Top MBA Colleges Accepting CAT Scores: Cutoff, Fees, and Admission Status

CAT 2026 Cutoff for Top MBA Colleges in India – Fees, Placements & Admission Status

The CAT 2026 cutoff is an important factor for MBA aspirants planning admission to IIMs and other leading B-schools in India. Besides IIMs, several reputed institutes such as MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR Mumbai, IMI New Delhi, XIM University Bhubaneswar, IMT Ghaziabad, GIM Goa, TAPMI Manipal, K J Somaiya Mumbai, FORE School of Management and BIMTECH accept CAT scores for their management programmes.

CAT 2026 will be used for admission to the 2027–29 MBA/PGDM batch. However, candidates should remember that the CAT percentile required to receive a shortlist can be considerably higher than the minimum qualifying cutoff published by an institute. Final selection may also consider academics, work experience, diversity, entrance-test performance, interviews and other selection criteria.

The table below provides indicative CAT 2026 cutoff ranges, current admission information, fees and recent placement figures. Cutoffs marked as expected/competitive are not guarantees of admission.

CAT 2026 Cutoff for Top MBA Colleges: 90%ile and Above

Important Updates

MDI Gurgaon: CAT 2026 is mandatory for MDI's PGDM, PGDM-HRM, PGDM-IB, Business Analytics and BFS programmes. The current application deadline is November 28, 2026. For PGDM-IB only, eligible applicants may also use an appropriate GMAT score.

SPJIMR Mumbai: For CAT 2026, SPJIMR currently lists a 75 percentile sectional cutoff and 85 percentile overall cutoff for its PGDM/PGDM (BM) programmes. However, meeting the qualifying cutoff does not guarantee a shortlist or admission because SPJIMR uses a profile-based selection process. Applications for the 2027–29 batch are open, with the application deadline listed as November 27, 2026.

IMI New Delhi: IMI currently states that it has no fixed CAT cutoff and evaluates candidates holistically. Its current admission page accepts CAT 2026, XAT 2027 and GMAT scores. The application deadline is December 19, 2026.

XIM University Bhubaneswar: The MBA-BM programme accepts CAT 2026, XAT 2027, GMAT and XGMT. The current application deadline is December 15, 2026.

IMT Ghaziabad: The 2027 application process is currently open. Candidates can apply with CAT 2026, XAT 2027 or GMAT scores. The institute has not yet published a final application closing date.

GIM Goa: Applications for the 2027–29 batch are open. Candidates using CAT 2026 can apply until December 23, 2026, while the overall application deadline is January 4, 2027.

CAT 2026 Cutoff for MBA Colleges: 80–90 Percentile

Current published comparisons place FORE and TAPMI around the mid-80s, while K J Somaiya's 2027 application is open and accepts CAT 2026, XAT 2027, CMAT 2027, NMAT and GMAT.

Great Lakes has opened applications for the 2027 intake and accepts CAT, XAT, GMAT and NMAT scores, with application deadlines announced by admission cycle.

LIBA Chennai is currently accepting applications for its 2027–29 full-time PGDM and accepts CAT 2026/XAT 2027 scores.

CAT 2026 Cutoff for MBA Colleges: 70–80 Percentile

BIMTECH's 2027–29 admissions are currently open, and its official admission information confirms acceptance of CAT 2026, XAT 2027, GMAT, CMAT and MAT scores. Its current published tuition fee for the PGDM programme is ₹14 lakh, excluding additional charges such as hostel and mess.

CAT 2026 Cutoff: What Percentile Should You Target?

CAT percentile requirements vary significantly by institute and applicant profile. As a broad planning guide:

These ranges are not guaranteed admission cutoffs. The actual percentile required for a call can vary according to category, academic profile, work experience, sectional scores, applicant pool and institute-specific selection criteria.

CAT Cutoff vs Final Admission: What Candidates Should Know

A major mistake made by MBA aspirants is treating the published CAT cutoff as the final admission percentile. There are usually three different benchmarks:

1. Minimum qualifying cutoff – The minimum percentile required to be considered.

2. Shortlisting cutoff – The percentile/profile generally required to receive an interview call.

3. Final admission percentile – The percentile and overall profile of candidates who eventually receive admission offers.

For example, SPJIMR officially publishes an 85 percentile overall CAT qualifying cutoff, but admission also depends on profile and selection criteria. Similarly, IMI Delhi states that it does not follow a fixed cutoff and evaluates applicants using academics, entrance scores, work experience and the interview process.

Factors That Affect CAT Cutoffs

CAT cutoffs can change every year based on:

• Number of CAT applicants

• CAT 2026 difficulty level

• Number of available seats

• Candidate performance

• Academic profile requirements

• Work experience

• Sectional percentile requirements

• Reservation category

• Institute-specific admission policies

• Overall applicant quality

Therefore, candidates should not select colleges based on CAT percentile alone. Fees, placements, location, programme specialization, ROI, admission criteria and career goals should also be considered.

CAT 2026 College Selection

If you are preparing for CAT 2026, it is advisable to create a balanced college shortlist rather than applying only to institutes with extremely high cutoffs. Candidates scoring in different percentile ranges can explore colleges according to their expected performance and profile.

BookMyColleges provides information on MBA colleges, CAT cutoffs, fees, placements, admission processes and accepted entrance examinations to help students make informed decisions.

For college selection and MBA admission guidance, candidates can also use the BookMyColleges College Predictor.

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