MBA: Admission, Entrance Exams, Top Colleges, Fees, Eligibility Criteria, and Salary

Ankita Rakshit

MBA admission 2025 is open via various national level entrance tests in India. Around 4,500 colleges in India offer various MBA courses. Admission to MBA program is conducted by July or August every year right after CAT or XAT results are out. You must have 50% marks in bachelor's degree to be eligible for MBA program. For tier-1 universities like IIMs and IITs, you must appear CAT entrance exam with 85-95 percentile marks. You can apply for XAT exam with score of more than 90 percentiles to get admission to XLRI Jamshedpur and IMT Ghaziabad. MBA program is highly demanding as it offers great career prospects in different professions like Finance Manager, Marketing Manager and Product Manager. You can earn an average annual salary of INR 7-12 lakhs as freshers and with professional experience, you can get up to INR 70-100 LPA after completing the program.
 

Why MBA?
 

You can get numerous benefits for studying MBA in India. The major reasons for choosing MBA in India are as follows:

  • After an MBA in India, you can find great employment opportunities in various job portals. LinkedIn offers 26,000+, and Naukri has around 1,67,600 MBA jobs in India for recent graduates.
  • You will have a promising career in various job positions, such as HR Manager, Project Manager, Marketing manager, and Sales Manager.
  • You will earn high salary between INR 7-12 lakhs, and it can rise to INR 100 LPA based on your experience.
  • The employability rate of Business Administration graduates in India is 71% in 2024.

 

Top Specialisations of MBA in India
 

If you consider full time program, MBA course duration is for 2 years. In this program, you need to learn the basic management principles and administrative roles. The program is based on various topics like marketing management, financial management, business environment and law and consumer behaviour. The top MBA courses in India are as follows:

  • Finance
  • Marketing
  • Business Analytics
  • Digital Marketing
  • Information Technology
  • Operations Management
  • Human Resources Management
  • International Business
  • Healthcare Management
  • Logistics and Supply Chain Management
     

Top MBA Colleges in India
 

In India, you can find top business colleges offering MBA courses. The course fees vary from INR 1.14 lakhs-34.15 lakhs as per different colleges. The table below states the fees for the best MBA colleges in India:
 

NIRF Ranking 2024CollegesEntrance Exam AcceptedProgram Fees
1Indian Institute of Management (IIM), AhmedabadCATINR 34.15 lakhs
2Indian Institute of Management (IIM), BangaloreCATINR 26 lakhs
4IIT DelhiCATINR 12 lakhs
5Indian Institute of Management (IIM), CalcuttaCATINR 31 lakhs
9XLRI (Xavier School of Management), JamshedpurXATINR 24 lakhs
15IIFT, New DelhiCATINR 21.82 lakhs
20SP Jain Institute of Management & ResearchCATINR 16 lakhs
29IIT KanpurCATINR 10.5 lakhs
29Amity University, NoidaCAT, XAT, NMAT, MAT, CMATINR 15.56 lakhs
35IMT GhaziabadCAT, XATINR 20.80 lakhs
43XIM BhubaneshwarCAT, XATINR 22 lakhs
60Christ UniversityCAT, MAT, CMAT, XAT, ATMAINR 6.75 lakhs
63K J Somaiya Institute of Management, MumbaiCAT, XAT, NMAT, CMATINR 18.49 lakhs
64BIMTECH, Greater NoidaCAT, XAT, CMATINR 14 lakhs
99IFMR GSB Krea University, Sri CityCAT, XAT, NMAT, CMATINR 15 lakhs
-Woxsen University, HyderabadCAT, XAT, NMATINR 12.20 lakhs
-FMS (Faculty of Management Studies), New DelhiCATINR 1.14 lakhs

Top Public MBA Colleges
 

CAT is the primary exam accepted for admission to top public MBA colleges in India. Here is the list of top public colleges for pursuing MBA program:
 

CollegesEntrance Exam Cutoffs
IIM CalcuttaCAT cutoff: 85 percentile or more
IIM BangaloreCAT cutoff: 85 percentile or more
IIM AhmedabadCAT cutoff: 80 percentile or more
IIFT New DelhiCAT cutoff: 96 percentile or more
IIT DelhiCAT cut off: 60 percentile or more

Top Private MBA Colleges
 

Top private MBA colleges include Amity University, Christ University and XLRI. Here, given below the cut-offs of entrance exams to apply for MBA private colleges:
 

CollegesEntrance Exam Cutoffs
Amity University, NoidaMAT: 650, CMAT: 200, CAT/XAT: 85, NMAT: 250
Christ UniversityMAT: 550, CAT: 60 percentile, XAT: 60 percentile, CMAT: 60 percentile, ATMA: 60 percentile
SP Jain Institute of Management & ResearchCAT: 85 percentile or above
XLRI (Xavier School of Management), JamshedpurXAT: 90-95 percentile or above
BIMTECH, Greater NoidaCAT: 75 percentile, XAT: 60-72.5 percentile, CMAT: 70-95 percentiles

State-Wise Top Colleges
 

Admission process for MBA may differ as per different states as certain states have their specific common entrance test. Check below the state-wise top colleges for MBA programs:

MBA Colleges in Maharashtra

MAH CET is the primary entrance exam for Maharashtrian candidates to apply for MBA colleges in Maharashtra. Here, given below is the list of colleges in Maharashtra along with the accepted entrance exam:
 

List of Colleges Accepted Entrance Exam
UNIPUNE - Savitribai Phule Pune UniversityMAH CET, CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT
Indira Institute of Management, PuneMAH CET, CAT, MAT, XAT, ATMA, CMAT
D Y Patil University School of ManagementMAH CET, CMAT, MAT, CAT, XAT
Welingkar Institute of ManagementMAH CET, CAT, CMAT, XAT, ATMA
Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, PuneSNAP is mandatory for SIBM University


MBA Colleges in West Bengal

JEMAT is the entrance exam for MBA admission in West Bengal conducted by MAKAUT. Here, given below the colleges in West Bengal for MBA program:
 

List of Colleges Accepted Entrance Exam
IISWBMCAT, XAT, CMAT, JEMAT
IEMCAT, MAT, JEMAT
Calcutta Business SchoolCAT, XAT, ATMA, CMAT, JEMAT
Sister Nivedita UniversitySNUET (Sister Nivedita University Entrance Test) or MAT, CAT, JEMAT
Siliguri Institute of TechnologyJEMAT, MAT


MBA Colleges in Andhra Pradesh

Students residing in Andhra Pradesh can attend APICET (Andhra Pradesh Integrated Common Entrance Test) for admission to MBA program. Some universities in Andhra Pradesh accept TSICET scores that is Telangana State Integrated Common Entrance Test especially for Telangana aspirants. The table below states the colleges in Andhra Pradesh for MBA course study:
 

List of Colleges Accepted Entrance Exam
IFMR GSB Krea University, Sri CityCAT, XAT, NMAT, CMAT, APICET
KL Business School, KL University, GunturKLMAT (K L Management Admission Test) or CAT, MAT, XAT, APICET
Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, KakinadaAPICET, TSICET, MAT, CAT, ATMA, XAT
Acharya Nagarjuna University, GunturAcharya Nagarjuna University Integrated Common Entrance Test (ANU ICET), APICET, CAT, CMAT, XAT, MAT
JNTUA College of Engineering, AnanthapuramAPICET, TSICET, CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT


MBA Colleges in Tamil Nadu

If you are an inhabitant of Tamil Nadu and want to apply for MBA in your state, you can take TANCET entrance exam. Around 200 colleges in Tamil Nadu accept TANCET scores for admission to MBA program. The table shows the list of colleges in Tamil Nadu offering MBA programs:
 

List of Colleges Accepted Entrance Exam
PSG Institute of Management, CoimbatoreTANCET, CAT, MAT, ATMA
KV Institute of Management and Information StudiesTANCET, XAT, MAT, ATMA, CAT
GRG School of Management Studies (GRGSMS)MAT, TANCET
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International School of Textiles & Management, CoimbatoreTANCET, MAT, CAT, XAT, SVP Entrance Test
St. Joseph's Institute of Management (JIM) TiruchirappalliTANCET, CAT, ATMA, CMAT, XAT, MAT


MBA Colleges in Odisha

OJEE is the Odisha Joint Entrance Exam for students residing in Odisha to apply for MBA programs there. The table below states the colleges in Odisha offering MBA courses:
 

List of Colleges Accepted Entrance Exam
SOA University - Siksha 'O' AnusandhanOJEE, SAAT (SOA Admission Test), CAT, XAT, MAT
Indus College of EngineeringOJEE, CAT, MAT
Gandhi Institute for TechnologyOJEE, CAT, MAT, XAT, ATMA
Xavier School of Rural ManagementXAT, CAT, NMAT, XGMAT ((XIM General Management Test), OJEE
KIIT School of ManagementCAT, MAT, CMAT, XAT, OJEE


Direct Admission MBA Colleges
 

Techno India, Parul University, Andhra Loyola College and LPU offers direct admission to students based on admission test, personal interview and group discussion. You can apply directly to the following colleges for MBA without entrance exams:
 

List of Direct Admission MBA Colleges
Swami Vivekananda Institute of Management and Computer ScienceLovely Professional University
Techno IndiaParul University
Graphic Era UniversityAndhra Loyola College
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha UniversityITM Business School
Amity University, MumbaiSikkim Manipal University, Delhi


Specialization-wise Top MBA Colleges
 

You can pursue specializations of MBA like Finance, Marketing, Business Analytics, Digital Marketing, Information Technology etc. For applying to MBA top specialization courses, you can apply to the following colleges:
 

Specializations NameColleges Offered

MBA in Finance

 

 

BML Munjal University,

Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth,

Chitkara University,

Symbiosis School of Banking and Finance

BITS Pilani

MBA in Marketing

Symbiosis University of Applied Sciences,

K J Somaiya Institute of Management,

UPES,

Chitkara University,

Parul University

MBA in Business Analytics

BITS Pilani,

LPU,

IIFT,

IIM Bangalore,

Adamas University

MBA in Digital Marketing

MIT World Peace University,

SRM Institute of Science and Technology,

Techno India,

Chandigarh University,

K.R. Mangalam University

MBA in Information Technology

Uttaranchal University,

Parul University,

SCIT Pune,

St. Andrews Institute of Technology and Management,

Sage University Bhopal

MBA in Operations Management

IIM Mumbai,

MIT ADT University,

UPES,

K J Somaiya Institute of Management,

SIBM Hyderabad

MBA in Human Resources Management

IIM Ranchi,

Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth,

MIT ADT University,

IISWBM,

NMIMS

MBA in International Business

IIFT,

LPU,

UPES,

Symbiosis Institute of International Business,

Pondicherry University

MBA in Healthcare Management

IISWBM,

National Forensic Sciences University,

IIM Bodhgaya,

MIT ADT University,

LPU

MBA in Logistics and Supply Chain Management

Indian Maritime University,

LPU,

Pondicherry University,

MIT ADT University,

UPES


MBA Entrance Exam Deadline 2025
 

Scoring well in entrance exam will secure your chances of admission to MBA colleges in India. Among the entrance exams for MBA, CAT is the main to get into IIMs and IITs. You must register for the MBA entrance exam from the official portal before the deadline expires. The table below states the cut-offs and last date to apply for MBA entrance exam:
 

MBA Entrance ExamCut-offsLast Date to Apply
CAT 202594-100 percentile20 September 2025 (tentative)
SNAP 202458-98.2 percentile22 November 2024
MAT 202460-80 percentile

30 November 2024 (CBT 1)

07 December 2024 (PBT)

15 December 2024 (CBT 2)

CMAT 202595-99 percentile23 April 2025 (tentative)
IIFT 202496 percentile16 December 2024 (tentative)
XAT 202590-95 percentile30 November 2024
ATMA 202570-95 percentile15 October 2025 (tentative date)
OJEE 2025690-450 marks15 March 2025 (tentative date)
TANCET 202538-50 marks07 February 2025 (tentative date)
TSICET 202525%07 March 2025 (tentative date)
NMAT 2025200-23513 October 2025 (tentative date)
APICET 202525%07 March 2025 (tentative date)
Karnataka PGCET 20252700-650020 June 2025 (tentative date)


MBA Application Process
 

Students must follow the application process for admission to the top MBA colleges in India. Here, given below the steps to apply for MBA in India:

  • First check the eligibility criteria for applying to the program.
  • Login to the official website of university and fill in the application form.
  • Apply to at least for 5-8 MBA colleges as per your requirements.
  • Qualify the MBA entrance exams with good rankings.
  • Appear for personal interview and writing aptitude test (WAT) and group discussion.


Top 20 MBA Interview Questions
 

Here, given below are the top 20 interview questions for your reference to apply for MBA program:

  • Tell me something about yourself.
  • What inspires you to pursue a degree in management?
  • Why do you want to apply for this business school?
  • Why should we select you?
  • What are some reasons to reject your application?
  • Discuss in brief your achievements as leader.
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses?
  • What aspects of your current job do you enjoy?
  • What are your immediate and long-term objectives?
  • How would an MBA help you advance in your career?
  • Are you a team player? Explain
  • What is the difference between a good manager and a good leader?
  • What are your career goals?
  • Why MBA?
  • Who is your role model?
  • What is your expectation from this MBA programme?
  • How do you deal with failures?
  • How do you deal with criticism?
  • Why do you want to join this College/B-school?
  • Do you want to ask or know anything (regarding college)


Group Discussion Topics for MBA
 

You may be asked group discussion topics about current affairs, business and economy, social issues and social media. Check below the list of GD topics that can be asked for admission to MBA program:

  • Electoral Bonds: Fair or Unfair
  • Russia-India-USA ties
  • Coronavirus: Impact on Global Economy
  • Work-Life Balance is a Myth
  • Cashless Economy: Is India ready for it?
  • Views on Bitcoin/Crypto Currency
  • Gender inclusivity
  • Social equality and wealth redistribution
  • Overdependence on AI
  • Aditya-L1: India's First Solar Mission
  • Inclusion of women soldiers in combat troops
  • Job Reservation in Private Sector
  • Government regulation of OTT Platforms
  • Change is the only constant
  • Leader Vs Follower
  • Blockchain Technology: Pros & Cons
  • Is Startup India Boosting Entrepreneurship
  • Views on YONO
  • Social Media: A boon or a bane for the society
  • Crime against women - where is the world heading


Eligibility Criteria for MBA in India
 

The eligibility criteria for MBA in India as per different categories of colleges are detailed below:

CategoriesTier 1 MBA CollegesTier 2 MBA Colleges Tier 3 MBA Colleges
Academic QualificationsSecure 60% marks in bachelor's degreeAt least 50% in bachelor's degreeAt least 50% marks in UG or more
Entrance examCAT, XATSNAP, XAT, NMATMAT, CMAT or other university or state-level exams
Interview CriteriaAttend Group Discussion, Personal Interview (PI) and Writing Aptitude Test (WAT)Includes PI and WAT rounds. In some cases, you may ask to attend only PI.Only PI round
Entrance Exam CutoffCAT cutoff: 85-95 percentileCAT cutoff: 70-80 percentileCAT cutoff: 60 percentile or above


Scholarships for MBA in India
 

You must have strong academic performance to be eligible for scholarships to study MBA program. The table below states the eligibility and amount granted by popular scholarships for MBA in India:
 

ScholarshipsEligibility CriteriaAmount Granted
IIM Ahmedabad Special Need Based ScholarshipsStudents having family income of less than INR 15 lakhsVaries
IIM Bangalore Aditya Birla ScholarshipStudents belonging to the family having household incomes less than INR 8 lakhs per year.INR 1.75 lakh
IDFC First Bank MBA ScholarshipStudents having family income below INR 6 lakhs per annum.INR 2 lakhs
ONGC Merit ScholarshipExtremely meritorious students having acute financial crisisINR 48,000 on an annual basis
XLRI, T Thomas ScholarshipStudents having good academic merits are eligibleINR 1 lakhs


Education Loan for MBA in India
 

Various banks offer education loans to provide you with financial help to afford the expenses of studying the program. The table below states the interest rate and loan amount offered by various banks for studying MBA program:
 

Bank Name Maximum Loan Amount Interest Rate
ICICI BankINR 1 croreREPO + 3.75%(Spread)] onwards
Axis BankUp to INR 75 lakhs8%
Bank of BarodaUp to INR 125 lakhs8.15%
Canara BankUp to INR 7.50 Lakhs11.15%
Punjab National BankUp to INR 4 Lakhs5%


MBA Placements
 

The table below states the job roles attained by students after completing MBA from different universities:

University NameTop RecruitersJob RolesAverage Annual Salary
Indian Institute of Management (IIM), AhmedabadAccenture, Amazon, Adani Group, Blue Ridge, Cognizant, KPMG, Coca Cola etc.

Product Manager, Senior Manager, Consultant,

Product Head,

Chief Product Officer, Client Partner, Operations Manager, Business Analyst, Finance Manager,

HR Manager,

Sales Manager etc.

INR 29.85 LPA
Indian Institute of Management (IIM), BangaloreGoldman Sachs, Barclays, PwC, Amazon, TCS, Google etc.INR 35.92 LPA
IIT DelhiAccenture, Diageo, Google, ICICI Bank, Microsoft, Reliance etc.INR 25.82 LPA
FMS (Faculty of Management Studies), New DelhiAccenture, Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PwC, McKinsey & CompanyINR 34.1 LPA
XLRI (Xavier School of Management), JamshedpurITC, Amazon, EY, Tata Motors, Maruti, Novartis etc.INR 27.07 LPA
SP Jain Institute of Management & ResearchBoston Consulting Group, Deloitte, KPMG, Praxis Global Alliance etc.INR 33 LPA
IMT GhaziabadAccenture, IBM, Morgan Stanley, Bajaj, Wipro, Nivea etc.INR 17.35 LPA
K J Somaiya Institute of ManagementCognizant, HCL Tech, Infosys, L&T Financial Services, WNS etc.INR 15.80 LPA
XIM BhubaneshwarLoreal, Cognizant, Nestle, Deloitte, IBM, EY etc.INR 19.53 LPA
Woxsen University HyderabadDeloitte, KPMG, EY, Tech Mahindra, Standard Chattered etc.INR 16 LPA

Aspirants intending to seek an MBA degree in India must have 50% or higher marks in bachelors. You must apply for CAT exam with 80 percentile score or above to get chance to top colleges like IIMs and IITs. For other institutions, you can apply by qualifying other entrance exams like SNAP, MAT, XAT etc. You can apply for scholarships and get up to INR 1 lakhs to afford the expenses of pursuing the program.

FAQ - MBA

Ans. MBA program is based on learning business, management and leadership skills. The high paying top specializations for MBA are Finance, Business Analytics, Information Technology Management, Event Management and International Business.

Ans. You can earn a salary ranging from 7-12 LPA as a fresher of MBA program. After gaining professional experience, you can get up to 70-100 LPA in different leadership roles.

Ans. You must have 50% of marks in bachelor’s degree to apply for MBA in Indian universities. You must qualify entrance exams like CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT or OJEE for pursuing MBA programs.

Ans. You can learn the key topics related to business management for seeking an MBA degree. The subjects of MBA include marketing, HR management, finance management, business laws, entrepreneurship, organisational and consumer behaviour, taxation and retail management.

Ans. MBA program is a 2-year postgraduate program. You can learn various topics related to finance, marketing, operations, business strategy and human resources. 

Ans. For pursuing MBA, you can apply to various colleges like IIM Bangalore, IIT Delhi, IIFT and LPU. The course fees for MBA program for top colleges ranges between INR 1.14 lakhs-34.15 lakhs. 

Ans. You can join MBA directly without attending any entrance tests to some colleges like Lovely Professional University, Parul University and Techno India. You must have 50% marks in bachelor studies to be eligible for the program. You need to qualify personal interview, writing aptitude test and group discussion to pursue MBA. 

Ans. CAT exam is Common Admission Test that is required to pursue graduate management programs. This is a computer-based test that is accepted by IIMs, IITs and around 1200 business colleges in India. 

Ans. For admission to MBA, you must appear for entrance exams like CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT etc. Further, you must have 50% marks in bachelors to pursue the program. 

Ans. Students choose to pursue MBA program as it has high employability rate of around 71% in 2024. You can get jobs via various job portals like Naukri, LinkedIn etc. LinkedIn offers 26,000+ and Naukri has around 1,67,600 MBA jobs in India for recent MBA graduates.

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