Best MBA Colleges in Kerala: Ranking, Fees, Admissions 2026, Courses, Placements
Best MBA Colleges in Kerala: Ranking, Fees, Admissions 2026, Courses, Placements
This list of 180+ MBA colleges in Kerala has 120+ private, 15+ government, and more than 2 public-private ownerships. Kochi has the largest number, followed by Thiruvananthapuram. While Kozhikode has one of the IIMs, among the top-ranking B-schools in India, there are many more across the state offering promising leadership education and executive career opportunities, at lesser tuition costs and good placements. Especially, Rajagiri Business School, Amrita School of Business, SCMS Cochin School of Business, and Saintgits Institute of Management are good examples of high-placement private MBA colleges in Kerala. If considering exams outside CAT, 130+ B-schools in Kerala accept KMAT. Most of them also accept valid scores from CMAT and XAT. These are the primary entrance exams for a majority of Kerala's management institutes. Know about fees, rankings, placements, and admissions for a
This list of 180+ MBA colleges in Kerala has 120+ private, 15+ government, and more than 2 public-private ownerships. Kochi has the largest number, followed by Thiruvananthapuram. While Kozhikode has one of the IIMs, among the top-ranking B-schools in India, there are many more across the state offering promising leadership education and executive career opportunities, at lesser tuition costs and good placements. Especially, Rajagiri Business School, Amrita School of Business, SCMS Cochin School of Business, and Saintgits Institute of Management are good examples of high-placement private MBA colleges in Kerala. If considering exams outside CAT, 130+ B-schools in Kerala accept KMAT. Most of them also accept valid scores from CMAT and XAT. These are the primary entrance exams for a majority of Kerala's management institutes. Know about fees, rankings, placements, and admissions for all below.
- Best MBA Colleges in Kerala: Highlights 2026
- Top MBA Colleges in Kerala with NIRF Ranking 2025
- Eligibility for Admissions at Best MBA Colleges in Kerala in 2026
- Entrance Exams at Best MBA Colleges in Kerala in 2026
- 10 Best Private MBA Colleges in Kerala
- 5 Best Government MBA Colleges in Kerala
- Best Distance MBA Colleges in Kerala: Admission and Fees
- ROI of Best MBA Colleges in Kerala
- Best Cities for MBA in Kerala
- 9.1 Best MBA Colleges in Kochi
- 9.2 Best MBA Colleges in Thiruvananthapuram
- Compare the Best MBA Colleges in Kerala in 2026
Best MBA Colleges in Kerala: Highlights 2026
Going for a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Kerala can help in career, without breaking the bank and going for loans that will take years to complete. The prestigious private B-schools in Kerala generally have stronger industry ties with domestic and international companies. If you're planning to decide on the college, location, and specialisation within your budget, this table will give you an idea.
| Parameters |
Statistics |
|---|---|
| No. of MBA Colleges in Kerala |
180+ |
| Fee Ranges and Number of MBA Colleges in Kerala |
~ INR 36,000 - INR 14 Lakh |
| Top Specialisations |
Finance, Human Resources, Sales and Marketing, IT & Systems, Operations, etc. |
| Accepted Entrance Exams |
KMAT Kerala, CMAT, CAT, MAT, XAT, etc. |
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
Top MBA Colleges in Kerala with NIRF Ranking 2025
The annual NIRF ranking parameters for institutes in the management category can be good benchmarks to determine which MBA college is best in Kerala. These rankings are based on institutes offering the best resources to learn, the best and most diverse student intake, placements, as well as the industry reputation of each. Also, NIRF is not just analysing and ranking the colleges in the state against each other. It's benchmarking the institutes all over India. IIM Kozhikode is the clear winner with a high Graduation Outcome, with a score of 95. Overall, you will find two institutes in Kozhikode and two in Cochin that have made it to the top 100 list of management schools surveyed by NIRF. Except for Rajagiri Business School, the rest are all government institutes.
| College Names |
NIRF 2025 |
|---|---|
| 3 | |
| 82 | |
| 85 | |
| 91 |
Source: Official NIRF report. India Rankings 2025: Management.
Eligibility for Admissions at Best MBA Colleges in Kerala in 2026
Before MBA Admission in any of the colleges in Kerala, one has to meet these:
- Graduation from a recognised university, with 45-60% total score.
- Appeared and have met cutoffs for KMAT, CAT, MAT or similar entrance exams.
Entrance Exams at Best MBA Colleges in Kerala in 2026
These are the entrance exams to check.
| Exam Name |
Exam Schedule |
|---|---|
| KMAT Kerala |
|
| CMAT |
|
| CAT |
|
| MAT |
|
| XAT |
10 Best Private MBA Colleges in Kerala
The private MBA colleges in Kerala are the best when you consider fees, competitiveness, infrastructure, and ROI. They are much more affordable than those of private ownership of the best MBA colleges in India across states of Maharashtra and Karnataka, and in regions like Delhi NCR. That alone can make Kerala a good destination to pursue an MBA.
| College Names | Tuition Fees |
|---|---|
| INR 7.5 Lakh |
|
| INR 8 Lakh |
|
| Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship MBA Course |
INR 10 Lakh |
| INR 8+ Lakh |
|
| INR 3.6 Lakh |
|
| INR 7.95 Lakh |
|
| Amrita School of Business MBA Course | INR 8.2 Lakh |
| Nehru College of Engineering and Research Centre MBA Course | INR 80,000 |
| Sahrdaya Institute of Management Studies MBA Course | INR 3 Lakh |
| Bhavan's Royal Institute of Management MBA course | INR 2.8 Lakh |
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
5 Best Government MBA Colleges in Kerala
Based on the NIRF rankings above, there are 3 top government MBA colleges in Kerala - IIM, NIT, and Cochin University of Science and Technology. The other two in the table also are great offering full-time MBAs within INR 1 -2 Lakh.
| College Names | Tuition Fees |
|---|---|
| INR 21 Lakh – INR 23 Lakh |
|
| INR 3 Lakh |
|
| INR 67,000 - INR 2.8 Lakh |
|
| INR 84,000 - INR 8 Lakh |
|
| INR 1.8 Lakh |
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
Best Distance MBA Colleges in Kerala: Admission and Fees
For working professionals in the state or nearby regions, there are some good distance MBA colleges in Kerala that UGC has approved. Some of them also provide part-time MBAs at very low fees. A few can also offer direct admissions, where only a graduation score of 50% total is the required eligibility.
| College Names | Average Course Fees |
|---|---|
| ICFAI University – Distance Education Admission | INR 65,000 |
| Indian School of Business Management and Administration, Kochi Admission | INR 29,900 - 59,800 |
| School of Distance Education, University of Kerala | INR 82,350 |
| Mastermind Institute of Management, IT and Engineering (MIMIE Kochi) Admission | INR 51,000 - 75,000 |
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
ROI of Best MBA Colleges in Kerala
IIMs all over India have good placements. Their industry reputation is too high. But there are other good MBA colleges in Kerala, which have excellent to moderate average packages, making them worth the investment. You can review the MBA course links offered by different colleges here, the fee ranges, and the average packages MBA graduates make.
| College Names |
Total Tuition Fee |
Median Package |
|---|---|---|
| INR 21 Lakh - INR 23 Lakh |
INR 25 LPA - INR 27 LPA |
|
| INR 3 Lakh |
INR 9 LPA |
|
| INR 8.2 Lakh |
INR 8.11 LPA |
|
| Cochin University of Science and Technology Kochi MBA Placement | INR 1.22 Lakh | INR 7.5 LPA |
| Saintgits College of Engineering MBA Placement | INR 4.2 Lakh | INR 7.4 LPA |
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
Best Cities for MBA in Kerala
Some of the best places to go for an MBA in Kerala.
Best MBA Colleges in Kochi
Kochi has a large number of MBA colleges. Among the best MBA colleges in Kochi, beyond the known ones like Rajagiri Business School or SCMS School of Business, there are a couple more.
| Kochi MBA College Names | Total Tuition Fees for MBA/PGDM |
|---|---|
| Kochi Business School | INR 4 Lakh |
| Amity Global Business School | INR 6+ Lakh |
| Indian Maritime Unirvesity (IMU) | INR 4.1 Lakh |
| INR 4.3 Lakh | |
| INR 60,000 - INR 2.4 Lakh |
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
Best MBA Colleges in Thiruvananthapuram
The capital of Kerala has fewer MBA colleges than Kochi. While you can check the best MBA colleges in Thiruvananthapuram, see the essential options in the city below.
| College Name | Total Tuition Fees |
|---|---|
| INR 4 Lakh | |
| INR 2 Lakh |
|
| INR 2.6 Lakh |
|
| INR 4 Lakh |
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
To further analyse your choices, go through the comparison pages.
Best MBA Colleges in Kerala: Ranking, Fees, Admissions 2026, Courses, Placements
Commonly asked questions On Best MBA Colleges in Kerala: Ranking, Fees, Admissions 2026, Courses, Placements
There are about 190 of the best MBA colleges in Kerala. Among them, 126 colleges are privately owned, 19 colleges are owned by public/government organisations, and public-private entities own 3 MBA colleges. CMAT, CAT, KMAT, MAT, and XAT are some of the most accepting entrance exams in top MBA colleges in Kerala. IIM Kozhikode, NIT Calicut, Rajagiri Business School, Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies, Saintgits Institute of Management, etc. are some of the popular MBA colleges in Kerala.
The No. 1 MBA college in Kerala is IIM Kozhikode, which is above all business schools in the state in terms of industry reputation and placements. According to NIRF 2025, IIM Kozhikode ranking is in the 3rd position among the top 100 MBA colleges in India.
The 10 best B-schools in Kerala are private and government institutes. Their MBA degrees are much valuable for jobs and entrepreneurships.
| College Name | Total Tuition Fee |
|---|---|
INR 20+ Lakh | |
INR 7 lakh | |
INR 7 lakh | |
INR 8 lakh | |
Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship Admission | INR 9 lakh |
INR 4 lakh | |
INR 4 lakh | |
INR 1 lakh | |
INR 70,000- INR 1 lakh | |
INR 8+ Lakh |
Note: All info. is from official sites and can change.
Joining an MBA colleges in Kerala can be worthwhile for you. For that, you need to check its ROI. Listed below are some of he colleges along with their total tuition fees and average placement package:
College Names | Total Course Fee | Annual Median Package |
|---|---|---|
INR 21 lakh – INR 23 lakh | INR 25 LPA - INR 27 LPA | |
INR 1 lakh | INR 9 LPA | |
| Cochin University of Science and Technology MBA | INR 1 lakh | INR 8 LPA |
| Rajagiri Business School MBA | INR 8 lakh | INR 7 LPA |
| SSTM MBA | INR 7 lakh | INR 6 LPA |
Disclaimer: The above statistics are based on the latest data.
Hope this answer your query!
IIM Kozhikode offers a two-year Executive Post Graduate Programme in Executive Management (EPGP), which is also popular as E-MBA. Candidates with some experience can gain a lot of benefits by pursuing MBA from IIM Kozhikode. It is one of the top Management institutes of the country. Along with the experienced faculty, candidates also get great exposure by studying in an IIM. For the Management category courses, IIM Kozhikode has been ranked on number 3 under the top 100 colleges of Managemen in India by NIRF. At the completion of the course, candidates will receive a degee of MBA from reputed IIM Kozhikode. The institute has received Global recognition from AMBA, EQUIS and Business Incubator and Entrepreneurship Centre support through IIMK LIVE.
Check below the more reasons to join the flagship programme (MBA) at IIM Kozhikode:
Commonly asked questions On Best MBA Colleges in Kerala: Ranking, Fees, Admissions 2026, Courses, Placements
IIM kozhikode offered the highest placement package ranging between INR 25 LPA - INR 27 LPA. Prominent recruiters include Amazon, EY, Capgemini, Myntra, Abbott, Infosys, Microsoft, Ola, etc.
Listed below are the top college for MBA in Kerala along with their placement package and prominent recruiters:
College Name | Annual Placement Placement | Top Recruiters |
|---|---|---|
INR 25 LPA - INR 27 LPA | Amazon, EY, Capgemini, Myntra, Abbott, Infosys, Microsoft, Ola, etc. | |
INR 9 LPA | Accenture, L&T Infotech, Bain & Company, IBM India Private Limited, etc. |
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website.
READ MORE: MBA Syllabus 2024
It is estimated that joining MBA colleges in Kerala can be affordable. Listed below are some of the colleges having their total tuition fee of less than INR 1 lakh:
| Low-cost Colleges | Total Tuition Fee |
|---|---|
| Institute of Management in Kerala Fees | INR 70,000 |
| MGU Kerala Fees | INR 38,000 - INR 49,000 |
| University of Calicut Fees | INR 99,000 |
| Rajagiri College of Social Sciences Fees | INR 53,000 |
| Nehru College of Engineering and Research Centre Fees | INR 80,000 |
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website.
There are only 2 Government Colleges in India that provide PGDM Courses and accept MAT Scores, others provide MBA, which is similar to PGDM. The colleges are -
Mahatma Gandhi Univerity Common Admission Test (MGU CAT) application fee is announced category-wise. The application fee for general and open all-India quota candidates is INR 1,200 and INR 600 for the SC/ST candidates. Moreover, the fee for international candidates is UD 100. The fee payment shall be accepted in online mode via credit card, debit card, or net banking.
The first year of the University of Calicut MBA focuses on building a rock-solid foundation in business basics. During these two semesters, the University of Calicut teaches subjects like Managerial Economics, Accounting for Managers, and Organizational Behavior. By mastering these core areas, University of Calicut MBA students develop the analytical mindset needed to tackle complex corporate challenges before moving into their specific areas of elective specialisation in the second year.
Commonly asked questions On Best MBA Colleges in Kerala: Ranking, Fees, Admissions 2026, Courses, Placements
Joining Online MBA colleges in India can be worthwhile for you. For that, you need to check its ROI. Listed below are some of the colleges along with their total tuition fees and average placement package:
College Names | Total Tuition Fee | Annual Average Package |
|---|---|---|
| Great Lakes Institute of Management MBA | INR 4 lakh | INR 12 LPA |
INR 2 lakh | INR 8 LPA | |
| Birla Institute of Management Technology MBA | INR 3 lakh | INR 11 LPA |
INR 2 lakh | INR 8 LPA |
Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website/ sanctioning body and may vary.
The best online MBA college would depend on various factors of learning and career growth. But, if you must choose by curricula and global employer appeal, IIM Ahmedabad has advanced blended online MBA programmes. It's also NIRF’s no. 1 management college in India, for the last two years. IIM Ahmedabad offers two online MBA programmes in blended mode. One is a general course, MBA- BPGP (Blended Post Graduate Programme in Management). The other one is the Blended MBA in Business Analytics & AI.
No, it is not necessary to have an MBA degree to get a job in managerial post in a Government organisation.
A PGDM in a relevant specialisation can be equally eligible or suitable for a managerial role in a Government organisation also.
Some of the popular Govt. PGDM Colleges are given in the table below:
- IIM Kozhikode
- IIM Shillong
- XLRI Jamshedpur
- MDI, Gurgaon
- MICA, Ahmedabad
- IIM Lucknow
- Great Lakes Institute of Management
Candidates must have completed their professional degrees from State Agricultural Universities or ICAR-recognised deemed universities and have a minimum OGPA of 7.0 out of 10 (or 6.5 for SC/ST candidates). OR at least 60% marks (55% for SC/ST) in all classes starting from SSLC (Class 10) onwards under the traditional system. Additionally, the selection is based on KMAT/ CMAT/ CAT scores, followed by a GD and PI.
Commonly asked questions On Best MBA Colleges in Kerala: Ranking, Fees, Admissions 2026, Courses, Placements
Yes, it is very much necessary to take entrance exams for PGDM courses in India, If you want to take admission int reputable and top-tier B-schools then it is very crucial.
While some institutions offer direct admission based on graduation merit, most colleges require valid scores from national-level tests like CAT, XAT, CMAT, NMAT, or MAT.
Yes, the college has set a good placement record over the past few years. The complete insights of Rajagiri Business School placements 2022 to 2024 are mentioned below:
Particulars | MBA Placement Statistics (2022) | MBA Placement Statistics (2023) | MBA Placement Statistics (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
Total students | 159 | 150 | 215 |
| Students placed | 87 | 117 | 204 |
Median package | INR 5.5 LPA | INR 4.50 LPA | INR 7 LPA |
NOTE: The placement statistics are taken from the NIRF report 2025.
The total tuition fee for Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies MBA ranges between INR 1.8 lakh and INR 7 lakh. This information is sourced from official website/ sanctioning body and is subject to change. Candidates who are selected have to pay the course fee to confirm their seat in the institute. Besides, aspirants also have to pay an application fee to register for the MBA course.
For the forthcoming academic year, the most recent PGDM cutoff information at SCMS Cochin School of Business is not yet available. Nevertheless, as a reference, you might use the deadlines from the prior year 2023: These are the percentiles: CAT (60-70), XAT (60-65), CMAT (60-65), ATMA (50-60), and KMAT (60-65). The cut-off and the admission is decided on the factor of number are students filling the application form and the number of students applying in the year. Once they are decided, the new cut-offs for the forthcoming academic year will be posted on the SCMS Cochin School of Business website. To stay informed about the SCMS cut-off marks, candidates should frequently check the websites of the aptitude test management company and the college.
Commonly asked questions On Best MBA Colleges in Kerala: Ranking, Fees, Admissions 2026, Courses, Placements
XIME Kochi fee include various components such as admission, tuition, library, computer centre, text books, programme materials, examinations, Diploma and co-curricular activities. The programme fee payment is accepted in six installments. XIME Kochi PGDM fee is INR 9.7 lakh. In which, INR 5.1 Lacs has to be paid in the first year and remaining INR 4.6 Lacs in the second year of the course.
MBA/PGDM Applications open till Jun 10, 2026. Apply Now
MBA/PGDM Applications open till Jun 10, 2026. Apply Now
- Colleges in Kerala
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- Top MBA Colleges in Kerala 2026
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- MBA Colleges accepting CAT in India
- MBA Colleges accepting MAT in India
- MBA Colleges accepting SNAP in India
- MBA Colleges accepting XAT in India
