Top PGDM Colleges in Kerala 2025 – Rankings, Fees, Admissions, ROI & More

With a high literacy rate and a robust infrastructure, Kerala excels in providing an excellent education to business enthusiasts. The search for the top PGDM colleges in Kerala ends here with 5 prestigious institutions offering the best-in-class PGDM programmes. These are IIM Kozhikode, Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies, XIME, SCMS Kochin School of Business, and Atlas Ideal International College. The state features a mix of government and private institutions offering a PGDM programme to students aspiring to become business leaders. 

The top 5 institutions offering a quality PGDM programme accept scores from exams such as CAT, XAT, MAT, and CMAT, as well as KMAT, the Kerala Management Aptitude Test. Some of the finest and most in-demand specializations for a PGDM programme in Kerala are business leadership, supply chain and logistics, liberal studies and management, and business analytics. Kerala offers varying college options in terms of investment in a PGDM course. The tuition fee for a PGDM programme in the leading institutions ranges between INR 7.8 lakh and INR 23,50,000. As for the placement statistics, a management graduate in Kerala can expect somewhere between INR 5.8 LPA and INR 30.96 LPA.

Top PGDM Colleges in Kerala Highlights

Top PGDM Colleges in Kerala 2025

Top PGDM colleges in Kerala are reputable institutions with their print on the national top management colleges list as well. The key names among the several management institutes in Kerala include IIM Kozhikode, the government management college ranked third in the NIRF rankings, and Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies, ranked 93rd in the same rankings. Other leading business schools offering a PGDM programme in Kerala include Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship, SCMS Kochin School of Business, and Atlas Ideal International College. Among these top management institutions, the Atlas Ideal International College offers the PGDM programme for INR 7.8 lakh, making it the most affordable option. As for the most expensive management programme in Kerala, it is offered by IIM Kozhikode, for a tuition fee of INR 23,50,000. The most common specializations offered in Kerala for a PGDM program are liberal studies and management, business analytics, HRM, and finance. 

Top PGDM Colleges in Kerala Eligibility Criteria

Candidates searching for the top management institutions in Kerala must be aware of the set eligibility criteria followed by almost all of the colleges. Check eligibility before applying to any college for a PGDM programme in Kerala.

Top PGDM Colleges in Kerala with NIRF Ranking 

NIRF rankings have proven consistently to be the most advanced and researched evaluation of colleges on various parameters. 2 colleges in Kerala, one government and one private, offering a PGDM programme, have been ranked among the top 100 business institutions in India. The first business institution to make it to the top 3 is IIM Kozhikode, securing a 3rd rank in the NIRF top management schools ranking. The other institution offering a PGDM program in Kerala that is ranked by NIRF is the Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies. The private institution has secured the 93rd rank in the top 100 business schools list. 

List of Private PGDM Colleges in Kerala

There are several private colleges in Kerala offering a PGDM programme to business aspirants. The top 4 private colleges offering a postgraduate diploma in management are the Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship, Rajagiri Centre for Business Studies, SCMS Kochin School of Business, and Atlas Ideal International College. The tuition fees for the PGDM programme in the top private institutions fall within the range of INR 7.8 lakh and INR 9.9 lakh. The Atlas Ideal International College offers the same for INR 7.8 lakh, while the most expensive PGDM programme by any private university in Kerala is offered by XIME. All these top-tier private colleges accept scores from KMAT, XAT, MAT, CMAT, and CAT. 

Government/Semi-Govt. PGDM Colleges in Kerala

IIM Kozhikode is the number one government institution in Kerala offering a PGDM programme. The Indian Institute of Management accepts CAT scores only for admissions to its PGDM programme. Candidates aspiring to pursue a PGDM programme from IIM Kozhikode must note that the competition for admission to the top-tier government management institution is very high. The cutoffs are generally above 90-95% for CAT. Moreover, the investment required for a PGDM programme in IIM Kozhikode is INR 23,50,000, marking a significant need to budget accordingly. However, the returns on investment for the PGDM programme from IIM Kozhikode are unmatched. 

Top PGDM Colleges in Kerala Fee & Salary

The most crucial aspect of searching for the best PGDM colleges in Kerala is the return on investment. IIM Kozhikode has consistently made it to the top in terms of the highest average salary upon placements, with the highest average package going up to INR 30.96 LPA. In the list of private colleges, the Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship has the best placements, with the average package going up to INR 11.94 LPA.

PGDM Admission Process in Kerala Colleges

The top PGDM institutions in Kerala follow a basic process for admission to their management programmes. Here’s how you can navigate the admissions process easily with this step-by-step guide.

Step 1 - Research about colleges on parameters like fees, average salaries upon placement, infrastructure, specializations offered, national rankings, and several others. 

Step 2 - Upon finalizing the college from which you want to pursue the PGDM programme, you need to know which entrance exam is accepted by this college. 

Step 3 - Suppose you are aiming for IIM Kozhikode; the entrance exam accepted is CAT. Hence, you must register for the CAT exam, appear in the exam, and have your results ready before applying. 

Step 4 - Wait for the cutoff notification to be released officially, and if you match or surpass the cutoff percentile, apply online to the college via the official website or the online admission link.

Step 5 - After applying to the college, you will have to go through various assessment rounds, following which the shortlisted candidates will receive an offer letter from the college. 

Step 6 - Accept the offer and pay the admission fee via online payment modes to secure your seat for the programme.  

Frequently Asked Questions