MBA Colleges in Ahmedabad Without CAT 2027: CMAT, XAT and the Routes That Still Work

Published 22 October 2026 · Admission routes checked on institute and ACPC pages on 22 October 2026 · College data verified 4 September 2026 · Prepared by the bestmbacollegeswithlowcatscore.com editorial team

The Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar list, cheapest first

Our directory has six colleges in Ahmedabad and three in Gandhinagar, 25 km away. The table shows the route each one offers if you do not have a CAT score. The CAT band is the percentile range the college has admitted in; it is a guide to selectivity, not a cut-off for other tests.

Two directory entries differ from what the institutes now say. Our directory lists GCET against B. K. School and GLS; the ACPC’s 2026-27 advertisement names only CMAT, and we found no 2026 notice of a separate Gujarat test for MBA. It also lists MAT for PDEU; PDEU’s 2026-28 admission policy names CAT, XAT, NMAT and GMAT only. Follow the institute’s page. The broader picture is in our Ahmedabad MBA colleges guide and the Gandhinagar list.

CMAT and ACPC: the state route most candidates miss

Gujarat fills MBA seats at government, grant-in-aid and self-financed institutes through a central counselling run by the Admission Committee for Professional Courses (ACPC). For 2026-27, its advertisement said candidates “shall have appeared in CMAT-2026” and that “merit shall be prepared on the basis of obtained CMAT-2026 score”. CAT does not feature. That is why the two cheapest MBAs on this list, B. K. School and GLS University, are effectively CMAT colleges.

The 95/5 split depends on where you studied, not on a domicile certificate. If you graduated outside Gujarat, the state-quota seats are a narrow door, and the private schools with their own admissions are the better bet. Our guide to state MBA entrance routes compares Gujarat with MAH-CET, TANCET and the rest.

There is a second chance for candidates who miss CMAT. B. K. School says applicants who have not taken CMAT can apply in an offline round after all online ACPC merit lists are out. In its 2026 round for the Healthcare and Banking & Financial Services MBAs, priority went first to ACPC rank holders, then to CMAT candidates not registered with ACPC, then to non-CMAT candidates on graduation marks. Seats in that round are whatever ACPC leaves vacant, so treat it as a back-up, not a plan.

For CMAT dates, fees and eligibility, see the CMAT 2027 registration page.

Which test covers the most of Ahmedabad

Counting the eight colleges with a non-CAT route, by what each institute’s own page says:

CMAT and XAT tie, but they reach different colleges. CMAT opens the cheap state-counselling seats and the mid-fee private schools. XAT reaches the more selective end: PDEU, AMSOM and MICA. If you can sit only one extra paper, CMAT gives the lowest-fee options; if your budget runs to ₹9–15 lakh, XAT is the one to add. Fees, eligibility and steps for XAT are on our XAT 2027 registration page.

Deadlines that matter for an Ahmedabad seat

The NMAT window is the urgent one: it closes on 25 October. Details are on our NMAT 2026 registration page, and the two MAT sessions are covered in MAT 2026 exam dates. Check every date on the official exam site before you pay; schedules do move.

A reality check on percentile and cost

A non-CAT route changes the test, not the competition. MICA admits in an 80–90 CAT percentile band in our directory, and its composite score gives the CAT, XAT or GMAT result a 35% weight. A modest XAT will not carry you there. The realistic low-percentile options are the CMAT colleges and Shanti, PDEU and UIM, whose CAT bands start at 40–45.

Fee and pay also vary widely. B. K. School’s directory figure of ₹0.8 lakh against a ₹5.1 LPA average is the best ratio in the city. AMSOM costs ₹14.4 lakh with a ₹6.6 LPA average, a ratio of 0.46. Two Gandhinagar schools, UIM and EDII, have not published placement averages that we could verify. Ask for the latest audited placement report before you accept an offer. Our cheapest MBA colleges in Ahmedabad page breaks down total cost, including hostel.

What to do this month

For every test still open nationally, with deadlines, see our guide to MBA admission without CAT.

Questions people ask

Before you pay anything: check that the college is AICTE-approved and know the refund rules.

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