MBA Colleges in Chennai Accepting Low CAT Score (2026): Fees, Cutoffs & Placements
7 MBA and PGDM colleges in Chennai admit in the 40–92 CAT percentile band for 2026-28, 5 of them NIRF 2025 top-100. Fees run ₹1.4 L to ₹22.5 L and the best reported average is 15 LPA at GLIM Chennai. Lowest CAT floor in the city: 40 percentile.
Chennai recruits into manufacturing, automotive, BFSI operations and a large IT-services management pipeline. Great Lakes and LIBA anchor the top; the rest of the market is priced far more reasonably than Mumbai or Delhi for comparable outcomes.
All 7 MBA colleges in Chennai
| NIRF 2025 | College | CAT band | Total fee | Avg CTC | Also accepts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | GLIM ChennaiGreat Lakes Institute of Management Chennai | 80–90 %ile | ₹22.5 L | 15 LPA | XAT, CMAT, NMAT, GMAT |
| 55 | LIBALoyola Institute of Business Administration | 80–88 %ile | ₹19.1 L | 11.2 LPA | XAT |
| 56 | SRM ChennaiSRM Institute of Science and Technology | 55–70 %ile | ₹8 L | 6.5 LPA | MAT, CMAT, XAT, TANCET |
| 63 | Saveetha ChennaiSaveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | 50–65 %ile | ₹6 L | 5.5 LPA | MAT, CMAT, TANCET |
| 88 | DoMS Anna UniversityDepartment of Management Studies Anna University | 40–55 %ile | ₹1.4 L | 6 LPA | TANCET, MAT |
| — | XIME ChennaiXavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship Chennai | 60–70 %ile | ₹9.9 L | 8.6 LPA | XAT, CMAT, MAT, TANCET, GMAT |
| — | SSN SOMSSN School of Management | 60–70 %ile | ₹7 L | 6.8 LPA | XAT, CMAT, MAT, TANCET, ATMA |
Sorted by NIRF 2025 rank, unranked institutes last.
What actually decides your seat in Chennai
TANCET is the lever here. Anna University’s DoMS is NIRF-88 at about ₹1.4 lakh, and SSN, PSG (Coimbatore) and XIME Chennai all take TANCET alongside CAT. If your CAT is weak and you are Tamil Nadu-domiciled, sitting TANCET is close to mandatory.
Across these 7 colleges the alternatives to CAT that come up most often are XAT (5), CMAT (5), MAT (5) and TANCET (5). Full routes are in our guide to MBA admission without CAT.
Fees vs placement in Chennai
| College | City | Total fee | Avg CTC | CTC ÷ fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DoMS Anna University | Chennai | ₹1.4 L | 6 LPA | 4.29 |
| SSN SOM | Chennai | ₹7 L | 6.8 LPA | 0.97 |
| Saveetha Chennai | Chennai | ₹6 L | 5.5 LPA | 0.92 |
| XIME Chennai | Chennai | ₹9.9 L | 8.6 LPA | 0.87 |
| SRM Chennai | Chennai | ₹8 L | 6.5 LPA | 0.81 |
| GLIM Chennai | Chennai | ₹22.5 L | 15 LPA | 0.67 |
| LIBA | Chennai | ₹19.1 L | 11.2 LPA | 0.59 |
Cheapest MBA colleges in Chennai
| College | Total fee | CAT band | Avg CTC | Also accepts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DoMS Anna University | ₹1.4 L | 40–55 %ile | 6 LPA | TANCET, MAT |
| Saveetha Chennai | ₹6 L | 50–65 %ile | 5.5 LPA | MAT, CMAT, TANCET |
| SSN SOM | ₹7 L | 60–70 %ile | 6.8 LPA | XAT, CMAT, MAT, TANCET, ATMA |
| SRM Chennai | ₹8 L | 55–70 %ile | 6.5 LPA | MAT, CMAT, XAT, TANCET |
| XIME Chennai | ₹9.9 L | 60–70 %ile | 8.6 LPA | XAT, CMAT, MAT, TANCET, GMAT |
| LIBA | ₹19.1 L | 80–88 %ile | 11.2 LPA | XAT |
Frequently asked questions
Which MBA colleges in Chennai accept 50–60 percentile in CAT?
DoMS Anna University, Saveetha Chennai, SRM Chennai, SSN SOM and XIME Chennai all admit at or below 60 percentile. The lowest floor in Chennai is 40 percentile.
What is the cheapest MBA in Chennai?
Department of Management Studies Anna University at ₹1.4 L for the full two years, with 6 LPA reported average placement.
Is an MBA in Chennai worth the fee?
Use placement ÷ fee. The best ratio in Chennai is DoMS Anna University at 4.29 (6 LPA on ₹1.4 L). Anything above 0.9 is healthy for this tier; below 0.6 needs a very good reason.
Watching your budget? See the cheapest MBA colleges in Chennai ranked by total fee, or the lowest-fee list for all of India.
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.