Great Lakes - PGDM & PGPM Admissions 2026
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Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are widely regarded as the most prestigious MBA institutes in India. Most of the aspirants who want to pursue an MBA degree aim to secure a place in IIMs by cracking the CAT exam. However, the limited number of seats in IIMs makes it very challenging for candidates to get into IIMs. Fortunately, there are many well-known MBA colleges to consider beyond the IIMs. Apart from offering high-quality education and skill development programs, these non-IIM institutes also conduct on-campus placements and help students get higher salary packages.
Candidates who qualify for the CAT 2025 will have to appear in three stages of the selection process, including a written ability test (WAT), a personal interview (PI) round, and a group discussion (GD).
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Qualifying for the CAT 2025 is a pre-requisite for individuals who wish to join postgraduate management programs offered by IIMs. Also, more than a thousand MBA colleges in India consider applications from candidates with good CAT scores. Some of the reputed non-IIM MBA colleges include MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, FMS Delhi, IITs, and IMI. Additionally, there are many reputed institutes that admit candidates with relatively low CAT scores.
Admission in MBA colleges in India depends on the prerequisites for the CAT exam and other exam rounds. To get a seat in a non-IIM top institute, candidates must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:
Candidates belonging to the general category should have obtained a minimum of 50% (45% for the reserved category) in graduation from a recognised university or college.
Minimum 50% in 10th and 12th standards, from a recognised board.
A valid CAT 2025 score is the minimum cut-off declared by an individual institute.
Although there is no age limit and it is not mandatory, many business schools prefer applicants with substantial work experience.
Along with the IIMs, 86 non-IIM institutions will also accept CAT 2025 scores for admission to their management programs. According to the CAT toppers list, 14 students scored 100 percentile, 29 students scored 99.99 percentile, and 30 students scored 99.98 percentile in CAT last year.
There are more than 50 colleges that accept CAT scores for their admission process. We have compiled the names of the top 20 non-IIMs that accept CAT scores for their MBA programs. These colleges are equally renowned as IIMs in offering MBA/PGDM courses. A list of MBA colleges accepting the CAT score for MBA admissions 2026, along with their minimum or expected cutoff and NIRF ranking 2025, is given below.
S. No. | CAT 2025 Accepting Colleges | CAT 2025 Cutoff (Expected) | NIRF Ranking 2025 |
1 | 99+ | - | |
2 | 95-96 | 20 | |
3 | 95-96 | 9 | |
4 | 88-90 | 40 | |
5 | 90+ | 39 | |
6 | 85 | 59 | |
7 | 75 | 61 | |
8 | 83-86 | 65 | |
9 | 85-95 | 37 | |
10 | 91 | 45 | |
11 | BHU Varanasi | 85 | 60 |
12 | 90 | 43 | |
13 | IMT Nagpur | 85-90 | 99 |
14 | 95 | - | |
15 | 92-95 | - | |
16 | NIRMA | 80-83 | 53 |
17 | 70 | - | |
18 | 94-96 | 10 | |
19 | 92-95 | 30 | |
20 | 70 | - |
IITs are known as premier institutions for both academic excellence and successful placements. Some of the IITs started the admission process for their management programs and some IITs will begin the application process soon. The following table lists the top IITs that accept CAT-qualified candidates for MBA programs:
CAT 2025 IIT Colleges | CAT 2025 Cutoff (Expected) | NIRF Rank 2025 |
98 | 4 | |
90 | 12 | |
96 | 13 | |
99 | 14 | |
94 | 22 | |
94 | 27 |
The CAT 2025 cut-off accepting colleges with low fees are given below.
6.5 Lakh | |
FMS Delhi | 2.45 Lakh |
9.5 Lakh | |
9 Lakh | |
9.5 Lakh | |
50,000 | |
4 Lakh | |
8.45 Lakh | |
3.80 Lakh | |
9.5 Lakh | |
10 Lakh |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Symbiosis does not consider CAT scores for their MBA admissions process. SIBM Pune, along with other Symbiosis institutes, primarily relies on the SNAP exam for admission to their MBA and other postgraduate programmes.
Yes. SP Jain accepts CAT and GMAT. Both fresh graduates and candidates with a maximum of five years of work experience can apply for MBA programme.
Top-ranked Bschools such as MDI, IITs, NMIMS, FMS, SPJIMR, IIFT, LIBA, GIM, GLIM, and many more accept CAT scores for MBA admission.
For non-IIMs, the CAT cut-off 2025 is to be in the range of 70-99 percentile.
Some of the reputed non-IIM MBA colleges include SPJIMR Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, FMS Delhi, IITs, and IMI accepting CAT 2025 scores.
On Question asked by student community
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.
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