Low Rank/Score in CAT? Check Here List of MBA Colleges for Admission 2026 in India

Low Rank/Score in CAT? Check Here List of MBA Colleges for Admission 2026 in India

Team Careers360Updated on 30 Nov 2025, 05:01 PM IST

Master of Business Administration (MBA) is one of the most prestigious postgraduate programs across the world. The course duration is for 2 years, and students from any background who pass the minimum eligibility criteria can apply for MBA admissions. The primary MBA entrance exams held in India for MBA admissions are CAT, XAT, SNAP, CMAT, and IIFT. Around 1164 colleges in India accept CAT scores; among them, 1026 colleges are private, and 138 colleges are public. The average fees range from Rs. 0.20 lakh to Rs. 23.00 lakhs. The list of MBA colleges in India in the major cities features colleges that are divided into three tiers based on the CAT cut-off percentile.

LiveCAT 2025 Result LIVE: CAT result expected on December 19? download final answer key; cut-offs, marks vs rankDec 18, 2025 | 4:11 PM IST

To access your CAT 2025 result, go to the official IIMCAT website, iimcat.ac.in and sign in using your valid user ID and Password. After logging in, click on the “Result” link to view and download your CAT scorecard, which displays your overall and sectional percentiles.

CAT 2025 results soon at iimcat.ac.in. (Image source: Official)

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This Story also Contains

  1. About CAT (Common Admission Test)
  2. Popular MBA Examinations
  3. MBA colleges in India accepting low CAT Scores (Eligibility Criteria)
  4. List of MBA colleges in India accepting low CAT score
  5. Top locations with colleges accepting CAT Score
  6. MBA colleges in India accepting low CAT Scores (Admission Procedures)
  7. Popular MBA Specializations
  8. Low Rankings: Top MBA colleges in India
Low Rank/Score in CAT? Check Here List of MBA Colleges for Admission 2026 in India
Low Score in CAT? Check Here List of MBA Colleges for Admission in India

About CAT (Common Admission Test)

CAT is a national-level MBA entrance exam held by IIM, Indore. This exam is conducted online once a year, and the test duration would be 2 hours. The general topics covered in the test are verbal ability and reading comprehension, data interpretation, logical reasoning, and quantitative ability. The questions would mostly be in multiple-choice question (MCQ) format. Students are required to gain scores between 80-95 to achieve admission in any of the top MBA colleges in India accepting CAT. However, those who have scored lower ranks can also seek MBA admissions in either colleges accepting low CAT scores or the colleges with a direct admission process.

Popular MBA Examinations

The primary MBA entrance exams held in India for MBA admissions are CAT, XAT, SNAP, CMAT, and IIFT. The following is a list of the most common MBA admission examinations that students must take:

MBA colleges in India accepting low CAT Scores (Eligibility Criteria)

Although the top MBA colleges in India prefer students with a high CAT score, sometimes students fail to meet these criteria, and this often lets them down. A lower CAT score would not determine someone’s ability and skills; hence students can surely find B-schools in India that offer admissions to students with a low CAT score. Students should be aware of the fact that admission procedures at the best MBA colleges in India involve several other eligibility factors and is not solely based on CAT cut off scores. Some of them are as given below: -

  • The aggregate percentage scored in 10+2 education.

  • The aggregate marks scored in a four-year undergraduate degree program or a 10+2+3 equivalent education program.

  • A student’s performance in Group discussion, written test conducted by the college, and personal interview are evaluated.

  • Candidates with work experience are given preference in some of the MBA colleges in India.

  • The eligibility cut-off marks can vary based on the reserved and unreserved categories in India.

List of MBA colleges in India accepting low CAT score

Here is a list of MBA colleges in India accepting students with low CAT scores along with critical information required for making a final decision: -

Name of the College

CAT cut-off (percentile)

Fees Avg (INR)

Pondicherry University

70

Rs. 0.66 lakhs

ABBS, Bangalore

70

Rs. 8.00 Lakhs

GITAM, Visakhapatnam

70

Rs. 7.20 Lakhs

Chandigarh University

70

Rs. 3.80 Lakhs

VIT, Vellore

70

Rs. 6.97 Lakhs

Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida

70

Rs. 10.25 Lakhs

Mittal School of Business, LPU, Phagwara

70

Rs. 5.32 Lakhs

Doon Business School, Dehradun

60-70

Rs. 4.99 Lakhs

International School of Business and Media, Kolkata

60-70

Rs. 8 Lakhs

Army Institute of Management, Kolkata

50 +

Rs. 8.71 Lakhs

Top locations with colleges accepting CAT Score

Many Indian universities consider CAT scores as a factor for admission to many MBA programmes. You might want to consider the following top destinations in India for some of the best MBA colleges:

MBA colleges in India accepting low CAT Scores (Admission Procedures)

Students who wish to apply to top MBA colleges in India should attempt CAT exams, without bothering about the test results. The MBA application can proceed further with a valid CAT score. An overview of the admission procedures for the best MBA colleges in India accepting CAT scores are as given below: -

  • Register for CAT exams on the official CAT website and give the best efforts for scoring a good cut-off percentile

  • Once the CAT scores are out, candidates should login to the official college website for attaining the login credentials

  • Students need to submit mandatory documents, and reservation proofs, if any along with the college options preferred in a higher to lower order

  • Students are required to make payments via an online or offline mode

  • After the verification process, students would start receiving call letters from the colleges of their choice, considering the order of CAT scores as well

  • Students need to attend counselling process and proceed with the payment of the fee at a time allocated to them, without any delay

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Placement

Apart from IIMs, which give good job placement after graduation, students attend a variety of management colleges that also provide admission with low CAT scores. We've listed MBA colleges in India that accept the CAT score, as well as their placement details, in the table below.

Name of the College

Average salary package (INR)

Pondicherry University

Rs. 3.00 Lakhs

ABBS, Bangalore

Rs. 4.60 Lakhs

GITAM, Visakhapatnam

Rs. 7.80 Lakhs

Chandigarh University

Rs. 6.80 Lakhs

VIT, Vellore

Rs. 4.00 Lakhs

Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida

Rs. 6.30 Lakhs

Mittal School of Business, LPU, Phagwara

Rs. 4.66 Lakhs

Doon Business School, Dehradun

Rs. 5.33 Lakhs

International School of Business and Media, Kolkata

Rs. 5.00 Lakhs

Army Institute of Management, Kolkata

Rs. 6.00 Lakhs

Popular MBA Specializations

The variety of specialisations offered in the MBA programme is one of the reasons for its popularity. Marketing management, finance, human resource management, rural management, and a variety of other fields are also available. In the table below, you'll find a list of other specialisations.

Low Rankings: Top MBA colleges in India

MBA programmes are amongst the most preferred options for students interested in advancing their careers. It's not a big deal if you didn't perform well in CAT; many institutions will accept you despite the score. Some of the lowest-ranking top MBA colleges are mentioned in table below.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How would you calculate the CAT percentile?
A:

CAT percentile is calculated using the formula (1 - All India Rank (Total Candidates in the Exam) * 100%).

Q: Is it possible to work after completing an undergraduate degree program, and then attempt CAT exams for MBA admissions?
A:

Yes, those who wish to take a break from studies can do that prior to joining MBA and attempting CAT exam for the same. Moreover, CAT exams are conducted for students with 10+2+3 or a four-year equivalent bachelor’s degree and there is no age bar for students who wish to take CAT tests.

Q: How would you determine the recognition of an MBA University/ College?
A:

MBA colleges/ Universities should be affiliated by AICTE, NAAC, or UGC in order to be ranked as a recognized institute for higher studies.

Q: Would there be any consideration while calculating CAT cut-off percentiles for students from the reserved categories?
A:

Yes, Students from the reserved category can qualify for MBA admissions with a comparatively low cut-off percentile than those from the General category. However, the selection criteria are based on several other factors as well, and this could vary every year.

Q: Are there any MBA colleges in India that offer admission without CAT scores?
A:

Hi!

Common Admission Test (CAT) is the most popular management aptitude test among candidates seeking admission to elite management colleges in India. The  Indian Institutes of Management  (IIMs) only accepts the percentile obtained by candidates in the  CAT  for their MBA programme. Apart from the IIMs, some other top business schools such as  FMS Delhi  , MDI Gurgaon,  IIFT Delhi  , SPJIMR, etc. accept only the scores of the CAT.

However, there are some MBA colleges in India that offers admission to their MBA programme without accepting the CAT scores. To get admission to these colleges, candidates are required to appear for the entrance examinations conducted by these institutions. Candidates must appear for the  XAT  to get admission to XLRI,  SNAP  to get admission to Symbiosis Colleges, NMAT to get admission to NMIMS campuses, and SRCC GBO exam to get admission to Shri Ram College of Commerce.

There are many colleges in the country which accept the scores of various other entrance examination along with the CAT, such as,  IMI Delhi  , FORE School of Management,  TAPMI  , Goa Institute of Management, etc. Appearing for the entrance examination is a pre-requisite condition to get admission to any good MBA college.

Check these various  college predictors  to predict the MBA college based on the score and percentile obtained in various entrance examinations.

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

Hello,

For a raw score of 56 in CAT 2025 Slot 3, your expected overall percentile is likely to be in the range of the 90th-95th percentile. The exact percentile can vary slightly on the final normalization process and the process and performance of all test-takers. In this article you'll find more about the CAT result.

I hope it will clear your query!!

Hello,
With a projected CAT percentile of 87% but not clearing sectional cutoffs, your chances at top IIMs are limited because they require both overall percentile and sectional minimums. However, you still have a good shot at other reputed management institutes and non-IIM B-schools. Consider colleges like NMIMS, SPJIMR, IMT, TAPMI, Great Lakes, and other well-ranked private or state-level B-schools that accept CAT scores and weigh your profile holistically. Your academic record, BSc in Animation with 80%, and 5 years of work experience at Ubisoft India are strong points and may help in institutes that value work experience in their selection process. Also, explore institutes that accept XAT, MAT, or CMAT, where your profile can be competitive.
Hope this helps you.

Good Morning,

NIT Rourkela CAT cutoff range is between 70-85 percentiles for the general category. 70 is the minimum percentile needed to apply, and 85 is the highest percentile. However, the maximum percentile depends on the particular year competition. It can be changed.

Thank You.

If you filled the UGC NET form under EWS but you don’t have a valid EWS certificate, then forget using the EWS category. They won’t accept it. You’ll automatically be treated as General category during document verification.


And no, this won’t make your form “invalid” or “illegal.” It just means you won’t get the EWS benefit.


So yes — you can still go for General category posts and Professor recruitment. Just don’t try to submit a fake/invalid certificate; that will get you disqualified.

Hello,
If your CAT admit card shows your surname first followed by your first name as entered in the form, it is correct. You do not need to worry about this format as long as it matches the details you provided. Ensure all other information on the admit card is accurate and carry it to the exam along with the required identification documents.
Hope this helps you.