MBA Colleges in Kochi Accepting Low CAT Score (2026): Fees, Cutoffs & Placements
7 MBA and PGDM colleges in Kochi admit in the 40–92 CAT percentile band for 2026-28, 3 of them NIRF 2025 top-100. Fees run ₹2.2 L to ₹10.2 L and the best reported average is 10 LPA at XIME Kochi. Lowest CAT floor in the city: 50 percentile.
Kochi’s MBA market is small, competitive and unusually good value. Recruiters are BFSI, IT services, logistics (the port matters) and a growing startup base. Rajagiri and SCMS have deep regional employer relationships that outperform their national ranking.
All 7 MBA colleges in Kochi
| NIRF 2025 | College | CAT band | Total fee | Avg CTC | Also accepts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82 | SMS CUSATSchool of Management Studies CUSAT | 70–85 %ile | ₹2.2 L | 8.6 LPA | CMAT, KMAT |
| 82 | CUSATCochin University of Science and Technology | 70–85 %ile | ₹2.2 L | 8.6 LPA | CMAT, KMAT |
| 91 | Rajagiri KochiRajagiri Business School | 50–65 %ile | ₹7.9 L | 7.5 LPA | XAT, CMAT, MAT, KMAT, GMAT |
| — | XIME KochiXavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship Kochi | 60–70 %ile | ₹10.2 L | 10 LPA | XAT, CMAT, MAT, ATMA, KMAT |
| — | RCBS KochiRajagiri Centre for Business Studies | 50–65 %ile | ₹6 L | 9.3 LPA | CMAT, KMAT, MAT |
| — | SCMS CochinSCMS Cochin School of Business | 65–75 %ile | ₹8 L | 7.1 LPA | XAT, CMAT, MAT, ATMA, KMAT |
| — | Amrita KochiAmrita School of Business Kochi | 50–60 %ile | ₹6.6 L | n/a | XAT, CMAT, MAT, KMAT |
Sorted by NIRF 2025 rank, unranked institutes last.
What actually decides your seat in Kochi
CUSAT is the anomaly worth building an application around: NIRF-82, about ₹2.2 lakh total, ₹8.6 LPA average — via CMAT or KMAT rather than CAT. Rajagiri’s PGDM publishes a 50-percentile Round-1 CAT floor for a NIRF-91 institute, which is the best rank-per-percentile trade in Kerala.
Across these 7 colleges the alternatives to CAT that come up most often are CMAT (7), KMAT (7), MAT (5) and XAT (4). Full routes are in our guide to MBA admission without CAT.
Fees vs placement in Kochi
| College | City | Total fee | Avg CTC | CTC ÷ fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMS CUSAT | Kochi | ₹2.2 L | 8.6 LPA | 3.91 |
| CUSAT | Kochi | ₹2.2 L | 8.6 LPA | 3.91 |
| RCBS Kochi | Kochi | ₹6 L | 9.3 LPA | 1.55 |
| XIME Kochi | Kochi | ₹10.2 L | 10 LPA | 0.98 |
| Rajagiri Kochi | Kochi | ₹7.9 L | 7.5 LPA | 0.95 |
| SCMS Cochin | Kochi | ₹8 L | 7.1 LPA | 0.89 |
Cheapest MBA colleges in Kochi
| College | Total fee | CAT band | Avg CTC | Also accepts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMS CUSAT | ₹2.2 L | 70–85 %ile | 8.6 LPA | CMAT, KMAT |
| CUSAT | ₹2.2 L | 70–85 %ile | 8.6 LPA | CMAT, KMAT |
| RCBS Kochi | ₹6 L | 50–65 %ile | 9.3 LPA | CMAT, KMAT, MAT |
| Amrita Kochi | ₹6.6 L | 50–60 %ile | n/a | XAT, CMAT, MAT, KMAT |
| Rajagiri Kochi | ₹7.9 L | 50–65 %ile | 7.5 LPA | XAT, CMAT, MAT, KMAT, GMAT |
| SCMS Cochin | ₹8 L | 65–75 %ile | 7.1 LPA | XAT, CMAT, MAT, ATMA, KMAT |
Frequently asked questions
Which MBA colleges in Kochi accept 50–60 percentile in CAT?
Rajagiri Kochi, RCBS Kochi, Amrita Kochi and XIME Kochi all admit at or below 60 percentile. The lowest floor in Kochi is 50 percentile.
What is the cheapest MBA in Kochi?
School of Management Studies CUSAT at ₹2.2 L for the full two years, with 8.6 LPA reported average placement.
Is an MBA in Kochi worth the fee?
Use placement ÷ fee. The best ratio in Kochi is SMS CUSAT at 3.91 (8.6 LPA on ₹2.2 L). Anything above 0.9 is healthy for this tier; below 0.6 needs a very good reason.
Before you pay anything: check that the college is AICTE-approved and know the refund rules.
Sources & methodology
Cutoffs are the published shortlisting percentile where the institute publishes one, and otherwise the band in which it actually admits, taken from institute disclosures and the portals below. Fees are total two-year programme fees excluding hostel unless stated; placement figures are the latest institute-reported averages. Cross-checked against NIRF 2025 on 4 September 2026. Always confirm against the institute’s current admission brochure before paying any fee.