B.Sc Nursing admission 2026

B.Sc Nursing is a 4-year degree straight after Class 12 (PCB), regulated by the Indian Nursing Council (INC). India had 2,538 B.Sc Nursing colleges with 1,38,321 seats as on 31 March 2025, almost as many as MBBS seats (INC statistics). Unlike MBBS, there's no single national route: each state picks its own entrance test or merit list.

Is NEET needed for B.Sc Nursing?

Usually no. In 2021 the INC said using the NEET UG result was not mandatory for nursing institutes (INC notice), and its rules default to a state or university entrance test (INC Notification 3 of 2024); we found no later INC notice making NEET compulsory. But a few top routes do use NEET UG: JIPMER (94 seats, NEET UG 2026) (JIPMER prospectus) and, in 2025, the B.Sc Nursing seats in Delhi government colleges, BHU and ESIC filled through MCC counselling (news reports). AIIMS uses its own exam.

Eligibility

• Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English; usually 45% in PCB (40% for SC/ST/OBC); age at least 17 on 31 December of the admission year; no upper age limit for B.Sc Nursing. As restated in the 2026 state notices of Maharashtra (MH Nursing CET), Tamil Nadu (TN) and West Bengal (WB).
• AIIMS B.Sc (Hons) Nursing 2026: female candidates only, 55% in English + PCB (50% SC/ST), 1,366 seats across 19 AIIMS; exam was 27 June 2026 (AIIMS prospectus (copy)).
• Kerala asks 50% in PCB; West Bengal's government colleges admit women only.

Admission route in each state (2026)

"Check" means the route's use of NEET could not be confirmed from an official 2026 document. Rows marked "news report" come from education news sites citing official notices; confirm on the state portal.

Seats by state (INC, as on 31 March 2025)

Source: INC, distribution of nursing institutions as on 31 March 2025. Of India's 2,268 nursing colleges in October 2023, 234 were government and 2,034 private (Lok Sabha answer, 2 Feb 2024).

Fees: what official notices say

Sources: TN prospectus, AIIMS Jammu prospectus, JIPMER prospectus. Private college fees outside these vary widely; ask for the fee in writing before you pay.

Bonds and service conditions

• Tamil Nadu: students sign an undertaking to serve the state for 5 years if called, or pay up to ₹20,000. Government-college students who discontinue after the cut-off date pay ₹1 lakh (TN prospectus).
• Kerala: government nursing college graduates do 1 year of compulsory nursing service, backed by a ₹1 lakh bond (LBS Kerala prospectus).
• JIPMER: a penalty applies if you leave the course (JIPMER).

After B.Sc Nursing

AIIMS recruits Nursing Officers through NORCET at Level 7 of the 7th Pay Commission matrix (Group B); B.Sc graduates can apply without experience, GNM holders need 2 years (NORCET-11 notice, 24 Jul 2026). Abroad, see nursing jobs in Germany.

B.Sc vs GNM vs Post-Basic

B.Sc Nursing is a 4-year degree. GNM is a diploma (3,183 institutions, 1,39,010 seats). Post-Basic B.Sc lets GNM-qualified registered nurses earn the degree in 2 years (834 institutions, 27,200 seats) (INC).

Common questions