Top CAT-Accepting Colleges with Cut-Off and NIRF Ranking

Top CAT-Accepting Colleges with Cut-Off and NIRF Ranking
For full-time MBA Admission 2025, the top MBA colleges in Delhi NCR are accepting the CAT 2025 score. There are 20 IIMs in India, and other top CAT colleges in the non-IIM category located in the Delhi NCR. These include, among others, FMS Delhi, Jamia Millia Islamia, and DoMS IIT Delhi. You may learn everything about MBA colleges that accept CAT scores from this article. In descending order, we have divided the CAT colleges into percentile ranges. To help you understand which CAT colleges are best for you, we have added a list of top MBA colleges in Delhi NCR with their cut-off and NIRF rankings 2024.
 
CAT colleges are among the sought-after destination for management studies followed by XAT colleges that accept CAT scores.
 

Cut Off Percentile for IIMs and Other Leading CAT Colleges

The 95-100 percentile range is the CAT Colleges' cut-off for admission to the IIMs in 2025 for all categories. The final CAT 2024 cut-off percentile for top IIMs was between 98 and 100 percentiles for students in the General category. For students in the reserved category, the cut-offs are lower. The CAT cut-offs for 2024 were significantly lower for all categories for the new and young IIMs.
 
The IIMs and top MBA colleges in Delhi NCR, including FMS, JMI, DoMS IIT Delhi, release the preliminary CAT cut-offs for WAT-PI shortlisting well in advance of the publication of the test results, but they don't disclose the final CAT cut-offs until after the release of the exam results and/or at the time of PI shortlisting.
 
The minimum score requirements for admission in a full-time MBA course are known as qualifying CAT cut-offs, and they differ for each IIM and other non-IIM CAT colleges. They serve as the foundation for choosing applicants for the Written Ability Test and Personal Interview. The Indian Institute of Management previously set the CAT 2024 cut-off between 80 to 98 percent.
 
Statistics from past years show that a large number of candidates will be taking the CAT exam in 2025. This is due, in part, to the fact that more than 200 top MBA colleges in Delhi NCR accept the CAT score for admission to various management programs. Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi (FMS), Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and KCC Institute of Technology and Management are a few of the best colleges for MBA in Greater Noida and the NCR region that accept the CAT score in addition to IIMs. Top CAT colleges offering full-time MBA programs emphasize academic output and placement opportunities, making the CAT one of the most prominent entrance exams in the nation for management programs. 
 

CAT cut-offs 2024 Highlights

The CAT cut off for 2025 is expected to be a minimum 98-100 percentile to be admitted to any IIM or top MBA colleges in Delhi NCR. Top IIMs, including IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, and IIM Kozhikode, still have high CAT cut-offs (99+ percentile). The CAT cut-offs are typically fixed at 60 percentile and above in Tier 3 colleges and are typically in the range of 70 to 80 percentile and above in Tier 2 MBA colleges. For these colleges, the CAT 2025 cut-offs fall within the same range.
 
For students in Delhi NCR, checking the CAT cut-offs for top MBA colleges in Delhi NCR is crucial before applying. Read on to learn everything there is to know about CAT cut-offs, including the criteria used to determine them, the distinction between qualifying and final cutoffs, past years' cutoffs, and anticipated cutoffs for full-time MBA admission.
 
  • Candidates must meet the minimum CAT cut-off to be considered for MBA admission.
  • To be selected for the WAT-PI round at IIMs and other top MBA colleges in Delhi NCR, candidates must also meet the CAT sectional cut-off.
  • For students in the General category, the CAT cut-offs for the best IIMs often range from 98 to 100 percentile.
  • The IIM cut-offs for students in the reserved category are marginally lower, ranging from 95 to 98 percentile.
  • The CAT cut-offs range from 90 to 99 percentiles for admission to CAT colleges in India, including FMS, Jamia Millia Islamia, among others.
  • The CAT cut-offs are not made public by the IIMs. Only applicants who take the CAT exam have access to the cutoffs via account login.
  • Please note that IIMs around the country release CAT cut-offs twice a year: The qualifying cut-off and final cut-off for admission in full-time MBA admissions.
  • Before the revelation of the CAT 2025 results, the qualifying IIM CAT cut-off 2025 will be released, and the final CAT cut-off 2025 will be released at the time of PI shortlisting.
 
Other CAT colleges that accept the CAT score for admission also set a minimal cut-off to screen applicants.
 

CAT 2025 Important Dates

CAT 2025 Important Dates & Timeline Important Dates (Tentative)
CAT 2025 Notification Date Last week of July 2025
CAT 2025 Registration Date First week of August, 2025
CAT 2025 Registration Last Date First week of September 2025
CAT 2025 Exam Date November 30, 2025
CAT 2025 Result Date First week of January, 2026
 

CAT Qualifying Cut-Offs 2025 Expected and MBA Fees

 
For general applicants, the CAT 2025 cut-offs for IIM admission are said to be in the 95–100 percentile range. See the table below for the IIM cutoffs for CAT 2025 based on IIM admission standards for 2025:
 
Minimum CAT Cut-Offs for IIMs
 
IIM
Qualifying CAT cut-offs
Fees
IIM Ahmedabad
85
INR 23,00,000
IIM Bangalore
85
INR 21,00,000
IIM Calcutta
85
INR 27,00,000
IIM Lucknow
90
INR 14,16,000
IIM Indore
90
INR 16,00,000
IIM Kozhikode
85
INR 17,50,000
IIM Amritsar
90
INR 12,00,000
IIM Nagpur
85
INR 13,75,000
IIM Sambalpur
93
INR 13,03,000
IIM Trichy
93
INR 11,80,000
IIM Raipur
93
INR 14,20,400
IIM Ranchi
90
INR 15,30,000
IIM Kashipur
94
INR 14,75,000
IIM Vizag
80
INR 13,50,000
IIM Udaipur
93
INR 16,67,000
IIM Bodhgaya
93
INR 10,60,000
IIM Shillong
75
INR 13,00,000
IIM Sirmaur
92
INR 10,34,000
IIM Rohtak
95
INR 14,75,000
IIM Nagpur
85
INR 13,75,000
IIM Jammu
93
INR 13,80,000
 

CAT Final Cut-offs Expected for IIM Admission in 2025

The predicted CAT cut-off percentiles for students in the General category for admission to the top 20 IIMs are shown below. Given below in the table are the final cut-offs used to narrow down the list of candidates qualified to appear for interview rounds. Please be aware that while the minimum percentile requirements for students in the reserved category are significantly relaxed, the CAT colleges ' cutoffs for students in the general category remain high each year (90–100).
 
IIMs
CAT cut-offs 2025 (percentile)
IIM Ahmedabad
99-100
IIM Bangalore
99-100
IIM Calcutta
99
IIM Lucknow
97-98
IIM Indore
97-98
IIM Kozhikode
97-98
IIM Amritsar
95-96
IIM Nagpur
95-96
IIM Sambalpur
95-96
IIM Trichy
94-95
IIM Raipur
94-95
IIM Ranchi
94-95
IIM Kashipur
94-95
IIM Vizag
92-94
IIM Rohtak
92-94
IIM Udaipur
92-94
IIM Bodhgaya
92-94
IIM Shillong
90
IIM Sirmaur
90
IIM Jammu
90
 

Other non-IIM CAT colleges with cut-offs in 2025 expected

CAT Colleges
CAT Cut-off (expected)
Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi (FMS, DU)
98.20 Percentile
DMS, IIT Delhi
98+ Percentile
SJMSOM, IIT Bombay
99+ Percentile
Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras
95+ Percentile
Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon
95+ Percentile
Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneswar (XIMB)
90+ Percentile
Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Ghaziabad
90+ Percentile
National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) Mumbai
95+ Percentile
 

Factors Affecting CAT Cutoffs for 2025

Several elements that have an impact on the admissions process were taken into consideration when determining the CAT 2025 cut-off percentile for top MBA colleges in Delhi NCR. The following are some of the important elements that affect IIM cut-offs by category:
 
  • Level of difficulty of the CAT exam
  • Total estimate of candidates who appeared for the CAT exam
  • Total estimate of candidates who cleared the CAT exam
  • Seats are available at a specific institute
  • Institutional ranking across all of India
 

Difference between the qualifying cut-off and the Final cut-off

The distinction between the qualifying and final CAT cut-offs, which are important in the admissions process, must be understood by IIM candidates. Below in the table, we have described the variations in detail between the cut-offs:
 
Qualifying CAT cut-offs
Final CAT cut-offs
It is not necessary for students who scored the qualifying marks and were selected for WAT/GD-P1 to get admission in the MBA program.
Meeting the final CAT cut-off does not guarantee admission for the applicant.
Qualifying cut-offs are declared before the results for the CAT exam are announced.
After the announcement of the CAT results, the final cut-off is set.
Each CAT college publishes the qualifying CAT cut-off percentiles along with their announcement of the admission requirements and selection process for that academic year.
No, IIM or even other top MBA colleges in Delhi NCR formally publish the final CAT cut-offs.
All IIMs continue to have qualifying CAT cut-offs that are above the 90th percentile, except IIM Ahmedabad, whose qualifying cut-off has recently been 85 percentile.
For all prestigious IIMs, the final CAT cut-offs continue to be as high as 99+ percentile, and for new IIMs, 95+ percentile.
Sectional and overall cut-offs are included in the qualifying CAT.
Sectional and overall cutoffs are included in the final CAT results.
Category-by-category, the CAT cutoff is fixed. For students in the general category, the cutoff is high (90), whereas for those in the reserved group, it is low (70 and below).
The category-specific final CAT cut-off is set. In comparison to students in the restricted categories, female students, and those without an engineering background, the final cutoff is higher for general category male students with engineering backgrounds.
 

Top CAT Colleges with NIRF Rankings from previous years

An essential consideration while choosing the top MBA colleges in Delhi NCR that accept CAT scores is ranking. Students benefit from knowing which college is superior to the competition. Every year, the NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) assesses CAT colleges in India based on a variety of criteria, including perception, outreach and diversity, teaching, learning, and resource availability.
 
The following CAT colleges are among the top MBA colleges in India, according to the NIRF ranking from the previous year. For instance, FMS is ranked 35th by the NIRF among the top MBA colleges in Delhi NCR, and KCC Institute of Management is among the best colleges for MBA in Greater Noida.
 
NIRF Ranking 2024
TOP CAT colleges
NIRF Ranking 2022
NIRF Ranking 2023
NIRF Ranking 2024
1
Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
1
1
1
2
Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
2
2
2
3
Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode
5
3
3
4
Indian Institute of Management Calcutta
3
4
5
5
Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
4
5
4
6
Indian Institute of Management Lucknow
6
6
7
7
Indian Institute of Management, Mumbai
9
7
6
8
Indian Institute of Management Indore
7
8
8
9
Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI)
8
9
9
10
Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
11
10
10
11
Indian Institute of Management Raipur
14
11
14
12
Indian Institute of Management Rohtak
16
12
12
13
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
12
14
19
14
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
10
15
16
15
Indian Institute of Management Udaipur
22
16
22
16
Symbiosis Institute of Business Management
17
17
13
17
Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee
19
18
18
18
Indian Institute of Management Kashipur
23
19
23
 

NIRF Management Ranking for IITs

Not all IITs' management departments are doing well. The NIRF Ranking 2024 has seen a decline for IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur, and IIT Kanpur from the previous year. The specifics are as follows:
 
NIRF Ranking 2024
TOP IITs
NIRF Ranking 2024
5
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
4
10
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
10
14
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
19
15
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
16
18
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
18
23
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
29
44
Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad
46
 

Why choose KCC Institute of Technology and Management for an MBA?

KCC Institute of Technology and Management is one of the best colleges for MBA in Greater Noida, offering 2 2-year full-time MBA program in a wide range of specializations. The college is approved by AICTE and affiliated with AKTU. KCC ITM is ranked 2nd in terms of faculty and awarded the second position in the top MBA colleges in Delhi NCR. Students who seek direct admission in MBA programs without appearing for the CAT exam can also apply at KCC ITM. 
 

FAQs for Top CAT-Accepting Colleges with Cut-Off and NIRF Ranking

 
Q1. Are the CAT cut-offs released along with CAT results?
The CAT result is not released together with the CAT cut-offs. The cut-offs were not publicly disclosed either. They are known when the IIMs and other colleges begin their shortlisting process, a few days after the results are announced.
 
Q2. Which MBA colleges accept CAT scores of 60 percent or higher?
KCC Institute of Technology and Management is one of the best colleges for MBA in Greater Noida that accepts CAT scores in the 60+ percentile.
 
Q3. What distinguishes the final CAT cut-off from the qualifying CAT cut-off?
The minimum percentile (sectional as well as total) needed by candidates to be qualified for the Written Ability Test (What) and Personal Interview (PI) round is known as the qualifying CAT cut-off percentiles of an IIM. These are merely the eligibility scores; they are not the selection scores. The scores a candidate is chosen on for the What-PI round are the final CAT cut-off percentiles.
 
Q4. Is a CAT score of 68 good?
A CAT score of 90+ percentile (usually between 95-100 percentile in CAT) is considered good for admission to all types of IIMs and top MBA colleges in Delhi NCR. A 60-70 percentile on the CAT is regarded as adequate for MBA programs at tier 2 and tier 3 universities.
 
Q5. How many CAT attempts are permitted?
There is a lifetime cap of 8 attempts. Only one CAT exam may be taken each year on a day determined by the convening IIM.

 

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