MBA Colleges in Bangalore Without CAT: KMAT, PGCET and What Else Works
In Bangalore, getting in without CAT is the easy part: all 13 colleges in our directory accept at least one other test, and 12 take CMAT, 11 take MAT and 11 take XAT. The harder question is cost. The cheapest on our list is ₹6.3 lakh and only 6 of the 13 come in at ₹12 lakh or less. Two Karnataka routes are worth knowing: KMAT, run by the private colleges’ association, which has a second 2026 session reported for October to November, and K-PGCET, the government-quota counselling, which is closed for 2026.
The 13, cheapest first
| College | CAT band | Total fee | Avg CTC | Also accepts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PresidencyPresidency University Bengaluru | 50–60 %ile | ₹6.3 L | 7 LPA | PGCET, KMAT, CMAT, MAT, XAT, ATMA |
| ABBSAcharya Bangalore B-School | 40–55 %ile | ₹9.5 L | 7.5 LPA | KMAT, PGCET, CMAT, MAT, ATMA |
| IBA BangaloreIndus Business Academy | 70–80 %ile | ₹10.8 L | 8.1 LPA | XAT, CMAT, MAT, ATMA, KMAT, PGCET |
| ISMEInternational School of Management Excellence | 50–60 %ile | ₹11 L | 8 LPA | XAT, CMAT, MAT, ATMA, KMAT |
| Christ BangaloreChrist University Institute of Management | 60–70 %ile | ₹11.4 L | 7.9 LPA | XAT, CMAT, MAT, ATMA, GMAT |
| ISBRISBR Business School | 50–70 %ile | ₹12 L | 8 LPA | XAT, CMAT, MAT, NMAT, ATMA, KMAT, PGCET |
| XIME BangaloreXavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship Bangalore | 70–80 %ile | ₹12.9 L | 10 LPA | XAT, CMAT, MAT, GMAT, KMAT |
| IBS BangaloreICFAI Business School Bangalore | 60–70 %ile | ₹13.1 L | 7.8 LPA | IBSAT, XAT, GMAT, NMAT |
| CMS JainCMS Business School JAIN University | 50–60 %ile | ₹13.8 L | 8.7 LPA | XAT, CMAT, MAT, NMAT, GMAT |
| AllianceAlliance School of Business Alliance University | 60–70 %ile | ₹15 L | 8.5 LPA | XAT, CMAT, MAT, NMAT, GMAT |
| WeSchool BengaluruPrin L N Welingkar Institute of Management Bengaluru | 60–70 %ile | ₹15 L | 10.7 LPA | XAT, CMAT, ATMA, GMAT |
| PES UniversityPES University Faculty of Management | 50–60 %ile | ₹15.1 L | n/a | CMAT, MAT, NMAT, ATMA, PGCET |
| JAGSoMJagdish Sheth School of Management | 75–85 %ile | ₹17.5 L | 10.3 LPA | XAT, CMAT, MAT, NMAT, GMAT |
Cheapest first. Total two-year fee excluding hostel. The last column names every test the college accepts.
KMAT: the Bangalore-specific test
Six of the 13 name KMAT: Presidency, Acharya Bangalore B-School (ABBS), Indus Business Academy, ISME, ISBR and XIME. It’s run by the Karnataka Private Post Graduate Colleges’ Association rather than the government, and it’s built to be easy to sit: 120 questions in two hours, taken from home with remote proctoring, open to candidates from anywhere in India, with a reported fee of ₹850.
The 2026 dates are inconsistent between sources: session 1 shows up as 13 or 20 September, and session 2 is only reported as expected in October or November. So check kmatindia.com before you rely on a date. If you’re weighing Bangalore at all, this is the one regional test that may still have a seat in it for you this year.
K-PGCET: the government-quota route
Five name K-PGCET: Presidency, ABBS, Indus Business Academy, ISBR and PES University. The test and the counselling are run by the Karnataka Examinations Authority, and more than 280 colleges across the state take part. For the 2026 intake, applications closed on 30 April and counselling ran from August, so this is next spring’s plan. The state test calendar shows how the 2026 cycle ran.
Which national test covers the most of Bangalore
Here’s the useful pattern. CMAT is accepted by 12 of the 13, so one CMAT score covers every college on this list except ICFAI Business School (IBS), which lists IBSAT, XAT, GMAT and NMAT instead. MAT and XAT each cover 11. If you only have the energy for one fallback test, CMAT (the exam is on 7 February 2027, provisional, with registration expected in October) is the safest single bet for Bangalore. XAT closes on 6 December if you want to keep ISBR, XIME or Indus Business Academy open as well.
A reality check on cost
Bangalore is not a cheap city to study management in. Nothing in our directory is under ₹6.3 lakh. Presidency has the lowest fee, at ₹6.3 lakh (50–60 percentile), and ABBS the lowest percentile band, at ₹9.5 lakh (40–55). Both name KMAT and K-PGCET, which is worth noticing if your score is on the lower side. If budget is the binding constraint, the sub-₹2 lakh list and the lowest-fee list cover other cities.
What to do this month
- Check kmatindia.com for the session 2 date and registration deadline.
- Register for CMAT when applications open (expected in October), since it covers 12 of the 13.
- Decide by early December whether XAT (closes 6 December) is worth adding for ISBR, XIME or Indus Business Academy.
- Put K-PGCET in your calendar for spring 2027 if a government-quota seat appeals.
Questions people ask
Can I get an MBA in Bangalore without CAT?
Yes. All 13 colleges in our directory accept at least one other test. CMAT covers 12 of them, and MAT and XAT cover 11 each.
What is KMAT and who accepts it?
Karnataka’s KMAT is run by the Karnataka Private Post Graduate Colleges’ Association. Six Bangalore colleges in our directory name it. It is a different test from Kerala’s KMAT.
Is K-PGCET open now?
No. K-PGCET applications for 2026 closed on 30 April and counselling ran from August. Expect the next cycle to start in spring 2027.
What is the cheapest MBA in Bangalore?
In our directory, Presidency University Bengaluru at ₹6.3 lakh total fees, excluding hostel. Confirm the current fee with the college.
Before you pay anything: check that the college is AICTE-approved and know the refund rules.
Where this comes from
Test names and college data are from this site’s directory (verified 4 September 2026). KMAT and K-PGCET details are as reported on the pages below; confirm dates with the testing bodies.