List of Top IIMs in India 2026: Check Rankings, Cutoff, Fees, Courses Offered, Placement
According to the latest NIRF 2025 rankings, the list of top IIMs in India includes institutes such as IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Kozhikode, and IIM Calcutta, among others. The average MBA fee at the top 10 IIM colleges in India ranges from 20 to 25 Lakh.
List of Top IIMs in India 2026: First established in 1961, the Indian Institute of Management, or IIMs, are some of the best MBA colleges in India. At present, there are a total of 21 IIMs in India across all the states. As per the latest IIM rankings by NIRF, the list of top 10 IIM colleges in India 2026 includes IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Kozhikode, etc (based on NIRF 2025 rankings). Being top-tier B-schools in the country, IIMs in India have a reputation for having excellent faculties, rich academic facilities, and vibrant campus culture, making them the dream destination for most MBA aspirants. Admission to the top IIMs, however, is highly competitive as most of them accept CAT scores above the 99th percentile. If you are aiming to build a career in management and wish to pursue your postgraduate degree from one of the top IIMs in India, it is important to be familiar with the list of IIM colleges in India, their fee structure, and placement highlights. All these details have been covered for you in the article below.
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Top IIMs in India 2026 Highlights
Let us first glance through an overview of the best IIM colleges in India. The IIM colleges in India have been at the forefront of management education in India for decades. Before we move on to more detailed information about them, let's take a look at the major highlights below:- There are 21 IIM campuses in India, with IIM Mumbai being the most recent addition to the list.
- According to the NIRF-MHRD ranking, 7 of the 21 IIMs are among the top 10 list of best management institutes.
- IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, and IIM Bangalore are considered to be among the top 50 management institutes worldwide and are always leading the top 10 IIM colleges in India.
- Apart from full-time PGP courses, the IIM colleges in India also offer Executive, certificate, and part-time management courses.
- For admission to PGP courses at IIMs in India, the CAT exam is conducted yearly by one of the IIMs on a rotational basis.
- The diversity of courses offered by IIMs in areas such as Agribusiness, Information Technology, Human Resources, and Healthcare Management reflects their commitment to evolving with the changing business landscape.
- IIMs significantly impact the Indian economy by creating leaders who possess a deep understanding of the Indian market and a global perspective.
Top 10 IIM Colleges in India 2026 - NIRF 2025 Ranking
Generally, the IIM rankings are determined by NIRF ranks, which are released annually by the Ministry of Education. IIM Ahmedabad has historically been the best IIM in India, achieving the top position in the rankings for the last three consecutive years. Other notable top IIMs in India are IIM Bangalore, IIM Kozhikode, and IIM Calcutta. In the following table, we have provided the list of the top 10 IIM colleges in India 2025 as per the latest rankings, as 2026 rankings are awaited:
Name of IIM | Year of Est. | NIRF Ranking 2025 | NIRF Ranking 2024 | NIRF Ranking 2023 | NIRF Ranking 2022 |
1961 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
1973 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
1996 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | |
IIM Delhi | 1961 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
1963 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |
1984 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 9 | |
1996 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 3 | |
2010 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 7 | |
2010 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 14 | |
2010 | 16 | 17 | 22 | 18 |
Also Read: IIM CAT Cutoff 2025
Top IIMs in India 2026 - FT Global Rankings
The Financial Times releases the Global Rankings for MBA colleges around the world. The FT Global MBA college rankings are highly regarded as the list of elite universities and institutions that offer excellent MBA programs, career opportunities, and overall quality of education. The FT Global rankings 2025 were released earlier this year, and in the following table, we have mentioned the list of IIM colleges in India featured on the list, as 2026 rankings are awaited till next year:
Name of the IIM | FT Global Rank |
IIM Ahmedabad | 31 |
IIM Bangalore | 57 |
IIM Calcutta | 61 |
IIM Indore | 69 |
IIM Lucknow | 71 |
IIM Kozhikode | 86 |
Also Read : IIM CAP 2025
List of All IIMs in India with Course Fees, Seats, Cutoff, & Placements
The IIM full form is the Indian Institute of Management, the most renowned chain of institutes for management in India. If you want to pursue an MBA/PGP program, you can find the IIM rankings along with their seat intake, cutoff, course fees, and placement statistics below.
Name of the institute | Seats | Course Fees | 2025 Placement Record | Expected CAT 2025 Cutoff |
IIM Ahmedabad | 408 | INR 26 Lakh | Highest CTC: INR 1.46 crore per annum Average CTC: INR 34.45 LPA | 94-100 Percentile |
IIM Bangalore | 530 | INR 33.71 Lakh | Highest CTC: INR 1.15 crore per annum Average CTC: INR 35.3 LPA | 94-100 Percentile |
IIM Calcutta | 480 | INR 33.5 Lakh | Highest CTC: INR 1.15 crore per annum Average CTC: INR 35.07 LPA | 94-100 Percentile |
IIM Lucknow | 566 | INR 19.25 Lakh | Highest CTC: INR 65 LPA Average CTC: INR 30 LPA | 91-99.5 Percentile |
IIM Indore | 487 | INR 17.30 Lakh | Highest CTC: INR 1.14 crore per annum Average CTC: INR 30.21 LPA | 91-99.5 Percentile |
IIM Kozhikode | 484 | INR 22.5 Lakh | Highest CTC: INR 67.02 LPA Average CTC: INR 31.02 LPA | 91-99.5 Percentile |
IIM Amritsar | 334 | INR 10.75 Lakh | Highest CTC: INR 36.25 LPA Average CTC: INR 16.51 LPA | 95+ Percentile |
IIM Nagpur | 267 | INR 21.5 Lakh | Highest CTC: INR 64 LPA Average CTC: INR 16.74 LPA | 95+ Percentile |
IIM Trichy | 378 | INR 19.5 Lakh | Highest CTC: INR 41.61 LPA Average CTC: INR 20.55 LPA | 95+ Percentile |
IIM Ranchi | 246 | INR 19.2 Lakh | Highest CTC: INR 67 LPA Average CTC: INR 35.5 LPA | 95+ Percentile |
Which is the Best IIM in India?
All of the top IIMs in India are excellent institutes for pursuing management studies. However, if you wish to know which is the best IIM, you will also have to know that this is a subjective question since everyone’s opinion is different. For instance, IIM Calcutta is considered the best because of its top-class alumni network, its credibility, etc. However, as per the IIM ranking list, IIM Ahmedabad has always been the top-ranked IIM and also the top-ranked management institute in India. IIM Ahmedabad, along with IIM Calcutta and IIM Bangalore, are the only triple-accredited management institutes ranked among the top MBA colleges in the world.
IIM MBA Eligibility Criteria
IIMs are among the top-rated business schools in the country, offering a range of management programs to aspiring students. However, the eligibility criteria for admission to IIMs vary depending on the course you wish to apply for. Here are the basic requirements for admission to IIM MBA/PGP courses:
- You must hold a bachelor's degree in any stream from a recognized university. The degree should be of a minimum of three years' duration. If you have completed a professional degree like CA/ICWA/CS, you can also apply for the MBA program.
- You must have obtained a minimum of 50% aggregate marks or equivalent CGPA in your graduation. However, if you belong to the SC, ST, or PwD/DA categories, you can apply with a minimum of 45% aggregate marks.
- If you are in the final year of your bachelor's degree/equivalent qualification exam or awaiting your results, you are also eligible to apply for IIM MBA admission through the CAT exam.
It is essential to note that meeting these eligibility criteria does not guarantee admission to IIMs. You must also clear the CAT exam conducted by the IIMs to be considered for admission. The CAT exam assesses your aptitude and problem-solving skills and consists of three sections - Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude.
Also Read: IIM Selection Criteria 2026
IIM Admission Process
The Indian Institutes of Management have an elaborate admission process to select candidates for their flagship management programs every year. The IIM admission process is conducted through the CAT exam which is conducted by one of the IIMs every year on a rotational basis. Take a look at the IIM admissions process explained in detail below.
Applying & Qualifying for CAT: The first step in the IIM admission process is applying for the CAT exam and performing well enough to meet the required CAT cutoff for the next round of the IIM admission process.
Appearing for GD/PI/WAT Rounds: If you meet the CAT cutoff you will be called for Group Discussions, Personal Interviews, and Written Ability Tests based on your CAT score, academic record, work experience (if applicable), etc.
Final Selection Based on Composite Score: The final selection is based on a final composite score. The factors taken into consideration for the final composite score calculation are:
Composite Score Parameters | Weightage |
CAT Scores | 25% |
Group Discussion (GD)/ Personal Interview (PI) | 30% |
Written Ability Test (WAT) | 10% |
Class 10 Academic Records | 10% |
Class 12 Marks Academic Records | 5% |
Graduation Academic Records | 10% |
Weighted Work Experience | 10% |
Total | 100% |
Also Read: Distance MBA from IIMs in 2026
Not all courses offered at top IIM colleges in India are for regular graduates. Many IIMs out of the total IIMs in India also offer part-time courses catered to working individuals who wish to add an IIM degree to their portfolio but can’t afford to quit their jobs in pursuit of a managerial degree.
So, if you are keen to make it to the top 10 IIM colleges in India, a six-month preparation time for CAT is ideal. Not only will you have to clear the CAT exam with a good percentile, but you will also need to excel in the other stages of admissions based on the CAT exam at the Indian Institutes of Management.
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