Top MBA Colleges in Kerala?Based on 2024 Ranking

The best MBA colleges in Kerala are well known for their placement records, education Quality, faculties, and good infrastructure. Kerala is home to 150 MBA colleges, of which 116 are private and 33 are MBA government colleges in Kerala. The best MBA colleges in Kerala offer Full-time, Part-time as well as Distance Education. IIM Kozhikode, Rajgiri Business School Kochi, and NIT Calicut are the best MBA colleges in Kerala.

  • IIM Kozhikode is ranked 5th among the best MBA colleges in India by NIRF rankings.
  • MG University, RIET Attingal, and ASB Trivandrum are the best MBA colleges in Trivandrum. Also, they are ranked among the top MBA colleges in Kerala without entrance exams.
  • MBA Admissions 2023 to the best MBA colleges in Kerala are offered through scores of entrance exams like CMAT, CAT, KMAT, etc. followed by a GD/ PI round.
  • Most of the best MBA colleges in Kerala are affiliated with MG University Kottayam and Kerala University Thiruvananthapuram.
  • The best MBA government colleges in Kerala include IIM Kozhikode, NIT Calicut, and BIMS Kottayam. 
  • The average annual fees for the best MBA colleges in Kerala range from INR 30,000 to INR 9,00,000. NCERC Thrissur and SIHM Kozhikode are some of the best MBA colleges in Kerala with low fees.
  • Jai Bharath Arts and Science College - [JBASC], St. Albert's College, and MCMAT Ernakulam are some of the best MBA colleges in Ernakulam.
  • The best MBA colleges in Kerala offer high placement opportunities and good ROI. The average CTC offered to the students is between INR 7 LPA to INR 12 LPA.
  • The highest placement packages are grabbed by the best MBA Government colleges in Kerala. The average placement package offered at IIM Kozhikode ranges between INR 23 LPA to INR 30 LPA.

Check: Top Management Colleges in India

Top 10 MBA Colleges in Kerala

IIM Kozhikode is one of the best IIMs in India and is ranked among the top MBA colleges in Kerala. Check out the following table which enlists the Top 10 MBA colleges in Kerala along with their average annual fees:

College/ University Name  Average Fees (INR) 
Indian Institute of Management - [IIMK], Kerala 20,50,000
Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies - [RCBS], Kochi 1,84,080
Rajagiri Business School - [RBS], Kerala 7,00,000
SCMS Cochin School of Business, Kerala 7,95,000
Lead College of Management, Palakkad 7,50,000
National Institute of Technology - [NITC], Calicut 1,59,310
Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship - [XIME], Kochi 9,00,000
Saintgits Institute of Management - [SIM], Kerala 4,20,000
Nehru College of Engineering and Research Centre - [NCERC], Kerala 80,000
SCMS School of Technology and Management - [SSTM], Kochi 7,10,000

Top MBA Colleges in Kerala: Rankings

Ranking agencies like NIRF, Business Today, The Week, and many more releases the list of top MBA colleges in India every year. These rankings are based on parameters like - Teaching, Learning & Resources, Graduation Outcomes, Facilities, and many more.

In the below tables, the list of top MBA Colleges in Kerala as per various ranking agencies is mentioned.

Top MBA Colleges in Kerala: NIRF Ranking

NIRF is the national ranking agency that ranks colleges and universities in India and it is run by the Ministry of Education, Government of India. The list below shows the top MBA Colleges in Kerala as per NIRF rankings.

NIRF Ranking 2022 College Name NIRF Rankings
5 Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode 74.74
74 Rajagiri Business School 45.79
84 NIT Calicut National Institute of Technology 44.30

NIRF bases its rankings on 5 different parameters. They are listed in the table given below:

MBA Colleges in Kerala NIRF Ranking Parameters

Top MBA Colleges in Kerala: Times Ranking

The Times is an Indian English daily newspaper and digital media and one of the most reputed and largest-selling English language daily newspapers in the world. In partnership with Avance India, Optimal Media Solutions - The Times conducts a survey every year and releases a list of Top Education Institutions in India for different domains. Rankings given by The Times to any college are based on various parameters such as Education Quality, Facilities, Faculties, Placements, Infrastructure, etc.

Rajagiri Center For Business Studies Kochi is one of the best MBA colleges in India. The college has a seat intake of 120 and 231 respectively for MBA and PGDM courses.

  • Rajagiri Center For Business Studies Kochi is the best MBA college in Chennai. The Institute is ranked 21st by The Times rankings among the top B-Schools in India. 
  • SCMS Cochin School of Business Kochi is ranked 77 followed by Lead College of Management Palakkad at 90th place among the top MBA colleges in Kerala.

Tabulated below are the top MBA colleges in Kerala ranked by The Times Ranking.

The Times Ranking 2022 College Name 
21 Rajagiri Center For Business Studies, Kochi
77 SCMS Cochin School of Business, Kochi
90 Lead College of Management, Palakkad

Best Government MBA Colleges in Kerala

There are around 32 Government MBA colleges in Kerala, some of the best MBA colleges in Kerala are tabulated below along with their fees structure:

College/ University Name  Average Annual Fees 
Indian Institute of Management - [IIMK], Kerala INR 9,50,000
National Institute of Technology - [NITC], Kerala INR 82,405
Rajagiri Business School - [RBS], Kerala INR 7,00,000
Berchmans Institute of Management Studies - [BIMS], Kerala INR 2,85,000
Lead College of Management, Kerala INR 7,00,000
Kochi Business School - [KBS], Kerala INR 3,20,000
State Institute of Hospitality Management - [SIHM], Kerala INR 30,000
Cochin University of Science and Technology, School of Management Studies - [SMS], Kerala INR 32,810
Musaliar Institute of Management - [MIM], Kerala INR 1,20,000
Gurudev Institute of Management Studies - [GIMS], Kerala INR 1,16,000

Best Private MBA Colleges in Kerala

Candidates prefer to study MBA courses from the best private MBA colleges in India as they offer high-Quality Education, better Infrastructure, etc. Some of the Best Private Medical colleges in Kerala are given below in the table chart:

College/ University Name  Average Annual Fees 
Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies - [RCBS], Kerala INR 96,600
SCMS Cochin School of Business, Kerala INR 3,75,000
Rajagiri Business School - [RBS], Kerala INR 7,00,000
Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship - [XIME], Kerala INR 8,50,000
Lead College of Management, Kerala INR 7,00,000
Saintgits Institute of Management - [SIM], Kerala INR 2,27,000
Kochi Business School - [KBS], Kerala INR 3,20,000
Nehru College of Engineering and Research Centre - [NCERC], Kerala INR 40,000
SCMS School of Technology and Management - [SSTM], Kerala INR 3,60,000
DC School of Management and Technology - [DCSMAT], Kerala INR 1,99,000

Top MBA Colleges in Kerala: ROI (Return on Investment)

Before taking admission to any institute, it is very much important to get a clear idea about the return on investment of that institute. MBA is an expensive course and costs more than most courses, one must be assured that one would get the opportunity to be placed in a reputed company with a handsome salary package.

Below is the list of ROI of top MBA colleges in Kerala.

Institute Name

Average Annual Fee

Average Placement Package

ROI Rank*

Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kozhikode

INR 8.5 Lacs

INR 20 LPA

1

SIM - Saintgits Institute of Management

INR 2.3 Lacs

INR 3.4 LPA

2

Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies - RCBS

INR 3.25 Lacs

INR 4.5 LPA

3

SCMS Cochin School of Business

INR 3.75 Lacs

INR 5 LPA

4

XIME - Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship, Kochi

INR 5 Lacs

INR 6.3 LPA

5

*ROI Percentage={(Average Placement Package)/(Average Annual Fees)}*100%

  • Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kozhikode has the best return on investment in the whole of Kerala. 
  • It has an annual average fee of INR 8.5 Lacs and the students get an average placement package of INR 20 LPA. 
  • SIM - Saintgits Institute of Management also offers a good ROI and hence holds the second position in terms of ROI.

Top MBA Colleges in Kerala: Fee Structure

Given below is the fee structure of top-ranked colleges:

Fee Structure in Top MBA Colleges in Kerala

Top MBA Colleges in Kerala: Admission Process

Kerala doesn’t have a lot of colleges that provide MBA courses in them. All over the state, there are around 129 colleges that provide MBA courses. Out of these 129 colleges, 98 are private and the rest 31 are public colleges.

Number of Top MBA Colleges in Kerala

These are some of the main entrance exams based on which both public and private colleges in Kerala give admission for MBA courses.  The list of exams along with the number of colleges that are accepting them is mentioned below:

MBA Colleges in Kerala

Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kozhikode

It is one of the most prestigious colleges in the country and has a NIRF ranking of 6. The college was established in the year 1996. IIM Kozhikode is one of the 20 Indian Institutes of Management and the 5th IIM to be established in the country.

  • It offers PG programs like PG in Management, Diploma, and other executive programs.
  • Students who are willing to take admitted here must give the national entrance exam of CAT.
  • The average annual fee varies around INR 8.5 Lacs and the average CTC offered is around INR 20 LPA with the highest salary of INR 40 LPA.
  • Some of the top-paying companies that came for recruitment were Flipkart, Amazon, Deutsche Bank, and Microsoft.

Given below is the placement record for the past 3 years:

IIM Kozhikode Placement Record

IIM Kozhikode maintains a 100% placement record with a good salary package offered at the college.

IIM Kozhikode Placement Package Record
  • The average and highest salary packages offered are increasing year by year.
  • At present, the highest salary package is INR 40 LPA while the average salary package is INR 20 LPA, which is a good amount in the beginning.

Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies - RCBS

The college is considered the second-best college in Kerala after the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kozhikode, based on most of the ranking agencies. Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies ranked at 38th spot in Business Today All India Rank.

  • It provides degree courses MBA (Master of Business Administration), MHRM (Master of Human Resource Management), and PGDM (Post Graduate Diploma in Management).
  • Admission to the college is via CMAT, MAT, and CAT.
  • The average annual fee for the MBA course is around INR 96,600.
  • Based on college student reviews, the college has a 90% placement record with an average package of INR 4-5 Lakhs.

SCMS Cochin School of Business

This is one of the best B- schools in Kerala which is ranked as the 3rd top-most engineering college based on most of the ranking agencies. SCMS Cochin School of Business is ranked at 62nd position by Business Today All India Rank.

  • It offers PG Diploma in General Management and Retail Management under various specializations.
  • Some of the subjects that these colleges offer are – Marketing, Finance, and Human Resource Management.
  • Students who want to take admitted here must qualify for the national-level entrance exam of CAT/ MAT/ CMAT.
  • The annual fee at this college is INR 3,75,000.
  • 87 % of the students were placed in the placement of 2022.

Given below are the details of the placement record.

SCMS Cochin School of Business Placements 2018

Top MBA Colleges in Kerala: Entrance Exam Wise

Students who are willing to take admitted to the top MBA colleges of Kerala can apply via national-level entrance exams or state-level entrance exams. The colleges accept both and will have different cut-off marks for different sections.

Top MBA Colleges in Kerala Accepting CAT

CAT is a national-level entrance exam for admission into MBA programs at some of the most prestigious colleges in the country like IIMs and many more. This exam is conducted by the IIMs.

Some of the colleges of Kerala that conduct their admission via the CAT exam are listed below:

  • Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kozhikode.
  • SCMS Cochin School of Business.
  • Cochin University of Science and Technology - [CUSAT], Koch.
  • Albertian Institute of Management, Cochin
  • Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies – RCBS.
  • SIM - Saintgits Institute of Management.

Top MBA Colleges in Kerala Accepting CMAT Score

Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) is a national-level entrance exam for all management courses that are provided by AICTE-approved institutes. This exam is conducted by the National Testing Agency.

Some of the colleges of Kerala that conduct their admission via the CMAT exam are listed below:

  • SCMS Cochin School of Business.
  • Cochin University of Science and Technology - [CUSAT], Kochi.
  • Albertian Institute of Management (AIM) Cochin
  • Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies – RCBS.
  • SIM - Saintgits Institute of Management.
  • Kochi Business School, Kochi

Top MBA Colleges in Kerala Accepting KMAT Score

KMAT is the state-level Entrance examination; there are more than 28 Best MBA colleges in Kerala that accept KMAT scores for MBA Admissions. Check out the Top MBA Colleges in Kerala Accepting KMAT scores given below in the table:

College/ University Name  Average Annual Fees 
Berchmans Institute of Management Studies - [BIMS], Kerala INR 2,85,000
Cochin University of Science and Technology, School of Management Studies - [SMS], Kerala INR 32,810
Kerala University - [KU], Kerala INR 32,000
Kerala Agricultural University - [KAU], Kerala INR 65,650
Mahatma Gandhi College, Kerala INR 4,560
Kochi Business School - [KBS], Kerala INR 3,20,000
Calicut University - [CU], Kerala INR 48,000
Lead College of Management, Kerala INR 7,00,000
Mahatma Gandhi University - [MGU], Kerala INR 96,600
Rajagiri Business School - [RBS], Kerala INR 7,00,000

Top MBA Colleges in Kerala Accepting MAT Score

Management Aptitude Test or MAT is a national-level management aptitude test for admission to MBA courses offered by various B-schools in India. It is conducted 4 times a year in February, May, September, and December. It is accepted by Top B-Schools in the country.

Some of the colleges of Kerala that conduct their admission via the MAT exam are listed below:

  • SCMS Cochin School of Business.
  • Cochin University of Science and Technology - [CUSAT], Kochi.
  • Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies – RCBS.
  • Kochi Business School.

Top MBA Colleges in Kerala: Specialization Wise

The stream in MBA you choose matters a lot and depends on the college as various colleges have reputations for specific streams. 

Top MBA Colleges in Kerala for Human Resource Management

Master of Business Administration or MBA in Human Resource Management is a 2-year post-graduate program and is open to individuals with a Bachelor’s degree in any stream. MBA in Human Resource Management is a popular option for candidates aspiring for a seat in B-Schools in India. 

MBA in Human Resource Management is perfect for individuals with good communication skills and an ability to envision a larger picture for an organization. At present, skilled HR Professionals are required in all public and private sector organizations.

Top MBA Colleges in Kerala that offer MBAs in HR are:

  • Cochin University of Science and  Technology
  • SCMS Cochin School of Business
  • Albertian Institute of Management
  • DC School of Management and Technology
  • Kochi Business School

Check the top MBA colleges in India streamwise by clicking on the links below:

Top MBA Colleges in Kerala: Placement Wise

The placement record of MBA colleges all over the country is more or less good. Since it is one of the most costly courses in the country, the placement opportunities, and its package matter very much to the students.

Some of the top institutes with the highest packages include – the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kozhikode, SIM - Saintgits Institute of Management, Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies – RCBS, SCMS Cochin School of Business, XIME - Xavier Institute of Management, and Entrepreneurship, Kochi.

These colleges along with some other colleges provide great opportunities to the students by bringing some of the top recruiters from every field. The average CTC offered in the colleges of Kerala is given below.

Students who are planning to take admitted to these colleges can have a look here to get an idea of the average CTC that is offered.

CTCs offered in Top MBA Colleges in Kerala

Top MBA Colleges in Kerala: FAQs

Ques. How to get admission into top MBA colleges in Kerala?

Ans. Students can give the national entrance exam of CAT, CMAT, and MAT along with some other state-level exams like KMAT Kerala.

Ques. Who can give the CAT and KMAT Kerala exams?

Ans. Students who have a bachelor's degree and are residents of Kerala are eligible for this KMAT Kerala exam. CAT can be given by any graduate student irrespective of their state of residence.

Ques. Which is the best college in terms of ROI?

Ans. IIM Kozhikode has the best return on investment in the whole of Kerala. It has an annual average fee of INR 8.5 Lacs and the students get an average annual placement package of INR 20 Lakhs.

Ques. Which is the best college in terms of CTC offered?

Ans. IIM Kozhikode is the best college in terms of the CTC offered. It has an annual average fee of INR 8.5 Lacs and the students get an average placement package of INR 20 LPA.

Ques. Which college is better for MBA in Kerala?

Ans. IIM Kozhikode, Amrita School of Business Kollam, LEAD College of Management Palakkad, and Cochin University of Science and Technology Kochi are some of the good MBA colleges in Kerala.

Ques. Is there an MBA at Kerala University?

Ans. Yes, Kerala University offers a full-time MBA course. To be eligible for pursuing MBA courses from Kerala University candidates must have to complete their graduation in any stream with 55% marks and qualify for the KMAT exam conducted with good scores.

Ques. Is Kerala good for MBA?

Ans. Apart from its natural beauty and car modification, Kerala is well recognized as the state with the highest literacy rate. There are more than 146 MBA colleges in Kerala that offer high placement packages and ROI, high-quality Education, and many other facilities which makes it a good place for studying MBA.

Ques. Which MBA college has the best placement?

Ans. IIM Kochi and RCBS Kochi are rated highest among the best MBA colleges in Kerala which offer the best placement packages uses. high ROI. However, the highest packages are grabbed by IIM Kozhikode students with an average package at INR 23 LPA.

Ques. Which is the No 1 University in Kerala?

Ans. Cochin University of Science and Technology is the best and top-ranked No 1 university in Kerala. Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam is also one of the best universities in Kerala, and more than 42 best MBA colleges in Kerala are affiliated with MG University Kottayam.

Ques. How can I study MBA in Kerala?

Ans. To study MBA in Kerala one must have to complete their bachelor's degree with at least 55% marks from a recognized University and must qualify for any entrance exam such as CAT, CMAT, KMAT, etc., and may be required to face Group discussion or personal interview rounds.

Ques. Can I do an MBA without an entrance exam in Kerala?

Ans. Although most of the best MBA colleges in Kerala offer entrance-based admissions to MBA courses there are some private MBA colleges in Kerala that offer direct admission based on merit basis which is based on the scores of a candidate in their bachelor's degree.

Ques. Which are the government MBA colleges in Kerala?

Ans. Some of the best government MBA colleges in Kerala are listed below:

  • Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode
  • Indian Maritime University, Kochi Campus
  • School of Management Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi
  • School of Management and Business Studies, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam

Ques. What are the fees for MBA in Kerala?

Ans. The average fees for pursuing MBA courses from the best MBA colleges in Kerala can be anywhere between INR 30,000 - 9 Lakhs per year depending upon the college. The average fee in IIM Kozhikode for MBA courses is around INR 7 Lakhs annually.

Ques. Which exam is required for MBA in Kerala?

Ans. KMAT Kerala is the most accepted entrance exam for MBA in Kerala. Apart from KMAT Kerala, other popular Management entrance exams accepted by the best MBA colleges in Kerala are CAT, CMAT, MAT, XAT, GMAT, etc.

Ques. Which MBA specialization gives the highest salary?

Ans. MBA Business Analytics and MBA Marketing are some of the most rewarding MBA specializations.

Type Of College
Avg Fee Per Year
Course Type
Course Duration
College Category
Gender Accepted
Found 167 colleges
Sort By
CD RatingCollegesCourse FeesPlacementUser ReviewsRanking
Aa2
20,50,000MBA/PGDM- total feesCompare Fees₹ 31,02,000Average Package₹ 67,02,000Highest PackageCompare Placement
9.3 / 10
Based on 1 User
Reviews
Best in Infrastructure
#9th/15 in India 2023
Ba3

Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies - [RCBS], Kochi

Kochi, Kerala 
96,600MBA/PGDM- 1st Year Fees----#40th/272 in India 2023
Ba2
3,97,500MBA/PGDM- 1st Year Fees----#73th/272 in India 2023
Ba2
1,18,255MBA/PGDM- 1st Year FeesCompare Fees₹ 23,00,000Average Package₹ 47,00,000Highest PackageCompare Placement
7.8 / 10
Based on 16 User
Reviews
Best in Academics
#66th/272 in India 2023
CD RatingCollegesCourse FeesPlacementUser ReviewsRanking
Ba3
9,00,000MBA/PGDM- total fees--
8.9 / 10
Based on 5 User
Reviews
#66th/268 in India 2021
Ba4
3,60,000MBA/PGDM- total fees----#156th/272 in India 2023
80,000MBA/PGDM- total fees----#154th/284 in India 2019
Ba3

SCMS School of Technology and Management - [SSTM], Kochi

Kochi, Kerala 
3,60,000MBA/PGDM- 1st Year Fees--
9.3 / 10
Based on 1 User
Reviews
#141th/272 in India 2023
CD RatingCollegesCourse FeesPlacementUser ReviewsRanking
Ba4
1,99,000MBA/PGDM- 1st Year Fees--
8.5 / 10
Based on 1 User
Reviews
#195th/292 in India 2020
Ba4
7,50,000MBA/PGDM- total fees----#188th/272 in India 2023

Farook Institute of Management Studies - [FIMS], Calicut

Calicut, Kerala 
1,50,000MBA/PGDM- 1st Year Fees--#202th/284 in India 2019
Ba4
2,85,000MBA/PGDM- total fees--#216th/284 in India 2019
CD RatingCollegesCourse FeesPlacementUser ReviewsRanking
1,28,000MBA/PGDM- 1st Year Fees--#240th/284 in India 2019
--MBA/PGDM--
8 / 10
Based on 1 User
Reviews
#253th/284 in India 2019
Ba2

Rajagiri Business School - [RBS], Kochi

Kochi, Kerala 
7,00,000MBA/PGDM- total fees----#83th/125 in India 2023

Albertian Institute of Management- [AIM], Kochi

Kochi, Kerala 
2,00,876MBA/PGDM- 1st Year Fees--#143th/214 in India 2023
CD RatingCollegesCourse FeesPlacementUser ReviewsRanking
3,85,000MBA/PGDM- 1st Year Fees------
--MBA/PGDM--
7.3 / 10
Based on 1 User
Reviews
--
30,000MBA/PGDM- total fees----
Ba2
3,50,000MBA/PGDM- total fees₹ 5,00,000Average Package₹ 12,00,000Highest Package#130th/214 in India 2023
CD RatingCollegesCourse FeesPlacementUser ReviewsRanking
45,000MBA/PGDM- 1st Year Fees------
49,900MBA/PGDM- total fees------
2,34,000MBA/PGDM- 1st Year Fees₹ 5,16,000Average Package₹ 9,42,000Highest Package--
--MBA/PGDM------
CD RatingCollegesCourse FeesPlacementUser ReviewsRanking
--MBA/PGDM----
3,00,000MBA/PGDM- total fees--
9.8 / 10
Based on 1 User
Reviews
--