With 21 IIMs now spread across India, understanding where each college stands in the IIM ranking has become more important than ever for CAT aspirants. The list has grown significantly over the past decade — from the original handful of established institutes to the newer and baby IIMs that have come up across different states. Each college differs in fees, CAT cutoff required, average placement package, and overall reputation. Knowing these differences early helps in building a realistic college list before CAT 2026 results are out. This breakdown covers all three categories of IIMs — old, new, and baby — with updated fees, NIRF rankings, placements, and cutoffs in one place.
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Frequently Asked Questions
IIM Ahmedabad leads with a 35.50 LPA average and a highest package of 1.10 Crore. IIM Calcutta follows with a 1.45 Crore domestic highest package and 34.23 LPA average. Both offer the strongest ROI given the fees-to-package ratio and consistently top the IIM ranking for business school placements.
IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Calcutta lead for executive programmes. Among new IIMs in India, IIM Shillong's PGPEx and IIM Kozhikode's executive MBA are well-regarded options for working professionals seeking management education at a reputed public management institute.
NIRF rankings weigh teaching resources, research output, graduation outcomes, outreach, and peer perception. Global B-school rankings like QS and FT additionally consider international faculty, alumni salary, and publication impact on overall IIM ranking positions.
IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, and IIM Bangalore are the strongest for finance, given the quality of BFSI and investment banking recruiters that visit their campuses. These three consistently lead the IIM ranking for finance-focused MBA placements.
A bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks, a valid CAT score from the MBA entrance exam, and clearing of WAT and PI rounds. Final year students can apply conditionally to any IIM across the ranking list.
Register on iimcat.ac.in during the registration window, typically between August and September. After results, apply to each IIM individually through their official portals based on the CAT percentile for IIM qualifying cutoffs.
SBI Scholar Loan, HDFC Credila, Avanse, and Axis Bank all offer loans up to Rs 40 Lakh without collateral for IIM-admitted students. Approach the bank immediately after receiving the offer letter from any IIM college in India.
IIM Raipur gives only 25% weightage to CAT scores, and IIM Indore gives 35%. This means a strong academic profile and work experience can significantly help at these new IIMs in India even with a moderate CAT percentile for IIM qualifying rounds.
