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    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)

    Malvika ChawlaUpdated on 28 Jan 2026, 09:08 AM IST

    MBA Admission 2026-28 for 21 IIMs is open. The admission criteria for the MBA admission 2026-28 session have been released by many IIMs, like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Amritsar, IIM Jammu and more. The IIM MBA admission process for 2026 will be announced separately by each IIM. The MBA admission process for 2026-28 will contain details like CAT 2025 score weightage, selection process, and other relevant admission details. The IIM CAT exam was conducted on November 30, 2025. The CAT 2025 exam results were declared on December 24, 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.

    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 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 factors one must consider while choosing an MBA college in India.

    CAT 2025 Important Links

    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.
    ITM Business School MBA Admissions 2026

    400+ Company Visits | Highest CTC Offered: 21 LPA | Average CTC Offered: 8.65 LPA | 100% Placement Assurance

    UPES MBA Admissions 2026

    Last Date to Apply: 26th March | Ranked #36 amongst institutions in Management by NIRF | 100% Placement

    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

    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 Form 2026 Link

    BITS Pilani, Department of Management

    BAAT (Business Analytics Aptitude Test)

    BITS Pilani 2026 Application Form

    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

    Application Closed

    Xavier Institute of Management (XIMB), Bhubaneswar

    CAT, GMAT, XAT, XGMT

    XIMB MBA Application Form Link

    Indian Institute of Science (IISc)

    GMAT, XAT

    Link To Be Available Soon

    Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)

    CUET-PG, CAT

    TISS Application Form 2026 Link

    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

    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.
    CAT 2025 College Predictor
    Use CAT 2025 College Predictor to check your chances for IIM and top MBA calls based on CAT percentile, profile, work experience and cut-off trends.
    Use Now

    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:

    Name of College

    Average Fees (Subject to revision)

    GD Goenka University

    Rs. 8.74 Lakhs

    Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad

    Rs. 54 K to 2.6 Lakhs

    Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT)

    Rs. 21.8 Lakhs

    Aditya Institute of Management Studies & Research

    Rs. 2.6 Lakhs

    Apeejay School of Management

    Rs. 3.60 Lakhs

    Andhra Loyola College

    Rs. 70,000

    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.
    Amity University-Noida MBA Admissions 2026

    Ranked among top 10 B-Schools in India by multiple publications | Top Recruiters-Google, MicKinsey, Amazon, BCG & many more.

    BIMTECH PGDM Admissions 2026

    AACSB Accredited | Highest CTC: 22 LPA

    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

    Name of Government College

    MBA Fees (Approx.) (Subject to revision)

    FMS Delhi

    Rs. 2.45 Lakhs

    Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), Mumbai

    Rs. 5 to 6 Lakhs

    Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), Delhi

    Rs. 21.8 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. 2 Lakhs

    MBA Admission 2026: Private Colleges

    Name of Private College

    MBA Fees (Approx.) (Subject to revision)

    Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon

    Rs. 18.50 Lakhs

    ICFAI Business School (ISB), Gurgaon

    Rs. 17 Lakh

    Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Pune

    Rs. 26.79 Lakh

    Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Ghaziabad

    Rs. 21.53 Lakh

    FORE School of Management

    Rs. 23.24 Lakhs

    Galgotias University

    Rs. 2.20 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. 27.50 Lakhs

    IIM Bangalore

    Rs. 26 Lakhs

    IIM Calcutta

    Rs. 27 Lakhs

    IIM Kozhikode

    Rs. 23.50 Lakhs

    IIM Indore

    Rs. 21.17 Lakhs

    IIM Mumbai

    Rs. 21 Lakh

    IIM Lucknow

    Rs. 20.75 Lakh

    XLRI Jamshedpur

    Rs. 30.6 Lakh

    SPJIMR Mumbai

    Rs. 22.66 Lakhs

    MDI Gurgaon

    Rs. 18.50 Lakhs

    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 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:

    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.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    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. 

    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: 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 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: 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 fees for MBA in India 2025?
    A:

    MBA fees in India for 2025 typically start in the range of Rs. 50,000 and can go over Rs. 35 Lakhs. The costs can significantly vary based on the type of institution. 

    Q: Which MBA course is best?
    A:

    The best MBA course depends on your career goals, but in-demand specialisations in 2025 include Finance, Marketing, Business Analytics, Human Resources (HR) and Technology-focused areas like IT and Artificial Intelligence. 

    Q: In which month does MBA admission start?
    A:

    MBA admission in India are done phase wise, most of the colleges conduct MBA admissions by May-June, and the classes commence in July-August.

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    Questions related to CAT

    On Question asked by student community

    Have a question related to CAT ?

    FMS Udaipur admission for 2026 is not open. The MBA 2026 admission will likely commence in May 2026. You can keep checking the official website of FMS.

    Hi admission to the courses offered at CUSAT is based on the CUSAT CAT results, relative performnace of the students and the number of applications for each course. Please check CUSAT CAT cutoff 2025 to know in detail about the cutoff score for Electrical and Electronic branch in previous years.

    Yes, it is possible. If you have received a PI call from IIM Sambalpur with a 75 percentile in CAT, you have a chance to convert the call. However, the final selection will depend on multiple factors such as your personal interview performance, academic record, and overall profile.

    All the