MBBS Abroad Offers Competitive Fees, But Pass Percentage Remains Low, Only 23.25% Clear FMGE

On average, Indian students who wrote the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) in 2022 spent Rs 6.81 lakh per year on their undergraduate medical education abroad. This is significantly lower than the annual cost of an MBBS programme at many private medical colleges in India which may charge as much as Rs 17 lakh.

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It also explains why so many candidates who qualify the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) opt to study MBBS abroad. However, as data on students who wrote the FMGE 2022 shows, a low-cost MBBS does not lead to an actual career in medicine, at least in India. It is mandatory for all foreign medical graduates to qualify the FMGE to be allowed to intern, practise or pursue higher levels of medical education in India. Most don’t quality.

Of the 470 foreign medical colleges whose graduates wrote the FMGE 2022, Careers360 was able to find fee details for 126. As many as 26,128 Indians graduated from the 126 medical colleges with just 6,760 clearing. Of them, just one attended the Australian institution – University Of Adelaide Faculty Of Health Sciences– and also cleared the FMGE. However, the majority of these students attended low-cost medical colleges and the FMGE pass percentages among them were also abysmally low.

Of the 126, the annual fee of an MBBS programme ranges from as high as Rs 73,39,000 per year in Australia to as low as Rs 8,524.38 in Kyrgyzstan. These amounts are converted from the local currency into Indian Rupees as per the conversion rate prevailing in February, 2024. Seventeen out of these 126 foreign medical colleges charge an annual fee of more than Rs 20 lakh.

MBBS In India Vs MBBS Abroad

On average, students who gave FMGE 2022 from these 126 colleges spent Rs 6,81,056 on MBBS every year.

Comparatively, the average fee of MBBS in India for government colleges ranges from just Rs 240 to Rs 89,500 annually. While the average fees of private colleges for MBBS in India range from Rs 4,00,000 to Rs 17,95,000 in management quota.

In the case of MBBS abroad, our analysis shows that foreign medical colleges charge annual fees anywhere from Rs 20-30 lakh per year at the higher end to as low as Rs 1-3 lakh per year.

MBBS Abroad: More Indian Students At Low Cost Colleges

The annual fee of an MBBS programme outside India is lower than that of an average private medical college in India. So, those Indian students who are not able to secure a seat at a top-ranked Indian medical college opt for an MBBS degree abroad. The maximum number of Indian students who appeared for FMGE 2022 were from colleges which charged an annual fee lower than Rs 5 lakh. Over 21,000 Indian graduates appeared for FMGE 2022 from such institutes but just 5,330 passed.

This is followed by Indians who graduated from colleges with annual fees ranging from Rs 5-10 lakh. In this fee bracket 3,727 graduates wrote the FMGE 2022, only 1,089 passed.

The next fee bracket is of Rs 10-20 lakh. Here a total of 747 Indian graduates wrote FMGE 2022, and 237 students passed, showing a significantly better pass percentage, 31.7 per cent.

In the annual fee bracket of Rs 20-30 lakh, 208 Indian graduates appeared for FMGE 2022 and 62 passed – roughly the same pass percentage as the fee bracket just below it. Seven Indian graduates participated in FMGE 2022 from colleges with fees above Rs 30 lakh, four of them– over half – passed the exam.

MBBS Abroad For Indian Students

Of all the colleges in the 126, University Of Adelaide Faculty Of Health Sciences, a public institution, is the most expensive. The annual fee for the MBBS programme here is around 89,500 Australian Dollars. This converts to Rs 73,39,000 in Indian currency based on current conversion rates. While the university meets all the parameters, it has mentioned on its website that it does not facilitate internship placements for its international students.

While public institutions generally charge less, many countries have differential fee policies as per which international students are charged significantly more.

That said, Careers360, also found eight foreign medical colleges that charged annual fees below Rs 1 lakh. From IK Akhunbaev Kyrgyz State Medical Academy Faculty Of General Medicine, Kyrgyzstan, which states it charges Rs 8,524.38 per annum, 242 Indian graduates wrote FMGE 2022 but just 46 passed. This is the highest number of Indian graduates writing the FMGE 2022 from a foreign medical institute with fees less than Rs 1 lakh.

The IK Akhunbaev Kyrgyz State Medical Academy Faculty Of General Medicine passes the most basic checks – it has a valid accreditation, is associated with a hospital and has an online presence – but is not ranked by a global ranking institute.

For ease of analysis, the 126 medical institutes for which we have fees were divided into colleges charging fees above Rs 30 lakh, Rs 20 lakh, Rs 10 lakh and Rs 5 lakh.

MBBS Abroad: Fees Above 30 lakh

Three of the foreign medical colleges from which Indian graduates appeared for FMGE 2022 charge annual fees of over Rs 30 lakhs. But only one, University Of Adelaide Faculty Of Health Sciences, Australia, has valid accreditation, has a hospital, a proper web presence and is also ranked by a global ranking authority.

MBBS Fees Above 20 lakh

Five among 126 foreign medical institutes have an annual fee between Rs 20 to 30 lakh. There were 208 Indian graduates who appeared for FMGE 2022 and just 62 passed it. While starting this series, Careers360 laid out certain parameters that students should look for before deciding on pursuing MBBS abroad. None of the colleges here met the basic requirements.

MBBS Fees Above 10 lakh

In this fee bracket, there were nine foreign medical colleges with a total of 747 Indian graduates who wrote FMGE 2022. Just 237 students cleared the exam.

Semmelweis University Faculty Of Medicine, Hungary, met all parameters of accreditation, a hospital, a functional website and a global rank.

American International School Of Medicine, Guyana, which also falls in this fee bracket, has been denied accreditation.

MBBS Fees Above 5 lakh

In this lot, Careers360 found 28 foreign medical colleges with 3,727 Indian medical graduates appearing for FMGE 2022; only 1,089 passed.

Careers360 further analysed five medical colleges which had the highest number of medical graduates appearing for FMGE 2022. It was found that three of the five medical colleges had accreditation, hospital, website and a global ranking.

Kyrgyz Russian Slavic State University (KRSU) Medical Faculty, however, falls short of meeting any of the criteria.

MBBS Abroad Fees Above 5 lakh

There were 52 foreign medical colleges that charged an annual fee of Rs 3-5 lakh. International Higher School Of Medicine, Kyrgyzstan had 3,061 Indian medical graduates write the FMGE 2022; only 706 cleared. This accounts for the highest number of Indian students appearing in FMGE from a foreign medical college in this fee bracket. This college also checks off all parameters such as accreditation, hospital, functional website and global ranking.

There were 20 foreign medical colleges with annual fees ranging from Rs 1-3 lakh. Here, Odessa National Medical University, Ukraine, fulfilled all parameters of accreditation, hospital and website, but it does not have a global ranking. As many as 651 Indian medical graduates from this institute appeared for FMGE 2022; 182 cleared the exam. This is the maximum number of students appearing for FMGE 2022 from colleges charging fees in Rs 1-3 lakh bracket.

Our analysis also verified eight foreign medical colleges with annual fees less than Rs one lakh. Here, IK Akhunbaev Kyrgyz State Medical Academy Faculty Of General Medicine, Kyrgyzstan, had the highest, over 200 Indian graduates writing the FMGE 2022. However, only 46 cleared it. The college was accredited, had a hospital and functional website, but did not feature in any global ranking.