MBA Admission 2026: Last Date to Apply, Fees and Selection Process of Top B-Schools

MBA Admission 2026: Last Date to Apply, Fees and Selection Process of Top B-Schools

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Vipra Shrivastava
Senior Manager - Content
Updated on May 14, 2026 19:04 IST
MBA admission season has started for 2026 batch. Take a look at the MBA admission process of top MBA colleges in India and the entrance exams that you can take for MBA admission this year. Also know the application dates and selection process of all the top MBA colleges in India. Read more on Shiksha

MBA admission 2026 is underway with colleges accepting applications and conducting PI round. Check admission dates, application deadline, process and selection criteria of top MBA colleges in India here.

MBA admission 2026

MBA admission for 2026 batch is underway. While all Tier 1 colleges are releasing their final merit lists, many Tier 2 and Tier 3 colleges are inviting applications for admission. MBA aspirants who have appeared for any of the entrance exams, must fill the college admission forms on time so as to not miss the session.

Selection of the B-School is to be done carefully – keeping in mind location, fee, curriculum, infrastructure, industry exposure, and placements. Evaluating MBA ROI is the key in today’s scenario when the world economy is going through a tough phase. 

Once, the list of MBA colleges is ready, the next step is to find out their admission process and selection criteria. In this article, we have shared information regarding MBA admission process and application deadline for 2026 batch.

Table of contents
  • MBA Entrance Exams: Important Dates 2026
  • MBA Admissions 2026: Application Deadline
  • MBA Colleges in India: Admission Process & Selection Criteria
  • IIM Admission Process
  • Admission Process of Top MBA Colleges in India other than the IIMs
  • List of MBA colleges in India by entrance exam

MBA Entrance Exams: Important Dates 2026

MBA admission process 2026 is underway at all top B-schools in India. Candidates who have qualified any of the national level exam in 2025 or 2026, can apply for admission. While CAT, XAT, CMAT, NMAT exams have been conducted for 2026 batch, MAT, ATMA and state level MBA entrance exams are still to be conducted. 

Also Read:

MBA Admissions 2026: Application Deadline

Some of the popular MBA colleges to target for admission apart from the IIMs are listed below. These colleges invite applications online on the basis of MBA entrance exam scores. So, the aspirants must select their preferred college and start preparing for the MBA admission process, which includes fill the entrance exam form, filling the college application form, clearing the entrance exam and participating in GD/PI. Check below application dates of some of the popular MBA colleges in India.

MBA College

MBA Exam Score Accepted

Application status MBA/PGDM 2026 batch

International Management Institute, Kolkata

CAT, XAT, GMAT

Closed

International Management Institute, Bhubaneswar

CAT, XAT, GMAT

Closed

IMT Ghaziabad

CAT, XAT, GMAT, CMAT

Closed

Amity Business School

MAT, CMAT, GMAT, NMAT, CAT, XAT

Open

FMS Delhi University

CAT

Closed

SPJIMR Mumbai

CAT, GMAT

Closed

IIFT Delhi

CAT

Closed

XLRI, Jamshedpur

XAT, GMAT

Closed

Great Lakes Institute of Management

CAT, XAT, CMAT

Open 

Symbiosis International University (Deemed)

SNAP

Closed

MDI Gurgaon

CAT, GMAT

Closed

Vijay Patil School of Management

CAT, XAT, GMAT, GRE

Open

Dr DY Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune 

CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT, ATMA, AIET 

Open

KIIT SOM

CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, GMAT, KIITEE MBA

Closed

Christ University

CUET

Open

Alliance School of Business, Alliance University

CAT, XAT, GMAT, NMAT, SNAP, KMAT, MAT, CMAT, IBSAT, ALLIANCE-AMAT

Open

APPLY NOW

Crescent School of Business

CAT, XAT, CMAT, ATMA, MAT, GMAT, TANCET and CSBAT

Open

Asia-Pacific Institute of Management

CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT, GMAT

Open

APPLY NOW

Birla Institute of Management Technology, Noida

CAT, GMAT

Open

JK Business School

CAT, MAT, CMAT

Open

ITM Business School

CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT, GMAT, MAH-CET

Open

APPLY NOW

Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute Of Management

CAT, XAT, CMAT, GMAT, ATMA

Open

Thiagarajar School of Management

CAT, XAT, CMAT, MAT, GMAT, ATMA

Open

Jaipuria Institute of Management

CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA

Open

Fortune Institute of International Business (FIIB)

CAT, XAT, CMAT, GMAT, MAT

Open

EMPI Business School

CAT, XAT, CMAT, MAT, ATMA

Open

Lloyd Business School Noida

CAT, XAT, CMAT, MAT, GMAT

Open

IPE Hyderabad

CAT, XAT, CMAT, GMAT, ATMA, MAT

Open

Indian School of Business (ISB)

GMAT, GRE

Open

IFMR - Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR GSB), Sri City

CAT, XAT, CMAT, GMAT, GRE

Open

MBA Colleges in India: Admission Process & Selection Criteria

The first name that comes to one’s mind viz. a top MBA colleges in India is the Indian Institutes of Management or IIMs. The top ranked MBA institute has 21 campuses and the five top - IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow and IIM Kozhikode - are the most sought after. Every year over two lakh MBA aspirants appear in CAT - the common entrance test conducted by the IIM to pursue MBA/PGDM/PGP programmes. The admission procedure of the IIMs includes CAT exam and WAT/PI.

Also Read:

IIM Admission Process

IIM admission is based on CAT exam result. The IIMs screen test takers on the basis of their CAT score and academic record. Category-wise CAT cut off percentiles are fixed for each IIM for shortlisting candidates. Those who meet the eligibility requirement ( CAT cut off) are selected for Written Ability Test (GD/WAT) and Personal Interview (PI). The final selection is based on candidate's overall performance on various parameters such as academics, CAT exam, /WAT-PI, work experience.

Also read:

Factors determining selection of candidates for IIM WAT-PI are listed below:

  • CAT score
  • Class 10 score
  • Class 12 score
  • Graduation score

After the WAT/GD-PI is completed, a Composite Score of each candidate is arrived at by calculating marks obtained by them on various parameters.

Parameters of Final Selection for IIM Admission

  • CAT score
  • WAT/GD-PI score
  • Class 10 score
  • Class 12 score
  • Graduation score
  • Gender diversity
  • Academic diversity
  • Work experience

Weight allotted to each of the abovementioned parameter varies for each IIM.

Also read:

Admission Process of Top MBA Colleges in India other than the IIMs

Top MBA institutes like the following have the same admission process like the IIMs, but they accept scores of multiple entrance exams. Since there is no common counselling for admission to MBA colleges, candidates have to apply for every institute separately to secure an MBA seat. 

MBA admission process

MBA Admission Process

MBA Admission & Selection Criteria of Top MBA Colleges

As mentioned earlier, MBA admission process includes an entrance test followed by GD/PI. However, different MBA colleges accept different exam scores. The table given below has the list of top MBA colleges and the exam score they accept for admission. Also indicated in the table is whether these institutes conduct GD/PI or not.

MBA College Name

MBA Entrance Exam

Group Discussion/Personal Interview (GD/PI)

Management Development Institute, Gurgaon

CAT/GMAT

Yes

Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi

CAT

Yes

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi

CAT/GMAT

Yes

Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai

MAH-CET

Yes

Narsee Monji Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai

NMAT by GMAC

Yes

SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai

CAT/XAT/GMAT

Yes

XLRI-Xavier School of Management

XAT/GMAT

Yes

Institute of Management Technology

CAT/XAT/CMAT/GMAT

Yes

Symbiosis Institute of Business Management

SNAP

Yes

Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research

CAT/XAT/ATMA/CMAT/GMAT

 Yes

IRMA, Anand

CAT/XAT and IRMASAT

Yes

MICA, Ahmedabad

CAT/XAT/CMAT and MICAT

Yes

List of MBA colleges in India by entrance exam

Given below is the list of MBA colleges in India accepting various entrance exam scores. Take a look at each of them before choosing a college for MBA admission.

MBA colleges in India accepting CAT

MBA colleges in India accepting IBSAT

MBA colleges in India accepting MAT

MBA colleges in India accepting ATMA

MBA colleges in India accepting XAT

MBA colleges in India accepting IIFT

MBA colleges in India accepting CMAT

MBA colleges in India accepting SNAP

MBA colleges in India accepting NMAT

MBA colleges in India accepting TSICET

MBA colleges in India accepting MAH CET

MBA colleges in India accepting TANCET

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   Is 130 a good score in MAH MBA CET?
A: 

Yes, 130 marks can be conducted a good score in MAH MBA CET, considering the total marks is 200. The score of 130 will convert into above 99 percentile.

Q:   Is the CAT syllabus difficult?
A: 

Yes CAT syllabus is difficult to crack if you do not have enough time. There are three subjects in CAT- VARC, DILR and Quantitative Aptitude. Most of candidates find RC passages tough to crack. In Quants, Arithmetic, Algebra and Geometry pose significant challenge during preparation. In DILR, Reasoning questions often turnout to be tricky and confusion. 

Q:   Is CAT exam tough for an average student?
A: 

CAT is a speed-based test of analytical aptitude, logical reasoning skills, data interpretation and English comprehension. Now, it may sound tough, but these are the skills which we are taught in school so there is nothing new to learn. What is required is to learn these subjects at advanced level. If you are an average student but have studied Science or Commerce in Class-12 and graduation, you will find a lot of familiar topics in Data Interpretation, Quantitative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning. All you will need is brush up the basics and practice the concepts on advanced-level problems.

However, since the competition is so high in CAT and less than 95 percentile can break your dream of joining a top college like IIM, the preparation for CAT requires a lot of focus, dedication, discipline and diligence. If you can do that, despite being an average student, you can crack the CAT exam.

Hope it was helpful!!!

Q:   What should be my preparation strategy to qualify SNAP 2026?
A: 

SNAP is any easy exam but the time is too less to attempt all 60 questions. There is also negative marking in the exam, so candidates must practice about 30-40 full length and sectional mock tests to gain speed and accuracy. In the exam, they must stay away from any question whose answer they are not sure of.

 

Check Cut offs of top MBA entrance exams and predict calls from IIMs and other Top MBA Colleges. Check Fees, Placement Reviews, Admission, Shortlist Criteria and eligibility of all MBA Colleges by clicking the link below:

Predict IIM & Non IIM Calls
Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   How many months are required to prepare for SNAP exam?
A: 

To effectively prepare for SNAP exam about 6 months are required. Candidates can start early too, but not later than when six months are left for the SNAP exam date. 6 months will give candidates to cover all the topics of SNAP syllabus and practice mock tests.