CMAT is recognized by 1,300+ AICTE-approved institutes across India, covering a wide range of MBA and PGDM specializations:
Marketing
Finance
Human Resource Management
Operations
Business Analytics
Entrepreneurship
International Business
Digital Marketing
Supply Chain & Logistics
Data Science
In 2025, the CMAT ecosystem includes:
Top Tier Colleges (90–99.99 percentile cut-offs)
Premium government and private institutes with excellent rankings.
Mid-Tier Colleges (75–90 percentile cut-offs)
Reliable colleges offering strong ROI and good placements.
Emerging Colleges (50–75 percentile cut-offs)
Upcoming institutes with industry-aligned programs and affordable fees.
Type: Government | Location: Mumbai
Known as: “CEO Factory of India”
One of the highest in the country.
One of India’s most prestigious MBA colleges
Outstanding alumni network in BFSI, consulting, and corporate sectors
Exceptional ROI
J.P. Morgan, Accenture, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Deloitte, EY, BCG, KPMG
Type: Government | Location: Mumbai
One of the best ROI colleges in India
Strong corporate linkages
Affordable fees
Type: Private | Location: Mumbai
Autonomous private university
Multiple specializations
Excellent corporate exposure
Type: Private | Location: Chennai/Gurgaon
Highly reputed for Analytics & Operations
Known for its PGDM and PGPM programs
Strong international faculty
Type: Private | Location: Goa
Top 20 B-schools
Best known for Business Analytics
High corporate demand
Type: Government | Location: Pune
Flagship management department of Pune University
High ROI
Affordable public institution
Type: Private
Popular among working professionals
Strong focus on Design Thinking
Good placements
Type: Private | Location: NCR
PGDM Core: 75–80 percentile
PGDM IB: 70–75 percentile
Type: Private
Type: Private University
Tech + Management integration
Excellent infrastructure
Good placement record
Type: Private
CMAT 2025 Expected Cut-off: 70–75 percentile
Ranked among top emerging B-schools
Strong focus on experiential learning
Good ROI
Locations: Bangalore, Kochi, Chennai
CMAT Cut-off 2025: 75–80 percentile
CMAT Cut-off: 70–75 percentile
Fees: ₹8–9 lakh
Average Placement: ₹6–7 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 70–75 percentile
Fees: ₹13 lakh
Average Placement: ₹8–10 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 70–75 percentile
Fees: ₹7–8 lakh
Average Placement: ₹6.5–7 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 80+ percentile
Fees: ₹12–14 lakh
Average Placement: ₹10–11 LPA
Highest: ₹22 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 70–80 percentile
Fees: ₹11 lakh
Average Placement: ₹6–7 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 85–90 percentile
Fees: ₹12 lakh
Average Placement: ₹12–13 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 70 percentile
Fees: ₹12 lakh
Average Placement: ₹8–9 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 75–80 percentile
Fees: ₹8–9 lakh
Average Placement: ₹7.5–8 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 70–75 percentile
Fees: ₹7.5 lakh
Average Placement: ₹6.5–7 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 60–65 percentile
Fees: ₹3–4 lakh
Average Placement: ₹4–5 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 60–70 percentile
Fees: ₹6 lakh
Average Placement: ₹5–6.5 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 70–75 percentile
Fees: ₹11–12 lakh
Average Placement: ₹8–12 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 55–65 percentile
Fees: ₹12 lakh
Average Placement: ₹7–8.5 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 65–75 percentile
Fees: ₹14 lakh
Average Placement: ₹7–8 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 80–85 percentile
Fees: ₹8–10 lakh
Average Placement: ₹8–9 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 75–80 percentile
Fees: ₹8 lakh
Average Placement: ₹7–8 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 70–80 percentile
Fees: ₹10.45 lakh
Average Placement: ₹8.2 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 70–75 percentile
Fees: ₹7.5 lakh
Average Placement: ₹6.5–7 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 60–70 percentile
Fees: ₹7.5–8 lakh
Average Placement: ₹5.5–6.5 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 70 percentile
Fees: ₹8–9 lakh
Average Placement:
Analytics Program: ₹10–14 LPA
PGDM: ₹7–8 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 70–75 percentile
Fees: ₹9 lakh
Average Placement: ₹12–14 LPA (notably high for ROI)
CMAT Cut-off: 60–70 percentile
Fees: ₹6–7 lakh
Average Placement: ₹6 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 60 percentile
Fees: ₹6 lakh
Average Placement: ₹4.5–5.5 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 55–65 percentile
Fees: ₹8 lakh
Average Placement: ₹5–6 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 50–60 percentile
Fees: ₹7.5 lakh
Average Placement: ₹6–7 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 70 percentile
Fees: ₹7–8 lakh
Average Placement: ₹6–7 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 70–80 percentile
Fees: ₹8–9 lakh
Average Placement: ₹6.5–7.5 LPA
CMAT Cut-off: 70 percentile
Fees: ₹8 lakh
Average Placement: ₹6–7 LPA
Most CMAT-participating colleges follow a standardized selection process with institute-specific variations.
Conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA)
100 MCQs (4 marks each)
Sections:
Quantitative Techniques
Logical Reasoning
Language Comprehension
General Awareness
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
A score above 300+ is considered competitive for top-tier institutes.
Every institute releases its admission notification individually. Applicants must:
Fill out online application forms
Upload academic documents
Pay the institute’s application fee (₹500–₹2000 range)
Different categories have different cut-offs:
Not all colleges conduct GD now; some use WAT (Written Ability Test).
Evaluation includes:
Communication skills
Analytical thinking
Awareness of business issues
Leadership qualities
This is the most critical round, assessing:
Career objectives
Professional readiness
Academic background
Domain interest
Personality traits
Weightages typically include:
CMAT Score: 40–60%
PI/WAT/GD: 20–30%
Academics: 10–15%
Work Experience: 5–10%
Upon receiving the offer letter, candidates must:
Pay seat confirmation fee
Upload documents
Complete verification
Most CMAT colleges begin academic sessions between June and August 2025.
Selecting the right CMAT accepting college isn’t just about rankings or cut-offs — it’s also about ROI, which directly measures the financial value you gain from your MBA degree.
These institutes offer outstanding returns due to low tuition costs and strong salary packages.
Cut-off trends help in understanding how competitive a college is and how CMAT performance influences admissions.
CMAT cut-offs increased by 2–3 percentile among top colleges after 2023.
The introduction of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship section made top percentiles more difficult to achieve.
Colleges like JBIMS, SIMSREE, KJ Somaiya continue to maintain high percentile benchmarks.
Growing fields based on placements and hiring trends:
MBA in Business Analytics
MBA in Finance
MBA in Marketing Management
MBA in HRM & Organizational Leadership
MBA in Digital Transformation
MBA in Supply Chain & Logistics
MBA in AI & Data Science
MBA in International Business
Consulting
BFSI
IT Services
E-commerce
EdTech
Healthcare
FMCG
Manufacturing & Operations
Ensure the institute is:
AICTE-approved
NBA accredited
NAAC A/A+ rated
Focus on:
Average salary
Median salary
Industry diversity
Recruiters list
Always calculate:
ROI = Average Salary ÷ Total Fees
Certain colleges excel in niche domains:
GIM Goa → Analytics
NIBM → Banking
Great Lakes → Analytics/Operations
KJ Somaiya → Marketing
Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Delhi NCR offer strong job markets.
A powerful alumni network directly impacts:
Campus placements
Internships
Networking opportunities
Look for:
Industry practitioners
Case-based teaching
Capstone projects
Corporate immersion
JBIMS, SIMSREE, GIM (BDA), KJ Somaiya.
Yes — Great Lakes, Welingkar, BIMTECH.
A score above 260–280 is competitive.
Government colleges like JBIMS, SIMSREE, PUMBA.
CMAT 2025 offers MBA aspirants a powerful pathway to enter some of India’s leading business schools. With over 1,300 AICTE-approved institutes participating, students have a diverse set of opportunities to choose from, ranging from high-ROI government colleges to premium private B-schools.
This detailed guide has outlined the best CMAT accepting colleges, expected cut-offs, fees, placement data, admission process, and key decision factors, helping aspirants make an informed choice.
Whether your goal is to join a top-tier program like JBIMS or SIMSREE, a high-value institute like PUMBA, or an industry-oriented PGDM college like Great Lakes, BIMTECH, KSOM, or IMT, CMAT provides access to excellent MBA pathways across India.
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