MDS in numbers
- Colleges offering MDS
- 281
- Approved seats2026-27
- 7,685
- States and UTs
- 26
- Government colleges
- 45
Seats are the approved intake for academic year 2026-27, as published by the regulator. Actual admissions can differ.
Source: Dental Council of India (National Dental Commission), checked 23 Oct 2026
Course at a glance
- Level
- Postgraduate
- Duration
- 3 years
- Entrance exams
- NEET MDS, INI-CET
- Field of study
- Dental
Entrance exams for MDS
National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences
Official siteAll India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
Official site
Which exam applies depends on the college and the quota. A state exam is used only by colleges in its state, and an institute exam only by that institute. A counsellor can check this for your case.
MDS seats and colleges by state
26 states and union territories, sorted by approved seats. Select a state to see its colleges.
Popular MDS specialisations
9 specialisations recorded, by total approved seats. Names are as the regulator lists them.
| Specialisation | Colleges | Seats |
|---|---|---|
| MDS Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics | 273 | 1,239 |
| MDS Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics | 271 | 1,180 |
| MDS Prosthodontics and Crown & Bridge | 270 | 1,156 |
| MDS Periodontology | 256 | 980 |
| MDS Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery | 222 | 891 |
| MDS Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry | 231 | 851 |
| MDS Oral Medicine & Radiology | 176 | 553 |
| MDS Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology and Oral Microbiology | 168 | 534 |
| MDS Public Health Dentistry | 103 | 301 |
Top NIRF ranked colleges for MDS
Colleges offering MDS in the NIRF 2025 Dental ranking, by rank. Showing 10 of 23. Only institutions with a recorded MDS offering in our data are listed, so some ranked institutions may be missing.
- #3
22
MDS seats
- #5
35
MDS seats
- #6
49
MDS seats
- #8
51
MDS seats
- #10
34
MDS seats
- #11
31
MDS seats
- #12
33
MDS seats
- #19
63
MDS seats
- #20
24
MDS seats
- #21
39
MDS seats
Government and private MDS colleges
How the 281 colleges offering MDS are run, as recorded by the regulator.