The full form of an MBA is a Master of Business Administration. It is a two-year postgraduate degree. MBA provides a comprehensive study of the various areas of business administration. The course covers topics such as business communication, finance, human resource management, economics, and operations.
Since MBA is a popular program, universities, and colleges seek the right candidates. MBA eligibility plays a crucial role in determining if the candidate is eligible for the course or not. MBAs have no upper age limit; however, some entrance exams have an age limit.
MBA eligibility requires an undergraduate degree with at least 50% marks for application. Students must pass an entrance exam such as the CAT, XAT, or GMAT. Finally, the candidates must participate in a group discussion and personal interview to secure seats.
All about MBA:
MBA Eligibility: College-wise
More than 5000 institutions in India offer MBAs. Given below is an overview of the top MBA colleges, along with their eligibility and fees:
University/College | Eligibility | Fees (in INR) |
A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST). Final-year students can apply. A valid score in the Symbiosis National Aptitude (SNAP) Test. | INR 24,00,000 | |
A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks. | INR 9,50,000 | |
A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST). Final-year students can apply. | INR 1,92,000 | |
A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks. A valid score in MAT or G.D Goenka Aptitude Test, followed by a personal interview. | INR 9,00,000 | |
A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks. Minimum 5 years of managerial/supervisory experience by March 31, 2024. A valid score in XAT, GMAT, or GRE (taken from December 1, 2020, to December 31, 2023). | INR 24,80,000
| |
A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PWD). No age limit. | INR 21,77,314 | |
A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST/PWD). No age limit. | INR 20,97,314 | |
Minimum 50% marks or equivalent CGPA in both classes 10th and 12th. A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks. Final-year students can apply. A valid score in CAT. | INR 24,17,000 | |
Minimum 50% marks or equivalent CGPA in high school. A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks. Diploma holders with 10 years of experience can apply as well. Minimum 5 Years of work experience after graduation. | INR 9,00,000 |
Also Read: MBA List of Group Discussion Topics Do’s & Don’t & Tips
MBA Eligibility: IIMs
IIMs are a popular choice among students who want to pursue an MBA. These institutions provide quality education, experienced faculty, and many placement opportunities. The average fee for pursuing an MBA in IIMs is between INR 8 lakhs and INR 25 lakhs.
Some common MBA eligibility criteria that are applicable all over the IIMs are given below:
- Students must have passed 10+2 in any stream with 60% marks from a recognized board.
- A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks for general and 45% for SC/ST/PWD.
- A valid score in the Common Admission Test (CAT) and Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is required for international students.
- Final-year students awaiting their results can apply.
- Shortlisted students are called for further rounds such as a written ability test (WAT), group discussion (GD), and personal interview (PI).
Read more: IIM Ahmedabad MBA Course & Fee Structure
MBA Eligibility: Delhi University
Delhi University is a prestigious institution offering a 2-year postgraduate MBA course with 4 semesters. The branches of Delhi University that offer MBAs have been listed below:
- Faculty of Management Studies (FMS)
- Department of Finance and Business Economics (DBE)
- Delhi School of Economics
- Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce
- School of Open Learning (DU SOL)
University/College | MBA Specialization | Eligibility | Fees (in INR) |
Faculty of Management Studies (FMS)
| MBA Full-time | A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks (45% for SC/ST). Final-year students can apply. | INR 1,92,000 |
MBA Business Economics | A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks. Mathematics/ Business Mathematics in class 12. | INR 97,000 | |
MBA International Business MBA Human Resource Development | A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks. Final-year students can apply as well. | INR 30,392 | |
School of Open Learning (DU SOL)
| MBA Distance mode | A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks. Work experience is preferred | INR 1,03,940 |
Read more: IIM Bangalore Fee Structure
MBA Eligibility: IGNOU
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) offers a 2-year MBA program through distance learning. This model is designed for students and working professionals who are unable to pursue an MBA on a full-time basis. This course is recognized by AICTE. It can be pursued anywhere in India and in a few selected locations abroad. The fee for this course is INR 33,000.
The MBA eligibility for IGNOU is given below:
- Students must have passed 10+2 in any stream with 50% marks from a recognized board.
- A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks for general and 45% for SC/ST/PWD.
Further Reading: MBA in IGNOU
MBA Eligibility: CAT
The Common Admission Test (CAT) is a popular entrance exam for MBAs. It is a computer-based test (CBT). The exam is conducted annually on a rotating basis by one of the 20 IIMs.
Given below are the eligibility criteria for CAT 2024:
- A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks for general and 45% for SC/ST/PWD.
- Final-year students can apply.
- There is no age limit for CAT.
Further Reading: Tips for CAT
MBA Eligibility: XAT
The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) is the second-most popular entrance exam for MBAs. It will be conducted on January 7th, 2024. XLRI conducts the exam every year on behalf of XAMI. The XAT score is used by more than 160 institutions.
Given below are the eligibility criteria for XAT 2024:
- A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks for general and 45% for SC/ST/PWD.
- Final-year students can apply.
- There is no age limit for XAT.
Further Reading: Best books for XAT
MBA Eligibility: MAT
The Management Aptitude Test (MAT) has been conducted since 1998 by the All India Management Association. The MAT score is used by more than 600 institutions to select students. Candidates can choose to take the computer-based test or the pen-and-paper-based test.
Given below are the eligibility criteria for MAT 2024:
- A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks for general and 45% for SC/ST/PWD.
- Final-year students can apply.
- The minimum age of the candidate must not be less than 20 years.
Further Reading: Tips for MAT Exam
MBA Eligibility: CMAT
The Common Admission Test (CMAT) is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). It is an online computer-based test. More than 1000 institutions accept the CMAT as an entrance exam.
Given below are the eligibility criteria for CMAT 2024:
- Candidates applying for CMAT must have Indian citizenship.
- A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks.
- Final-year students can apply.
- There is no age limit for CMAT.
Further Reading: CMAT Score vs Percentile
MBA Eligibility: ATMA
The AIMS Test for Management Admissions (ATMA) is administered by the Association of Indian Management Schools. More than 500 institutions accept the ATMA as an entrance exam. ATMA is conducted multiple times a year.
Given below are the eligibility criteria for ATMA 2024:
- A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks for general and 45% for SC/ST/PWD.
- Final-year students can apply.
- There is no age limit for ATMA.
MBA Eligibility: GMAT
The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a computer adaptive test (CAT). It is conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). It is accepted in more than 2,300 business schools around the world.
Given below are the eligibility criteria for GMAT 2024:
- A bachelor's degree in any discipline.
- English proficiency is required.
- A candidate must be 18 years of age or older to apply for the exam without consent.
- Ages 13–17 are also eligible to apply for the GMAT but require a consent form from their legal guardians.
- The number of attempts for this exam is not more than 5 times in 12 months and 8 times in total.
Further Reading: GMAT Score
MBA Eligibility: NMAT
The Narsee Monjee Aptitude Test (NMAT) is conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). This exam is used as an entrance exam in India, South Africa, the Philippines, Nigeria, and Morocco. It is a computer adaptive test (CAT).
Given below are the eligibility criteria for NMAT 2024:
- A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks.
- Final-year students can apply.
- There is no age limit for NMAT.
- The number of attempts for this exam is 3.
- Work experience is preferred.
Further Reading: Last minute tips for NMAT
MBA Eligibility: SNAP
The Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP) grants admission to the 15 Symbiosis universities across India. It is a computer-based test (CBT) that lasts for only an hour. SNAP is being conducted in 84 cities.
Given below are the eligibility criteria for SNAP 2023:
- A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks for general and 45% for SC/ST/PWD.
- Final-year students can apply.
- Students who have a foreign university degree must obtain an equivalence certificate from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
Further Reading: NMAT vs SNAP
MBA Eligibility: MAH CET
The Maharashtra Health and Technical Common Entrance Test (MAH CET) is a state-level entrance examination. It is conducted by the Directorate of Technical Education. The MAH MBA CET score is valid for admission to over 300 business schools in Maharashtra.
Given below are the eligibility criteria for MAH CET 2024:
- A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks for general and 45% for SC/ST/PWD.
- Final-year students can apply.
- The minimum age of the candidate must not be less than 21 years.
- If a candidate has a valid CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, ATMA, or GMAT score, then they're eligible to apply for All India seats.
MBA Eligibility: TANCET
The Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET) is a state-level entrance examination. It is conducted by the Anna University every year. More than 200 colleges in Tamil Nadu accept the TANCET score for admission.
Given below are the eligibility criteria for TANCET 2024:
- A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks for general and 45% for SC/ST/PWD.
- Final-year students can apply.
- Only candidates with a full-time degree are eligible.
MBA Eligibility: IBSAT
The ICFAI Business Studies Aptitude Test (IBSAT) is conducted by the ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education. It is a computer-based test (CBT) that is used for admissions to IBS Bengaluru and IBS Hyderabad. The duration of this examination is 2 hours.
Given below are the eligibility criteria for IBSAT 2024:
- A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks for general and 45% for SC/ST/PWD.
- Final-year students can apply.
- A TOEFL, NELT, or IELTS score is required if a candidate does not meet the English proficiency criteria.
Further Reading: IBSAT Exam Preparation
MBA Eligibility: PGCET
The Post Graduate Common Entrance Test (PGCET) is a state-level entrance exam that is conducted by the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA). The exam is administered in offline mode.
Given below are the eligibility criteria for PGCET 2024:
- A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks for general and 45% for SC/ST/PWD.
- Final-year students can apply.
- Minimum work experience must be at least 3 years as of July 31st, 2023.
Further Reading: Top MBA Colleges in India
MBA Eligibility: Abroad
Pursuing an MBA abroad can be a transformative experience. It offers a global perspective and access to high-quality education. Given below are the MBA eligibility criteria for the top countries for Indian students who want to study abroad:
Country | Eligibility Criteria |
United Kingdom (UK) | A bachelor's degree in any discipline. Minimum 3 years of full-time work experience. A valid GMAT score. IELTS score of at least 6.0-6.5. |
The USA requires 16 years of education. 4 year’s bachelor’s degree. A valid GMAT score. Some universities require 2-3 years of work experience. | |
A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 60% marks. A valid GMAT score. Some universities require 2-3 years of work experience. | |
Germany | A bachelor's degree in any discipline. A valid TOEFL/IELTS/PTE score. Some universities require 2-3 years of work experience. Some universities may conduct their own MBA entrance examination. |
Australia | A 3-year undergraduate degree in any discipline. Minimum 3 years of full-time work experience. A valid GMAT score. |
France | A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks. Minimum 3 years of full-time work experience. |
Netherlands | A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks. Some universities require 2-3 years of work experience. |
Singapore | A bachelor's degree in a relevant field. A valid TOEFL/IELTS/PTE score. Some universities require 2-3 years of work experience. |
Spain | A bachelor's degree in any discipline. Minimum 3 years of full-time work experience. A valid GMAT score. |
Italy | A bachelor's degree in any discipline. Minimum 3 years of full-time work experience. IELTS score of at least 6.0-6.5. A valid GMAT score. |
Further Reading: GMAT vs GRE
MBA Eligibility: Types of MBA
Given below is an overview of MBA eligibility across various types of MBAs:
Type of MBA | Eligibility Criteria |
A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks for general and 45% for SC/ST/PWD. Final-year students can apply. | |
A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks for general and 45% for SC/ST/PWD. Final-year students can apply. A valid entrance exam score. | |
Minimum of 50% marks in 10+2. A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks for general and 45% for SC/ST/PWD. Minimum 2 – 5 years of work experience. Final-year students can apply. | |
A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks for general and 45% for SC/ST/PWD. Final-year students can apply. | |
MBA Abroad | A bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks. Minimum 2 – 5 years of work experience. |
MBA Courses: