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If you plan to pursue MBA from a top B-school in India you need to see this list. There are a number of top ranked MBA colleges in India apart from the IIMs, which have good faculty, infrastructure and placement cell. Let's take a look at top 30 colleges accepting CAT score apart from IIMs having lower cut offs.
Top 30 colleges accepting CAT score apart from IIMs – When you plan your MBA journey, do not limit yourself to IIMs only. And don't worry about low CAT score. There are several top notch MBA colleges in India on par with IIMs and even better in certain aspects. When you appear for the Common Admission Test or CAT, you get the opportunity to not only choose from the IIMs but also hundreds of other MBA colleges in India.
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IIMs are considered the most popular MBA colleges but they are not the only ones. There are a lot of popular and high ranked MBA colleges to choose from apart from the IIMs. In fact, many aspirants prefer a non-IIM because they offer more specialisations, industry exposure, or foreign exchange programmes at comparatively lower fees. Top ranked B-Schools such as FMS, SPJIMR, MDI, IITs, NMIMS, IIFT, GIM, GLIM, LIBA, GIM and many more accept CAT score for admission. If you plan to pursue MBA from a top B-School in 2026 session, then you need to know which are the top MBA colleges in India and how much CAT 2025 exam score is required for admission.
- Why MBA?
- Top 30 Colleges Accepting CAT Score for Admission: Cut offs and fees
- Selection Criteria for MBA Admission 2026
Why MBA?
Today, MBA is one of the most popular courses and a majority of students opt for it as it offers a varied range of career options, high salary and related perks. For the same, it is important to obtain an MBA degree from an institute of a good repute and a good placement record. However, IIMs are not within the reach of every student. For some, IIM cut offs are too high at (95-100 percentile) and for some IIM fees is too high (INR 13 to 24 lakh per annum). Apart from the fact that CAT cut offs for IIM admissions are too high, the selection criteria is also very tough. Thus, it is important to keep your options open viz. MBA admissions. For those whose CAT scores do not meet the IIM cut off, there are a lot of options available. There are many reputed MBA colleges in India that are on par with IIMs. Shiksha has shared below a list of the top 30 MBA colleges accepting CAT score, which ensure a good start to your career.
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Top 30 Colleges Accepting CAT Score for Admission: Cut offs and fees
The list below features some of the top 30 MBA colleges other than the IIMs for MBA/PGDM course. Also, mentioned is the total course fees and expected CAT cut offs 2025 for admission.
Selection Criteria for MBA Admission 2026
Selection criteria for MBA includes Group Discussion (GD), Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI). There are three stages:
- 1: Candidates are selected on the basis of exam score (CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT)
- 2: Candidates participate in GD/WAT and PI
- 3: Candidates are selected on the basis of stage 1 and stage 2 evaluation
Apart from the entrance exam scores, institutes also take into consideration candidate’s academic record (class 10, 12 and graduation), work experience and other professional skills.
JBIMS Mumbai cutoff 2024 was concluded based on MHT CET percentiles. The cutoff was released for different categories. As per the JBIMS MAH MBA CET cutoff 2024, the cutoff score for the General AI in the last round was 99.99 for MMS admission.
Candidates can check more information on the cutoff for JBIMS Mumbai here.
Nirma University Institute of Management MBA programme selection process includes CAT score, personal interview, topic development and presentation, and academic performance. The CAT percentage required for General All India category candidates was 60 last year. CAT cut-off is also accepted for MBA courses and the said cut-off percentage is for General All India category candidates. The final information for the 2024 admission has not yet been published.
IMT Nagpur MBA admission is based on CAT/ XAT/ CMAT scores. Based on the previous year's CAT, XAT, and CMAT percentiles, it is challenging to secure admission into the MBA programme at IMT Nagpur. However, if you have scored a XAT percentile of 75, you may have a slight chance of receiving a call from the Institute of Management Technology, Nagpur.
Check out the IMT Nagpur previous year exam-wise cutoff percentile to get a better clarity on what percetile a student can get into this college:
| Exam | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMAT (percentile) | 80 | – / – | 80 |
| CAT (percentile) | 85 | 85 | 85 |
| XAT (percentile) | – / – | – / – | 70 |
Note: The above-mentioned cutoff percentiles are based on the General All India category, and other categories may have different cutoff percentiles.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 16 hours ago
PGCET and CAT serve distinct purposes. The PGCET is primarily conducted for MBA admissions in colleges in the state of Karnataka, specifically for government colleges and private universities with lower fees. CAT is a national level exam for top-ranking B-schools and colleges such as the IIMs that h
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
That's a wonderful goal to push your son toward right at the start. To obtain previous CAT model papers, you can check many available popular exam preparation books in any bookstore or online store. Coaching interest such as TIME, IMS, Career Launcher, etc., usually have mock tests and sample papers
A
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Yes, you can get admission to Jaypee Business School (JBS), Noida for MBA even if you don't have CAT. JBS accepts scores from several other exams such as MAT, CMAT, XAT, GMAT, ATMA, and also CUET-PG. Just make sure you have a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks, then apply with any of those va
Contributor-Level 9
Answered a week ago
I
Contributor-Level 9
Answered a week ago
For candidates pursuing MBA, the eligibility criteria includes merit and entrance based selection. Whereas, for BBA, candidates must qualify Class 12 with a minimum aggregate. JIIT CDOE MBA on the other hand, is offered based on the minimum aggregate of graduation. However, for the final admission,
M
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a week ago
Yes, students can get MBA admission into Galgotia University without CAT. The university accepts other national entrance exams for MBA programme. The university accepts entrance exams such as MAT, CMAT, XAT, SAT, and other. It is mandatory to qualify one of the entrance exams.
K
Contributor-Level 9
Answered a week ago
Yes, students can get admission in Greater Noida Institute of Technology without CAT. CAT is one of the accepted entrance exams at Greater Noida Institute of Technology. The other accepted entrance exams are MAT, NMAT, XAT, CMAT, and others. If a student's CAT score is not good, worry not other acce
A
Contributor-Level 9
Answered a week ago
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi offers various programmes and specilisations across various streams. For obtaining IIFT Delhi admission, candidates are required to appear for the prescribed entrance tests. Students can visit the official website of the IIFT Delhi to learn more regarding the
U
Contributor-Level 8
Answered a week ago
No, candidates can not get into Management Development Institute, Gurgaon without CAT as the college offers admissions to students on the basis of their entrance exam scores. The college accepts various national level exams such as CAT, MAT, XAT, GMAT, etc. for admission to its PGDM programmes, foll
A
Contributor-Level 8
Answered 2 weeks ago
CAT is one of the accepting exams required for admission to PGDM programme. However, it is not compulsory. Aspirants with a valid score in any other accepted entrance exams such as MAT, XAT or CMAT can also get admission in PGDM. Selected aspirants also have to pass the case-based group discussion a
N
Guide-Level 15
Yes, getting in the PSG Institute of Management might be tough but is definitely worth the efforts. The candidates must meet the eligibility requirement set by the institute. Any candidate, who have passed graduation with an aggregate of 60% marks. Candidates must also have appeared for CAT/ MAT/ ATMA/ TANCET. Candidates meeting the above requirements are eligible to apply and pursue the programme at the institute.