Candidates who score between 80 and 90 percentile in CAT or XAT exam have a number of MBA colleges that offer quality education with excellent placement. Several reputed private B schools in the country offer admission opportunities within this percentile. Institutes such as TAPMI, GIM, FORE School of Management, etc offer MBA programmes within this range.
Candidates choosing an MBA college should look beyond the placements though. They should consider the program fee, median salary, placement percentage, specialization wise opportunities, return on investment, etc.
In this blog MBA aspirants can find out the list of top MBA colleges accepting CAT/XAT scores based on their percentile. Also know about the expected cutoff, fee, placement rate, etc.
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.
MBA Colleges Accepting 80–90 Percentile in CAT
The given table covers 17 top B Schools in the country in the 80 to 90 CAT percentile range for the General category of candidates. However, the actual admission depends upon the eligibility criteria and selection process of that particular institute. Other than this, 7 more colleges need 90+ percentile that have been listed in the table below.
| College | Programme | CAT Floor / Calls Land (Type) | Total Fee (₹ Lakh) | Avg. / Median CTC (₹ LPA, Batch) | Placement |
| IMI New Delhi | PGDM, PGDM-HR, PGDM-B&FS | 80 eligibility / 88–90+ (estimate) | 23.5 academic; ~30 with hostel | 17.91 / 16.61 (2023–25) | ~99% (NIRF 2023–24) |
| FORE New Delhi | PGDM, IB, FM, BDA | 85 / 88–90 (estimate) | ~20.8–23.5 | 16.8 / 15.2 (2023–25) | Not published as % |
| GIM Goa | PGDM, HCM, BDA, BIFS | 85–90 / ~90 (estimate) | 23.98 total | 15.13 / 15.0 (2023–25, flagship) | 100% claimed |
| TAPMI Manipal | MBA, BKFS, HRM, Marketing, IB | 80 / 85–90 (estimate) | ~18–19.5 | ~14.0 avg. (2025; freshers 14.05, experienced 13.94); median 13.09 (NIRF 2023–24) | 100% claimed |
| IRMA Anand | PGDM-RM | ~80 + own GD/PI (estimate) | ~16–17 (verify) | 15.64 / 15.80 (Batch 44, 2025) | 100% |
| Great Lakes Chennai | PGPM (1-year, requires experience); PGDM | ~80–85 (estimate) | PGPM ~21.65 | PGPM 17.8 avg.; PGDM 15.0 avg. (2025) | NIRF: 75.4% for 2-year PG (2023–24) |
| K J Somaiya Mumbai | MBA | ~84 (secondary) | ~22.3 | 13.05 / 12.0 (2024–26) | Not published as % |
| LBSIM New Delhi | PGDM, FM, RBA, AI&DS | ~80–85 (estimate) | 17.25 | 12.25 / ~12.0 (2023–25, official) | ~95% (2024) |
| IFMR GSB, Krea | MBA | Not verified | Not verified | 12.68 / 13.0 (2024–26) | 98% of eligible |
| UBS Chandigarh | MBA (General, HR, IB, BDA) | 85 / 88–90 actual (2024 batch, secondary) | ~0.5 tuition | 12.4–12.95 / 12.0 (2025) | ~85% |
| BIM Trichy | MBA | ~87 expected | 14.69 + 2.9 hostel | 11.8 / 10.4 (40th batch, 2025) | 94.9% (NIRF 2023–24) |
| Welingkar Mumbai | PGDM (several tracks) | ~80 (secondary) | ~13–14 (secondary) | ~11.7 avg. domestic (2025); median 11.5 (NIRF 2023–24) | 97.2% (NIRF) |
| LIBA Chennai | PGDM | ~80 (secondary) | 18.9 tuition | ~11.2 / ~11.0 (2025) | 100% claimed |
| BIMTECH Greater Noida | PGDM, IB, IBM, RM | ~80 (secondary) | ~14 (secondary) | 10.74 / 10.00 (2023–25, official) | 98.0% |
| Great Lakes Gurgaon | PGDM; PGPM | ~80 (estimate) | Not verified | PGDM 11.8 / ~10.5 (2025) | 95.8% (NIRF 2023–24) |
| IIT (ISM) Dhanbad | MBA | 80 / 80–85 | ~3.4–3.7 tuition | 10.48 / 10.38 (2024) | ~74.5% |
| IIT Jodhpur (SME) | MBA | ~84–90 (estimate) | ~8–8.75 | 11.04 / 10.85 (NIRF 2025 data) | Not verified |
CAT 80–90 Percentile College List
The following table has the list of the top 7 colleges that need CAT percentile in the range of 80 to 90 for General category of candidates. This mainly lists the baby IIMs.
| College | General Cut-off (Official/Expected) | Total Fee (₹ Lakh) | Average / Median CTC (₹ LPA) |
| IIM Jammu | 90–91 overall, ~72 sectional (Official, CAT 2025) | 22.8 | 16.47 / 15.00 (2024–26) |
| IIM Sambalpur | 90 overall, 65 sectional (Official) | 21.01 | 15.65 / 15.03 (2023–25) |
| IIM Amritsar | 90 overall, 80 sectional (Official) | ~21.5 | Full-batch average/median not published; top-50% average: 16.30 (2024–26) |
| IIM Bodh Gaya | 94–95 overall (Official, CAT 2025) | 17.96 | 13.10 / 12.12 (2025) |
| IIM Sirmaur | 95 overall (Official, CAT 2025) | 20.0 | 13.30 average; median ~12.5 (2025, approximate) |
| IMT Ghaziabad | 90+ floor; calls usually at 93–95 | ~21.5–23 | 16.07 / 15.00 (2023–25); ~90% placed |
| MICA Ahmedabad | Valid CAT/XAT score required for eligibility; selection primarily through MICAT | 28 | 20.12 / 19.57 (2024–26) |
XAT 80–90 Percentile College List
There are some MBA colleges that accept lower percentile than CAT. This is so because XAT’s test takers are small and the same schools publish lower XAT floors. The following XAT expected cut off is for 2026/2027 based on secondary sources. No B School in this band publishes its actual XAT call percentile.
| College | Expected XAT Percentile (General) | Same School via CAT | XAT Edge? |
| IMT Ghaziabad | 85–90+ (some sources: 90–96) | 90+ floor; calls around 93–95 | Yes, modest: 88–90 XAT is a realistic shot; CAT 88 is not |
| IMI New Delhi | 88–91 | 88–90+ | No meaningful edge |
| FORE New Delhi (Core) | 84–88 | 88–90 | Slight |
| GIM Goa | ~85 (stable for several years) | ~90 | Yes: XAT 85 ≈ CAT 90 for GIM |
| TAPMI Manipal | 80–87 | 85–90 | Slight |
| Great Lakes Chennai | 80–86 | 80–85 | No |
| IRMA Anand | 83–85 | ~80 + own process | No; IRMA’s own GD/PI decides |
| K J Somaiya Mumbai | 71–85 (wide variation across sources) | ~84 | Yes: one source reports XAT 71 vs CAT 84 |
| LBSIM New Delhi | ~80 | 80–85 | Slight |
| LIBA Chennai | 80–82 | ~80 | No |
| Welingkar Mumbai | ~80 | ~80 | No |
| XIM Bhubaneswar (MBA-BM) | 90–92+ | 91+ | No; generally outside this percentile band |
| MICA Ahmedabad | 90 eligibility; MICAT is decisive | Not directly comparable | No direct XAT vs CAT edge |
Sectional floors matter more on XAT than many aspirants assume. One secondary source puts expected XAT sectionals at around 60 for IMT Ghaziabad and 58 for TAPMI, and 68 for XIMB. A weak Decision Making score can sink an otherwise strong overall.
Specialisation-Wise MBA Colleges Ranking
The following given ranking is for the colleges that accept 80 to 90 percentile and only evidence from sector, domain or programmes splits in the placement report.
Specialisation-wise Rankings: Marketing and Sales
| Rank | College | Placement Evidence |
| 1 | IMI New Delhi | Highest domain averages were Sales at ₹19.6 LPA and Marketing at ₹18.14 LPA (official 2021–23 placement report). |
| 2 | FORE New Delhi | FMCG/FMCD/manufacturing accounted for 23% of 2025 offers. The highest Marketing offer was ₹29 LPA. |
| 3 | GIM Goa | Recruiters included Asian Paints, ITC, Disney and Signify (secondary sources). No domain-wise salary split published. |
| 4 | K J Somaiya / Welingkar Mumbai | Access to consumer-sector companies; no domain-wise placement or salary split published. Ranking confidence is low. |
Specialisation-wise Rankings: Finance and BFSI
| Rank | College | Placement Evidence |
| 1 | TAPMI Manipal | BFSI accounted for 38% of placements; offers a dedicated BKFS track. |
| 2 | IMI New Delhi | Dedicated PGDM-B&FS programme and strong access to NCR-based BFSI recruiters. |
| 3 | GIM Goa | BIFS median CTC of ₹15.40 LPA; financial services was the top sector, accounting for 21% of placements. |
| 4 | IFMR GSB | Approximately 60% of 2025 placements were in BFSI. |
| 5 | FORE New Delhi | BFSI accounted for 27% of placements; offers a separate Financial Management programme. |
| 6 | LIBA Chennai | Banking accounted for 39% and financial services for 16% of placements. |
Specialisation-wise Rankings: Human Resources
| Rank | College | Evidence |
| 1 | IMI New Delhi | Dedicated PGDM-HRM with its own placement report |
| 2 | TAPMI Manipal | MBA-HRM: 44 students, 100% placed, freshers average ₹13.29 LPA (2025) |
| 3 | UBS Chandigarh | HR track at near-zero fee; no split data available |
Note: Evidence for HR is limited across the 80–90 percentile band. XLRI HRM, MDI HRM and IIM Trichy PGPM-HR (₹17.84 LPA average, 2025) are the benchmarks, but all are above this band.
Specialisation-wise Rankings: Operations and Supply Chain
| College | Evidence |
| IMI New Delhi | Operations & Systems had the lowest domain average at ₹14.23 LPA (2021–23). |
| IMT Ghaziabad | Operations was also its lowest specialisation, with a ₹17.1 LPA average. However, IMT generally falls in the 90+ percentile range. |
| FORE School of Management | FMCG/manufacturing accounts for 23% of placements, making it the closest proxy for operations and supply chain. |
Note: No school in the 80–90 percentile range demonstrates operations as a clear placement strength. Serious supply chain management aspirants should consider IIM Mumbai (formerly NITIE), which is above this band.
Specialisation-wise Rankings: Business Analytics
| Rank | College | Evidence |
| 1 | GIM Goa (PGDM-BDA) | Separate programme: ₹15 LPA average and ₹14 LPA median; 57% placed in IT/ITES (2025). |
| 2 | TAPMI Manipal | IT and Analytics account for 26% of placements. |
| 3 | FORE (PGDM-BDA) | Separate programme; no split salary data available. |
| 4 | Welingkar (PGDM-RBA) | Highest domestic average among its tracks: ₹12.52 LPA (2025). |
| 5 | LBSIM (RBA, AI&DS) | ₹12.1 LPA and ₹11.8 LPA averages (2023–25). |
Specialisation-wise Rankings: Consulting
| Rank | College | Placement Evidence |
| 1 | TAPMI Manipal | Consulting accounted for 21% of placements. |
| 2 | FORE New Delhi | Consulting accounted for 15% of placements; top offers came from Management Research and Consulting. |
| 3 | Great Lakes Chennai (PGPM) | Technology consulting was the largest placement destination for PGPM graduates. |
| 4 | IIT Jodhpur | Consulting was the largest placement domain, according to NIRF 2025 data. |
| 5 | IMI New Delhi | Consulting recorded an average CTC of ₹15.56 LPA (2021–23). |
International business FORE, BIMTECH and TAPMI run IB-labelled programmes. BIMTECH PGDM-IB averaged ₹10.61 LPA in 2025 and TAPMI’s IB top offer was ₹16 LPA. None publishes evidence that IB graduates land trade or export roles at a higher rate than general MBAs. IIFT is the specialist school for this, above the band.
Specialisation-wise Rankings: Rural Management
Candidates who wish to pursue an MBA in rural development, agribusiness, rural finance and social-sector management, for them IRMA Anand is the strongest choice in this percentile range.
| College | Programme | Placement Evidence |
| IRMA Anand | PGDM (Rural Management) | The leading choice for aspirants targeting rural management and development-sector careers. |
| XIM University | MBA-Rural Management | Average CTC of approximately ₹11.5 LPA (2025). |
Specialisation-wise Rankings: Healthcare Management
Healthcare Management is a specialised career path for those candidates who are interested in hospital administration, healthcare consulting, pharmaceutical management and the broader healthcare industry.
| College | Programme | Placement Evidence |
| GIM Goa | PGDM Healthcare Management (HCM) | Average CTC of ₹14.68 LPA (2025), making it the strongest option in this category based on reported salary data. |
| Welingkar Mumbai | Healthcare Management | Average CTC of approximately ₹10 LPA. |
Specialisation-wise Rankings: Information Systems and IT Management
There are several MBA colleges in the 80 to 90 XAT percentile range that offer programmes related to IT and Analytics.
| College | Placement Evidence |
| FORE New Delhi | IT/ITES accounted for approximately 22–26% of placements across the reported sector data. |
| LBSIM New Delhi | IT/ITES accounted for approximately 22–26% of placements. |
| TAPMI Manipal | IT/ITES accounted for approximately 22–26% of placements. |
Note: Since these figures represent sector-wise placement shares and not programme-specific outcomes, a reliable ranking of Information Systems specialisations is not possible.
Specialisation-wise Rankings: Entrepreneurship
If someone wants to create his/her own startup or build their own business, for them an MBA college based solely on Entrepreneurship specialisation may not be the right approach.
Currently, colleges in the 80–90 XAT percentile range do not provide sufficient placement data on entrepreneurial outcomes, such as:
- Number of students who launched their own ventures.
- Startups founded by alumni after graduation.
- Funding raised by student-led startups.
- Business incubation and mentorship support.
- Long-term entrepreneurial success rates.
Thus, there is no evidence based ranking for Entrepreneurship in this percentile band.
CAT vs XAT: College-wise Admission Advantage
For those who are confused between CAT and XAT, for them the following table shares the major points related to them.
| Admission Route | Colleges | Why It Is a Better Choice |
| CAT Only | Baby IIMs, IIT management departments, UBS Chandigarh, BIM Trichy | These institutes do not accept XAT scores for admission. CAT is the only route among the two exams. |
| XAT Has a Real Edge | GIM Goa, IMT Ghaziabad, K J Somaiya Mumbai | Expected XAT cut-offs are approximately 5–10 percentile points lower than CAT cut-offs at some institutes. For example, GIM’s expected XAT floor is around 85 compared with approximately 90 through CAT. |
| Roughly Equal | IMI New Delhi, FORE New Delhi, TAPMI Manipal, LBSIM New Delhi, LIBA Chennai, Welingkar Mumbai, Great Lakes Chennai | Expected CAT and XAT percentile requirements generally fall within 2–3 points of each other. |
| Exam Is Only an Eligibility Criterion | MICA Ahmedabad, IRMA Anand | Clearing the entrance exam requirement is only the first step. MICAT plays a decisive role at MICA, while IRMA’s own GD/PI and selection process carry significant weight. |
XAT results arrive in mid January after many CAT based shortlists. Candidates should keep the admission deadline for both open until the result is released. Weightage after shortlisting: PI, academics and work experience usually outweigh the test score once you are shortlisted.
Final Ranking
IMI New Delhi tops the overall list; UBS Chandigarh tops ROI; TAPMI is the best fit for freshers and Great Lakes Chennai PGPM for experienced candidates. All rankings cover schools realistic at 80–90 for General candidates.
Ranking 1: Overall Top 15 MBA Colleges
| Rank | College | Verdict | One-line Reason |
| 1 | IMI New Delhi | Recommended | Highest median CTC in the band at ₹16.61 LPA, although it also has one of the highest fee structures. |
| 2 | FORE New Delhi | Recommended | ₹15.2 LPA median CTC and diversified sector placements; however, watch out for the larger batch size. |
| 3 | GIM Goa | Recommended | Balanced placement outcomes with median CTC close to the average at approximately ₹15 LPA; offers specialised HCM and BDA programmes. |
| 4 | TAPMI Manipal | Recommended | Strong BFSI and Analytics opportunities, with the lowest fee among the top four colleges. |
| 5 | IRMA Anand | Strongly Recommended (Rural Management only) | ₹15.8 LPA median CTC at a relatively low fee |
| 6 | UBS Chandigarh | Strongly Recommended (ROI) | ₹12 LPA median CTC with tuition fees below ₹1 lakh and approximately 85% placement. |
| 7 | Great Lakes Chennai (PGPM) | Consider (2–5 years’ experience) | ₹17.8 LPA average CTC in a one-year programme; placements are heavily in technology and consulting sectors. |
| 8 | LBSIM New Delhi | Consider | Stable median CTC of approximately ₹12 LPA, which has remained largely flat for four years. |
| 9 | IFMR GSB | Consider | ₹13 LPA median CTC; finance-focused placements, although the campus location is relatively remote. |
| 10 | IIT Jodhpur | Consider | Median CTC of ₹10.85 LPA against a programme fee of approximately ₹8.5 lakh. |
| 11 | K J Somaiya Mumbai | Consider (Mumbai residents) | Median CTC of ₹12 LPA, but the programme fee is relatively high at approximately ₹22 lakh. |
| 12 | Welingkar Mumbai | Consider | Median CTC of ₹11.5 LPA; consider specialised tracks such as RBA or Business Design. |
| 13 | IIT (ISM) Dhanbad | Consider | Most affordable IIT in management options, but only around 74.5% of the batch was placed. |
| 14 | BIM Trichy | Only if no better option | Median CTC of approximately ₹10.4 LPA. |
| 15 | LIBA Chennai | Only if no better option | Banking-focused placement outcomes, with programme tuition fees of approximately ₹18.9 lakh. |
Ranking 2: Best MBA Colleges Based on ROI
The following ranking considers the relationship between total programme fees and median CTC. A lower fee-to-median-CTC ratio indicates better potential salary value relative to the investment.
Ranking 3: Best for freshers
1. TAPMI – experienced students earned no premium (₹13.94 vs ₹14.05 LPA for freshers
in 2025), so freshers gain the most.
2. GIM Goa – even the pay distribution protects the median student.
3. FORE and IMI New Delhi – broad recruiter sets that hire freshers into sales, BFSI and
consulting.
4. UBS Chandigarh – little financial risk for a fresher.
5. IFMR GSB – for freshers set on banking and financial services Create
Ranking 4: Best for 2–5 years of experience
| Rank | College | Verdict / Advantage | One-line Reason |
| 1 | Great Lakes Chennai PGPM | Best for experienced professionals | One-year programme instead of two, with a reported 2.7x jump over incoming pay |
| 2 | IMI New Delhi | Strong option | Experienced students earned more than freshers (₹17.57 LPA vs ₹16.58 LPA, 2021–23 official data) |
| 3 | FORE School of Management, New Delhi | Consider | Consulting and BFSI roles value prior work experience |
| 4 | IIM Jammu | Consider (90+ percentile) | Selection process gives weight to work experience |
| 5 | IIM Sambalpur | Consider (90+ percentile) | Work experience receives weight in the selection process |
Best MBA Colleges by Specialisation: Top 3 Choices
The top 3 MBA colleges based on specialistation is given in the following table.
| Specialisation | 1st Choice | 2nd Choice | 3rd Choice |
| Marketing | IMI New Delhi | FORE New Delhi | GIM Goa |
| Finance | TAPMI Manipal | IMI New Delhi | GIM Goa |
| Human Resources (HR) | IMI New Delhi | TAPMI Manipal | UBS Chandigarh |
| Operations | No strong option in this percentile band; FORE New Delhi is the closest alternative. | — | — |
| Business Analytics | GIM Goa (BDA) | TAPMI Manipal | FORE New Delhi (BDA) |
Conclusion
A percentile between 80 to 90 in CAT or XAT opens doors to several established management institutes. However, candidates should look beyond the college as well. They should consider factors such as fee, return on investment, placements, placement offers made, etc.
Institutes such as IMI New Delhi, FORE and GIM Goa offer a good combination of median placements and recruiter diversity. Once should choose MBA colleges that offer financial stability after admission. One should not go solely on the brand name, but also look at their long term career goals if an MBA is pursued from that institute.
