MBA Admission 2026 has begun across top management institutes in India. Candidates aiming for the MBA course need to appear in entrance tests such as CAT, XAT, CMAT, MAT, SNAP, NMAT, and many others. Based on the entrance exam scores, candidates are shortlisted by IIMs and other top B-schools for further admissions. There are nearly 1500+ MBA colleges in India, and 95% of them accept entrance exam scores for MBA admissions. The final selection process includes entrance exam scores, academic scores, WAT-GD-PI performance, diversity factors and other parameters. Some of the top colleges for MBA admissions are IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bengaluru, IIM Kozhikode, IIT Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, XLRI Jamshedpur, SIBM Pune, etc. Read on to learn more about the MBA admission 2026 and other details on this page.
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MBA Admission 2026
The MBA admission process began after the conclusion of the entrance exam. CAT, XAT, NMAT, and SNAP are typically organised between November and January every year. So, the MBA colleges accepting these entrance exam scores began their admission process from January 2026. Many B-schools in India also accept applications for MBA admissions from March to September. Candidates intending to apply for management courses should be familiar with the entire process to avoid confusion later. Look at the step-by-step MBA admission 2026 process shared below.
Choose Your Desired MBA College
The first step is that candidates should prepare a list of their desired MBA colleges. They must consider various parameters to make an informed decision. This includes recognition, eligibility, availability of the MBA course, cutoffs, specialisation, fees, faculty, and placement statistics.
Review the MBA Admission Criteria
Many MBA colleges in India shortlist candidates based on their entrance exam scores and academic performance. You must identify which entrance test scores they accept and appear for the same. Secondly, you must learn about their admission rounds and prepare yourself accordingly. Many colleges organise Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI). You will be required to submit the MBA application form of the respective institute within the deadline to participate in the admission process.
Appear in WAT/GD/PI
Several management institutes shortlist aspirants based on their scores in CAT, XAT, CMAT, MAT, SNAP, NMAT, etc. They are called to appear in the Written Ability Test (WAT), Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI). After this, the final merit list is prepared based on the following factors such as:
- Entrance Exam Scores
- Academic Records
- WAT/GD/PI scores
- Diversity Factors
- Work Experience, etc.
If you choose the business school that offers admissions on a merit basis (graduation and work experience), you will not have to appear in WAT/GD/PI rounds. You will be required to fill out the MBA application form and pay the prescribed fees to participate in the MBA admission 2026.
MBA Admission 2026 Important Dates
Candidates should stay updated with all the important dates of the MBA Admission 2026 to avoid missing any crucial events. Here we have shared the MBA application last dates across different colleges for reference purposes:
| Top MBA Colleges in India | Last Date |
| GIM Goa First Mover | Oct 23, 2025 |
| BITSOM Round 1 | Nov 16, 2025 |
| FMS Delhi | Nov 28, 2025 |
| IIFT (MBA IB and MBA BA) | Nov 28, 2025 |
| GIM Goa Early Bird | Nov 27, 2025 |
| SPJIMR Mumbai | Nov 28, 2025 |
| MDI | Nov 28, 2025 |
| BITSOM Round 2 | Jan 25, 2026 |
| IMT (All Campus) | Nov 28, 2025 |
| GLIM C PGDM Cycle 1 | Dec 4, 2025 |
| GLIM C PGPM Cycle 1 | Dec 4, 2025 |
| GLIM G PGPM Cycle 1 | Dec 4, 2025 |
| XIM (BM, HRM, SM, RM, etc.) | Dec 10, 2025 |
| TISS – CAT (HRM, ODCL, HA) | Dec 10, 2025 |
| TISS – CUET (Rest Programs) | Feb 8, 2026 |
| IMI | Dec 12, 2025 |
| SIBM Bengaluru | Dec 20, 2025 |
| SIBM Pune | Dec 5, 2025 |
| SCMHRD Pune | Dec 5, 2025 |
| SIHS Pune | Dec 25, 2025 |
| SCIT Pune | Dec 19, 2025 |
| SIIB Pune | Dec 13, 2025 |
| SIOM Nashik | Jan 14, 2026 |
| SIBM Noida | Jan 9, 2026 |
| SIBM Hyderabad | Jan 12, 2026 |
| SICSR Pune | Jan 15, 2026 |
| SIBM Nagpur | Jan 16, 2026 |
| SSSS Pune | Jan 19, 2026 |
| SIMC Pune | Jan 19, 2026 |
| SSBF Pune | Jan 14, 2026 |
| SIMS Pune | Jan 8, 2026 |
| SSCANS Pune | Feb 13, 2026 |
| LBSIM Delhi | Dec 15, 2025 |
| BIMTECH Noida | Nov 28, 2025 |
| IFMR (Round 1) | 15 Nov, 2025 |
| BIM Trichy | Jan 31, 2026 |
| FORE | Dec 15, 2025 |
| TAPMI | Dec 29, 2025 |
| CHRIST Bangalore | Jan 25, 2026 |
| SOIL Gurgaon | Dec 13, 2025 |
| KJ SOMAIYA | Jan 20, 2026 |
| DSE Delhi | Feb 3, 2026 |
| DFS Delhi | Jan 11, 2026 |
| DBE Delhi | Jan 11, 2026 |
| IIHMR Jaipur – First Mover | Feb 28, 2026 |
| IIHMR Jaipur – Early Bird | May 31, 2026 |
| IIHMR Jaipur – Last | Jul 31, 2026 |
| IRMA Anand | Dec 26, 2025 |
| IIT Delhi | 26 January 2026 |
| IIT Bombay | 31st January 2026 |
| IIT Kharagpur (VGSoM) | 5th February, 2026 |
| IIT Roorkee | January 31, 2026 (Expected) |
| IIT Madras | 31st January, 2026 |
| IIT Kanpur | 31st January 2026 |
| IIT-ISM Dhanbad | 31st January 2026 |
| IIT Jodhpur | January 31, 2026 (Expected) |
MBA Admission 2026 With Entrance Exam
The MBA entrance exam scores play an important role in the MBA admission 2026. IIMs and leading B-schools in India accept applications and shortlist candidates based on the entrance exam scores. This entrance exam mainly evaluates candidates’ analytical & logical thinking, verbal skills, ability to interpret data, general awareness and mathematical abilities. Here is the detailed MBA admission with the entrance exam shared below.
MBA Admission Through CAT
Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) conduct the Common Admission Test (CAT) every year. It is held for admissions into IIMs and other top business schools in the country. Around 2 lakh students appear for this entrance test every year. The entrance test is divided into three sections, namely Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC), Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR), and Quantitative Ability (QA). The list of colleges accepting MBA admission 2026 through CAT is as follows:
- Indian Institutes of Management (Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bangalore, Bodh Gaya, Calcutta, Indore, Jammu, Kashipur, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Raipur, Ranchi, Rohtak, Sambalpur, Shillong, Sirmaur, Tiruchirappalli, Udaipur, and Visakhapatnam)
- GITAM SCHOOL OF BUSINESS BENGALURU, HYDERABAD, VISAKHAPATNAM
- IFMR GSB, KREA UNIVERSITY
- SRM UNIVERSITY-AP, AMARAVATI
- FORE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
- INDIAN INSTITUTE OF FOREIGN TRADE
- IMI DELHI
- MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE GURGAON
- K J SOMAIYA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT Mumbai
- TATA INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES Mumbai
- DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE, PATNA
- GOA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT
- GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS STUDIES – GIBS
- JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, JAIPUR
- XIM UNIVERSITY, BHUBANESWAR
- ARMY INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT KOLKATA, etc.
MBA Admission Through XAT
XLRI Jamshedpur conducts the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) on behalf of XAMI members. It is a popular national-level entrance test for admission to MBA/PGDM programs. This entrance exam covers four sections, namely Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning (VALR), Decision Making (DM), Quantitative Aptitude & Data Interpretation (QA & DI), and General Knowledge (GK). Candidates will have to solve approximately 95 questions within 180 minutes. The list of colleges accepting MBA admission 2026 through XAT is as follows:
- XLRI Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur
- Xavier Institute of Management, XIM University, Bhubaneswar
- Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship, Bengaluru
- Xavier Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai
- Xavier Institute of Social Service, Ranchi
- ABBS School of Management, Bengaluru
- Asia Pacific Institute of Management, New Delhi
- Balaji Institute of Modern Management(BIMM), Pune
- Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani
- Dr. D.Y. Patil B-School, Pune
- FLAME University, Pune
- Global Institute of Business Studies (GIBS Business School), Bengaluru
- Goa Institute of Management
- Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, etc.
MBA Admission Through CMAT
The National Testing Agency organises the Common Management Admission Test (CMAT). It is a national-level entrance exam for students seeking admission to management programmes in the country. It assesses the aspirants’ ability across various areas like Quantitative Technique and Data Interpretation, Logical Reasoning, Language Comprehension, General Awareness and Innovation & Entrepreneurship. The list of colleges accepting MBA admission 2026 through CMAT is as follows:
| CMAT Accepting Colleges | MBA Program Fees (Approx) |
| JBIMS, Mumbai | INR 9 Lakh |
| Welingkar WeSchool, Mumbai | INR 16 Lakh |
| SIMSREE, Mumbai | INR 4.38 Lakh |
| PUMBA, Pune | INR 4.4 Lakh |
| IPE, Hyderabad | INR 11.15 Lakh |
| NIA, Pune | INR 11 Lakh |
| NIBM, Pune | INR 16 Lakh |
| NL Dalmia, Mumbai | INR 14.70 Lakh |
| BIMTECH, Noida | INR 16 Lakh |
| XIME, Bengaluru | INR 14.87 Lakh |
| SIES, Mumbai | INR 12 Lakh |
| IMT, Nagpur | INR 15.12 Lakh |
| IFMR at Krea University, Sri City | INR 19.06 Lakh |
MBA Admission Through MAT
AIMA conducts the Management Aptitude Test (MAT) since 1988. It is one of the biggest MBA/PGDM entrance exams in India. 600+ leading B-Schools in India accept MAT scores. The entrance test covers five sections like Language Comprehension, Intelligence & Critical Reasoning, Mathematical Skills, Data Analysis & Sufficiency, and Economic & Business Environment. The list of colleges accepting MBA admission 2026 through MAT is as follows:
- ASBM University, Bhubaneswar
- Assam Kaziranga University, Jorhat
- Assam University, Department of Business Administration, Silchar
- Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Institute of Management Science, Kolkata
- Birla Global University, Bhubaneswar
- Calcutta Business School, Kolkata
- Institute of Business Management and Research, Kolkata
- St Xaviers University Kolkata
- Balaji Institute of International Business, Pune
- Christ University, Pune
- Dr D Y Patil B School, Patna
- FLAME University, Pune
- Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur
- Dr DY Patil Vidyapeeth Global Business School&Research Centre, Pune
- Birla Institute of Management Technology, Noida, etc
MBA Admission Through SNAP
Symbiosis National Aptitude (SNAP) is a computer-based test conducted for aspirants aspiring to join a Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme(s) offered by any SIU institute. This entrance test consists of three sections such as General English, Analytical & Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative, Data Interpretation & Data Sufficiency. The list of colleges accepting MBA admission 2026 through SNAP is as follows:
| College Name | Programme Name |
| Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM, Pune) | Master of Business AdministrationMaster of Business Administration (Innovation & Entrepreneurship) |
| Symbiosis Institute of Computer Studies & Research (SICSR) | Master of Business Administration (Information Technology)Master of Business Administration (Digital Transformation) |
| Symbiosis Centre for Management & Human Resource Development (SCMHRD) | Master of Business AdministrationMaster of Business Administration (Infrastructure Development & Management)Master of Business Administration (Business Analytics) |
| Symbiosis Institute of International Business (SIIB) | Master of Business Administration (International Business)Master of Business Administration (Agri Business)Master of Business Administration (Sustainability Management) |
| Symbiosis Institute of Digital & Telecom Management (SIDTM) formerly Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management | Master of Business Administration (Digital & Telecom Management) |
| Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies (SIMS) | Master of Business Administration |
| Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication, Pune (SIMC) | Master of Business Administration (Communication Management) |
| Symbiosis Institute of Operations Management, Nashik (SIOM) | MBA (Operations Management)MBA (Agri Operations Management) |
| Symbiosis Centre for Information Technology (SCIT) | MBA (Information Technology Business Management)MBA (Data Science & Data Analytics) |
| Symbiosis Institute of Health Sciences (SIHS) | MBA (Hospital & Healthcare Management) |
| Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Bengaluru (SIBM, Bengaluru) | Master of Business AdministrationMaster of Business Administration (Business Analytics) |
| Symbiosis School of Banking & Finance (SSBF) formerly Symbiosis School of Banking and Finance (SSBF) | Master of Business Administration (Banking & Finance)Master of Business Administration (Banking and Finance) (Dual Degree, with Aston University,UK*)Master of Business Administration (Banking and Finance) (Dual Degree, with Macquarie University, Australia*) |
| Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Hyderabad (SIBM, Hyderabad) | Master of Business Administration |
| Symbiosis School of Sports Sciences (SSSS) | Master of Business Administration (Sports Management) |
| Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Nagpur (SIBM, Nagpur) | Master of Business AdministrationMaster of Business Administration (Food & Agri – Business Management) |
| Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, NOIDA (SIBM, NOIDA) | Master of Business Administration |
| Symbiosis School of Culinary Arts and Nutritional Sciences (SSCANS) | Master of Business Administration (Food Technology and Food Enterprise Management) |
MBA Admission Through NMAT
The NMAT by GMAC is one of the popular management entrance tests conducted for admission to MBA/PGDM courses in business schools in India. This management entrance exam primarily involves three sections such as Language Skills, Quantitative Skills, and Logical Reasoning. The list of colleges accepting MBA admission 2026 through NMAT, along with cutoffs, is as follows:
| College Name | NMAT Cutoffs |
| SOIL Institute of Management, Gurgaon | 210+ |
| Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon | 200+ |
| BML Munjal University, Gurgaon | 65th-70th percentile |
| Jindal Global Business School, Sonipat | 160+ |
| Amity University, Noida | 250+ |
| Chitkara Business School, Chandigarh | 60th percentile |
| SVKM’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies | 209+ |
| SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai | 80th percentile |
| K J Somaiya Institute of Management, Mumbai | 223-230+ |
| Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU) School of Management (formerly PDPU), Gandhinagar | 160+ |
| T A Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal | 220+ |
| Alliance School of Business, Alliance University, Bangalore | 100+ |
| Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai | 200+ |
| SRM University, Faculty of Management, Chennai/ Kattankulathur | 180+ |
| VIT Business School (VITBS), Vellore | 50+ |
| ICFAI Business School (IBS), Hyderabad | 150+ |
MBA Admission 2026 Without Entrance Exam
Several management institutes conduct their own entrance test for MBA admissions. The final selection depends on the candidate’s performance in the entrance exam, GD/PI, academic records, etc. It is an excellent opportunity for candidates who could not score well on the state or national-level MBA entrance test. Look at the list of colleges that conduct MBA admission without an entrance exam:
| College Name | Fees (Approx) |
| Soil Gurgaon | INR 1720000 |
| Birla Global University, Bhubaneswar | INR 3.2 Lakh |
| UPES Delhi | INR 5 Lakh |
| Prestige Institute of Management and Research, Indore | INR 1.59 Lakh (approx) |
| Institute of Management Studies, Sage University, Indore | INR 1 Lakh-INR 3 Lakh (approx) |
| Silver Oak University, Ahmedabad | INR 84000 (approx) |
Documents Required for MBA Admission 2026
Candidates will have to fill out the MBA application form with accurate information and documents when applying for MBA admission 2026. The list of documents required during the MBA admission process is as follows:
- Proof of Date of Birth
- 10th and 12th Marksheet and Certificate
- Marksheet of Graduation/Post Graduation
- Experience Certificate (if any)
- Identity Proof
- Statement of Purpose (if any)
- Category Certificate (if any), etc
FAQs
Entrance exams like CAT, XAT, CMAT, MAT, SNAP, and NMAT are commonly accepted for MBA admission 2026.
The candidate must be a graduate with 50% marks and appear in the entrance test accepted by the particular management institute for MBA admission.
Candidates must meet the eligibility criteria, complete the application form, and pay the fees to apply for MBA admission at colleges that do not require entrance exam scores.
