MBA Colleges for 150,000 Rank in CAT 2026: What a 41.9 Percentile Actually Gets You
A 150,000 rank in CAT 2025 works out to roughly 41.9 percentile against the 2.58 lakh candidates who appeared. That clears the published floor at 24 of the 197 colleges in this directory, including 2 NIRF 2025 top-100 institutes — the best being DoMS Anna University at rank 88.
Rank is not what colleges shortlist on — percentile is. So the first job is the conversion: applying the official CAT formula to CAT 2025’s candidate count puts a 150,000 rank at about 41.9 percentile. Everything below follows from that number.
Best NIRF-ranked colleges you can target at 150,000 rank
2 NIRF 2025 top-100 institutes publish a floor at or below 41.9 percentile. These carry the most brand weight of anything reachable at this rank.
| NIRF 2025 | College | City | State | CAT band | Total fee | Avg CTC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88 | DoMS Anna UniversityDepartment of Management Studies Anna University | Chennai | Tamil Nadu | 40–55 %ile | ₹1.4 L | 6 LPA |
| 97 | BIT MesraBirla Institute of Technology Mesra | Ranchi | Jharkhand | 40–60 %ile | ₹7.8 L | 8 LPA |
NIRF 2025 top-100 institutes whose published CAT floor is at or below 41.9 percentile.
All colleges admitting around 42 percentile
| NIRF 2025 | College | City | State | CAT band | Total fee | Avg CTC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88 | DoMS Anna UniversityDepartment of Management Studies Anna University | Chennai | Tamil Nadu | 40–55 %ile | ₹1.4 L | 6 LPA |
| 97 | BIT MesraBirla Institute of Technology Mesra | Ranchi | Jharkhand | 40–60 %ile | ₹7.8 L | 8 LPA |
| — | ABBSAcharya Bangalore B-School | Bangalore | Karnataka | 40–55 %ile | ₹9.5 L | 7.5 LPA |
| — | FMS MSU BarodaFaculty of Management Studies Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda | Vadodara | Gujarat | 40–55 %ile | ₹0.8 L | 7.3 LPA |
| — | InvertisInvertis University | Bareilly | Uttar Pradesh | 40–55 %ile | ₹3 L | 7.3 LPA |
| — | Andhra UniversityAndhra University Department of Management Studies | Visakhapatnam | Andhra Pradesh | 40–55 %ile | ₹3 L | 6.7 LPA |
| — | ParulParul Institute of Management | Vadodara | Gujarat | 40–55 %ile | ₹4.6 L | 6 LPA |
| — | BIT PatnaBirla Institute of Technology Patna | Patna | Bihar | 40–60 %ile | ₹7.5 L | 5.7 LPA |
| — | BK SchoolB. K. School of Professional and Management Studies | Ahmedabad | Gujarat | 40–55 %ile | ₹0.8 L | 5.1 LPA |
| — | AuroAuro University | Surat | Gujarat | 40–55 %ile | ₹7 L | 5 LPA |
| — | SIOMSinhgad Institute of Management | Pune | Maharashtra | 40–55 %ile | ₹2.5 L | 4.6 LPA |
| — | AIMIT MangaloreSt Aloysius Institute of Management and Information Technology | Mangalore | Karnataka | 40–55 %ile | ₹10 L | 4.4 LPA |
| — | DIEMSDeogiri Institute of Engineering and Management Studies | Aurangabad | Maharashtra | 40–50 %ile | ₹1.6 L | 4 LPA |
| — | GLS UniversityGLS University Faculty of Management | Ahmedabad | Gujarat | 40–55 %ile | ₹2.7 L | 4 LPA |
| — | CSJMU KanpurSchool of Management and Information Sciences CSJM University | Kanpur | Uttar Pradesh | 40–55 %ile | ₹4.4 L | 4 LPA |
| — | IMK TrivandrumInstitute of Management in Kerala University of Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala | 40–55 %ile | ₹2.1 L | 3.5 LPA |
| — | SRLIMS. R. Luthra Institute of Management | Surat | Gujarat | 40–50 %ile | ₹2 L | 3.4 LPA |
| — | CSIBERChhatrapati Shahu Institute of Business Education and Research | Kolhapur | Maharashtra | 40–55 %ile | ₹2.6 L | 3 LPA |
| — | DAIMSRDr. Ambedkar Institute of Management Studies and Research | Nagpur | Maharashtra | 40–55 %ile | ₹1.8 L | 2.6 LPA |
| — | MET NashikMET's Institute of Management Nashik | Nashik | Maharashtra | 40–55 %ile | ₹2.8 L | n/a |
| — | MGMUMGM University Institute of Management | Aurangabad | Maharashtra | 40–50 %ile | ₹2.7 L | n/a |
| — | UWSBUnitedworld Institute of Management Karnavati University | Gandhinagar | Gujarat | 40–55 %ile | ₹9.6 L | n/a |
| — | KIMS DharwadKousali Institute of Management Studies Karnatak University | Hubli-Dharwad | Karnataka | 40–50 %ile | ₹1.5 L | n/a |
| — | CCSU MeerutChaudhary Charan Singh University | Meerut | Uttar Pradesh | 40–55 %ile | ₹1.3 L | n/a |
Colleges whose admitted-student band overlaps 35–44 percentile. Sorted by NIRF 2025 rank, unranked last.
Cheapest options at 150,000 rank
Rank does not have to mean paying private-school money. These are the lowest-fee colleges whose floor your 41.9 percentile clears.
| College | City | Total fee | Avg CTC | CAT band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BK School | Ahmedabad, Gujarat | ₹0.8 L | 5.1 LPA | 40–55 %ile |
| FMS MSU Baroda | Vadodara, Gujarat | ₹0.8 L | 7.3 LPA | 40–55 %ile |
| CCSU Meerut | Meerut, Uttar Pradesh | ₹1.3 L | n/a | 40–55 %ile |
| DoMS Anna University | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | ₹1.4 L | 6 LPA | 40–55 %ile |
| KIMS Dharwad | Hubli-Dharwad, Karnataka | ₹1.5 L | n/a | 40–50 %ile |
What to do next with this rank
Treat CAT as one of several doors rather than the main one. MAT, CMAT and your state CET (MAH-CET, KMAT, TANCET, AP-ICET, UPTAC) will usually get you a better college than this CAT percentile will, and often at a much lower fee.
- Percentile check: confirm your actual percentile on the scorecard — 41.9 is a computed estimate from rank, and sectional percentiles matter separately.
- Alternate exams: XAT (January), CMAT (January) and MAT (four windows) all feed the same colleges; see MBA admission without CAT.
- State counselling: if you are domiciled in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Telangana or Andhra Pradesh, your state CET is usually the cheaper door — the state pages explain each one.
- Compare on ROI, not brand: divide average placement by total fee before accepting any seat.
Frequently asked questions
Is 150,000 a good rank in CAT?
It is about 41.9 percentile. It sits below the median for the top tier but still clears the published floor at 24 colleges in this directory, 2 of them NIRF top-100.
Which colleges can I get with 150,000 rank in CAT?
DoMS Anna University and BIT Mesra are the highest-ranked institutes whose floor you clear. In total 24 colleges on this site admit at or below 41.9 percentile.
Can I get an IIM with 150,000 rank in CAT?
No. The most lenient IIM shortlist floor for CAT 2025 was 42 percentile (ST/PwD via CAP), which this rank does not reach. Focus on the private and state options listed above.
Should I retake CAT with a 150,000 rank?
Retake only if you can realistically add 10+ percentile points. Otherwise take a seat at one of the 2 NIRF-ranked colleges you already clear and pair it with a strong CMAT score for scholarship negotiation.
Your percentile depends on how many candidates appear. See CAT 2026 registrations and why the appeared count matters, and if budget is a constraint, the lowest-fee MBA colleges accepting CAT.
How the percentile for this rank is worked out. Percentile = ((N − rank) ÷ N) × 100, with N = 2.58 lakh, the number who appeared in CAT 2025 (Cracku). The 2026 N isn’t known until after the 29 November exam; our calculator shows this rank at 2025’s N and at a labelled 2026 projection.
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.