India’s management education scene is incredibly vibrant, with countless MBA colleges welcoming students from all backgrounds and regions. The most popular entrance exams for admission to these top MBA colleges include CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, and ATMA. Some of the country’s most prestigious MBA institutes are IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Calcutta, DMS IIT Delhi, IIM Lucknow, SIIB Pune, IIM Indore, IIM Raipur, and IIM Rohtak.
Top MBA Colleges In India: Highlights 2025
| Particulars | Details |
| Leading MBA Colleges in India | IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore, IIM Raipur, IIM Rohtak, DMS IIT Delhi, and SIIB Pune. |
| MBA Course Fees | The fee structure for MBA programs varies widely depending on the institute:
|
| Popular MBA Specializations | Sales & Marketing, Finance, Human Resources, Operations, and IT & Systems being the most popular. |
| Top MBA Entrance Exams | CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, and ATMA. |
| Number of IIMs in India | There are currently 21 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) spread across the country, each offering top-notch MBA programs. |
Top MBA Colleges In India: Admissions 2025
Admission to a good MBA college in India depends on meeting certain basic eligibility criteria, although each institute may have its own specific admission process. Here’s what most colleges usually look for:
- Students should have a bachelor’s degree in any stream from a recognized university.
- Most colleges expect at least 45–50% marks in an undergraduate degree.
- Students need to appear for a recognized management entrance exam like CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, or others.
- Selection doesn’t end at the exam—Students will likely have to go through further rounds, such as Group Discussions (GD) and Personal Interviews (PI).
- Since requirements can vary from one institute to another, it’s always best to check the official website of the college before filling out the application.
Top MBA Colleges in India: Exam Schedule 2025
Students who plan to pursue an MBA from one of India’s top colleges must clear a management entrance exam as the first step. These exams test your aptitude, reasoning ability, and problem-solving skills—and each one has its own style and schedule.
- XAT (Xavier Aptitude Test)
Conducted by XLRI Jamshedpur, XAT is a popular national-level exam for MBA/PGDM admissions. It covers four areas—Decision Making, Verbal & Logical Ability, Quantitative & Data Interpretation, and General Knowledge. - MAT (Management Aptitude Test)
Conducted by AIMA, the MAT exam is held four times a year—in February, May, September, and December. Students can take it in paper (PBT), computer-based (CBT), or internet-based (IBT) modes. - CAT (Common Admission Test)
CAT is the key exam that helps students get admission into the IIMs and more than 1,200 other business schools across India. It’s one of the toughest exams, with three main sections: Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude. - CMAT (Common Management Admission Test)
CMAT is conducted at the national level and is accepted by many AICTE-approved institutions. It usually tests Quantitative Skills, Logical Reasoning, General Awareness, Language Comprehension, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. - ATMA (AIMS Test for Management Admissions)
ATMA is another widely accepted exam, especially among private colleges. It focuses on evaluating Analytical Reasoning, Quantitative Skills, and Verbal Ability.
Exam Schedule 2025:
| Exam Name | Exam Date |
| CAT | 30 November 2025 |
| MAT | 21 September 2025 (PBT) / 28 September 2025 (CBT) |
| XAT | 4 January 2026 |
| CMAT | January 2026 (Tentative) |
| ATMA | December 2025 |
Top MBA Colleges in India: Cutoffs
Getting into top MBA colleges in India is really tough. For colleges like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Calcutta, Students need to score close to 99 percentile or more in exams like CAT. Other respected colleges like XLRI, FMS Delhi, and SPJIMR expect students to clear around the 95 to 98 percentile mark. But cracking the exam cutoff is only the beginning. After that, students have to clear group discussions and interviews.
| College / Institute | Exam Accepted | Expected Cutoff (Percentile) |
| IIM Ahmedabad | CAT | 99+ |
| IIM Bangalore | CAT | 99+ |
| IIM Calcutta | CAT | 99+ |
| IIM Kozhikode | CAT | 97–98 |
| IIM Lucknow | CAT | 97–98 |
| IIM Indore | CAT | 96–97 |
| IIM Shillong | CAT | 90–92 |
| FMS Delhi | CAT | 98+ |
| XLRI Jamshedpur | XAT | 95–96 |
| ISB Hyderabad | GMAT/GRE | GMAT 710+ / GRE 95% |
| SPJIMR Mumbai | CAT/XAT | 95–96 |
| MDI Gurgaon | CAT | 95+ |
| IIFT Delhi/Kolkata | IIFT Exam | 95 |
| NMIMS Mumbai | NMAT | 210–220 score |
| Symbiosis Pune (SIBM) | SNAP | 97–98 |
| IMT Ghaziabad | CAT/XAT/CMAT | 90–92 |
| TAPMI Manipal | CAT/XAT | 85–87 |
| XIMB Bhubaneswar | CAT/XAT | 90+ |
| Great Lakes Chennai | CAT/XAT | 85+ |
| K J Somaiya Institute, Mumbai | CAT/XAT/NMAT | 85–87 |
Top MBA Colleges In India: Courses & Fees
Top MBA colleges in India, like the IIMs, IITs, and other reputed institutes, are known for their quality education and strong placement opportunities. They offer MBA programs in areas such as Finance, Marketing, HR, and Business Analytics.
The fees can range widely, from less than INR 3 lakh in some colleges to over INR 30 lakhs in top institutes.
| College Name | Popular MBA Courses | Approximate Fees (INR) |
| IIM Ahmedabad | Post Graduate Programme (PGP) | 26.5 Lakhs (2 years) |
| IIM Bangalore | Post Graduate Programme | 26.15 Lakhs (2 years) |
| IIM Calcutta | Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) | 27 Lakhs (2 years) |
| XLRI Jamshedpur | MBA (HRM & BM) | 14.7 – 30.6 Lakhs (2 years) |
| SP Jain Institute of Management | MBA | 21 – 22.5 Lakhs (2 years) |
| FMS Delhi | MBA | 2.32 Lakhs (2 years) |
| MDI Gurgaon | Post Graduate Program in Management (PGPM) | 24 Lakhs (2 years) |
| NMIMS Mumbai | MBA (Various specializations) | 18–20 Lakhs (2 years) |
| SIBM Pune | MBA | 17–24 Lakhs (2 years) |
| Great Lakes Institute of Management | PGPM, MBA (Various formats) | 9.5–11.5 Lakhs (1-2 years) |
Top MBA Colleges In India: Placements
Top MBA colleges in India are well-known for their excellent placement records, offering students strong career opportunities with impressive salary packages. IIMs like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Calcutta attract leading global recruiters from consulting, finance, IT, and marketing. Institutes such as XLRI, FMS Delhi, ISB, and SPJIMR also see top companies like BCG, McKinsey, Amazon, and Google hiring their graduates.
| College Name | Average Salary (INR LPA) | Highest Salary (INR LPA) | Top Sectors / Recruiters |
| IIM Ahmedabad | 34.36 | 146 | Consulting (BCG, McKinsey), Finance (Goldman Sachs), IT (Accenture) |
| IIM Bangalore | 34.88 | 82 | Amazon, Microsoft, Deloitte |
| IIM Calcutta | 34.23 | 70+ | Consulting, Finance, Marketing |
| XLRI Jamshedpur | 24-30 | 60+ | Tata, Bosch, ICICI |
| FMS Delhi | 34.1 | 123 | Consulting, Finance, Manufacturing |
| SPJIMR Mumbai | 22-28 | 50+ | Cognizant, PWC, Accenture |
| ISB Hyderabad | 26-32 | 55+ | Google, Morgan Stanley, Flipkart |
| NMIMS Mumbai | 18-20 | 38+ | Deloitte, Wipro, Genpact |
| MDI Gurgaon | 18-25 | 42+ | HUL, Cognizant, Infosys |
| Great Lakes Chennai | 9.5-11.5 | 20+ | TCS, Accenture, Capgemini |
Top MBA Colleges In India FAQS
| Ques. Which is India’s No. 1 MBA college? Ans. IIM Ahmedabad is India’s No. 1 MBA college. Ques. Which MBA college has the highest placement? Ans. IIM Bangalore has the highest placement, which can go up to INR 35.31 LPA. Ques. Which state is best for an MBA in India? Ans. Mumbai is the best state for an MBA as it has the top 10 private colleges in India. Ques. Which MBA has the highest salary in India? Ans. An MBA in finance has the highest salary in India. Ques. How many seats are in IIM? Ans. There are approximately 5500 MBA/PGDM seats available in the IIMs. Ques. How many attempts for the CAT exam? Ans. There is no limit to the number of attempts CAT exam. Ques. Is the CAT MCQ-based? Ans. No, the CAT is not entirely MCQ-based.= Ques. Is there negative marking on the CAT? Ans. Yes, the CAT exam has a -1 negative marking for each incorrect answer. Ques. Is GMAT MCQ-based? Ans. Yes, GMAT is MCQ-based. Ques. Does CAT include GK? Ans. No, the CAT test does not have a general knowledge section. |
