Can I Do MBA with Less Than 50% in Graduation? Colleges & Eligibility Explained

Can I Do MBA with Less Than 50% in Graduation? Colleges & Eligibility Explained

Ongoing Event

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

Himanshu ShekharUpdated on 28 Aug 2025, 11:56 AM IST

MBA is one of the popular postgraduate programmes that the majority of undergraduates wish to do. Is it possible to get an MBA with less than 50 in graduation in India? Yes, a few of the institutes, like the Asia-Pacific Institute of Management, New Delhi and NIILM University, offer admission to the MBA courses for graduates with less than 50%. Generally, MBA aspirants who wish to do an MBA from the top b-schools in India must score at least 50% marks in a minimum bachelor’s degree from an approved university. The MBA colleges in India offer MBA/PGDM admission to graduates with at least 50% marks from UGC-approved universities. Read this careers360 article to know about the MBA colleges that don't require 50 percent in graduation.

Can I do MBA with less than 50% in graduation?

Can I Do MBA with Less Than 50% in Graduation? Colleges & Eligibility Explained
MBA with Less than 50% in Graduation

As per the UGC guidelines for MBA admission, candidates having 50% marks of minimum aggregate in a 3-year bachelor’s degree are only allowed to apply for the MBA programmes and permitted to attend the MBA entrance exams. For the top B-schools like IIMs or IITs, a minimum of 60% is required for MBA admission. Candidates from reserved categories like (SC/ST/PwD) can only apply for the management programmes with a 45% minimum aggregate.

MBA Colleges Accepting Less than 50% in Graduation: Eligibility Criteria

MBA aspirants should follow the below MBA eligibility criteria to obtain seats for the management studies.

  • A bachelor’s degree in any discipline with 50% of the minimum marks is the eligibility to apply for the MBA courses.
  • For the reserved category, a minimum of 45% in a 3-year bachelor’s degree from an approved university.
  • Based on the MBA admission criteria of the institutes, applicants must qualify in any of the state-level or national-level entrance exams such as CAT, MAT, XAT, ATMA, CMAT, GMAT, and NMAT.

MBA with Less than 50 Percent: Overview

The main highlights of the MBA with less than 50 in graduation in India are mentioned below.

Particulars

Details

MBA Course Duration

Two years

MBA Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must pass a bachelor's degree in any specialisation from an approved university with a minimum aggregate of 50 per cent. (45% for the reserved category)

Entrance Examinations

CAT, MAT, XAT, ATMA, CMAT, GMAT, NMAT

MBA Specialisations

MBA in Digital Marketing, MBA in Finance, MBA in Business Analytics, MBA in Marketing, MBA in Sales, MBA in Human Resources

Average MBA fees

Government colleges: Rs 50,000 to Rs 4 lakh

Private colleges: Rs 20 lakh to Rs. 25 lakh

Average MBA Salary Packages offered

Rs. 12 LPA

MBA aspirants can also search for:

List of MBA Colleges Accepting Less than 50% in Graduation

Candidates who failed to score 50% in graduation can also apply for the MBA/PGDM programmes offered by the institutes mentioned in the table below. Some of the MBA colleges accepting below 50% of graduation along with the course and fees are listed here.

Top MBA Colleges in India Accepting Below 50% in Graduation

Top MBA Colleges Accepting Below 50 Percentile

Courses

Course Fees

MBA Healthcare Management/ MBA in Business Management

Rs. 10 lakhs

Rs. 1 lakhs

Also Read:

Great Lakes - PGDM & PGPM Admissions 2026

Admissions Open | Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 17.3 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2024

IBSAT 2025-ICFAI Business School MBA/PGPM 2026

IBSAT 2025-Your gateway to MBA/PGPM @ IBS Hyderabad and 8 other IBS campuses | Scholarships worth 10 CR

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Which MBA colleges accept less than 50 in graduation?
A:

Candidates with having less than 50% in their Undergraduate (UG) level might wonder which MBA colleges accept less than 50% marks in graduation. There are colleges like Manipal University, KIIT, and Fore School of Management, among others, that accept students with below 50% percentile in UG. 

Q: Which MBA colleges accept less than 50 in graduation?
A:

Candidates with having less than 50% in their Undergraduate (UG) level might wonder which MBA colleges accept less than 50% marks in graduation. There are colleges like Manipal University, KIIT, and Fore School of Management, among others, that accept students with below 50% percentile in UG. 

Q: Is MBA at 30 too late?
A:

It's never too late to embark MBA journey. One can pursue an MBA course whenever they want.

Q: What are the minimum marks required for graduation to apply for an MBA?
A:

Candidates who wish to pursue an MBA from the top B-schools must have a minimum aggregate of 50% or 60% marks in 3 years bachelor’s degree from an approved university.

Q: Is 50% mandatory for an MBA?
A:

Yes, the minimum eligibility criteria required for MBA admission is having a bachelor’s degree with 50% aggregate from an approved university. For the reserved candidates (SC/ST/PwD), 45% is the minimum mark required to apply for the MBA courses.

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

Yes, Candidates who secured 45% marks can only apply for the MBA programmes offered by the MBA colleges offer admission with less than 50%. The majority of the institutes accept overall 50% marks in graduation.

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

Hello

As you said you by mistakenly done that,  you don't need to get worry regarding that ,

Just inform the help desk and carry the correct certifications , the state certificate will not disqualify you .

The steps you can follow is -

1. You can check if the correction window is available or not

2. Contact the CAT desk immediately.

Hope this helps

In CAT registration, you cannot create a new user ID with the same mobile number, even if you use a different email ID. Each mobile number and email can be linked to only one account. If you already registered once, the system will not accept a duplicate with that number. To register again, you must use a new mobile number and new email ID. If you lost your old login, you can recover it through the forgot password/user ID option on the CAT portal.



Yes, you can fill the CAT form even if you currently have a backlog. CAT eligibility requires you to be in your final year of graduation or already graduated backlogs don’t stop you from applying.

While filling the form:

  • Enter the aggregate percentage/CGPA of marks you have obtained up to the latest semester for which results are declared (in your case till 4th semester).

  • There will be an option to mention that you have a backlog.

  • If you clear the backlog later, you’ll just need to show the updated marks during admission.

Hello Aspirant,

Yes, you can apply for the CAT exam as a final-year student. You must declare your backlog on the online application form. You do not write about it on the final-year student certificate; that document is to certify your enrollment status. You must clear all backlogs before the final admission process to any MBA college.

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!