Great Lakes Admissions 2027 Open: Fees, Exams and Cycles

Great Lakes has opened applications for its PGDM 2027–29 and PGPM 2027–28 programmes at both Chennai and Gurgaon campuses. You can apply with CAT 2025 or 2026, XAT 2026 or 2027, or a GMAT taken from 1 January 2024.

You do not need your CAT 2026 result to start. Cycle 1 runs a profile-based early interview, so someone sitting CAT on 29 November can be shortlisted before the score is out.

Great Lakes admissions 2027 at a glance

Source: greatlakes.edu.in admissions, fee and placement pages, read 2 October 2026.

Which Great Lakes programme should you apply to?

Your work experience decides it. The PGDM is the two-year programme for freshers and early-career candidates, while the PGPM is the one-year flagship for people with at least two years of full-time work.

Source: greatlakes.edu.in admissions, fee and placement pages, read 2 October 2026.

If you have between 24 and 36 months of experience, you are eligible for both. You can fill the PGDM and PGPM forms separately and each one is judged on its own criteria. The panel may also recommend you for the other programme. With 36 months or more, only the PGPM is open to you.

Only full-time work counts. Great Lakes does not count internships or part-time work, though full-time years in your own venture or a family business do count.

Who sits in the PGDM class

The Chennai PGDM 2025-27 batch has 340+ students with an average age of 22 and average work experience of 1.2 years. 66% are freshers, 65% are non-engineers and 35% are women. A fresher applying here is the majority profile, not the exception.

What CAT, XAT or GMAT score does Great Lakes accept?

Great Lakes accepts CAT 2025 or 2026, XAT 2026 or 2027 and GMAT taken on or after 1 January 2024 for the PGDM. The PGPM also accepts NMAT scores from 2025 onwards. Every GMAT edition counts, including Classic, Focus and Online.

Great Lakes does not publish a CAT percentile cutoff. Any cutoff you see on aggregator sites is an estimate, not an official number. The institute says it uses CAT and XAT only to screen applications. Neither the IIMs nor XLRI play any role in its programmes.

If you submit more than one score, your best one is considered. You can also add an improved score to the same application from your dashboard once results are declared, which matters if you apply on CAT 2025 and then do better in CAT 2026.

The profile-based early interview

Cycle 1 lets candidates who have registered for CAT, XAT or GMAT but do not yet have results get shortlisted on their profile. For the PGDM, Great Lakes evaluates academics, extracurricular participation and awards. For the PGPM, it looks at academics, work experience and awards. The final offer comes only after you submit your score.

The benefit is time. Great Lakes gives this example for the PGPM: an early-interview candidate gets the CAT score in the first or second week of January and a final result by the end of January. That is about three months before the programme begins.

The one-application rule

You cannot reapply in consecutive cycles of the same season. If you are not shortlisted in Cycle 1, you cannot start a fresh application in Cycle 2.

There is one route back. If you were interviewed and did not get an offer, you can update your existing application with a significant change, such as a better test score, a promotion or a new job. Scores go in through the dashboard. Other updates go to admissions@greatlakes.edu.in.

How does Great Lakes select candidates?

Selection runs in five stages and weighs your test score, academics, work experience and two interviews.

Source: greatlakes.edu.in admissions, fee and placement pages, read 2 October 2026.

The personal interview tests general and business awareness, clarity of goals, attitude, people skills, communication and your personal or professional initiatives. PGPM applicants also write essays, which feed into the final decision.

Two campus-level extras are worth knowing. Chennai gives extra weightage to college or university rank holders, with the proof of rank on the applicant. Gurgaon awards additional points to women candidates.

Great Lakes admits no one through a management quota or any other reservation.

What are the Great Lakes fees?

Totals include tuition, mandatory hostel and vegetarian meals.

Source: greatlakes.edu.in admissions, fee and placement pages, read 2 October 2026.

The PGDM fee pages still show the 2026-28 batch. Great Lakes has not yet published the 2027-29 PGDM fee, so expect a revision before your batch starts.

Hostel is compulsory. PGDM students pay Rs 6,32,000 for twin-sharing AC rooms, while PGPM students pay Rs 3,96,000 for single AC rooms. You also need your own laptop.

What are the Great Lakes placements like?

The PGPM averaged the most, at Rs 18.1 lakh, followed by the Chennai PGDM at Rs 15 lakh and Gurgaon at Rs 12.1 lakh.

Source: Great Lakes PGDM and PGPM placement reports for the Class of 2026, read 2 October 2026. CTC includes fixed, variable and benefit components.

At Chennai, Deloitte, JPMorgan Chase, ICICI Bank and PwC made the most PGDM offers, with 30+ new recruiters joining 55+ regular ones. Business consulting took 17% of offers and technology and product 12%.

Should you apply now or wait for your CAT 2026 result?

Apply early if your profile is strong. Good academics, a university rank, real awards or a CAT 2025 score you are happy with all make Cycle 1 worth it. An early result also gives you more time to plan.

Your score still screens your application. Great Lakes takes your best one. The weeks before 29 November decide that number, so timed practice on full-length CAT mocks on Percentyl is where the work is now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Great Lakes admissions 2027 open?

Yes. Applications are open for the PGDM 2027-29 and PGPM 2027-28 programs. The form is online on greatlakes.edu.in and costs Rs 2,200.

How many campuses does Great Lakes have?

Great Lakes has two world-class campuses in Chennai and Gurgaon.

Can I apply to Great Lakes before my CAT 2026 result?

Yes, through the profile-based early interview in Cycle 1. You must be registered for CAT, XAT or GMAT. You are shortlisted on your profile and the final offer comes after you submit your score.

What is the Great Lakes Chennai PGDM fee?

Rs 22,50,000 in total for the 2026-28 batch, including Rs 16,03,000 in academic fees and Rs 6,32,000 for mandatory twin-sharing AC accommodation. The 2027-29 fee has not been published yet.

Can freshers apply to Great Lakes?

Yes. The PGDM is open to freshers. In fact 66% of the current Chennai batch are freshers. Final-year students can apply if they have proof of graduation and marksheets by 30 June.

Does Great Lakes have a management quota?

No. Great Lakes admits no students through a management quota or any other reservation. It calls anyone offering such a seat fraudulent.