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

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

Ongoing Event

CAT Application Date:01 Aug' 25 - 20 Sep' 25

Malvika ChawlaUpdated on 17 Sep 2025, 10:52 AM IST

MBA Admission 2026-28 for 21 IIMs is open with the CAT 2025 registration link still active; the last date to fill the form has been extended to September 20, 2025. Furthermore, MBA admissions 2026 for other non-IIM institutes, such as XLRI Jamshedpur admission, are open through the XAT 2026 and NMIMS Mumbai through NMAT 2025. While other top non-IIM institutes, such as SPJIMR, MDI Gurgaon, Anna University, and FMS Delhi will soon open their admissions for the 2026-28 AY.

This Story also Contains

  1. MBA Admissions 2026-28: Latest Updates
  2. MBA Admissions 2026-28: Accepted Entrance Exams & Application Deadlines
  3. MBA Admissions Criteria 2026-28
  4. MBA Admission Without Entrance Exam 2026
  5. MBA Admissions Process 2026-28
  6. MBA Admission Documents Required 2026
  7. MBA Admission After 12th 2026
  8. MBA Admission Fees 2026-28
  9. MBA Admission 2026: IITs
  10. MBA Admissions 2026-28: Choosing the Right B-School in India
MBA Admissions 2026-28: Dates, Forms, Process, Entrance Exams, Criteria, Fees (IIMs & Non-IIMs)
MBA Admissions 2026-28

In a latest update, IIM Ahmedabad has raised the bar for all CAT 2025 aspirants by revising the shortlisting criteria for the flagship PGP 2026-28 batch. The overall IIM A CAT cutoff is now 95 percentile, in addition to a minimum of 85 percentile for sectional cutoff. The MBA admission process for 2026 just started with registrations for national-level MBA entrance exams. Continue reading to find out the accepted MBA entrance exams for top B-schools and IIMs in India, and what are the factors that one must consider while choosing an MBA college in India.

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 Exam registration commenced from August 1, 2025. The last date to fill the form has been extended to September 20, 2025. The exam will be held on November 30, 2025.

  • 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 is 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 opted out of IIM CAP 2026 process.

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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, if it is open or not. In the table, we have also included the MBA application form link 2026-28.

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

Name of the College

Exams Accepted for MBA

MBA Forms Apply Link

Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS)

NMAT (best of three attempts score will be considered)

NMIMS Application Form 2026 Link

Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Delhi

CAT

FMS Form 2026 Link

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT)

CAT

IIFT Application Form 2026 Link

SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR)

CAT, GMAT

SPJIMR Application Form 2026 Link

IIT Kharagpur - Vinod Gupta School of Management (VGSOM)

CAT

IIT Kharagpur Application Form Link 2026

KJ Somaiya Institute of Management

CAT, CMAT, XAT, GMAT, NMAT, CUET-PG

KJ Somaiya Application Form Link 2026

SDA Bocconi Asia Center

GRE, GMAT

Link To Be Available Soon

Goa Institute of Management (GIM)

XAT, GMAT, CAT

GIM Goa Application Form Link 2026

Anna University

TANCET, MAT, CAT, XAT and CMAT

Link To Be Available Soon

Symbiosis Institute of International Business (SIIB)

SNAP

Link To Be Available Soon

T A Pai Management Institute (TAPMI)

XAT, NMAT, CAT, CMAT

TAPMI MBA Application Form Link 2026

Xavier School of Management (XLRI)

XAT

Link To Be Available Soon

IIT Roorkee - Department of Management Studies (DoMS)

CAT

IIT Roorkee Application From 2026 Link

BITS Pilani, Department of Management

BAAT (Business Analytics Aptitude Test)

Link To Be Available Soon

Great Lakes Institute of Management (GLIM)

NMAT, XAT, CAT

Great Lakes Institute of Management Application Form 2026

Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad

XAT, CAT, GMAT

IMT Ghaziabad Form 2026 Link

Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Rohtak

CAT

Link To Be Available Soon

Xavier Institute of Management (XIMB), Bhubaneswar

CAT, GMAT, XAT, XGMT

Link To Be Available Soon

Indian Institute of Science (IISc)

GMAT, XAT

Link To Be Available Soon

Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)

CUET-PG, CAT

Link To Be Available Soon

MBA Admission 2026 IIMs in India

IIM Institute

Accepted Entrance Exam

Application Form

IIM Ahmedabad

CAT (domestic candidates ), GMAT/GRE (international applicants)

Apply via CAT

IIM Bangalore

CAT for flagship PGP, GMAT/GRE for one-year/global programs (EPGP, PGPEM, PGPX)

Apply via CAT

IIM Calcutta

CAT for PGP, GMAT for MBA-Ex PGPEX

Apply via CAT

IIM Lucknow

CAT for PGP, GMAT for Executive programs

Apply via CAT

IIM Indore

CAT for PGP, GMAT for Executive programs

Apply via CAT

IIM Kozhikode

CAT for PGP, GMAT/GRE entrance exams are also accepted

Apply via CAT

IIM Shillong

CAT for PGP, GMAT for MBA-Ex PGPEX

Apply via CAT

Newer IIMs (IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Amritsar, IIM Ranchi, IIM Kashipur, IIM Rohtak, IIM Sambalpur, IIM Sirmaur, IIM Jammu, IIM Trichy, IIM Raipur, IIM Udaipur, IIM Vizag and IIM Nagpur)

CAT for PGP

Apply via CAT

IIM Mumbai (formerly NITIE)

CAT for MBA; GMAT possible for Executive/one-year programs

Apply via CAT

MBA Admissions Criteria 2026-28

Prior to getting admission to a top B-school in India, the candidate needs to understand the MBA admission process as well as the selection process, 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.

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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, which could be through merit-based applications, management quota seats or by applying to colleges which will 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:

Name of College

Average Fees (Subject to revision)

GD Goenka University

Rs. 8 Lakhs to 10.5 Lakhs

Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad

Rs. 54 K to 2.6 Lakhs

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT)

Rs. 4.5 Lakhs to 21.8 Lakhs

Aditya Institute of Management Studies & Research

Rs. 2.6 Lakhs

Apeejay School of Management

Rs. 8.7 Lakhs to Rs. 9.3 Lakhs

Andhra Loyola College

Rs. 70,000

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MBA Admissions Process 2026-28

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

  • Prior to 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 exp, diversity factors and performance in GD/WAT/PI rounds.

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

To be eligible for the same, one must be 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 thousands to over Rs. 30 lakhs. All this will depend on the type of institution, program type, if 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

Name of Government College

MBA Fees (Approx.) (Subject to revision)

FMS Delhi

In the range of Rs. 2 Lakhs to Rs 28 Lakhs

Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), Mumbai

Rs. 6 Lakhs

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), Delhi

Rs. 17.17 Lakhs to Rs. 21.77 Lakhs

Department of Financial Studies (DFS), DU

Rs. 26,000 per year or Rs. 52,000 for two years

Banaras Hindu University (BHU)

Rs. 50,000

Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai

Rs. 1.2 Lakhs

MBA Admission 2026: Private Colleges

Name of Private College

MBA Fees (Approx.) (Subject to revision)

Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon

In the range from Rs. 9.96 Lakh to Rs. 29. 58 Lakhs

ICFAI Business School (ISB), Gurgaon

Rs. 8.29 Lakh

Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Pune

Rs. 22.20 Lakh

Institute of Management Technology, (IMT) Ghaziabad

Rs. 21 Lakh

FORE School of Management

Rs. 20.80 Lakhs

Galgotias University

Rs. 1.3 Lakh

MBA Admission 2026: IIMs & Top B-Schools

Name of top IIMs & other top B-schools

MBA Fees (Approx.) (Subject to revision)

IIM Ahmedabad

Rs. 26.50 Lakhs

IIM Bangalore

Rs. 25 Lakhs

IIM Calcutta

Rs. 27 Lakhs

IIM Kozhikode

Rs. 22.50 Lakhs

IIM Indore

Rs. 21.17 Lakhs

IIM Mumbai

Rs. 21 Lakh

IIM Lucknow

Rs. 20.30 Lakh

XLRI Jamshedpur

Rs. 20.30 Lakh

SPJIMR Mumbai

Rs. 24 Lakhs

MDI Gurgaon

Rs. 24 Lakhs

Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management (SJMSoM), IIT Bombay

Rs. 8.22 Lakh

MBA Admission 2026: Online & Distance MBA

Name of Private College

MBA Fees (Approx.) (Subject to revision)

Lovely Professional University (LPU)

Rs. 1.6 Lakhs

Amity University Online

Rs. 1,99,000

Chandigarh University

Rs. 1,50,000

BITS Pilani (Work Integrated Learning Programmes)

Rs. 2,70,000

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 IItTs 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:

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

Students interested in pursuing MBA for further education must ensure that they must choose the right B-schools. Their decision should mainly be based on the choice of 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.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How many years will MBA be in 2025?
A:

The duration of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in India is typically 1-2 years.

Q: What is the criteria for IIM 2026-28?
A:

To get admission in IIM for the 2026-28 AY, one must have a bachelor's degree in any discipline with a minimum of 50% marks or equivalent.

Q: Which month to apply for an MBA?
A:

MBA admissions in India are done in a phase-wise manner but majority of the colleges conduct admissions between May-June and the classes commence in July-August. 

Q: What is the entrance exam for MBA in 2026?
A:

If you are planning to pursue MBA in 2026, you can opt for CAT , XAT, NMAT, CMAT entrance exams which will give you admission to top B-schools in India. 

Q: What is MBA admission age limit?
A:

There is no set age limit for MBA admission, however, the majority of the programs welcome applications between the ages 22 and 30. 

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Hello Aspirant,

Since your payment status shows "S" , it means your payment is successful. The "payment unsuccessful" message on the form is likely a temporary system error or a delay in updating.

Do not make another payment.

Making a second payment could cause a double debit, which is difficult to get a refund for. You should:

  1. Wait 24-48 hours for the status to update automatically.

  2. Download and save a copy of your form and a screenshot of the "S" payment status as proof.

  3. Check your bank statement to confirm the money has been debited.

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Hello

The CAT 2025 exam is a national-level MBA entrance test for IIMs and top B-schools in India. It will be held on 30th November 2025 in computer-based mode across ~170 cities.
The registration is open from 1st August to 13th September 2025 on iimcat.ac.in .
Admit cards will be available from 5th November 2025 onward.
Graduates with at least 50 marks (45 for SC/ST/PwD) are eligible to apply.
The exam tests English, Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude in three timed sections.

Yes, you can pursue an MBA at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), Lucknow, through the CAT exam.

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Educational Qualification: A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PwD candidates) from a recognized university.

  • Entrance Exam: A valid CAT score is required for admission.

Admission Process:

  1. Application: Register online through the BBAU admission portal.

  2. Entrance Exam: Appear for the CAT exam and obtain a valid score.

  3. Counseling: Shortlisted candidates will be called for counseling based on their CAT scores.

  4. Document Verification: Submit necessary documents for verification.

  5. Fee Payment: Complete the fee payment to confirm admission.

Course Details:

  • Duration: 2 years (full-time).

  • Specializations: Finance, Marketing, Human Resource Management, among others.

Placement Opportunities:
BBAU has a strong placement record, with top companies recruiting MBA graduates.

For more details and to apply, visit the  official BBAU MBA admission page

Hello Amgothu

With 305 marks in ICAR PG and being from ST category, your chances of getting an AIEEA (CAT) seat is good, especially in plant sciences and less competitive subjects