MBA Admission 2026: Complete Guide to Selection Process, Entrance Exams accepted, Deadlines, Fees, Cut Offs for Top B-schools

Admission process of a good MBA college includes following steps:

• Take Entrance Exam: Candidates must appear in one or two MBA entrance exams like CAT, XAT, CMAT, NMAT or MAT. Top colleges have high CAT/XAT score/percentile requirements.
• Apply to Selected B-schools: Along with taking MBA entrance exam, you should apply to MBA colleges which meet your criteria like Fees, Location, Rankings and others. MBA Admission Fees (application fees) varies from Rs 1000 to Rs 3000 depending on colleges
• Get Shortlisted for Personal Interview: After you have applied to the colleges, they will shortlist for final admission round you based on entrance exam scores and academic performance.
• Appear in Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI): Final selection round involves appearing in Group discussion (to check your interpersonal skills) and Personal Interview (to check your communication, self-awareness and motivation for doing the MBA).
• Specific admission process varies by institution, but overall having good academics, entrance exam scores, and doing well in personal interviews will ensure admission to a good MBA program.
• Get Final Admission Selection Confirmation & Pay Fees: In January to April 2026, MBA colleges will make MBA admissions 2026 offers. You should be ready to make fees payment and finalize your admission.
   

Above steps are common for all B-schools, although there may be some minor variations. This article will focus on all these aspects. 

Understanding MBA eligibility and admission criteria is essential to secure a seat in a good business school. While the criteria vary from institute to institute, in general, candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Academic Qualification: A bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognized university with a minimum aggregate score of 50% (45% for reserved categories).
• Work Experience: This is not mandatory for MBA programs in India.
• Entrance Exams: Having good scores in MBA Entrance Exams like CAT, XAT, CMAT is an important MBA eligibility criterion.

MBA Entrance Exams are a gateway to admission in reputed MBA colleges. MBA Entrance Test can be broadly divided into three categories: 

a) CAT Exam for 21 IIM and 7 IITs 

b) Other National Management Entrance Tests (OMET) like XAT, NMAT, SNAP, CMAT 

c) State MBA entrance exams like MAH CET 

Across these types, there are more than 20 popular MBA entrance exams in India. CAT and top entrance exams will be held from November 2025 till January 2026 for MBA Admission 2026. State MBA exams be held from April to June 2026. MBA entrance exam fees vary from Rs 2,000 to 3,000 per exam. Check MBA entrance exam calendar, exam dates, registration process, pattern and more in this article on MBA entrance exams.
 

The MBA Admission Calendar 2025 outlines the key dates for entrance exams, registration windows, and selection processes for admission to the 2026–28 batch. Check exam accepted, application dates and application link for top MBA colleges in India from table below. 

Let’s now understand the admission requirements for IIMs. IIM Admission is a dream of everyone! But only a few get selected by the IIMs. Check IIM Admission Process below: 

• IIM Admission Academic Eligibility: The first requirement for IIM Admission is meeting Academic Eligibility. You should be a graduate with minimum 50% marks.
• Taking CAT Exam and Scoring Well: You should take CAT exam held in November every year and score well to meet IIM shortlisting requirements.
• Shortlist and Final Selection: Next stage is getting through IIM shortlisting process and appearing in IIM Personal Interview to get final admission offer
• CAT Registration 2025: CAT 2025 registration is open, and last date to apply for IIM Admission 2025 through CAT is September 13, 2025.   
   

IITs offer high RoI MBA programmes with moderate fee and high placements at par with top IIMs. Top IITs including IIT Delhi, Bombay, Madras, Kharagpur, Kanpur, Roorkee offer MBA. IITs will open their application form after release of CAT exam result in the first week of January 2026. Applicants have to apply online. 

IIT MBA Admission process involves following steps:

• IIT MBA Eligibility: IIT MBA Eligibility Criteria needs 60% marks in Engineering or in other graduation streams as against IIMs who need 50% marks
• Taking CAT Exam and Scoring High: IITs accept CAT 2025 exam score for Admission 2026. But you must score very high in CAT for getting a chance to get into IIT MBA program.

• Shortlist and Final Selection: IITs will shortlist the Candidates based on CAT exam score for Personal Interview. The Final Admission will be based on CAT exam score, performance in PI round, past academic performance and work experience.

  List of IITs with Fees, Salary, Admission 2026 Dates 

Read complete details of IIT MBA Admission Process

Not only the IIMs, there are highly ranked and internationally accredited MBA/ PGDM colleges among the MBA colleges accepting CAT/XAT score. Some of the prominent MBA colleges excluding IIMs which will accept CAT/XAT score percentile 90 & above for MBA admission are given in table below.  

Table 3: List of Non IIM Top MBA Colleges with Fees, Salary, Admission 2026 Dates 

MBA Colleges Accepting 80-90 Percentile in CAT/XAT exam are well ranked MBA and PGDM colleges in India. The list is given below with their admission status:

Check list of good MBA Colleges accepting 70-80 Percentile in CAT/XAT and others MBA exam. 

As you have read above, MBA Entrance Exams scores are mandatory for Admissions. MBA Admission 2025 Entrance Exam details are given below. Check list of CAT, XAT, CMAT accepting colleges. 

MBA Admission in CAT Colleges: Top MBA Colleges in India Accepting CAT 2025 Score include 21 IIMs, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, IIFT New Delhi and 200+ other MBA colleges. Read details of 100+ Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Exam Scores with eligibility, Cut off, fees, placements, admission process

MBA Admission in XAT Colleges: Xavier Aptitude Test XAT 2026 accepting MBA colleges for admission 2025 are 250 and have increased from earlier 160. Check List of Top MBA colleges accepting XAT Score for different percentile range. Some prominent MBA colleges accepting XAT 2026 score are XLRI, XIMB, MICA, IMI, IMT among others. Read details of 100+ Top MBA Colleges Accepting XAT Exam Scores with their eligibility, Cut off, fees, admission process

MBA Admission in CMAT Colleges: Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) is a government organized computer based national level MBA entrance examination for entry into 1,000 AICTE approved management programmes (MBA/PGDM) all over India. A List of Top 10 CMAT Accepting colleges for admission 2025 is as below. Note they also accept CAT and other exams. 

MBA Admission in MAH MBA CET Colleges: MAH CET Exam 2025 was held on April 1, 2, 3, 2025. Conducted by Maharashtra State Government’s CET Cell of Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), MAH MBA/MMS CET 2025 is the MBA entrance exam for admission in JBIMS, SIMSREE, PUMBA and 300+ MBA colleges in Mumbai, Pune and other cities. Check top MBA colleges accepting MAH MBA CET exam scores. 

You can also select your MBA College based of your preferred city. Read highlights below, and visit list of top MBA colleges in each city below

Admission in Government MBA colleges is offered at low fees with good placements. Below is shared the list of Government MBA colleges with exam accepted, Fee structure, and admission status:
Admission in Government Colleges 

In addition to above list, almost all government universities offer MBA program. If you are looking for admission in low fees colleges, you can consider them. 

MBA specialization courses in various domains and functions like Finance, Marketing, Business Analytics, Human Resource Management, International Business, Banking & Finance, Insurance, Healthcare, Operations are offered by MBA and PGDM Colleges to cater to the industry demand. You need to choose which MBA specialization is best for your career goal. Check details below:

MBA Admission by Specialization

Read details of MBA Specializations offered by top MBA colleges, their admission process, fees, career prospects and more

MBA Admission Without Entrance Exam is also available in some MBA colleges in India. They either hold their own exam or give admission based on profile of a candidate. Read details of Colleges offering Direct MBA Admission without Entrance Exam.

With so many MBA colleges available for admission, you may be confused on how to select the right MBA college for admission 2026? You can evaluate MBA colleges systematically based on following parameters: 

• Exam Accepted & Cut-offs: Check if the college accepts your entrance exam score (CAT, XAT, NMAT, etc.) and whether your score meets its cut-off. Admission chances depend directly on matching or exceeding these benchmarks.

• Budget & Fees: Calculate the total program cost, including tuition, hostel, and living expenses. Shortlist only those within your financial capacity.

• Placements: Review average salary, highest offers, and recruiter diversity over the past 3–5 years. Strong industry links signal better placement prospects.

• Ranking & Accreditation: Check rankings (NIRF, credible private lists) and accreditations like AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA, or NBA for quality assurance.

• Faculty: Research faculty qualifications, industry experience, and publications. A blend of academics and practitioners enriches learning.

• Location: Decide between top cities for industry exposure or top-ranked colleges regardless of location. Proximity to corporate hubs can benefit internships and placements.

• Alumni Network: A strong alumni network can provide mentorship, career opportunities, and business connections long after graduation. Review alumni achievements and engagement for brand credibility.

Use this guide on How to Choose Your MBA College.

 Encourage early planning and multiple exam strategy. Link to detailed MBAUniverse.com resources for each exam.