Al-Azhar Medical College and Super Speciality Hospital, Thodupuzha: MBBS Fees, Cut Off 2026 and Seats
Al-Azhar Medical College at Thodupuzha is the only self-financing medical college in Idukki district and one of the largest in Kerala, with 250 MBBS seats. It charged ₹8,56,840 a year for a general seat in 2025-26 and was among the last colleges to fill in 2026: its general state-merit seats ran out at KEAM rank 8,876 in the first allotment and 10,013 in the second.
In short: Al-Azhar Medical College and Super Speciality Hospital, Thodupuzha charged ₹8,56,840 a year for a general MBBS seat in 2025-26 under the Fee Regulatory Committee order, about ₹38.6 lakh over the 54 months of study; an NRI seat cost ₹22,74,006 a year. Al-Azhar has 250 MBBS seats for 2026-27, and its last state-merit seats in 2026 went to KEAM ranks 8,876 (round 1) and 10,013 (round 2). Six years at a Russian state university cost about ₹16–32 lakh in tuition.
Al-Azhar cut off: KEAM ranks 2026
The last general state-merit seat at Al-Azhar went to KEAM rank 8,876 in the first CEE allotment of 2026 and 10,013 in the second. Only PIMS at Walayar (10,842) closed later in round 2. Dr. Moopen's in Wayanad (9,813) and Kerala Medical College at Mangode (9,742) closed just before it.
These are ranks on the KEAM medical list, which CEE prepares from NEET-UG ranks of Kerala candidates. Community quotas and the NRI quota have their own last ranks in the CEE tables, and the later rounds can move the figure by a few hundred ranks.
Al-Azhar MBBS fee structure
The annual tuition at Al-Azhar is fixed by the Fee Regulatory Committee. For 2025-26, G.O.(Ms) No. 354/2025/H&FWD lists it at ₹8,56,840 for a general seat. The lowest general fee in the order is ₹8,10,175 and the highest ₹9,31,118; the NRI fee is ₹22,74,006 in every college of the order.
| Item | General seat | NRI seat |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition per year, 2025-26 | ₹8,56,840 | ₹22,74,006 |
| Tuition for 54 months (× 4.5) | about ₹38.6 lakh | about ₹1.02 crore |
| Compared with the lowest Kerala fee, 54 months | about ₹2.1 lakh more | same |
Before you register Al-Azhar as an option, get the college's full schedule for 2026-27 in writing: hostel and mess, any special fee, university and examination fees, the caution deposit, and confirmation that nothing is charged for the internship year.
Why choose a Russian university over Al-Azhar
This is the comparison most families ask us for, point by point, with the figures from the official orders.
No rank race
Al-Azhar took ranks only up to 10,013 in 2026. A Russian state university admits on the NEET-UG qualifying mark and 50% in Class 12 physics, chemistry and biology (40% for reserved categories). No state rank list, no waiting for rounds.
Lower total tuition
Six years of tuition at a Russian state university, against about ₹38.6 lakh for a Al-Azhar general seat over 54 months. The difference usually covers hostel and flights for the whole course.
Price fixed before you fly
The fee for foreign students is set in the university's price order and written into your contract year by year. In Kerala the Fee Regulatory Committee refixes fees, and hostel and special fees come on top.
Transparent payment
Fees go to the university's bank account against its invoice. There is no capitation, no management-seat payment and no booking amount to a middleman.
No lost year
Many Russian universities accept Indian students into October and November. A student who misses the last KEAM round can still start medicine in the same academic year.
Choose by results
You pick from 54 English-medium universities on our list and see each one's FMGE results; the best pass more than one candidate in three. In Kerala, at a late rank, you take the seat that is left.
What Russia does not give you: home food, a Kerala hospital during the course, and a licence without the exam. Every graduate of a foreign university must pass FMGE (later NExT) and do a year of internship in India. Choose a university with strong FMGE results and plan the exam from the first year.
Rank around 10,000?
At this rank the Russian comparison matters most. We price both for the whole course and send it to your WhatsApp.
Colleges that closed near Al-Azhar in 2026
A rank near Al-Azhar also reaches, or just misses, the colleges below. They are listed in the order in which their general state-merit seats ran out in round 2.
| Self-financing college | Last rank, round 1 | Last rank, round 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Zion, Adoor | 8,105 | 9,275 |
| Kerala Medical College, Mangode | 8,087 | 9,742 |
| Dr. Moopen's, Meppadi | 7,738 | 9,813 |
| Al-Azhar, Thodupuzha | 8,876 | 10,013 |
| PIMS, Walayar | 9,716 | 10,842 |
Seats and admission at Al-Azhar
Al-Azhar has 250 MBBS seats for 2026-27 under the state seat-matrix orders. The college is near Thodupuzha town, at the foot of the Idukki hills, about an hour and a half by road from Kochi. Every state-quota seat is allotted by CEE Kerala on the KEAM medical rank list: NEET-UG, the KEAM application with the medical course, the NEET score upload, the rank list, option registration and allotment. NRI seats go through the CEE NRI process with sponsor documents. The allotment memo from CEE is the only proof of a state-quota seat; no "confirmation amount" paid to an agent can replace it.
Al-Azhar or MBBS in Russia?
For a family whose rank sits near Al-Azhar, the choice is rarely between Al-Azhar and nothing. It is between paying about ₹38.6 lakh for a Kerala seat that depends on the round, and a Russian state university that admits on the NEET qualifying mark.
| Option | Tuition per year | Tuition for the course | What you also need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Azhar, general seat | ₹8.6 lakh | about ₹38.6 lakh (54 months) | A KEAM rank inside about 10,100 |
| Chuvash State University (Russia) | ₹2.8 lakh | about ₹16.6 lakh (6 years) | Hostel, food, flights, FMGE after return |
| Mordovia State University (Russia) | ₹4.0 lakh | about ₹24 lakh (6 years) | Same; FMGE 32.0% in 2022–25 |
| Kazan State Medical University (Russia) | ₹5.4 lakh | about ₹32 lakh (6 years) | Same; FMGE 30.5% in 2022–25 |
Three rules decide whether a Russian degree is worth anything back home. The NMC Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021 require at least 54 months of study in English, a 12-month internship at the same university, and a licence to practise in Russia; then the graduate must pass FMGE (to be replaced by NExT) and do 12 more months of internship in India. Across all Russian universities about one candidate in four passed FMGE in 2022–2025, but the spread is wide: Orenburg 38.6%, Privolzhsky 36.9%, Smolensk 35.4%, Mordovia 32.0%, while several others are under 15%. The full list is on our FMGE pass-rate page.
For a student at rank 10,000 the Kerala choice is down to a few colleges, all at ₹8–9 lakh a year. Idukki also has a government college at Painavu, Government Medical College, Idukki. Kochi airport (COK) is the nearest; see how to choose a consultant in Kochi.
Before you pay a self-financing college
Whether you choose this college or another one, ask for five things in writing before the fee goes out. First, the full fee schedule for 2026-27, not only the tuition: hostel, mess, special fee, university and exam fees, caution deposit. Second, confirmation that no fee is charged for the internship months, as the July 2026 order requires. Third, any bond or security-deposit terms. Fourth, the refund rule if you leave after a later round. Fifth, the hostel distance and transport for clinical postings. The same five questions apply to a Russian university, where you should also ask for the contract in English and the price order for foreign students. Families who compare both on paper usually decide within a week; families who compare promises usually decide too late.
Compare Al-Azhar with two Russian universities
Full-course cost, FMGE results and the Kerala colleges still open at your rank, sent to your WhatsApp.
Al-Azhar: what parents ask
What is the MBBS fee at Al-Azhar?
The Fee Regulatory Committee fixed ₹8,56,840 a year for a general seat and ₹22,74,006 for an NRI seat in 2025-26. Over 54 months that is about ₹38.6 lakh in tuition for a general seat; hostel and other fees are extra.
What was the Al-Azhar cut off in 2026?
The last general state-merit seat went to KEAM rank 8,876 in round 1 and 10,013 in round 2.
How many MBBS seats does Al-Azhar have?
250 seats for 2026-27.
Where is Al-Azhar Medical College?
Near Thodupuzha in Idukki district, about an hour and a half by road from Kochi.
Is MBBS in Russia cheaper than Al-Azhar?
In tuition, yes: about ₹16–32 lakh for six years at a Russian state university against about ₹38.6 lakh for 54 months at Al-Azhar. Add hostel, flights and FMGE preparation before you decide.
All Kerala colleges with seats, fees and last ranks are in one table on medical colleges in Kerala.
Sources: G.O.(Ms) No. 354/2025/H&FWD (Fee Regulatory Committee order FRC 50/25); G.O.(Rt) No. 2326/2026/H&FWD; Government of Kerala seat-matrix orders 2026-27; CEE Kerala last-rank tables, first and second allotments 2026; NMC FMGL Regulations 2021; NBEMS FMGE reports 2022–2025; Russian university price orders.