The MBA colleges that accept 80-90 percentile in CAT 2025 are MICA Ahmedabad, TAPMI Manipal, NIBM Pune, Great Lakes Institute of Management Chennai, and many others.
If you are targeting CAT 2025 and expecting a score in the 80–90 percentile range, you still have access to some of India’s top business schools. While 90+ percentile is needed for older IIMs, many reputed institutes – including new IIMs, top private universities, and deemed universities – accept scores in this range. This guide provides detailed information on MBA colleges, cutoffs, admission highlights, and the important documents for the selection process.
Top MBA Colleges Accepting 80–90 Percentile in CAT 2025
The loist of top MBA colleges in India accepting 80-90 percentile in CAT are shared below:
|
College Name |
CAT Percentile |
Fees (Approx) |
Programs Offered |
|
80+ |
INR 21–23 lakh
|
PGDM-C, PGDM |
|
|
85–90 |
INR 17–18 lakh |
PGDM (General + specialisations) |
|
|
80–90 |
INR 14–16 lakh |
PGDM (Banking & Finance) |
|
|
85–90 |
INR 17–19 lakh |
PGDM |
|
|
82–90 |
INR 18–20 lakh |
MBA, MBA HCM, MBA BFSI |
|
|
85–90 |
INR 18–20 lakh |
PGDM, PGDM IB |
|
|
80–85 |
INR 15–17 lakh |
PGDM
|
Also Read:
Do All IIMs Have Sectional Cutoffs?
Yes, most IIMs do have sectional cutoffs, especially the older ones. These cutoffs ensure candidates have balanced performance across VARC, DILR, and QA.
| Particulars | Details |
| IIMs with Strict Sectional Cutoffs | |
| IIMs with Moderate Sectional Cutoffs | |
| IIMs That Sometimes Relax Sectional Cutoffs |
Top MBA Colleges Without CAT Sectional Cut-offs
Many reputed institutes consider only the overall percentile, making them ideal for candidates who score well overall but have one weaker section.
Colleges Accepting 80–90 Percentile in CAT Without Sectional Cutoffs
The list of such MBA colleges are shared below. These institutes are excellent for candidates in the CAT 80 percentile to the CAT 90 percentile.
| College Name | Percentile |
| MDI Gurgaon | 94+ overall; sectional not strict |
| IMT Ghaziabad | 90 percentile |
| IMI Delhi | 85–90 percentile |
| FORE School of Management | 85–90 percentile |
| GIM Goa | 85+ percentile |
| KJ Somaiya Institute of Management, Mumbai | 85–90 percentile |
| TAPMI Manipal | 85+ percentile |
| Welingkar Mumbai | 80–85 percentile |
| LIBA Chennai | 80+ percentile |
Read More:
CAT Percentile vs Cutoffs (Expected 2025 Trends)
|
CAT Percentile |
B–Schools Accepting the Score |
|
98-99+ |
Old IIMs, FMS, IIT Bombay SJMSOM |
|
95-98 |
Newer IIMS, IIM Shillong, IIT Delhi DoMS |
|
90-95 |
MDI,IMT Gzb, IMI Delhi, IIM Nagpur, IIM Amritsar |
|
85–90 |
KJ Somaiya, TAPMI, GIM, FORE |
|
80--85 |
Welingkar, BIMTECH, LIBA, IFMR GSB |
This gives a clear benchmark for aspirants to assess where they stand in the MBA colleges list for 2025 admissions.
Factors Affecting the CAT Exam Percentile
Your CAT percentile is influenced by various parameters:
- Number of Candidates Appearing: Higher participation pushes the percentile distribution upwards.
- Difficulty Level of the Paper: A tougher paper generally increases normalisation adjustments, affecting sectional scores.
- Performance in each Section: Since CAT uses sectional time limits, balanced scores matter.
- Normalisation Across Shifts: CAT uses scaling to ensure fairness across different slots.
- Negative Marking: Accuracy is crucial, as 1 for every mistake impacts the percentile significantly.
MBA Admission Through CAT 2025
Students taking CAT exam dream if getting into the top MBA colleges in India, most probably the IIMs. However, IIMs are also divided as per the percentile secured by the students. The details are shared below.
- CAT is the primary entrance exam for admission into 21 IIMs and 1000+ top MBA colleges in India.
- Colleges accepting Cat 80 percentile include newer IIMs, IIT DoMs, and reputed private institutes.
- Colleges accepting the CAT 90 percentile include IIM Shillong, IIM Nagpur, MDI Gurgaon, IMT Ghaziabad, and others.
- Non-IIM institutes often consider overall percentile only, while IIMs also prefer sectional cutoffs.
- Selection rounds typically include WAT, GD, PI, and Academic Profile assessment.
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Conclusion
Achieving a CAT 80th percentile still opens doors to several top-tier management institutes in India. Whether you aim for new IIMs, top private B-schools, or universities known for great ROI, the MBA colleges list in this range is diverse and promising. With the right preparation and strong performance in GD/PI rounds, you can secure admission to a high-quality MBA program through CAT 2025.
Quick Facts
-
80-90 percentile in CAT 2025 opens doors to many top MBA colleges. -
New IIMs and leading private universities accept this score range. -
Targeting older IIMs usually requires a 90+ CAT percentile. -
Detailed guide covers colleges, cutoffs, fees, and admission.