Which Non-IIM Colleges Use CAT 2026: the Official List, by State

The CAT 2026 bulletin says the score may be used by “listed non-IIM member institutions”, and that the list is on iimcat.ac.in. On 29 September 2026 that list — titled “List of Non-IIM Member Institutions” — had 65 rows. In each of the last three cycles, the December result release stated how many non-IIM institutions would use CAT that year: 91 in 2023, 86 in 2024 and 93 in 2025. This guide prints the current list by state, explains how it relates to those counts, and sets them against the “1,200 colleges” figure that circulates widely.

iimcat.ac.in (29 Sep 2026); CAT 2025 result release; CAT 2026 bulletin.

The 2026 figure is not comparable with the others yet. The earlier counts are the figures stated in each December result release (which still told candidates to check the portal); the 2026 figure is a snapshot two months before the test. Expect the list to grow, and check it again before you apply.

New Delhi (9), Telangana and Uttar Pradesh (8 each), and Maharashtra and Karnataka (7 each) account for 39 of the 65 rows. The eastern and north-eastern states are thin: Bihar and West Bengal have five between them, and no institution from the north-east appears yet.

Being on the list means the institution has registered with the CAT Centre to receive CAT scores. It does not mean the IIMs select anyone for it. The bulletin is direct: “IIMs have no role in the selection process of non-IIM institutions.” Each institution controls its own admission process: separate applications, deadlines, cut-offs, interviews and other selection stages vary by institution, so check the programme’s current admission notice. Registering for CAT does not apply you to any of them.

Several of the best-known names are here: ISB, SPJIMR, MDI Gurgaon and MDI Murshidabad, IIFT, IMI, FORE, MICA, TISS, NIBM, TAPMI, K J Somaiya, Goa Institute of Management, BIMTECH, KIIT School of Management, IIFM, the three IMT campuses, the University of Hyderabad and NIT Warangal and Tiruchirappalli. Several are not on the list as of this date, and absence does not mean an institution rejects CAT: FMS Delhi, for example, is not on the list but runs its own admission using CAT scores, reported to weight VARC 40, DILR 30 and QA 30 on scaled scores.

The official count dipped from 91 to 86 between 2023 and 2024 and rose to 93 in 2025, which is normal churn: institutions register per cycle, and a college that did not register one year may use another test or its own. The practical rule is simple. Build your list of target colleges from the current portal page and each college’s own current notice, not from an old article — including a count on a page like this one, which is correct only for the day it was checked.