Top 10 MBA Colleges in Kerala 2026: Rankings, Fees & Placements

Top 10 MBA Colleges in Kerala 2026 – A complete comparison of rankings, fees, placement packages, and admission details to help MBA aspirants choose the right B-school.

Kerala’s management-education landscape in 2026 blends an elite national presence (IIM Kozhikode) with strong regional players (Rajagiri, SCMS, XIME, Amrita and others). Placement outcomes and ROI vary widely — from IIM Kozhikode’s headline offers and premium average CTCs to high-ROI state and private programs with affordable fees and respectable campus hiring. This guide lists the Top 10 MBA Colleges in Kerala 2026, shows realistic fee and placement signals, explains admission routes and provides a practical checklist to choose the best fit.

1. The list — Top 10 MBA Colleges in Kerala (2026)

Each entry includes a short profile, typical fee range (total course), and placement signals (average/highest packages). Where precise 2025–2026 placement numbers are available they are cited.

1. Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM Kozhikode) — Kozhikode

Why choose: National/IIM brand, strong placement pipeline into consulting, product, and finance; international visibility.Typical fee (total PGP): ₹20–26 Lakh (program-dependent).Placement signals (2024–2025): Average CTC reported ~₹28 LPA; highest domestic offer reported in the range of ₹70–72 LPA in recent cycles. IIM Kozhikode also features strong international placements and a high proportion of consulting and tech recruiters.

2. National Institute of Technology Calicut (NIT Calicut) — Calicut

Why choose: Strong technical + management blend, good industry hiring especially for tech and analytics roles.Typical fee (MBA/MTech+MBA formats): ~₹3.5–5 Lakh (varies by program).Placement signals: NIT Calicut has reported solid placement numbers across recent cycles, with notable high packages in engineering and tech-affiliated roles. (NITs often place well for tech-management crossover careers.)

3. Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies (RCBS / Rajagiri Business School) — Kochi

Why choose: Strong private-business-school reputation in Kerala; active industry interface and placement support.Typical fee (PGDM/MBA): ₹6–8 Lakh (total).Placement signals: Median and average packages reported in the mid-single-digit lakhs; top offers sometimes cross ₹20–30 LPA depending on batch and recruiters. Campus reports indicate consistent placements across marketing, finance and consulting recruiters.

4. SCMS Cochin School of Business — Kochi

Why choose: Longstanding private management institute with corporate connections in Kochi.Typical fee (PGDM): ₹6–8 Lakh (total).Placement signals: Placement report highlights average packages in the 6–9 LPA band for recent years, with top packages reaching double digits dependent on recruiting firms.

5. XIME — Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship, Kochi

Why choose: Known regional brand, strong placement percentage and industry-aligned curriculum.Typical fee (PGDM): ₹7–10 Lakh (total).Placement signals: XIME Kochi reports high placement percentages (near 95–98%) with average packages around ₹8–10 LPA and top packages higher in select years.

6. Amrita School of Business — Kochi (Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham)

Why choose: University-backed program, strong academic resources and solid corporate hiring.Typical fee (MBA): ₹6–9 Lakh (total) depending on program.Placement signals (recent): Amrita has reported an average CTC in the 8–9 LPA range and top CTCs in the double-digit lakhs for recent cycles. Campus placement pages indicate >90% placement in the last reported cycle.

7. TKM Institute of Management — Kollam

Why choose: Good regional reputation, government-aided status in some programs and affordable fees.Typical fee: ₹1.5–4 Lakh (total) depending on program and quotas.Placement signals: Consistent campus hiring in core functional roles; packages typically in the 4–8 LPA range for many years.

8. Albertian Institute of Management (AIMS) — Kochi

Why choose: Industry-aligned courses and steady recruiter interest in marketing and operations roles.Typical fee: ₹4–7 Lakh (total).Placement signals: Average packages typically in the mid-single-digit lakhs; specific top offers depend on the recruiting year.

9. Institute of Management in Government (IMG) — Thiruvananthapuram

Why choose: Government-linked management programs that are attractive for public-sector pathways and administrative roles.Typical fee: Relatively low compared with private colleges; strong value proposition.Placement signals: Good placements in public and private sectors; average packages vary but ROI is often high due to lower fees.

10. DC School of Management & Technology (and other private colleges such as MACE, CUSAT SMS) — Vagamon / Kochi region

Why choose: Strong regional options offering specialized programs and good campus recruitment in certain sectors.Typical fee: ₹2–6 Lakh (total) depending on the institute.Placement signals: Solid campus hiring with sector-specific recruiter ties; ROI for lower-fee colleges can be competitive.

2. Fees and placement snapshot — realistic ranges (2026 view)

• Top-tier (IIM Kozhikode): Fees ₹20–26 LPA; average CTC ~₹28 LPA; highest domestic offers ~₹70–72 LPA.

• Top private Kerala colleges (RCBS, XIME, Amrita, SCMS): Fees ₹6–10 LPA; average CTC typically ₹6–10 LPA; top offers may reach ₹15–25 LPA in the best years.

• High-ROI / low-fee state options (NIT Calicut, government-linked institutes): Fees ₹1.5–5 LPA; average CTC often ₹8–12 LPA for tech-management crossover profiles.

  
  

1. Which entrance exams matter (and cut-offs)

• CAT: Essential for IIM Kozhikode and NIT Calicut (for management programs). Top percentiles required for IIMs (often 97+ percentile for general category entry into flagship PGPs).

• KMAT: Used by many private Kerala management colleges; cut-offs vary by institute.

• CMAT / MAT: Accepted by multiple private colleges.

• Institute-specific tests & interviews: Some colleges conduct their own shortlisting and GD/PI rounds — check individual institute pages for schedule and weightages.

  
  

3. How to choose the right college — decision checklist

1. Define career target by function. If you aim for consulting/FAANG product roles, a national IIM/out-of-state option has stronger placement leverage. For regional corporate placements and ROI, colleges like RCBS, SCMS and XIME are strong.

2. Compute ROI. Use: (Expected first-year CTC × probability of placement) – Total program cost. Lower-cost colleges with steady placement may deliver higher ROI than expensive programs with uncertain placement.

3. Check recruiter mix. Download the placement brochure and check for recruiters relevant to your target industry (consulting, BFSI, tech, FMCG).

4. Assess alumni network & location proximity. Kochi offers strong corporate ties for sales/marketing and BFSI; Kozhikode (IIM-K) draws national recruiters.

5. Evaluate specialization offerings. If you prefer analytics/product, confirm if the institute runs strong data-product collaborations and live projects.

4. Placement preparation — how to improve your admission & placement odds

• Before joining: Strengthen your CV with measurable impact (P&L, project metrics). For CAT-bound aspirants, dedicate 6–9 months for preparation.

• During program: Join consulting/finance/product clubs; take live projects; seek summer internships with recruiters you target.

• Interview prep: Case practice for consulting, financial-modeling tests for finance, product case studies for PM roles. Use alumni referrals early.

• Skill upgrades: SQL/Python for analytics roles, Excel/valuation modeling for finance, product frameworks for PM roles.