Cracking NEET Without Coaching Now Impossible? The Data Tells a Harsh Truth

Government of India Forms Expert Committee

The Ministry of Education has constituted a 9-member expert committee to examine the rising reliance on coaching institutes for entrance exams like NEET and JEE. Chaired by Dr. Vineet Joshi, Secretary of Higher Education, the committee includes representatives from CBSE, IITs, NITs, NCERT, and leading school systems. The panel will identify gaps in school education, regulate misleading coaching advertisements, and suggest policy changes to bring competitive exam preparation back into the mainstream education framework.

Is Coaching Killing School Education? Watch the full video here!

NEET Qualifying Cutoff for General Category (2019–2025)

An important aspect of the NEET performance landscape is the decline in the qualifying cutoff percentages over the years. While the number of aspirants has surged, the qualifying threshold remains surprisingly low — in many cases, well below school board passing marks (35%).

The table below reflects how the minimum qualifying percentage for the General Category has fluctuated between 16% and 22.5% over the past seven years

This pattern indicates a consistent effort to ensure more students qualify, likely to fill seats in private medical colleges in India, many of which charge high tuition fees. However, experts argue that this dilution of standards may compromise academic merit and encourage further reliance on coaching rather than improving foundational education in schools.

NEET Coaching Access vs NEET Results

The NEET 2024 data shows a clear performance gap between students based on where they live — especially whether their city has coaching centers or not.

Out of 566 cities where the NEET exam was held:

• Only 231 cities had access to top NEET coaching institutes.

• These cities saw 26,209 students (86.6%) scoring 650+ marks.

• In contrast, the 335 cities without coaching access had only 4,056 students (13.4%) reaching the same score level.

This means that the majority of NEET toppers are coming from cities that have access to coaching, while students from other cities — even though they work just as hard — are clearly at a disadvantage. It’s a strong signal that success in NEET now heavily depends on access to coaching, not just school education or talent alone.

NEET Coaching Advantage: A Look at Performance Gaps

One of the most compelling indicators of coaching dependency emerges from the stark contrast in NEET scores between students from cities with coaching access and those without. The table below presents the percentage of students scoring above key thresholds — 600, 650, and 700 marks — segmented by coaching availability.

The data paints a clear picture: over 90% of students scoring 700+ marks were from just 231 cities where at least one top coaching institute operates. In contrast, the 335 cities without major coaching presence accounted for less than 10% of such high scorers.

Even at the 600+ and 650+ mark ranges, coaching-dominant cities continued to outperform by a wide margin — nearly 87% of high scorers were from coaching-access areas. This pattern confirms that coaching is not just a support system — it has become a decisive factor in NEET success.

State-Wise Dominance: Where the NEET Toppers Come From

NEET 2024 data also reveals a stark regional divide in terms of high-performing candidates. A significant share of students who scored 650+ marks — often considered a benchmark for securing government medical college seats — hail from a handful of states with strong coaching ecosystems.

⁠Top 15 States (Having Highest No. Of Students Qualified For Govt. Colleges)

Rajasthan stands out with over 22% of all students scoring 650+ marks nationally — a figure disproportionately high for one state. This dominance is directly linked to the presence of India's most intensive coaching hubs like Kota and Sikar. Similarly, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, and Maharashtra follow closely, contributing significantly to the national pool of top scorers.

The Disadvantaged States: Where Coaching Doesn’t Reach

While a few states dominate NEET success stories, others remain starkly underrepresented. The bottom 15 states and union territories — many of them from the Northeast or remote regions — collectively contribute a negligible share of high scorers, particularly those securing 650+ marks, often necessary for admission to government medical colleges in India.

Bottom 15 States (Having Least No. Of Students Qualified For Govt. Colleges)

The numbers are telling — four states/UTs recorded zero candidates scoring above 650 marks, and many others registered only single-digit or low double-digit figures. This massive performance gap is not due to a lack of potential but is largely attributed to absence of access to quality coaching and educational infrastructure.

City-Wise Inequality: Comparing Top 15 Cities & Bottom 15 Cities

A comparison between the top 15 cities and bottom 15 cities in terms of high scores (650+ marks) illustrates how concentrated NEET success is in a select few urban centres.

This means that just 15 cities produced over 37% of all top scorers, while another 15 cities combined could not even contribute 0.1%. The implication is staggering: the chances of scoring high in NEET are heavily influenced by where a student lives, particularly whether they have access to elite coaching infrastructure.

The Merit: Cities That Are Left Behind in NEET Results

While students from big cities and coaching hubs are getting top ranks in NEET, there are many cities in India where students are not even close to the 650+ score range — the score needed for a government medical seat.

Look at this table — it shows how many cities had very few or no students scoring 650+ marks:

Even more shocking — out of these 201 cities, only 16 have coaching centres. The rest of the students are preparing on their own or through schools, which clearly isn’t enough for such competitive exams.

This shows a major problem: where you live matters a lot. If you're in a small city or a place without coaching, your chances of cracking NEET and getting a government medical seat go down heavily — not because you're less capable, but because you don't get the same support.

Just 5% of Cities Produce 50% of NEET Top Scorers: States & Cities - Scores Comparison

The NEET 2024 data reveals a stark inequality in performance across states and cities. Out of a total 30,265 students who scored 650+ marks, a massive share comes from a handful of regions:

• Top 30 cities alone produced 15,370 students, which is over 50% of all high scorers.

• Top 15 states accounted for 28,057 students with 650+ marks — nearly the entire high-achieving pool.

• In contrast, the bottom 30 cities contributed just 60 students, while the bottom 15 states had only 144 students scoring above 650.

This data highlights a serious concentration of success in select urban and resource-rich areas. With just 5% of India’s total cities producing half of all 650+ scorers, students from smaller towns and underserved states remain significantly underrepresented in the country’s top medical colleges — reinforcing the urgent need for equitable access to quality preparation and coaching infrastructure.

Why Are Students Abandoning Schools?

According to the government’s findings, more and more students are choosing coaching institutes over traditional schools. Many are enrolling in so-called “dummy schools” — institutions where students are officially registered but rarely attend classes. Instead, they dedicate all their time to full-time coaching.

The reason is clear: schools are failing to equip students with the skills needed to crack competitive exams like NEET and JEE. With limited focus on conceptual understanding, critical thinking, and problem-solving, school education is falling behind the high-stakes demands of national-level entrance tests.

As a result, students and parents increasingly view coaching as not just a supplement, but a replacement for formal education. This trend not only undermines the role of schools but also raises urgent questions about the long-term direction of India’s education system.

NEET 2024 and 2025 data makes one thing clear — coaching is no longer optional, it’s essential. With schools falling short and access to coaching deciding success, the system is leaving millions behind. If education is to be fair, India must urgently reform school learning, regulate coaching, and ensure every student gets a real chance — no matter where they live.