Top MBA colleges after CAT 2025; IIM fee structure, cut-offs, percentile trends

The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025 exam is scheduled to be held on November 30. Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM) Kozhikode is conducting the admission test this year to offer admission to IIMs and several other business schools offering Master of Business Administration (MBA) and other postgraduate management programmes.

The registration process for CAT 2025 closed on September 20. The exam will be conducted in three slots: Slot 1 from 8:30 am to 10:30 am, Slot 2 from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm, and Slot 3 from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. Candidates who meet the percentile criteria are shortlisted for further rounds, including group discussion, personal interview, and written ability tests.

As per previous year trends, institutes such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Calcutta generally shortlist candidates scoring above the 98th percentile. IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, and IIM Indore consider candidates with percentiles between 96 and 97.

Other business schools also offer admission to MBA and management programmes based on CAT scores. Institutions such as XLRI Jamshedpur, FMS Delhi, SPJIMR Mumbai, and MDI Gurgaon consider candidates with scores in the 94–97 percentile range, with exact requirements varying by programme and category.

CAT 2025 Admission: List of top MBA colleges

This year, IIM Ahmedabad remains India’s top management institute as per the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025. The list of top MBA colleges, along with their NIRF ranking 2025, expected percentile and approximate fee structure.