BSc Nursing through NEET 2026: Admission Process, Eligibility, Participating Institutes and Seats

NTA will now allow the NEET 2026 score to be considered for admission into BSc Nursing and Life Sciences programmes. JIPMER and IMS BHU have scrapped their entrance exams to accept admission based on NEET Scores. 

Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Nursing commonly called BSc Nursing is a degree programme. The exam is held for admission into 4-year nursing course. It must be noted, students are provided admisison on the basis of NEET score. NEET exam 2026 is scheduled to be held on May 3, 2026. Nursing is one of the important parts of whole ecosystem of patient care. As a healthcare professional, nurses have to do various tasks including operation of various medical equipment, run essential diagnostic tests, and roviding support to patients and their families. 

In India, the tuition fee for a BSc Nursing course through NEET exam ranges from INR 20,000 to INR 2 lakhs. Government colleges charge significantly lower tuition rates for BSc Nursing degrees, but private institutions charge significantly higher tuition fees. A graduate of BSc Nursing may expect to earn an average income of between INR 2 lakhs and INR 5 lakhs, depending on their abilities, experience, and the position they are applying for.

BSc Nursing through NEET 2026

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recently enacted a law titled the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill 2020, which has replaced the present Indian Nursing Council Act 1947, which has been in effect for 73 years. Currently, a large number of entrance exams are being held throughout India for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate nursing programmes. These exams are being held by various state governments and medical institutes. To avoid this, the newly passed bill intends to perform a common entrance test for integrating the entire system, comparable to the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) for various medical programmes.

There will be separate boards for UG and PG courses under the jurisdiction of the newly created commission, which will also make decisions on the prices of courses. It is anticipated that a national registry will be kept to keep track of all currently practising and qualified nursing practitioners. Following that, every single nurse and midwife is required to register with their respective state boards.

NEET Eligibility Criteria 2026

To be eligible to sit for the NEET exam, candidates must meet the requirements listed below:

• Candidates must have completed class 12 with a focus on physics, chemistry, and biology.
• Candidates must have received at least 50% of the total marks in class 12 to be considered (For the General category)
• Candidates can apply for NEET as many times as they like, and there is no attempt limit. They can try until they are no longer eligible, with a maximum age of 25.
• At the time of application, candidates must be at least 17 years old.

Eligibility for BSc Nursing through NEET 2026

The completion of class 12 from a recognised board of education is the minimum requirement for admission to the programme. Qualifications include having studied physics, chemistry, and biology as primary subjects, as well as being in good physical and mental health. Applicants for the BSc Nursing programme must meet the following requirements in addition to the above requirements:

• Candidates applying for the BSc Nursing programme must be at least 17 years old and no more than 35 years old as of December 31, 2026.
• Candidates must have completed class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, and Biology as their core subjects, as well as English as one of them. Candidates must have received a minimum of 45 per cent of total marks from the state board of education or an equivalent recognised educational board.
• Aspirants should have qualified entrance exam and must secure the NEET cut-off marks
• Depending on the university or institution, the minimum percentage of marks necessary in class 12 may vary.
• At the time of admission, candidates must be medically fit.

NEET for BSc Nursing Exam Pattern

The National Testing Agency (NTA) published the NEET 2026 exam pattern in official notification. According to exam pattern, there will be a total of 180 questions of 720 marks. Questions will be asked form 3 sections, Physics, Biology, and Chemistry. There is aprovision of negative marking as well. Check exam pattern highlights in table given below:

Institutes Accepting NEET Scores for BSc Nursing Admission

Two reputed institutes, IMS BHU and JIPMER announced that they will conduct the admissions based on NEET scores. JIPMER Nursing 2026 through NEET is a national-level test that will now be administered by the National Testing Agency (NTA). 

JIPMER has 94 seats available for its BSc Nursing programme. Nine seats in the BSc Nursing programme are reserved exclusively for male students, while the remaining 85 seats are reserved for female candidates. Admissions will be granted solely based on the scores secured in the national-level entrance exam. All candidates must take the common admission examination. Seats will be assigned based on merit. Earlier, the JIPMER BSc Nursing entrance exam used to be conducted by JIPMER, Puducherry.

Students looking for BSc Nursing through NEET must check that Banaras Hindu University (BHU) also announced that the NEET UG 2026 exam will be utilised to determine admission to the BSc Nursing programme in 2025. For BSc Nursing admissions, BHU used to have its entrance exam. BHU, on the other hand, will begin filling BSc nursing seats this year through the National Eligibility Cumulative Entrance Test (Undergraduate) 2026.

The Banaras Hindu University previously held the BHU BSc Nursing Entrance test (BHU). To apply for the BHU Nursing 2025 through NEET, candidates must first enter their NTA accounts using their credentials on the NTA's official website. BHU will have 75 seats available for the BSc Nursing programme. 

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• BSc Nursing Admission 2025: Check Application Form, Dates, Entrance Exams & Eligibility
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