats or at the state level for SQ seats.
Ques: What is the salary after BDS in India?
Ans: The starting salary of a BDS graduate in India typically ranges from ₹2 LPA to ₹22 LPA, depending on the job role. With an increase in experience or after gaining an MDS specialisation, your yearly income can reach ₹30 LPA or higher. Thus, you must find and choose a college that can offer you good career opportunities to ensure that you reach your expected earning potential.