Best CAT Colleges in India

There are approximately 1,550+ MBA colleges in India accepting CAT scores. Of these,  1,077 colleges are privately owned, 177 colleges are owned by public/government organisations, and public-private entities own 7 MBA colleges. CAT is the most accepting entrance exam in top MBA colleges in India. IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore, Indian Institute of Management Mumbai, etc. are some of the top MBA colleges that accept CAT score in India.

Here are the best MBA colleges in India that accept CAT:

Disclaimer: This info. is taken from the official website and may differ.

Joining the best MBA colleges accepting CAT scores 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 tuition fees and average placement package:

Yes, one can join an IIM without taking the CAT exam, but this alternative route depends entirely on the type of programme. CAT exam remains mandatory for the flagship two-year full-time MBA (PGP/PGDM) programs. However, some courses may not need a valid CAT score for IIM admission.

Candidates must pass graduation with minimum 50% aggregate (45% aggregate for SC/ ST) from a recognised board. Further, candidates must have a valid score in exam accepted by the college followed by GDPI round. 

It is estimated that joining the top B Schools accepting CAT scores in India can be affordable as most colleges have tuition fees between INR 1-2 lakh. Listed below are some of the affordable colleges having tuition fees of less than INR 1 lakh:

The table below shows the best government colleges accepting CAT scores in India along with their total tuition fees:

Getting a 99 percentile in the CAT exam is usually considered difficult, as it places you in the top 1 per cent of roughly 2.5 to 3 Lacs test-takers.

The general eligibility criteria to get MBA admission in India that accept CAT scores are listed below:

• Candidates should have a bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification in any discipline from a recognised university or institution with a minimum of 50% aggregate.
• MBA colleges in India consider scores from national-level entrance exams such as Candidates are required to meet the minimum cutoff scores set by the respective colleges.

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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. 

A raw score or scaled score of 72 in the CAT exam is generally considered a good score. Candidates with 72 score are usually placed in the 90th to 95th percentile range.

At the postgraduate level, IIM Bangalore offers MBA courses to students. The total tuition fee for the MBA is INR 26 lakh. This fee is exclusive of the admission fee, and several other charges. Students must pay the total tuition fee in time to avoid the late fee charges. For complete fee details visit the official website of the college. 

No, candidates are not allowed to get admission into the MBA/ PGDM at Weilingkar Mumbai directly. To get admission into this course, applicants must follow the complete admission process that starts with the registration of the course, appearing in the valid entrance exam, release of the cutoff, admission confirmation, fee payments, etc. In addition, if someone is a prospect to join the MBA at Welingkar Mumbai, they are obliged to follow all these eligibility requirements. 

IIT-JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) is generally considered harder in terms of raw subject knowledge. While the CAT exam is more unpredictable and competitive regarding speed as well as strategy.

No, graduates or final-year students from any discipline, including Engineering, Humanities, Commerce, Science, or Arts, can appear for CAT. The eligibility for admissions via CAT remains the same across all IIMs. However, the qualifying cutoff varies for all 22 IIMs

No, there is no upper age limit or restriction on the number of times a candidate can attempt the CAT exam. Any candidate who fulfills the basic educational qualifications can register and appear.

MDI Gurgaon does not release cutoff list. The eligibility criteria set for admission to MDI Gurgaon follows that, Candidate must have a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA. Candidate must have scored at least 50% in both Class 10 and 12, and have a valid CAT/GMAT score. In addition to the CAT score, candidates must also perform well in the Group Discussions (GD) and Personal Interview (PI) rounds for final selection. Additionally, MDI Gurgaon does not have any management quota seats.

IIM Lucknow highest packages offered during 2026 stood at INR 65 LPA (domestic) and INR 1 LPA (international). See the table below showcasing IIM Lucknow the highest package trends:

Yes, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai provides scholarships across two categories:

Diversity & Merit Scholarships

Great Lakes offers diversity & merit scholarships for PGPM students to encourage diversity of perspectives in the institution. The institute offers a total of 40 diversity & merit scholarships worth INR 5 Lacs and 30% of the total scholarships are for female students. Candidates seeking scholarships in this category will be evaluated on the following parameters:

•  Application form
• Essay writing
•  Interview assessment

IIM Calcutta is one of the top Management institutes in the country. In the NIRF 2025 rankings, it is ranked #7 under the Management category. The placement rate recorded during 2025-26 placement was 100%. The highest domestic and international package by MBA Batch 2026 was INR 145 LPA and INR 110 LPA. Considering the institute's ranking and placement data, it is easy to say that it is one of the top institute for MBA in India. The ROI for the course is also great.

For IIM Indore MBA admission, the course fee is INR 24 lakh to be paid in six equal instalments. This doesn't include other components. Given below is the fee structure of IIM Indore MBA fees, as per the official website for the 2026-28 batch:

The total seats in PGDM programme is 240 at LIBA Chennai. Candidates are offered seats in PGDM programme based on their CAT or XAT scores. Selected aspirants also need to pass WAT followed by GDPI round. Aspirants need to pay course fees to confirm their seat.