MBA Colleges in Gandhinagar Accepting Low CAT Score (2026): Fees, Cutoffs & Placements
3 MBA and PGDM colleges in Gandhinagar admit in the 40–92 CAT percentile band for 2026-28, 1 of them NIRF 2025 top-100. Fees run ₹9.5 L to ₹12.1 L and the best reported average is 9.2 LPA at PDEU. Lowest CAT floor in the city: 40 percentile.
Gandhinagar is a small cluster with one genuinely notable school: PDEU’s School of Management, NIRF-89, admitting from roughly 45 percentile — the lowest CAT floor of any NIRF top-100 management school in India, and an energy-sector curriculum nobody else runs.
All 3 MBA colleges in Gandhinagar
| NIRF 2025 | College | CAT band | Total fee | Avg CTC | Also accepts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 89 | PDEUSchool of Management Pandit Deendayal Energy University | 45–55 %ile | ₹9.5 L | 9.2 LPA | XAT, NMAT, MAT |
| — | EDIIEntrepreneurship Development Institute of India | 50–65 %ile | ₹12.1 L | n/a | XAT, CMAT, MAT, ATMA |
| — | UWSBUnitedworld Institute of Management Karnavati University | 40–55 %ile | ₹9.6 L | n/a | XAT, CMAT, MAT, GMAT |
Sorted by NIRF 2025 rank, unranked institutes last.
What actually decides your seat in Gandhinagar
EDII is the entrepreneurship specialist, where a meaningful share of graduates start ventures rather than take placements, so its placement statistics understate the programme. Unitedworld at Karnavati rounds out the cluster.
Across these 3 colleges the alternatives to CAT that come up most often are XAT (3), MAT (3), CMAT (2) and NMAT (1). Full routes are in our guide to MBA admission without CAT.
Fees vs placement in Gandhinagar
| College | City | Total fee | Avg CTC | CTC ÷ fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDEU | Gandhinagar | ₹9.5 L | 9.2 LPA | 0.97 |
Cheapest MBA colleges in Gandhinagar
| College | Total fee | CAT band | Avg CTC | Also accepts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDEU | ₹9.5 L | 45–55 %ile | 9.2 LPA | XAT, NMAT, MAT |
| UWSB | ₹9.6 L | 40–55 %ile | n/a | XAT, CMAT, MAT, GMAT |
| EDII | ₹12.1 L | 50–65 %ile | n/a | XAT, CMAT, MAT, ATMA |
Frequently asked questions
Which MBA colleges in Gandhinagar accept 50–60 percentile in CAT?
UWSB, PDEU and EDII all admit at or below 60 percentile. The lowest floor in Gandhinagar is 40 percentile.
What is the cheapest MBA in Gandhinagar?
School of Management Pandit Deendayal Energy University at ₹9.5 L for the full two years, with 9.2 LPA reported average placement.
Is an MBA in Gandhinagar worth the fee?
Use placement ÷ fee. The best ratio in Gandhinagar is PDEU at 0.97 (9.2 LPA on ₹9.5 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.