MBA Eligibility Criteria - Admission Criteria, Minimum Qualification, Age Limit, Entrance Exams

MBA Eligibility Criteria - Admission Criteria, Minimum Qualification, Age Limit, Entrance Exams

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CAT Application Date:01 Aug' 25 - 13 Sep' 25

Himanshu ShekharUpdated on 13 Aug 2025, 12:37 PM IST

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.

This Story also Contains

  1. MBA Eligibility Criteria: Highlights
  2. MBA Eligibility IIM
  3. MBA Admission through Entrance Exam
  4. MBA Eligibility in India
  5. MBA Qualification and Minimum Percentage Required
  6. MBA Eligibility in DU
  7. MBA Eligibility After 12th
  8. MBA Eligibility Age
  9. MBA Entrance Exam
  10. MBA Fees
MBA Eligibility Criteria - Admission Criteria, Minimum Qualification, Age Limit, Entrance Exams
MBA Eligibility Criteria

MBA Eligibility Criteria: Highlights

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.

MBA Programme: Main Features

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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MBA Eligibility IIM

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.

  • Candidates must pass the 10+2 examination with a minimum aggregate of 60% marks from an approved university.
  • A bachelor’s degree from a recognised university with at least 50% marks.
  • Eligible candidates can apply for the CAT or GMAT exam.
  • MBA eligibility criteria for doing a 5-year integrated MBA programme from IIMs is based on the JIPMAT or IPMAT score.
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MBA Admission through Entrance Exam

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.

MBA Eligibility in India

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.

MBA Eligibility for Regular MBA

  • Bachelor’s degree from an approved university with an aggregate of 50% or 60% marks in a relevant field.
  • Candidates must have passed the entrance exam and meet the MBA cutoff requirements set by the MBA colleges.
  • Candidates who meet the MBA cutoff marks in the entrance examinations will be called for the next level of selection criteria.

MBA Qualification and Minimum Percentage Required

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.

MBA Eligibility in DU

  • The minimum eligibility requirements for MBA (Business Economics) and MBA (Finance) Programmes are: Graduate (under 10+2+3) in any discipline with at least 50% marks, from the University of Delhi or any other University recognised as equivalent thereto, with Business Mathematics/ Mathematics at Class 12 level.
  • Students appearing for the final year of Bachelor's degree can also eligible to apply for MBA in DU.

Executive MBA Eligibility Criteria

  • Candidates who completed a bachelor's degree (Engineering/B.Sc./BBA/B.Com) from an approved university with 50% marks in aggregate are eligible to apply for the Executive MBA courses.
  • The candidates must have work experience of 2 to 5 years to apply for the executive MBA programmes.
  • A valid score in any of the entrance exams such as CAT, XAT, CMAT, GMAT, NMAT or any other tests is considered for the MBA selection process.

Distance MBA Eligibility Criteria

  • Candidates with a bachelor's degree in any discipline are eligible to apply for the distance MBA courses.
  • There is no age limit to apply for the distance MBA programmes.
  • The distance MBA programmes are offered with or without entrance exams.

Online MBA Eligibility Criteria

  • Candidates must have passed a bachelor’s degree from an approved university with a minimum aggregate of 50% marks.
  • Candidates must have qualified in any of the MBA entrance exams like XAT, CAT, MAT, CMAT, and SNAP.
  • Candidates having work experience will get the preference during the time of admission over others.
  • There is no age limit to apply for the online MBA programmes.

MBA Eligibility Criteria for Abroad

  • A bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university.
  • Valid score in the GMAT exam.
  • Candidates must have a work experience of 3 to 5 years are eligible to apply for the MBA abroad courses.
  • Candidates must attend and obtain valid marks in the language proficiency test such as IELTS or TOEFL depending on the country and university chosen.

MBA Eligibility After 12th

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.

MBA Eligibility Age

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 Entrance Exam

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.

MBA Fees

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
Accepted

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)

Q: Can I do MBA without cat exam?
A:

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. 

Q: Can I get MBA after 12th?
A:

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.

Q: What is the qualification in MBA?
A:

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.

Q: Who are eligible for doing MBA?
A:

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.

Q: Can a 12th pass apply for MBA?
A:

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.

Q: Can a BA student do MBA? Can I do an MBA after BA?
A:

Yes! An MBA can be pursued after completing a bachelor's degree in any discipline be it Arts, Commerce, or Science.

Q: Can I do an MBA with 45% marks in graduation?
A:

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.

Q: Who are not eligible for MBA?
A:

Those who have not completed their graduation are not eligible for MBA.

Q: Can I join MBA directly?
A:

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.

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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.