Your aggregate is enough for both KEMU and RMU. Studying near your family in Rawalpindi is tempting, but KEMU in Lahore is what you have always wanted. Which one should go first on your UHS preference list?
It is a hard choice because both sides are right. This guide gives ePrepare’s answer, puts the 2025-26 numbers side by side, and explains how the UHS preference list decides where you land. That last part matters most: once the application deadline passes, your order is locked.
ePrepare’s short answer: if RMU is your hometown college, hometown will usually serve you best: family support, no hostel, lower living costs and peace of mind for five years. If you are seriously planning the USMLE, ePrepare’s advice is to put KEMU and AIMC at the top instead. This is ePrepare’s advice, not an official ranking of colleges.
KEMU, AIMC and RMU at a glance
The profile details below come from the UHS prospectus for session 2025-26. The merit figures come from the UHS 2025-26 final open-merit list. On the UHS seat list, RMU appears as Rawalpindi Medical College and KEMU as King Edward Medical College, their constituent colleges.
| Detail | King Edward Medical University (KEMU), Lahore | Allama Iqbal Medical College (AIMC), Lahore | Rawalpindi Medical University (RMU), Rawalpindi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Established | College 1860; university 2006 | 2 May 1975 | College 1974; university 2017 |
| Attached teaching hospitals | Seven, led by Mayo Hospital (2,399 beds); 4,000 beds in all | Jinnah Hospital, Lahore (1,500 beds) | Holy Family Hospital, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and DHQ Hospital, Rawalpindi (2,558 beds) |
| Total MBBS seats, 2025-26 | 325 | 325 | 350 |
| Open-merit seats filled (final list) | 313 | 314 | 325 |
| Closing aggregate (open merit) | 94.8677% | 94.4530% | 93.9263% |
| Highest aggregate admitted (open merit) | 96.8960% | 96.1374% | 96.4737% |
| Hostels listed in the prospectus | 2 female, 2 male | 2 female, 4 male | 2 female, 2 male |
Closing aggregate = the lowest open-merit aggregate admitted to that college in the 2025-26 final open-merit list. Next year’s closing merit will be different. See every Punjab college on our UHS closing merit page.
What the numbers tell you
In 2025-26, KEMU closed about 0.94 points above RMU, and AIMC about 0.53 points above it. If your aggregate is comfortably above KEMU’s line, merit is no longer the question. You can get either, so the decision is about the next five years of your life, not about marks.
If your aggregate sits close to these lines, be careful. Closing merits move every year, and a college you “cleared” last year can close higher this year. Your preference order is how you protect yourself, as explained below.
When hometown wins
ePrepare’s default advice is simple: your home city is usually the better choice. MBBS is five demanding years, followed by a house job. These are general reasons that weigh heavily for most students:
- Family support. Home food, someone to lean on before professional exams, and help when you fall ill.
- Cost. No hostel or mess charges, and no regular intercity travel. Over five years this adds up for most families.
- No hostel hunt. You skip the uncertainty of allotment, room-sharing and adjusting to a new city.
- Health and routine. A settled routine makes long study hours easier to sustain.
- Peace of mind. Parents who want you close are often worried about safety and distance. Staying home removes that worry for everyone.
RMU is not a fallback. It is a public medical university with three attached teaching hospitals and 2,558 beds, and its prospectus profile says about 1,400 “Rawalians” (RMU alumni) work abroad, including in the UK and USA.
When KEMU or AIMC makes sense
ePrepare’s advice changes for one group: students who are seriously planning the USMLE. For them, ePrepare suggests putting KEMU and AIMC first. This is ePrepare’s view, not a claim that a Lahore degree guarantees a US residency. The prospectus profiles do show that both Lahore colleges list North American alumni associations (KEMCAANA for KEMU, AIMCANA for AIMC).
Whichever college you join, the USMLE depends mostly on your own preparation. Choose KEMU for this reason only if the USMLE is a real plan you are willing to work for, not a vague “maybe one day”.
And if KEMU is what you really want, say so. A calm conversation with your parents about why it matters to you, and how you will stay connected, is better than quietly resenting the list for five years.
How the UHS preference list decides
These rules are from the UHS prospectus for session 2025-26. Read them before you finalise anything.
- You must rank every college in your category. The 2025-26 prospectus gave the open-merit example of 16 medical colleges for female candidates and 15 for male candidates.
- You are assessed in your order. UHS starts with your first preference. If candidates higher in merit have filled it, you are considered for your next choice, and so on, until you are placed or your choices run out.
- The order locks at the deadline. You can edit it until the closing time on the last date. After that, requests to change it are not considered, and the same order is used for every selection list in that session.
- Upgradation is compulsory. If you joined a college in an earlier list and a seat opens in a college you ranked higher, you are shifted there. You cannot ask to stay where you are, and down-gradation or mutual transfer is not allowed.
What this means for you: if you rank KEMU above RMU, join RMU in the first list and a KEMU seat later opens up for your merit, you will be moved to Lahore. So put first the college you truly want most, not the one you think you “should” want.
Two sensible ways to order the top of your list
- Family and hometown come first: RMU first, then KEMU, AIMC and the rest. You stay in Rawalpindi whenever your merit allows, and you will never be upgraded away from RMU.
- USMLE plan or KEMU comes first: KEMU first, then AIMC, then RMU and the rest. If you miss Lahore, RMU is still waiting below.
For the full admission rules, including the aggregate formula and documents, read our UHS Punjab MBBS admission policy guide.
Frequently asked questions
If I put KEMU first and miss it, do I lose RMU?
No. If KEMU is filled by candidates above you, UHS considers you for your next choice. Putting a higher-merit college first does not cost you the colleges below it.
Can I stay at RMU if I am upgraded to KEMU?
No. The prospectus says upgradation to a college ranked higher on your list is compulsory and status retention is not permitted. If you would rather stay at RMU, rank it above KEMU.
Can I change my preferences after I submit?
Only until the closing time on the last date of application. After that the order is locked for the whole session.
Is KEMU better than RMU?
ePrepare does not rank colleges. Both are public medical universities with large teaching hospitals. A higher closing merit shows that more toppers chose a college, not that it is the right choice for you.
Will the 2025-26 closing merit repeat this year?
No one can promise that. Use it as a guide to where you stand, then check the current lists on the UHS website.
Sources
- UHS MBBS/BDS Prospectus, Public Sector Medical & Dental Colleges in Punjab, Session 2025-26: college profiles, seat allocation, order of preference and upgradation rules.
- University of Health Sciences, Lahore: current admission notices and the 2025-26 final college-wise selection list, from which the closing aggregates above were taken.
This is an independent guide by ePrepare, not an official UHS notice. The advice on hometown and the USMLE is ePrepare’s opinion. Rules can change and closing merits change every year, so always check the current UHS prospectus and notices before submitting your preferences.
