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

Himanshu ShekharUpdated on 12 Sep 2025, 03:27 PM 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.

LiveCAT 2025 Result LIVE: IIM Kozhikode to announce scores soon on iimcat.ac.in; cut-off, normalisationDec 23, 2025 | 8:38 AM IST

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Amritsar has released the pre-determined minimum percentile cut-off scores for the first stage of shortlisting candidates for admission to its MBA programme for the 2026–2028 batch. These CAT 2025 percentile thresholds, detailed below, will be used to prepare the initial shortlist for further stages of selection at IIM Amritsar.

Category

Quantitative Aptitude (Percentile)

Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (Percentile)

Verbal & Reading Comprehension (Percentile)

Total (Overall Percentile)


Section-1

Section-2

Section-3


General

80

75

80

90

EWS

80

75

77

90

Non Creamy Other Backward Classes (NC-OBC)

65

60

65

80

Scheduled Castes (SC)

55

50

52

55

Scheduled Tribes (ST)

40

35

37

40

Persons with Disabilities (PwD)

40

35

37

40

CAT 2025 result will be announced soon on the official website at iimcat.ac.in.IIM Amritsar CAT 2025 cut-off. (Image: Official Website)

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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

Globally Recognized by AACSB (US) & AMBA (UK) | 17.8 LPA Avg. CTC for PGPM 2025

BIMTECH PGDM Admissions 2026

AACSB Accredited | Highest CTC: 22 LPA | Last Date: 31st December 2025

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the minimum GPA for top MBA?
A:

Most top MBA programs look for a GPA of at least 3.5, which reflects the level of academic excellence that top business schools.

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.

Q: What is the minimum graduation percentage for 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 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: 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: How to do an MBA with a low percentage in graduation?
A:

To do an MBA with a low graduation percentage, one must focus on high MBA entrance exam scores (like CAT or GMAT) and gain significant work experience to demonstrate one's aptitude. 

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Questions related to CAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CAT ?

Hello,

For a raw score of 56 in CAT 2025 Slot 3, your expected overall percentile is likely to be in the range of the 90th-95th percentile. The exact percentile can vary slightly on the final normalization process and the process and performance of all test-takers. In this article you'll find more about the CAT result.

I hope it will clear your query!!

Hello,
With a projected CAT percentile of 87% but not clearing sectional cutoffs, your chances at top IIMs are limited because they require both overall percentile and sectional minimums. However, you still have a good shot at other reputed management institutes and non-IIM B-schools. Consider colleges like NMIMS, SPJIMR, IMT, TAPMI, Great Lakes, and other well-ranked private or state-level B-schools that accept CAT scores and weigh your profile holistically. Your academic record, BSc in Animation with 80%, and 5 years of work experience at Ubisoft India are strong points and may help in institutes that value work experience in their selection process. Also, explore institutes that accept XAT, MAT, or CMAT, where your profile can be competitive.
Hope this helps you.

Good Morning,

NIT Rourkela CAT cutoff range is between 70-85 percentiles for the general category. 70 is the minimum percentile needed to apply, and 85 is the highest percentile. However, the maximum percentile depends on the particular year competition. It can be changed.

Thank You.

If you filled the UGC NET form under EWS but you don’t have a valid EWS certificate, then forget using the EWS category. They won’t accept it. You’ll automatically be treated as General category during document verification.


And no, this won’t make your form “invalid” or “illegal.” It just means you won’t get the EWS benefit.


So yes — you can still go for General category posts and Professor recruitment. Just don’t try to submit a fake/invalid certificate; that will get you disqualified.

Hello,
If your CAT admit card shows your surname first followed by your first name as entered in the form, it is correct. You do not need to worry about this format as long as it matches the details you provided. Ensure all other information on the admit card is accurate and carry it to the exam along with the required identification documents.
Hope this helps you.