MBA aspirants who are planning to pursue an MBA from a leading business school in India should keep track of the application form, exam date and admission schedule. As we know that CAT is the most popular MBA exam, therefore, one should be aware of the CAT registration last date. Apart from this, several top MBA colleges in India accept entrance tests such as XAT, NMAT, SNAP, GMAT, etc.Â
Candidates are advised to visit the official website of the college where they wish to take admission to know about the important dates. In this blog, we have shared the deadlines to apply for the top MBA colleges in India. This will enable you to keep a track of the application forms without hassle. In case any changes are made, the same shall be updated here as well.Â
Join iQuanta’s diversified student community for free and prepare with other 4.1L+ peers. Get access to 24*7 doubt-solving, mentorship, free webinars, etc., all at one single platform.
What Should You Check Before Applying at Top MBA Colleges in India?Â
Applying for an MBA programme does not guarantee admission to a college. It is only a means to filter out the serious and non-serious candidates. While applying for an MBA programme at a reputed MBA college, candidates need to check the following given criteria.Â
1. Check the Eligibility Criteria
Check the eligibility requirements for whether you want to pursue a regular MBA, executive MBA and specialised programmes. Check details about the academic qualification, work experience, etc.Â
2. Keep Entrance Exam Details Ready
Candidates are advised to keep a track of all the MBA application form deadlines. All the registration process and other formalities must be completed well on time.
3. Prepare Academic Documents
Keep all your academic documents, such as the 10th/12th class marksheet, certificates, degree certificates, category certificate, work experience certificate (if needed), etc. These documents will be needed at the time of document verification.Â
4. Complete Application Fee Payment
An application is considered incomplete without successful fee payment. Candidates should avoid the last date to apply for an MBA programme and make the fee payment to avoid cancellation of their forms.Â
5. Download the Confirmation Page
Once the MBA application form has been submitted, one must make sure that they have the confirmation page with them. They might be asked to submit it at the time of admission.Â
Top MBA Colleges in India 2026 Last Date to Apply Online
Candidates who are keen on pursuing an MBA from a reputed college must keep a track of the deadlines of the top MBA colleges in India. A number of top colleges, such as XLRI, MDI, FMS, etc., will close their online forms in November 2026. For the sake of convenience, we have shared the list of the top MBA colleges with application deadlines. This will help you to keep an eye on the best MBA colleges of India, and you will not miss applying to your dream college.Â
| MBA College | Application Deadline |
| XLRI Jamshedpur and Delhi | 6 December 2026 |
| SPJIMR Mumbai | 27 November 2026 |
| MDI Gurgaon | Late November 2026 |
| FMS Delhi | Late November 2026 |
| IIFT New Delhi | December 2026 (Expected) |
| NMIMS Mumbai | 10 October 2026 |
| IMT Ghaziabad | Phase 1 Deadline (Expected): Late November 2026 Phase 2 / Final Deadline (Expected): January 2027 |
| IMI Delhi | February 2027 (Expected) |
| XIMB Bhubaneswar | 15 December 2026 |
| BITSoM Mumbai | Round 1 Deadline: 15 November 2026 Round 2 Deadline: 24 January 2027 |
| MICA Ahmedabad | 22 November 2026 |
| TAPMI Manipal | December 2026 (Expected) |
| KJ Somaiya | January 2027 (Expected) |
IIM CAT Application Deadline 2026
The Common Admission Test or CAT is being conducted by IIM Indore. It has been scheduled for 29 November 2026. The CAT registration deadline is 22 September 2026. The scores obtained in the CAT exam are widely accepted by a majority of colleges. However, top candidates scoring more than 95 percentile tend to take admission in IIMs.
MBA Application Deadline 2026 for Entrance Exams
Every college admits candidates based on the MBA entrance test. Some colleges conduct their own MBA exam, while some take students based on the All India level MBA entrance test. As there are a number of MBA tests, therefore, each have their own registration dates, deadlines and exam dates. It is important for an MBA aspirant to be aware of these deadlines so that they do not miss out on applying for an MBA exam. The table below displays the list of top MBA exams in India with their registration start date, last date and exam date.Â
| Entrance Exam | Registration Start Date | Registration Deadline | Exam Date(s) |
| CAT 2026 | 3 August 2026 | 22 September 2026 (extended) | 29 November 2026 |
| XAT 2027 | 15 July 2026 | 6 December 2026 | 3 January 2027 |
| NMAT 2026 | 20 August 2026 | 10 October 2026 | 2 November–20 December 2026 |
| SNAP 2026 | 21 August 2026 | 25 November 2026 | 13, 19 and 26 December 2026 |
| GMAT | Ongoing | Ongoing | Ongoing |
| CMAT 2027 | October 2026 (Expected) | November 2026 (Expected) | January 2027 (Expected) |
MBA Exams Accepted by Top MBA Colleges in India
The top MBA colleges in India accept the marks scored by candidates in the following MBA entrance exams in India.
| MBA College | Exam Accepted |
| XLRI Jamshedpur and Delhi | XAT |
| SPJIMR Mumbai | CAT or GMAT |
| MDI Gurgaon | CAT |
| FMS Delhi | CAT |
| IIFT New Delhi | CAT |
| NMIMS Mumbai | NMAT |
| IMT Ghaziabad | CAT/XAT |
| IMI Delhi | CAT/XAT |
| XIMB Bhubaneswar | CAT/XAT |
| BITSoM Mumbai | CAT |
| MICA Ahmedabad | CAT/XAT/MICAT |
| TAPMI Manipal | CAT/XAT |
| KJ Somaiya | CAT/XAT |
With just a few days left for the CAT 2026 examination, your preparation needs the right balance of revision and problem-solving. But preparation isn’t just about solving questions on your own; asking doubts, discussing problems, and learning from peers are equally important to strengthen your concepts and improve your approach.
This is where iQuanta’s CAT preparation community comes in. With 47K+ aspirants already connected, the community gives you a space to discuss questions with peers, clear doubts, stay updated with the latest exam details, and access courses, past papers, mocks, free study material, and more all in one place.
The snapshot below gives you a glimpse of the real discussions CAT aspirants have in the community while preparing for the exam.
With the community of 47k+ aspirants, you can get several tricks and smart strategies to conclude your problem-solving for the CAT 2026 examination.
Although, there is various free study material available on the iQuanta CAT preparation app community that streamlines preparation in the right direction. Focus on each module to specify your sectional as well as overall percentile.
To become a part of this amazing community, candidates simply need to download the iQuanta CAT Preparation App and join a growing community of 47K+ aspirants working towards success.
If you’re an Android user, download the iQuanta app from the Google Play Store. iPhone users can download it directly from the App Store and get access to the community, discussions, study resources, and more.
List of Top MBA Colleges with Fee
The following given top MBA colleges in India are internationally accredited MBA colleges. These colleges have built their reputation over the years and continue to do so through great academics and placements. The table below has the fee structure for MBA programme. This includes only the tuition fee and not the hostel fee, mess fee, etc.
| MBA College | Fee |
| XLRI Jamshedpur and Delhi | Rs. 28.60 lakh |
| SPJIMR Mumbai | Rs. 24.86 lakh |
| MDI Gurgaon | Rs. 18.50 lakh for PGDM-BM |
| FMS Delhi | Approx. Rs. 1.22 lakh for 2 years based on current semester fee |
| IIFT New Delhi | Rs. 21.82 lakh latest published figure; 2026–28 exact fee to be intimated |
| NMIMS Mumbai | Rs. 27.00 lakh |
| IMT Ghaziabad | Rs. 16.00 lakh |
| IMI Delhi | Rs. 23.54 lakh |
| XIMB Bhubaneswar | Rs. 22 Lakhs to Rs. 26 Lakh |
| BITSoM Mumbai | Rs. 28.55 lakh for Class of 2028; next batch fee may change |
| MICA Ahmedabad | Rs. 28 lakh |
| TAPMI Manipal | Rs. 19.50 lakh |
| KJ Somaiya Institute of Management | Rs. 23.88 lakh |
Conclusion
MBA aspirants are advised not to wait until the last date to apply to their dream colleges. While the registration date for CAT 2026 is extended, it is not sure whether the dates for other MBA tests will also be extended.
The top MBA colleges of India such as MDI Gurugram, SPJIMR, NMIMS, etc, have their own specific deadline to apply. MBA entrance tests such as CAT, XAT, NMAT, SNAP and CMAT have their own deadlines. Candidates should stay updated with the registration dates, eligibility, etc, to be sure of applying to their dream MBA college.Â
