Every CAT aspirant has the same shortlist in their head — Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta — but the real decision is bigger than the "big three." CampusNewz ranks the top 10 IIMs by NIRF 2025, then lays out the real fee, the real placement salary, and the real admission bar for each one, so you can compare them the way recruiters and alumni actually do: by outcomes, not just alphabet.
Total programme fee vs. what graduates actually earn, plus where each IIM sits in the three-tier landscape of Indian management education.
| IIM | City | NIRF 2025 | Total Fee | Avg / Median Salary | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahmedabad | Ahmedabad, Gujarat | #1 | ₹27.5L | ₹35.50L / ₹34.59L | ★★★★★ |
| Bangalore | Bengaluru, Karnataka | #2 | ₹26.0L | ₹34.88L / ₹32.50L | ★★★★★ |
| Kozhikode | Kozhikode, Kerala | #3 | ₹23.5L | ₹28.18L / ₹27.50L | ★★★★½ |
| Lucknow | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh | #5 | ₹20–22L | ₹32.30L / ₹31.00L | ★★★★½ |
| Mumbai | Mumbai, Maharashtra | #6 | ₹21.0L | ₹27.50L average | ★★★★½ |
| Calcutta | Kolkata, West Bengal | #7 | ₹25–27L | ₹34.23L / ₹33.67L | ★★★★★ |
| Indore | Indore, Madhya Pradesh | #8 | ~₹20.0L | ₹25.68L / ₹24.50L | ★★★★½ |
| Raipur | Raipur, Chhattisgarh | #15 | ~₹20.0L | ₹18.80L / ₹18.40L | ★★★★ |
| Tiruchirappalli | Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu | #16 | ₹18–20L | ₹19.73L average | ★★★★ |
| Ranchi | Ranchi, Jharkhand | #18 | ₹17–19L | ₹19.29L average | ★★★★ |
Don't compare the "highest package" of one IIM with the average package of another — placement reports use different methodologies, and the highest offer can represent just one individual. Median, mean, placement percentage, recruiter quality and ROI are far more useful for comparison.
What each IIM is actually known for, what it costs, what graduates earn, and who it suits — ranked in the order used throughout this guide, primarily by NIRF 2025 with practical adjustments.
#1
NIRF #1
Flagship PGP plus MBA-FABM (Food & Agri-Business), PGPX for experienced professionals, FPM/PhD and executive programmes. India's most recognised management brand.
2025–27 fee: ₹27.50L total (tuition ₹20.10L); boarding/laptop/travel extra
Top recruiters: BCG, McKinsey, Bain, Goldman Sachs, Blackstone, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, Temasek
Admission: Bachelor's → CAT → shortlist → AWT/PI → selection
2026–28 CAT cutoff: 95 overall / 85 per section (Gen/EWS minimum, not the competitive bar)
#2
NIRF #2
MBA/PGP, MBA in Business Analytics, MBA for Working Professionals, PhD and executive programmes. Its Bengaluru location is a defining advantage for technology and startup careers.
2026–28 fee: ₹26L + ₹30,000 caution deposit; covers hostel room rent
2025 batch: 595 students · 176 recruiters · 650+ offers
By sector: Consulting 41% of offers; strong Tech/Product Management and IB
Admission: CAT → shortlist → Written Ability/Interview → selection
#3
NIRF #3
MBA/PGP, PGP-Finance, PGP-Liberal Studies & Management, PGP-Business Leadership. Core strength across finance, marketing, IT & systems, operations and strategy.
2025–27 fee: ~₹23.5L total; mess and some deposits additional
2025 batch: 561 participants · 169 recruiters · median ₹27.50L
By sector: Consulting 32% · Finance 19.2% · General Mgmt 16.4%
Selectivity: Under 1 in 100 CAT candidates gets in, per IIMK's own description
#4
NIRF #5
MBA, MBA-ABM (Agri-Business), MBA for Working Executives, PhD and executive programmes.
2025 report: Average ₹32.3L · Median ₹31L · Highest intl. ₹65L
By sector: IT/Tech/Analytics 38% · Consulting 18% · Finance 15%
Admission: CAT → shortlist → WAT/PI → selection
#5
NIRF #6
Formerly NITIE, converted to an IIM in 2023. Carries a genuine legacy in operations and supply chain, now paired with Mumbai's corporate and financial ecosystem.
2025–27 fee: ₹21L total (tuition ~₹14L + deposit)
2025 batch: 100% placement; 198 companies participated
Top recruiters: Accenture, PwC, Alvarez & Marsal, OfBusiness, Vodafone Idea
Admission: CAT → shortlist → interview/selection
#6
NIRF #7
MBA, MBAEx, PGDBA, PhD and executive programmes. India's oldest IIM, with a reputation built specifically around finance and investment banking.
2025 report: Average ₹34.23L · Median ₹33.67L
Highest: ₹1.45 crore (international role); ₹91.45L domestic
Note: Don't confuse flagship MBA data with the separate MBAEx (executive) report
Admission: CAT → shortlist → WAT/PI → selection
#7
NIRF #8
MBA/PGP, MBA-HRM, and India's best-known five-year Integrated Programme in Management (IPM) — a major option for students straight after Class 12.
2025–27 fee: ₹10L/year (~₹20L total); mess/insurance/deposit extra
2025 report: Average ₹25.68L · Median ₹24.5L · 160+ recruiters
MBA route: Bachelor's → CAT → shortlist → interview
IPM route: Class 12 → IPMAT → 5-year integrated programme
#8
NIRF #15
Flagship two-year MBA. Twin-sharing campus accommodation provided to all PGP students.
2025–27 fee: Academic ₹18.41L + lodging ~₹1.41L ≈ ₹20L
2025 report: Average ₹18.8L · Median ₹18.4L · Highest ₹34.3L
Recruiters: 166 companies participated in 2025
Admission: Institute-conducted process, CAT-based
#9
NIRF #16
MBA, MBA-HR, PhD and executive programmes. Has carved out a niche in finance and analytics among the newer IIMs.
Fee: Broadly ₹18–20L for the two-year programme
2023–25 batch: Average package ~₹19.73L
Top recruiters: KPMG, Cognizant, TCS
Admission: CAT → shortlist → Personal Interview → admission
#10
NIRF #18
MBA, MBA-HR, MBA-BA, PhD and executive programmes. A rising choice specifically for HR and analytics careers among the newer IIMs.
Fee: Generally ₹17–19L for the two-year programme
2025 report: Average ₹19.29L · Highest ₹50.39L
Admission: CAT → shortlist → interview/selection → admission
A valid CAT score alone does not guarantee admission. Each IIM weighs CAT percentile alongside academic record, work experience, and its own written/interview process.
Complete an undergraduate degree with the required minimum percentage or CGPA set by each IIM's eligibility criteria.
The Common Admission Test is the near-universal entry gate. IIMs also weigh Class 10, Class 12 and graduation marks alongside your percentile.
Shortlisted candidates go through a Written Ability Test and/or Personal Interview — the exact format varies by institute.
A composite score combining CAT, academics, work experience and diversity factors determines the final offer.
Almost every flagship IIM programme is residential, so students don't usually pay expensive private-city rent — but the city still shapes your everyday budget.
Indore · Raipur · Ranchi · Tiruchirappalli · Kozhikode
Significantly lower everyday costs than the metros — food, transport and any off-campus expenses go
noticeably further here.
Ahmedabad · Lucknow · Kolkata
Comfortably affordable for a middle-class Indian family, without the premium attached to India's biggest
commercial hubs.
Bengaluru
Particularly costly for off-campus housing; students staying in the IIMB hostel have a real advantage in
controlling accommodation costs.
Mumbai
The most expensive city on this list for everyday living and off-campus rent — hostel accommodation
matters most here.
An IIM MBA opens doors across consulting, finance, technology, FMCG and India's largest conglomerates.
A goal-first shortlist, not a re-run of the NIRF table.
If the objective is career outcomes rather than NIRF rank alone, here's how we'd group the ten.
The conventional two-year MBA route, start to finish.