New IIM Ranking 2026: IIMs List, CAT Cutoff & Packages

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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No. 1 IIM in India: IIM Ahmedabad (NIRF Rank 1, 2025)

Top 3 by Placements: IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, IIM Bangalore

Best New IIM by Package: IIM Shillong (26.10 LPA average)

Lowest Fees Among New IIMs: IIM Kashipur (Rs 17.3 Lakh)

CAT 2026 Exam Conductor: To be announced (rotates among IIMs)

IIM NIRF Ranking 2026

Every IIM in India has been ranked by NIRF based on five key parameters — teaching quality, research output, placements, outreach, and peer perception. The IIM ranking system is the most trusted reference point for CAT aspirants shortlisting B-school options. Use this as your starting reference before shortlisting colleges based on your CAT target percentile.

IIM College	NIRF Rank 2025	Category	Fees (Approx)	Average CTC	CAT Cutoff (General)
IIM Ahmedabad	1	Old/Main	Rs 27.5 L	35.50 LPA	99.5+
IIM Bangalore	2	Old/Main	Rs 26.30 L	34.88 LPA	99+
IIM Kozhikode	3	Old/Main	Rs 23.50 L	28.05 LPA	99+
IIM Lucknow	5	Old/Main	Rs 20.75 L	32.30 LPA	99+
IIM Mumbai	6	Old/Main	Rs 21 L	33.84 LPA	98+
IIM Calcutta	7	Old/Main	Rs 27 L	34.23 LPA	99+
IIM Indore	8	Old/Main	Rs 21.15 L	29.57 LPA	99+
IIM Raipur	15	New	Rs 18 L	21.04 LPA	90+
IIM Tiruchirappalli	16	New	Rs 21 L	19.43 LPA	95+
IIM Ranchi	18	New	Rs 19.20 L	19.29 LPA	94+
IIM Rohtak	19	New	Rs 17.90 L	19.27 LPA	97+
IIM Shillong	24	New	Rs 17.5 L	26.10 LPA	90+
IIM Kashipur	23	New	Rs 17.3 L	18.10 LPA	85+
IIM Udaipur	22	New	Rs 21.33 L	18.77 LPA	95+
IIM Nagpur	—	Baby	Rs 18.90 L	14–16 LPA	80+
IIM Visakhapatnam	—	Baby	Rs 17.92 L	16.40 LPA	80+
IIM Amritsar	—	Baby	Rs 21 L	14–16 LPA	80+
IIM Bodh Gaya	—	Baby	Rs 17.96 L	12–14 LPA	75+
IIM Sambalpur	—	Baby	Rs 21.01 L	13–15 LPA	75+
IIM Jammu	—	Baby	Rs 18.85 L	13–15 LPA	75+
IIM Sirmaur	—	Baby	Rs 15–17 L	12–14 LPA	70+

The 3 Categories of IIMs

Not all IIMs carry the same weight. They are divided into three groups based on when they were established — and this directly affects their reputation, placement quality, and the CAT score needed to get in. Understanding these three groups helps set the right expectations before building a target list.

Old / Main IIMs (Established before 1996) These are the most reputed public management institutes in India. The group is often called BLACKI — Bangalore, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Kozhikode, Indore. Mumbai is now also part of this senior group. Cutoffs here are the toughest, generally 98–99+ percentile for general category students. These are the top IIM colleges in India by both IIM ranking and business school placements.

New IIMs (Established between 1996 and 2014) This group includes IIM Shillong, IIM Rohtak, IIM Raipur, IIM Ranchi, IIM Tiruchirappalli, IIM Kashipur, and IIM Udaipur. These colleges have matured significantly in terms of management education quality and offer solid business school placements in the 18–26 LPA range. CAT percentile for IIM admission in this group ranges from 85 to 97.

Baby IIMs (Established after 2014) The newest additions to the new IIMs list — IIM Nagpur, IIM Visakhapatnam, IIM Amritsar, IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Sambalpur, IIM Jammu, and IIM Sirmaur. These are still building their placement records and infrastructure. CAT cutoffs are lower, making them accessible at 70–80+ percentile for MBA entrance exam applicants.

Also Read: FMS Delhi Interview Dates 2026

What Are the 9 New IIMs?

The new IIMs in India were set up to expand quality management education beyond the original cluster of top institutes. Each of these colleges has a specific focus area — some lean toward research, some toward sustainability, and some toward rural and social development. The new IIMs list covers colleges spread across different states, each carrying the IIM brand with improving B-school rankings year on year.

New IIM	Year Established	State	Average Package	Notable Feature
IIM Shillong	2007	Meghalaya	26.10 LPA	Highest avg among New IIMs
IIM Rohtak	2009	Haryana	19.27 LPA	Strong NIRF rank (19)
IIM Raipur	2010	Chhattisgarh	21.04 LPA	Research-focused
IIM Ranchi	2010	Jharkhand	19.29 LPA	Strong CSR focus
IIM Tiruchirappalli	2011	Tamil Nadu	19.43 LPA	AACSB-accredited
IIM Kashipur	2011	Uttarakhand	18.10 LPA	Lowest fees in group
IIM Udaipur	2011	Rajasthan	18.77 LPA	QS and FT MIM ranked
IIM Nagpur	2015	Maharashtra	14–16 LPA	Growing rapidly
IIM Visakhapatnam	2015	Andhra Pradesh	16.40 LPA	Mentored by IIM Bangalore

IIM Shillong stands out clearly as the leader among new IIMs in India when it comes to placement average. Its 26.10 LPA figure competes directly with some of the older, more established IIMs in the top IIM college rank wise list.

Top 10 IIM Colleges Rank Wise (NIRF 2025)

The NIRF ranking is the most widely referenced official IIM ranking system in India. It is published every year by the Ministry of Education and covers five key parameters. The table below shows the top IIM colleges rank wise as per the latest NIRF 2025 rankings, along with their location and average placement package. This is the most up-to-date reference for CAT aspirants looking at the latest IIM ranking data.

Rank	IIM College	Location	Average Package
1	IIM Ahmedabad	Ahmedabad, Gujarat	35.50 LPA
2	IIM Bangalore	Bangalore, Karnataka	34.88 LPA
3	IIM Kozhikode	Kozhikode, Kerala	28.05 LPA
5	IIM Lucknow	Lucknow, UP	32.30 LPA
6	IIM Mumbai	Mumbai, Maharashtra	33.84 LPA
7	IIM Calcutta	Kolkata, WB	34.23 LPA
8	IIM Indore	Indore, MP	29.57 LPA
15	IIM Raipur	Raipur, CG	21.04 LPA
16	IIM Tiruchirappalli	Trichy, TN	19.43 LPA
18	IIM Ranchi	Ranchi, Jharkhand	19.29 LPA

IIM Fees vs. Placement (ROI)

One of the most practical questions any CAT aspirant asks is whether the fees paid for an IIM is worth it. The answer in almost every case is yes — but the time it takes to recover that investment varies by college. Comparing fees with business school placements gives a clear picture of the return a student can expect from each IIM ranking tier.

IIM College	Total Fees	Average Package	Approx. ROI Period
IIM Ahmedabad	Rs 27.5 L	35.50 LPA	Under 1 year
IIM Calcutta	Rs 27 L	34.23 LPA	Under 1 year
IIM Bangalore	Rs 26.30 L	34.88 LPA	Under 1 year
IIM Lucknow	Rs 20.75 L	32.30 LPA	Under 1 year
IIM Shillong	Rs 17.5 L	26.10 LPA	Under 1 year
IIM Raipur	Rs 18 L	21.04 LPA	~1 year
IIM Kashipur	Rs 17.3 L	18.10 LPA	~1–1.5 years
IIM Bodh Gaya	Rs 17.96 L	12–14 LPA	~1.5–2 years

Even Baby IIM colleges show a positive ROI within two years in most cases — which is a stronger outcome than most private MBA colleges in the same fee range.

CAT Cutoff for IIM: Category-Wise Breakdown

CAT cutoffs are not the same for every category. Reserved category students — SC, ST, OBC-NCL, EWS, and PwD — have lower qualifying cutoffs at every IIM. The table below gives a clear picture of the minimum CAT percentile for IIM admission across categories for the most popular IIMs. These are qualifying cutoffs for the MBA entrance exam, meaning actual shortlisting percentiles may be higher depending on the applicant pool.

IIM	General	EWS	NC-OBC	SC	ST
IIM Ahmedabad	95	95	90	85	75
IIM Bangalore	85	75	75	70	65
IIM Calcutta	85	75	75	70	65
IIM Kozhikode	85	75	75	65	55
IIM Lucknow	90	82	82	65	60
IIM Indore	90	90	80	60	45
IIM Rohtak	97	93	83	60	50
IIM Raipur	90	80	80	60	55
IIM Ranchi	94	77	77	60	40

Eligibility Criteria for IIM PGP Programmes

Before applying to any IIM, it is important to check whether the basic eligibility criteria are met. The requirements are largely the same across all IIMs, with minor variations in minimum percentage requirements for reserved categories. Meeting the eligibility criteria is the first step for any student targeting a PGP programme in management education from a top IIM college in India.

Criteria	Requirement
Minimum Qualification	Bachelor's degree in any stream
Minimum Marks	50% aggregate (45% for SC/ST/PwD)
Final Year Students	Eligible to apply
Entrance Exam	CAT — mandatory for all IIMs
Work Experience	Not mandatory but strengthens profile
Selection Rounds	CAT score → WAT → PI → Composite Score

Baby IIMs in India

Baby IIM colleges are the newest additions to the IIM network, all established after 2014. While their placement numbers are still developing, they carry the IIM brand and are mentored by older, established IIMs. For students who fall in the 70–80 CAT percentile range, Baby IIMs offer a genuine opportunity to study at a government-funded public management institute with growing infrastructure and improving business school placements. The new IIMs list below covers all Baby IIM colleges with their location.

S.No	Baby IIM	City / State
1	IIM Amritsar	Amritsar, Punjab
2	IIM Bodh Gaya	Bodh Gaya, Bihar
3	IIM Jammu	Jammu, J&K
4	IIM Nagpur	Nagpur, Maharashtra
5	IIM Sambalpur	Sambalpur, Odisha
6	IIM Sirmaur	Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh
7	IIM Visakhapatnam	Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

Conclusion

The IIM ranking in India covers a wide spectrum — from IIM Ahmedabad at the top with a 35.50 LPA average package to newer Baby IIM colleges that are still building their track record. The right college depends entirely on the CAT percentile scored, fees that can be managed, and the career outcome expected. Whether targeting old IIMs, new IIMs in India, or Baby IIM colleges, every tier of the IIM ranking offers a strong return on investment compared to private management education alternatives.

99+ percentile: Target IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow
95–99 percentile: Target IIM Kozhikode, IIM Mumbai, IIM Indore, IIM Rohtak
85–95 percentile: Target IIM Shillong, IIM Raipur, IIM Ranchi, IIM Udaipur
Below 85 percentile: Target Baby IIMs — IIM Visakhapatnam, IIM Nagpur, IIM Jammu

Frequently Asked Questions

Which IIM ranks highest by placement packages and ROI?

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.

Which IIM offers the best executive MBA programme?

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.

What factors influence the standing of top business schools in India?

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.

Which IIM is best for a finance specialisation?

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.

What are the eligibility criteria for IIM postgraduate programmes?

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.

How do you apply for IIM admissions through CAT?

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.

How can a student get an education loan for an IIM MBA?

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.

Which IIM gives the lowest weightage to CAT scores?

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.

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NEW IIM RANKINGS: IIMs List, CAT Cutoff & Packages