CollegeSathi Diwali Scholarship Festival – Up to 45% Scholarship
CollegeSathi Diwali Scholarship Festival – Up to 45% Scholarship
CollegeSathi

Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score (Beyond the IIMs)

Urvashi Khandelwal•Updated on Wed Oct 14 2026
5 min read•7.3K+ views
Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Score (Beyond the IIMs)
Chat with us on WhatsApp
Quick Overview: There are multiple colleges apart from IIMs that accept CAT scores to offer admission to an MBA course. Such business schools offer excellent placement assistance, infrastructure, and more. Through this blog, you can get updated information about non-IIM colleges accepting CAT scores, including their fees, eligibility criteria, and other details.

Key Takeaways

  • Top non-IIM Colleges: MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad, SPJIMR Mumbai, and more.
  • Overall MBA College Fees: ₹5,12,000 to ₹29,50,000
  • Average Package: ₹5 LPA to ₹32.85 LPA
  • CAT Cut-Off: 50 to 96 percentile

Top 10 Colleges Accepting CAT Score (Beyond the IIMs): Details

The table below includes the top MBA colleges accepting CAT scores apart from IIMs, including their key details like fees, average package, and CAT cut-off:

College NIRF Ranking 2025 (Management) Program Total Fees Average Package Approximate CAT Cut-Off
MDI Gurgaon 9th PGDM ₹26,55,310  ₹29.5 LPA 96
SPJIMR Mumbai 20th PGDM ₹24,86,000 ₹32.85 LPA 80 - 85
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore 26th MBA ₹12,00,000 ₹8.85 LPA 70 - 85
IMT Ghaziabad 30th PGDM ₹23,00,000 ₹17.20 LPA 90 - 95
Chandigarh University, Mohali 32nd MBA ₹5,12,000 to ₹7,94,000 ₹5 LPA to ₹8 LPA 70
MICA Ahmedabad 33rd PGDM ₹14,50,000 to ₹29,50,000 ₹20.12 LPA 80+
UPES Dehradun 36th MBA ₹18,37,000 ₹15.8 LPA 50+
Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai 37th PGDM ₹16,03,000 ₹15 LPA 85+
Graphic Era University, Dehradun 52nd MBA ₹8,48,875 ₹6 LPA to ₹7 LPA 75
Nirma University, Ahmedabad 53rd MBA ₹12,88,000 ₹11.21 LPA 80+
Quick Fact: Postgraduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) program is equivalent to the MBA program if the institution is approved by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) & AICTE.

Eligibility Criteria for Admission in the Non-IIM MBA Colleges

Eligibility criteria for admission in the MBA program differ from college to college. However, the common requirements to meet to get admission in the top MBA colleges accepting CAT besides IIMs are mentioned below:

Educational Qualifications

You must have completed a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from any recognized university or equivalent qualification.

Qualifying Marks

Aspirants are required to secure a minimum of 50% aggregate in a UG degree.

Work Experience

Not mandatory. But learners with work experience are preferred.

Entrance Exams
CAT (Common Admission Test) is widely accepted by colleges across India. Besides this, some other acceptable national-level examinations include GMAT, CMAT, ATMA, etc.

Also Read: https://www.collegesathi.com/blogs/mba-eligibility-criteria-india

How to Choose the Right MBA College beyond IIMs?

There are multiple factors that you should consider while choosing CAT MBA colleges (beyond IIMs). Check the following points to know about the key factors:

  • Check CAT Percentile: To choose the right college amongst the several MBA colleges accepting CAT scores, you should check their minimum CAT percentile. Also, check academic qualifications and selection criteria like group discussion, personal interview, etc.
  • Approval and Accreditation: Before enrolling in an MBA program at any college, you should check the approval and recognition of the institution, including UGC, AICTE, NAAC, and others. This will help you know the quality of MBA education offered by the college.
  • NIRF Ranking: Another aspect to choose the right university is checking its NIRF ranking in the ‘Management’ category. It will help you evaluate academic outcomes, faculty support, and other crucial aspects.
  • Specializations Available: To make an informed decision, check whether your selected college offers your desired specialization or not. Marketing, Human Resources, Finance, and Business Analytics are some of the top MBA specializations.
  • Fees & ROI: You can compare the fees of several CAT MBA colleges to know which one is best suited for you as per your budget. Additionally, you can analyze the placement outcomes by comparing tuition fees with the past placement records.
  • Practical Learning: You should choose a college that offers practical learning through live projects, internships, and other opportunities. This will help you develop industry-aligned skills, including soft and technical skills.
  • Alumni Network: Check how strong & wide the alumni network of the college is, as this will help you build a network across the globe, explore mentorship opportunities, and access valuable job referrals.

Also Read: https://www.collegesathi.com/blogs/mba-without-cat

Conclusion

There are multiple options available for learners to pursue an MBA program after CAT apart from IIMs. Some of these are MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, UPES Dehradun, MICA Ahmedabad, and IMT Ghaziabad.

Choosing an MBA college beyond IIMs can be a challenging task for learners. To make an informed decision, there are several aspects that you should consider, such as approval & accreditation of the college, alumni network, fees & ROI, available specializations, and others.

You can talk to our Collegesathi experts to learn about the online universities and colleges that are offering admission to an MBA course without any entrance exam score.

Frequently Asked Questions

MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, UPES Dehradun, MICA Ahmedabad, and IMT Ghaziabad are some of the colleges that accept CAT scores for admission in an MBA course.

Yes, the postgraduate diploma in management course is considered equivalent to a 2-year MBA course in India based on the approval from AICTE and AIU.

You need to have a minimum of 50% aggregate in a UG degree in any discipline, along with a valid CAT score , to secure admission in the MBA program of prestigious colleges besides IIMs.

The average package of the CAT MBA colleges beyond IIMs generally ranges from ₹5 LPA to ₹32 LPA.

By considering factors like NIRF ranking, fees & ROI, practical learning, alumni network, and approval & accreditation, you can make an informed decision regarding the MBA college besides IIMs.

collegesathi
collegesathi

CollegeSathi aims to provide unbiased and precise information to aspirants, along with comparative guidance on universities and their programs. The content on the CollegeSathi website, including text, graphics, images, blogs, videos, and university logos, is meant for informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for official information provided by academic partners. While we make every effort to keep the information accurate and up to date, CollegeSathi does not guarantee the completeness or reliability of the content and is not responsible for any errors, omissions, or losses resulting from its use.

© CollegeSathi 2026. All Rights Reserved.