MBA Admissions 2026-28: Dates, Forms, Process, Entrance Exams, Criteria, Fees (IIMs & Non-IIMs)

MBA Admissions 2026-28: Latest Updates

Have a look at the following latest updates about the upcoming MBA entrance exams for admission to top B-schools in India.

• CAT 2025 registrations dropped by 10% (34,000) as compared to last year. This year, 2.95 lakh candidates have registered for the CAT 2025 exam.
• SNAP 2025 application form link is now active till November 20, 2025. The exam will be held on December 6, 14 and 20, 2025.
• NMAT 2025 registrations began on August 1, 2025, and the last date to fill the same was October 10, 2025.
• Lastly, XAT 2026 form filling began on July 10, 2025 and will end on December 5, 2025.
• JAP 2026 has been announced, which is an inclusion of four IIMs - IIM Raipur, IIM Ranchi, IIM Trichy and IIM Kashipur
• In a recent update, IIM Udaipur and IIM Nagpur opted out of the IIM CAP 2026 process. IIM CAP only have three IIMs, including IIM Sirmaur, IIM Jammu, and IIM Shillong.

MBA Admissions 2026-28: Accepted Entrance Exams & Application Deadlines

Check out the following list of top MBA colleges in India (non-IIMs) and top IIMs, which accept the following entrance exams along with the application form, whether they are open or not. In the table, we have also included the MBA application form link for 2026-28.

MBA Admissions 2026-28: Top Non-IIMs in India

MBA Admission 2026 IIMs in India

MBA Admissions Criteria 2026-28

Before gaining admission to a top B-school in India, the candidate needs to understand the MBA admissions process and selection criteria, which will help them secure a seat in a good B-school. Take a look at the following admission process involved. In general, candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Academic Qualification: All candidates must ensure that they have a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50% marks from a recognised university (45% is the minimum aggregate score accepted for reserved categories).
• Work Experience: Having work experience is not mandatory for pursuing an MBA program in India.
• Accepted Entrance Exams: All candidates must have good scores in either of the MBA entrance exams, such as CAT, CMAT, XAT, among others, which is an important MBA eligibility criterion.

MBA Admission Without Entrance Exam 2026

To pursue an MBA in 2026 without taking any entrance exam, the candidate will need to explore direct admission routes, such as merit-based applications, management quota seats, or colleges that accept scores from alternative entrance exams, such as MAT, NMAT, SNAP, or XAT.

As for the eligibility criteria, one must have a strong undergraduate academic record (around 50-65% marks). If shortlisted for further rounds, then the selection process will include a Personal Interview (PI) or even a Group Discussion (GD).

The following list mentions the top MBA colleges which offer MBA without any entrance exam, along with the approximate fee:

MBA Admissions Process 2026-28

The following are the key steps involved to get admission to an MBA program for the 2026-28 batch.

• Before taking the entrance exam, all candidates must meet the eligibility criteria, which include passing 12th grade with a minimum aggregate of 50% marks (45% for the reserved category).
• Next, candidates will need to clear the relevant MBA entrance exams, such as CAT/XAT/MAT/CMAT or any other (domestic candidates) and GMAT/GRE (international candidates).
• Once shortlisted, candidates will need to fill in the application forms by choosing the preferred B-school, submitting academic transcripts, a resume, recommendation letters, SoP and any other documents.
• After the candidate has been shortlisted, they will be called in for the final selection rounds, which will include Group Discussion (GD), Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview (PI).
• The final selection round will be based on a comprehensive evaluation of the candidate’s overall profile, which will be the entrance exam score, academic achievements, work experience, diversity factors and performance in GD/WAT/PI rounds.

MBA Admission Documents Required 2026

For MBA admission, one will typically need the following documents, which will include

• Educational certificates and mark sheets of Class 10, 12th and Bachelor’s degree
• A valid entrance exam score ( such as CAT/XAT/CMAT/GMAT/GRE, etc)
• Work experience documents (if needed)
• Identity proof
• Passport-size photograph
• Category or domicile certificates

Make sure all your documents are available as scanned copies for online applications and original documents for verification.

MBA Admission After 12th 2026

If you are considering pursuing an MBA degree after 12th in 2026, you will need to appear for the Integrated Programme in Management (IPM) Aptitude Test (IPMAT) or the Joint Integrated Programme in Management Admission Test (JIPMAT) to pursue management programs at top IIMs in India.

To be eligible for the same, one must be a 12th-grade pass with at least 60% marks, clear the chosen entrance exam and a subsequent interview round to secure admission in 2026.

All those candidates who are shortlisted and meet the exam cutoffs will be called in for a Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD) or Personal Interview (PI) rounds.

MBA Admission Fees 2026-28

MBA admission fees can vary significantly, ranging from a few thousand to over Rs. 30 lakhs. All this will depend on the type of institution, program type, and whether it’s a government, private or top-tier B-school. Public colleges are known for having lower fees, while IIMs and other elite private colleges are said to charge the highest amounts. Online or distance education programs are significantly cheaper, sometimes even less than Rs. 1 Lakh.

Let us go through the following MBA admission fees for the following colleges.

MBA Admission 2026: Government Colleges

MBA Admission 2026: Private Colleges

MBA Admission 2026: IIMs & Top B-Schools

MBA Admission 2026: Online & Distance MBA

Factors Influencing MBA Fees

MBA fees are influenced by various factors, which are as follows:

• Reputation of the institute
• Faculty expertise
• Infrastructure of the college/institute
• Placement opportunities
• Location of the institute/college
• Program type
• Funding sources (government grants or self-funding by autonomous institutions)

MBA Admission 2026: IITs

For admission to top IITs for MBA admission, one will first need to score well on the CAT 2025 exam. With the online application process, most likely to begin in January 2026, candidates will be required to apply separately to individual IITs and complete the selection process, which will include PI and WAT.

Some of the top IITs that offer MBA admission to students are as follows:

• IIT Kharagpur (VGSoM)
• IIT Roorkee (DoMS)
• IIT Madras (DoMS)
• IIT Jodhpur
• IIT Delhi (DMS)
• IIT Bombay ((SJMSOM)

MBA Admissions 2026-28: Choosing the Right B-School in India

Students interested in pursuing an MBA for further education must ensure that they choose the right B-schools. Their decision should mainly be based on the choice of the Management course, as that will help in paving way for the desired career. Additionally, they must also carry out extensive research for each MBA college and the course, which will help them in deciding which MBA college would be the right fit for them.

Other key factors which one must keep in mind are government recognition, admission process, eligibility criteria, tuition fees, hostel facilities that are offered, infrastructure, placements, etc. One must shortlist MBA colleges based on the above-mentioned aspects.