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Master in Business Administration (MBA) is one of the most popular postgraduate management programme right now in India. Many of the candidates who completed their bachelor’s wish to do MBA courses from one of the top B-schools in India or abroad. General MBA eligibility criteria is minimum 50% or 60% or equivalent CGPA marks in graduation from a recognized university. There is no upper age limit in MBA eligibility, but for some MBA entrance exams like ATMA the age of the student must be 21 at the time of examination. In this article, we will explore what is MBA eligibility in India, MBA selection criteria, what qualifications are required for MBA and how to get admission in MBA.
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The qualification for doing MBA is having a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field from an approved university and a valid score in any of the national or state-level entrance exams such as CAT, CMAT, MAT, NMAT, XAT, MAH MBA CET, TANCET MBA or any others. Some of the top MBA colleges in India include IIM, IIT and other private and government institutions. The reserved category candidates can apply for the MBA courses with a relaxation of 5% marks as compared to the general category.
Management of Business and Administration is the 2-year postgraduate programme offered by around 5500+ best MBA colleges in India. The below table illustrates the MBA course details, MBA eligibility criteria, selection process, fees and placements in the below table.
Particulars | MBA Courses Details |
Types of MBA Courses | Full-Time MBA, Distance MBA, Executive MBA, Part-Time MBA, Online MBA and Integrated MBA |
MBA Courses Fees | Rs. 2 Lakhs to Rs. 27 Lakhs and above |
MBA Eligibility Criteria | Bachelor’s degree |
MBA Admission Process | Entrance Exam + Group Discussion / written test + Personal Interview |
Top Entrance Exams for MBA Courses | Include national and state-level entrance exams such as CAT, CMAT, XAT, MAH MBA CET, TANCET MBA, GMAT, NMAT, SNAP |
Top Colleges for MBA Courses | IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore, IIM Kozhikode, SIBM Pune, ISB Hyderabad, FMS Delhi, XLRI Bhubaneshwar |
Top Specialisations in MBA Courses | Sales, Marketing, Operations, International Business, Finance, Human Resources, Digital Marketing and Business Analytics |
MBA Average Salary | INR 5 LPA - INR 50 LPA |
MBA Top Recruiters | Infosys, KPMG, Deloitte, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, Morgan Stanley, Citibank, JP Morgan Chase, Amazon, Facebook, Google, Adobe and many others. |
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About 21 IIMs are available in India for MBA aspirants who wish to do MBA / PGDM programmes. IIM admission criteria are based on the performance of candidates in the CAT exam and interview rounds.
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Interested candidates can apply for the MBA courses offered by the various institutes based on their performance in the MBA entrance exams accepted by the colleges. Candidates can check out the below links to choose the best MBA colleges based on the cutoff marks.
To pursue an MBA from top B-schools in India or abroad, the candidates must meet the eligibility requirements initially. MBA aspirants must have a 3-year bachelor's degree from a recognised university or institute is mandatory to apply for any MBA courses. The MBA eligibility criteria for different types of MBA are mentioned here.
The minimum eligibility criteria for MBA is Bachelor's Degree from a recognized University with 50% aggregate (45% for SC/ST/PwD). MBA eligibility percentage criteria varies from college to college.
Candidates must have completed Class 12 from a recognized board or institute. Candidates should have minimum 60% marks in HSC/ Class 12. Most of the MBA courses after 12th require candidates to appear for a MBA entrance test.
Any student can apply for MBA admission, but some universities like IITs and IIMs require applicants to have a three-year undergraduate degree. Although MBA students can be of any age, some MBA colleges require applicants to be at least 21 years of age when approaching PGDM/ MBA admission.
MBA aspirants who are planning to pursue the PGDM/ MBA course should appear in the MBA entrance exams like, CAT, NMAT, CMAT, IIFT, MAT, XAT, SNAP, MAH CET, IBSAT, etc. Top MBA Entrance Exam like SNAP, IBSAT, CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT to be conducted in November to April. Other top state-level MBA entrance exams like MAH-CET, OJEE, KMAT, AP ICET, TS ICET, GMAT, MAT, ATMA, etc. exams will be conducted in February to May.
Candidates can go through the below links to choose the best MBA from any of the institutes mentioned in the table below.
The following is the list of the top MBA colleges with the list of courses offered, entrance exams accepted and MBA fees structure.
Name of the Institution, City | Courses Offered | Entrance Exams | MBA Fees |
XLRI (Xavier School of Management), Jamshedpur | PGDM (BM), ExPGDM PGDM (BM), 3-Year XLRI – Rutgers Double Masters Programme, PGDM (HRM), Fellow Programme & Research FPM, Executive FPM | XAT, GMAT | Rs 16.8 L |
Faculty of Management Studies – FMS | MBA | CAT | Rs 50,000 |
S.P Jain Institute of Management & Research – SPJIMR | PGDM | CAT, XAT, GMAT | Rs 17.5 L |
Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies – JBIMS | MMS | MAH-CET, CAT, CMAT, MAT, ATMA | Rs 6.00 L |
IIFT Indian Institute of Foreign Trade | MBA | IIFT | Rs 7.6 L |
Symbiosis Institute of Management, Pune | MBA | SNAP | Rs 20.5 L |
Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management – SJMSOM IIT, Mumbai | MBA | CAT | Rs 8.75 L |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, candidates can get an MBA seat without taking CAT exam; many top B-schools accept admission based on other entrance exams such as MAT, CAT, SNAP, or candidates can opt for direct admission based on their academic record and work experience.
Yes. You can actually start a MBA program, a highly sought-after postgraduate course designed to equip you with essential management and business skills. This can be achieved by enrolling in 5-year integrated MBA programs following your 12th graduation.
The candidates must passed a bachelors degree from an approved university with a minimum aggregate of 50% marks. The final year students can also apply for the MBA programmes.
Candidates who wish to do integrated 5 year MBA course can apply for the MBA after class 12th. However, the 2 years postgraduate MBA programme offered to the candidates who completed bachelor’s degree from a recognised university.
To be eligible for integrated MBA program after 12th you must have passed Class 12 board exams or equivalent qualification. Most of the colleges require minimum 60% marks in Class 12/ HSC. Some top colleges may set higher cutoffs.
Yes! An MBA can be pursued after completing a bachelor's degree in any discipline be it Arts, Commerce, or Science.
Yes, candidates with 45% marks can only apply for MBA programs offered by MBA colleges with less than 50% admission. Most of the institutes accept 50% marks in graduation.
Those who have not completed their graduation are not eligible for MBA.
Candidates having a bachelors degree and valid score in the entrance exam like CAT, XAT, MAT, NMAT or SNAP can join for the MBA courses offered by the premium B-schools of India.
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
Thank you for your question!
KL- MAT syllabus: Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, English/Verbal Ability, and General Awareness (similar to MAT/CMAT pattern).
CAT scores are valid in many private universities including KL University, but always check the year’s admission notification.
CAT vs other exams: CAT is toughest (IIMs + top B-schools), while MAT/CMAT/ATMA are relatively easier and accepted by many mid-level private universities.
Hello it will clear your doubt!
Hello Aspirant,
I saw a cat. The cat found an old map inside a drawer of the king's palace.
Here's why:
"a cat": It's the first time we mention the cat, so it's indefinite.
"The cat": Now we're talking about that specific cat we just mentioned, so it's definite.
"an old map": It's the first time we mention a map, and "old" starts with a vowel sound, so "an."
"a drawer": It's one of possibly many drawers, not a specific one known to us yet.
"the king's palace": This is a specific, unique place, so "the."
Hello Kapish
You can find the last 5 year questions of DILR for CAT at Careers360 website. Moreover, you can find the previous year papers of all the subjects i.e. DILR, Quants and VARC. I am attaching the link through which you would be able to access the same.
Here's the link:
CAT Previous Year Papers by CAREERS360
Sample paper of DILR:
CAT Sample Paper (DILR) by CAREERS360
Thank You!!!
Hello Divya,
Yes, candidates with an online BBA can sit for both CAT and GMAT provided that the degree is from a recognized (UGC approved in India or accredited abroad) institution. The leading B-schools in both India and abroad do not look down upon online degrees as long as the degree is from a recognized body, they will mostly be looking at your test scores, academic performance, work experience, and profile holistically. What matters is the legitimacy of the institution and how you showcase your abilities, not whether your degree was obtained online or in-person.
Yes, someone with an online BBA can sit for both CAT and GMAT, provided the degree is from a UGC recognized university. Top B-schools in India (like IIMs) and abroad generally accept online degrees if they are valid, and you won’t be marked down just because it’s online. What matters more is your entrance exam score, academic record, work experience, and overall profile.
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