Merit of Medical Colleges in Pakistan 2025 – Latest MBBS Cutoffs & Trends

Admission to MBBS programs in Pakistan is fiercely competitive. Each year, thousands of pre-medical students vie for a limited number of seats based on their merit (aggregate score) in F.Sc (pre-medical) and the MDCAT exam. This guide breaks down the merit of medical colleges in Pakistan 2025, including closing aggregates of leading public and private colleges, by-province trends, and helpful tips. We’ll also highlight how to improve your chances using expert resources like Maqsad’s MDCAT prep, WhatsApp support, and free merit calculator. Whether you aim for top institutions like KEMU, AIMC, DUHS or Karachi, or public vs private sector comparisons, this article covers it all.

Table of Contents

• MBBS Admissions & Merit Calculation
• Recent Closing Merits in Top Colleges
• Province-wise Merit Trends for 2025
• Public vs Private MBBS Admissions
• Maqsad Support & Tools
• FAQs

In Pakistan, merit refers to the weighted aggregate of a student’s Intermediate (F.Sc) marks, Matric marks, and MDCAT score. By regulation, the formula is typically 10% Matric + 40% F.Sc + 50% MDCAT. For example, UHS Lahore’s merit formula explicitly allocates 10% for SSC, 40% for HSSC, and 50% for the entrance test.

To sit for MBBS, students must pass the MDCAT (previously NMDCAT), a national standardized test conducted by UHS (Punjab), KMU (KPK), BUMHS (Balochistan), etc. MDCAT stands for Medical & Dental College Admission Test. It covers Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English and reasoning. Notably, a minimum score of 55% in MDCAT is required for NUMS (Army/NUMS colleges) and most public universities (some provinces have their own passing marks). Beyond just passing, securing a seat typically demands a much higher aggregate (often 90%+).

For comparison, the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) is an entirely different exam used in the US and Canada for medical school admissions. It is not relevant to Pakistani admissions, but worth knowing: MDCAT is the local equivalent of an entrance test.

Related: Maqsad's MDCAT Aggregate Calculator

Top public medical colleges in Pakistan have historically required very high marks on open merit seats. Here are some recent closing aggregates (final merit lists) for leading institutions to give context:

• King Edward Medical University (KEMU), Lahore: The closing merit (open merit) was about 93.7% in the latest lists. KEMU usually leads Punjab’s MBBS colleges in required merit.
• Allama Iqbal Medical College (AIMC), Lahore: Closing merit was approximately 95.61%.
• Federal Medical College, Islamabad (SZABMU): Under SZABMU’s Federal Medical & Dental Colleges, the 20th merit list showed the last admitted student had 94.48%.
• Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), Karachi: Recent trends indicate closing merits in the high 80’s for DUHS MBBS (Open Merit).

For Armed Forces/NUMS seats (Army Medical College Rawalpindi, CMH Lahore, etc.), merit is also calculated similarly but through NUMS. Open-merit closing aggregates are generally ~95% or higher for MBBS.

It’s noteworthy that some private medical colleges require lower marks. In Punjab, a private college might admit students with aggregates in the mid-80’s, and a few colleges (often in smaller cities) may have cutoffs in the 70’s . These lower thresholds reflect different fee structures (higher fees) and fewer applicants.

In summary, merit of medical colleges in Pakistan is very high for premier public institutions (usually 90%+). Secondary public colleges are around 85-90%, and private colleges can go lower (70s–80s). We analyze by province next.

Punjab

• For 2024, KEMU (~93.7%) and AIMC (~95.6%) set the top cutoffs in Lahore.
• Other major Punjab colleges (Services, FJMU, NMC Multan) saw closing merits around 91–94%.
• For 2025, with roughly the same seat count (~3,000 open merit seats statewide), trends suggest top colleges will again demand high 93–95% aggregates.

Sindh

• The main Karachi public school (Dow University) typically closes in the high-80s.
• We expect DUHS closing merit ~85–90% for 2025, given trends of increasing candidates.
• Sindh’s lower cutoffs compared to Punjab are due to fewer seats (Karachi has ~500 open seats vs. Punjab’s 3000).

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK)

• Best Colleges in KPK like Ayub (Abbottabad) and KMC Peshawar usually close around 87–90%.
• Bacha Khan MC Mardan, a newer college, may close around 85–88%.
• Expected 2025 closing merits for KPK open merit MBBS are in that range.

Balochistan and AJK

• Balochistan’s Bolan Medical University (Quetta) had much lower marks historically (~75% open merit).
• Azad Kashmir seats via UHS also hover in the mid-70s.
• These regions have far fewer candidates, so competition is lower. Expect similar numbers for 2025.

Armed Forces (NUMS)

• NUMS (Army Medical College) uses its own NUMS-entry MDCAT and 50/40/10 merit system.
• Last year’s Army MC Rawalpindi MBBS list closed around 94.8% (open merit).
• For 2025, a similar high-90s aggregate is likely.

In summary, by province, highest merit is required in Punjab (mid-90s at top colleges) and Islamabad, slightly lower in Sindh (~85–90%), modest in KPK (~85–90%), and lowest in Balochistan/AJK (~70–80%). These projections guide applicants: aim for 90%+ to maximize your options in 2025.

Pakistan offers MBBS seats in both public (government) and private sectors:

Public-sector seats:

• Governed by UHS (Punjab), KMU (KPK), LUMHS (Sindh), SZABMU (Islamabad), etc.
• These seats have very low tuition fees but extremely high merit cutoffs.
• Admission is purely on merit (with quotas for districts/overseas/etc).

Private-sector seats:

• Private medical colleges (including some military-run like CMH Lahore) charge much higher fees – often millions of rupees for the full course.
• On average, top private colleges still need mid-80s percent, but many accept students with 80-85% and a few with even 70%.

Seat breakdown:

• In Punjab, around 40-50% of seats are in public colleges and the rest in private universities.
• Nationwide, public-sector MBBS seats are roughly 30-40% of the total MBBS seats.

Fee comparison:

• As a rule of thumb, government MBBS in Punjab costs <1 lakh per year, while private ranges from ~PKR 5 million to over 15 million total.

Understanding these differences is crucial: a student with 88% aggregate may not get a public seat but could secure admission in a decent private college.

Preparing for MDCAT and maximizing your merit can be challenging. Maqsad offers several resources to help MBBS aspirants:

• MDCAT Prep Courses: Maqsad provides structured online courses and practice tests tailored to the latest MDCAT syllabus, ensuring you cover all high-weight topics and question styles.
• Merit Calculator: Use Maqsad’s free MBBS Merit Calculator to estimate your aggregate percentage. Input your expected marks and ISC/MDCAT scores to see likely college cutoffs, aiding in application strategy.
• WhatsApp Support Group: Join Maqsad’s dedicated WhatsApp channel to get exam updates, tips, and one-on-one guidance from mentors. Peer support and expert Q&A can boost preparation efficiency.

These tools can significantly improve your MDCAT score and overall merit. For instance, practicing with Maqsad’s question banks and simulations has helped students routinely jump 5–10 percentage points in MDCAT scores. By combining strong preparation with Maqsad’s resources and a merit calculator, you can target the 90%+ range needed for 2025.

What is the merit of MBBS in Pakistan?

Top public colleges (like KEMU, AIMC) usually require 90%+. In 2024, KEMU closed around 93.7% and AIMC around 95.6% aggregate (open merit). Private colleges often accept lower scores (some mid-70s).

How much percentage is required for MBBS in Pakistan?

You need to pass MDCAT (55% minimum for NUMS) and usually 60% in FSC. In practice, to get a seat you need much higher percentages overall – generally well above 80%, and often above 90% for top government colleges.

What is the lowest MBBS fee in Pakistan?  

The total 5-year MBBS fee in a public college is under PKR 400,000 (≈ PKR 50,000–60,000 per year). Among private colleges, the cheapest still charge around PKR 8–9 million total (Sharif MC Lahore ~8.8M).

How much merit is required for Army Medical College?

For Army Medical College (Rawalpindi, under NUMS), candidates must pass NUMS’s MDCAT (55%), and merit is calculated 50% MDCAT + 40% FSC + 10% SSC. Open-seat admission typically demands an aggregate in the mid-90’s (around 94–95%) based on recent lists.

What is the minimum merit for NUMS?

Similar to Army colleges, NUMS requires a 55% pass in its MDCAT. Actual admission cutoffs are high: last year’s open-merit cutoff was about 95.2%.

What is the salary of an army doctor in Pakistan?

A freshly commissioned medical cadet (Lieutenant) in the Pakistan Army starts with a basic pay around PKR 69,000 (Captain’s scale) plus allowances. With all allowances (housing, uniform, etc.), the take-home can be on the order of PKR 150,000–200,000 per month.

‍What is MDCAT and MCAT?

MDCAT (Medical & Dental College Admission Test) is Pakistan’s national entrance exam for MBBS/BDS. It is required by all Pakistani medical colleges (public and private). MCAT stands for Medical College Admission Test, a different exam used by U.S./Canadian medical schools. In Pakistan we only deal with MDCAT.

What are the fees of Bacha Khan Medical College?

Bacha Khan MC Mardan (public sector) has very low merit fees: ~Rs. 23,370 per year on open merit seats (roughly constant each year). Self-finance students pay Rs. 400,000 per year. Foreign self-finance seats are US$6,000 per year.