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MBA Colleges in Kochi (2026-27): NIRF Ranks, Exams and Programmes
8 institutes, the exams they accept and NIRF 2025 ranks, checked against official sites.
Kochi is Kerala's strongest MBA city on paper: two of the state's four NIRF 2025 management-ranked institutes, CUSAT (rank 82) and Rajagiri Business School (rank 91), sit here, and IIM Kozhikode now runs an executive MBA from a Kochi campus. Options range from CUSAT's state-university MBA in Kalamassery to AICTE-approved PGDMs at Rajagiri (Kakkanad) and SCMS (Aluva), plus Amrita, Toc H and Albertian MBAs. Most Kochi institutes accept KMAT, CMAT or CAT, and the city's port, shipyard and Infopark IT cluster at Kakkanad shape its internship and placement mix.
IIM Kozhikode (main campus in Kozhikode; NIRF 2025 rank 3) has opened a Kochi campus that runs its Executive Post Graduate Programme / MBA for Working Executives.
What sets the top Kochi B-schools apart
IIM Kozhikode - Kochi Campus
NIRF 3IIM Kozhikode opened the Kochi campus as an urban learning centre; only its working-executive MBA is listed there, not the flagship two-year MBA. The NIRF rank is IIM Kozhikode's.
Official programme page ↗School of Management Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT)
NIRF 82Its Integrated Dual Master's gives a CUSAT MBA plus a master's from James Cook University, Australia, with year one in Kochi and year two at the partner university.
Official programme page ↗Rajagiri Business School
NIRF 91One application (Rs 1,000) covers its PGDM, PGDM-International, MBA and MA HRM, and the institute states it takes no donation or capitation for management seats.
Official programme page ↗Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies (Rajagiri College of Social Sciences)
Run by the CMI congregation; the campus is about 0.5 km from the Seaport-Airport Road, and the institute says it is in the process of becoming a deemed university.
Official programme page ↗SCMS Cochin School of Business
The PGDM is accredited by NBA and ACBSP (USA), and AIU recognises it as equivalent to an MBA.
Official programme page ↗Amrita School of Business, Kochi (Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham)
The Kochi school opened in 2009 and is the only management school on an otherwise healthcare-focused campus; the listed regular fee for Kochi is Rs 8,20,000.
Official programme page ↗NIRF 2025 Management (top 100) lists Cochin University of Science and Technology at 82 and Rajagiri Business School at 91, both with city 'Cochin'. No Kerala institute appears in the 101-125 band. Kerala's other entries are IIM Kozhikode (3) and NIT Calicut (85).
MBA and PGDM colleges in Kochi
8 institutes in and around Kochi, with the exams each accepts and its NIRF 2025 management rank. Every name links to the official website.
| Institute | Type | Exams accepted | NIRF 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| School of Management Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT)Kalamassery | state university department | CAT, CMAT, KMAT | 82 |
| Rajagiri Business SchoolKakkanad (Rajagiri Valley) | private PGDM | CAT, CMAT, KMAT, MAT, XAT, GMAT | 91 |
| Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies (Rajagiri College of Social Sciences)Kakkanad (Rajagiri Valley) | private college (autonomous) - MBA | CAT, CMAT, KMAT | – |
| SCMS Cochin School of BusinessMuttom, Aluva | private PGDM | CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, KMAT, ATMA | – |
| Amrita School of Business, Kochi (Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham)Near Amrita Hospital, Edappally side | private university (deemed) | ACAT, CAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, GMAT, GRE, KMAT | – |
| Toc H Institute of Science and Technology - Department of MBAArakkunnam | private college (APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University affiliated) | CAT, CMAT, KMAT | – |
| Albertian Institute of Management (St. Albert's College, Autonomous)Ernakulam (city centre) | private college (autonomous) - MBA | See official site | – |
| IIM Kozhikode - Kochi CampusKochi | IIM | See official site | 3 |
Best MBA colleges in Kochi accepting KMAT
The same Kochi college often accepts several exams. Here is the city grouped by exam, so you can see what one score opens up.
School of Management Studies, Rajagiri Business School, Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies (Rajagiri College of Social Sciences), SCMS Cochin School of Business, Amrita School of Business, Toc H Institute of Science and Technology - Department of MBA
School of Management Studies, Rajagiri Business School, Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies (Rajagiri College of Social Sciences), SCMS Cochin School of Business, Amrita School of Business, Toc H Institute of Science and Technology - Department of MBA
School of Management Studies, Rajagiri Business School, Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies (Rajagiri College of Social Sciences), SCMS Cochin School of Business, Amrita School of Business, Toc H Institute of Science and Technology - Department of MBA
Rajagiri Business School, SCMS Cochin School of Business, Amrita School of Business
Rajagiri Business School, SCMS Cochin School of Business, Amrita School of Business
Rajagiri Business School, Amrita School of Business
State admission route in Kochi
KMAT Kerala (Kerala Management Aptitude Test). Office of the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE), Kerala hosts the KMAT 2026 portals (Session 1 opened 07-02-2026, Session 2 opened 16-05-2026); CUSAT's admission page names the CEE as the conducting body. No centralised state counselling verified; each institute admits on its own rank list from KMAT/CMAT/CAT scores plus GD-PI
MBA careers in Kochi
What the local economy means for summer internships and final placements:
- Cochin Shipyard Ltd - Government of India Miniratna shipbuilding and repair company headquartered in Kochi
- Cochin Port Authority on Willingdon Island - cargo, marine and cruise port (logistics and shipping roles)
- Infopark, Kakkanad - state IT park (Phase 1 and 2 in Kochi; Phase 3 MoU with GCDA announced Sep 2026); tenants include IBM India Software Labs
Working in Kochi? The online MBA route
If you can't leave your job, a UGC-entitled online MBA lets you study from Kochi without an entrance exam at most universities, from ₹52,000 for the full programme. Find your match in 4 questions or compare all fees.
Deadlines coming up
MBA in Kochi: questions students ask
Which MBA colleges in Kochi are ranked by NIRF 2025?
Two: CUSAT (Cochin University of Science and Technology) at rank 82 and Rajagiri Business School at rank 91 in the NIRF 2025 Management list. No other Kochi institute appears in the top 125.
Which entrance exams do Kochi MBA colleges accept?
Almost all accept KMAT Kerala, CMAT and CAT. Rajagiri Business School also takes MAT, XAT and GMAT; SCMS lists XAT, MAT and ATMA; Amrita accepts its own ACAT and GMAT/GRE as well.
Is there an IIM in Kochi?
IIM Kozhikode has opened a Kochi campus, but it runs the Executive Post Graduate Programme for working professionals. The full-time two-year MBA is at the main Kozhikode campus.
Who conducts KMAT for MBA admission in Kerala?
KMAT is handled by the Office of the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations (CEE), Kerala. For 2026 it ran in two sessions, with portals opening in February and May 2026.
Nearby and related
Sources
- nirfindia.org/Rankings/2025/ManagementRanking.html
- nirfindia.org/Rankings/2025/ManagementRanking150.html
- rajagiri.edu/
- rajagiri.edu/admissions
- rajagiri.edu/academics-admission-process/dept-of-business-administration
- rajagiribusinessschool.edu.in/academics/admisssion/pgdm
- rcbs.rajagiri.edu/admission/admission-process
- sms.cusat.ac.in/admissions/admission_process
- scmsgroup.org/
- tistcochin.edu.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/MBA-PROSPECTUS-2025-27.pdf
- amrita.edu/school/business/kochi/about/
- applymba.amrita.edu/
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