QS Online MBA Rankings 2026: Three Indian Institutions Gain Global Spotlight
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QS Online MBA Rankings 2026: Three Indian Institutions Gain Global Spotlight

#MBA
Vivek KumarUpdated on 23 Sep 2025, 10:32 AM IST

The QS Online MBA Rankings are a part of the broader QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) rankings. In the QS Online MBA Rankings 2026, three Indian institutions, in top 125 institutions worldwide, have made their entry to the global stage. Several institutes globally have maintained their positions while some have moved up in their ranking.

QS Online MBA Rankings 2026: Three Indian Institutions Gain Global Spotlight
QS Online MBA Rankings 2026: Three Indian Institutions Gain Global Spotlight

QS has released the QS Global MBA, QS Global Business Master’s and QS Online MBA rankings for 2026. The three projects feature a comprehensive analysis of 1,446 Graduate Management Education (GME) programmes from 637 unique institutions worldwide.

QS Online MBA Rankings 2026

Alongside global universities such as Imperial College Business School, IE Business School and Warwick Business School that maintain their top three rank, India has its three institutions, with two ranked in top 100 for Online MBA programmes.

Indian Institutes in QS Online MBA Rankings 2026

Institute Name

Rank

Overall ScoreFaculty and TeachingClass ExperienceEmployabilityClass Profile

IIM Kozhikode

53

58.9

69.5

100

39.4

45.7

Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIRS)

76-100

N/A

51.4

100

20

53.6

Goa Institute of Management

101+

N/A

21.2

100

20.1

47.6


In the QS Online MBA Rankings 2026, IIM Kozhikode tops the ranking in Indian institutions offering online MBA, ranked 53 with an overall score of 58.9. The institute performs strongly in teaching and faculty with a score of 69.5 with class experience score of 100. However, its employability score stands at 39.4 and class profile at 45.7.

Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIRS) has placed within the 76–100 range, followed by Goa Institute of Management with ranking 101+.

In the QS Online MBA Rankings 2024, Amity Directorate of Distance and Online Education was ranked 73, with an overall score of 46.1. This year’s ranking shows an impressive outcome as three institutions gained global spotlight for online MBA programmes.

Top 10 Institutions in QS Online MBA Ranking 2026

125 institutions have been included in the QS Online MBA Rankings 2026. Seven institutions in the top 10 maintained their positions. The US has the most ranked institutions (60), and has the most institutions moving up (5), and down (37).

QS Online MBA Ranking 2026: Top 10 Institutions Globally

Institute Name2026 RankOverall Score

Imperial College Business School

1

100

IE Business School

2

98.3

Warwick Business School

3

96.3

AGSM @ UNSW Business School

4

92.2

Indiana University (Kelley Direct Programs)

5

91.8

Alliance Manchester Business School

6

86.8

Carnegie Mellon University

7

82.2

University of Florida (Warrington)

8

81.8

Southern California (Marshall)

9

81.5

Durham University Business School

10

81

Florida International University College of Business

10

81


Among all, Imperial College Business School ranked top, with an overall score of 100. The institute earned 96.5 score in faculty and teaching, 100 in class experience, 100 in employability, and 66.6 score in class profile.

With securing 53rd position globally, IIM Kozhikode’s Online MBA emerges as the top online MBA programme in India and fifth in the Asia-Pacific region. The institute’s three Online MBA programmes ranked in the QS Online MBA Rankings 2026 - PGP-BL (Business Leadership), PGP (Post Graduate Programme – Management), and PGP-Finance.

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Questions related to MBA

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to MBA ?

Yes, with an 89 percentile in CAT, your daughter has a good chance of securing admission in several reputed MBA colleges in India, though top IIMs may be difficult unless she has strong academic diversity, category reservation, or exceptional profile factors. At this percentile range, many well-known Tier-2 and upper Tier-3 management institutes consider candidates for their flagship MBA/PGDM programs.

Institutes such as IMI New Delhi, IMT Hyderabad, XIMB HRM, GIM Goa (certain programs), FORE School of Management, LBSIM Delhi, TAPMI Manipal (borderline), IFMR GSB, Great Lakes (PGDM) and several reputed university MBA programs actively shortlist candidates around the 85–90 percentile range. Final selection does not depend on CAT score alone; academic background, work experience, diversity, performance in GD/PI/WAT also play a significant role.

To maximise chances, she should apply to a balanced mix of colleges, prepare well for interviews, and highlight strengths such as internships, certifications, leadership roles, or work experience. If her profile is average and she aims for higher-ranked institutes, she may also consider repeating CAT with focused preparation to push her percentile above 95.

With 71.52 percentile in CAT as an SC category candidate, getting admission to NIT Trichy (DOMS) for MBA is possible but not guaranteed. NIT Trichy generally has lower CAT cut-offs for reserved categories, and in recent years, the SC cut-off has ranged approximately between 65–75 percentile, depending on the applicant pool and seat availability. Since your score falls within this range, you may get shortlisted for the PI round, especially if you have decent academic consistency and meet the minimum eligibility criteria. However, final admission will depend on performance in the personal interview, academic background, and availability of SC category seats. You should definitely apply to NIT Trichy, but also keep options open by applying to other NITs like NIT Warangal, NIT Surathkal, NIT Calicut, and central universities, where your percentile gives you a better conversion probability. Preparing well for the interview can significantly improve your chances of securing a seat.

With an overall CAT percentile of around 80 and belonging to the NC-OBC category, you do have a fair set of MBA college options in India, including some IITs, though the top IIMs and older IIT MBA programs will be difficult at this score.

At the IITs, you can realistically consider the newer and mid-tier MBA programs. IIT Jodhpur (MBA), IIT Bhilai, IIT Jammu, and IIT Dharwad are among the IITs where candidates with 75–85 percentile in CAT and category reservation like NC-OBC have received calls in previous admission cycles. These institutes generally place more weight on CAT score combined with academic background, work experience, and performance in the personal interview. However, IIT Bombay, Delhi, Madras, Kharagpur, Kanpur, and Roorkee usually require much higher percentiles, even for reserved categories, so chances there are quite low at 80 percentile.

Apart from IITs, several good government and semi-government MBA institutes are strong options at your percentile. You should definitely consider colleges like NIT Trichy (DOMS), NIT Warangal (SOM), NIT Calicut (SOM), and NIT Durgapur, as NITs often have slightly lower CAT cutoffs for NC-OBC candidates compared to IIMs. Universities such as Jamia Millia Islamia (MBA), Aligarh Muslim University, University of Hyderabad, and Delhi School of Management (DTU) can also be explored, depending on sectional cutoffs and your academic profile.

In the private institute space, there are many reputed B-schools where 80 percentile with NC-OBC reservation gives you a reasonable chance. These include IMT Nagpur and Hyderabad, GIM Goa (for some programs), TAPMI Manipal, FORE School of Management, K J Somaiya (Mumbai), BIMTECH Greater Noida, IRMA Anand (depending on profile), and IFMR GSB Krea University. These colleges focus strongly on interviews, SOPs, and overall profile, so good communication skills and clarity of goals can significantly improve your chances.

Overall, your strategy should be to apply broadly. Prioritise newer IITs and NITs first, then reputed private B-schools with consistent placement records. Make sure you prepare well for the personal interview and group discussion rounds, as at this percentile, final selection depends heavily on how well you perform beyond CAT.

https://bschool.careers360.com/cat-college-predictor

Hello,

Both Bengal Institute of Business Studies (BIBS) and United World School of Business (UWSB) have strong placement records in Kolkata. with specific data suggesting BIBS has a slightly higher potential higher salary package. While the UWSB provides a higher placement rate.

I hope it will clear your query!!

Hello

With an NMAT score of 205, you have decent chances in good mid-tier MBA colleges.
You may get calls from NMIMS Hyderabad or Indore, but the Mumbai core is usually slightly higher.
Colleges like SDA Bocconi Asia Centre, BML Munjal, and IBS Hyderabad are realistic options.
Some reputed private B-schools may also consider you if sectional cutoffs are clear. Overall, 205 is a fair score that can lead to a solid MBA college with good planning.

You can refer to the link I am attaching for more details: CLICK HERE