Top 10 MBA Colleges to Target for CAT 2025

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Top 10 MBA Colleges to Target for MBA
Top 10 MBA Colleges to Target for MBA

Nowadays, an MBA is all about the quality of education, college brand, placements, and scale of future opportunities it offers to its students. You can have an idea about it yourself by remembering and asking about all the MBA colleges on everyone’s mind and tongue. When you do, you will realize that in India, there are more than 3000 MBA colleges, while only the top 100 include decent colleges, the top 10 MBA colleges include some of the most prestigious MBA colleges in India such as IIM Ahmedabad, FMS Delhi, IIM Bangalore, IIM Lucknow and many more. There is no doubt that these colleges are the pinnacle of MBA colleges in India and dominate their subjective rankings among aspirants each year. Not only do they have gold-standard placements, but they also have strong networking opportunities, a global alumni network, strong faculty, diverse exposure, and top-class leadership training. 

CAT Community

Therefore, the CAT (Common Admission Test) exam conducted by IIMs every year is the most preferred exam for acceptance into these colleges. Today, we are going to mention this Titan 10 colleges ranking based on the NIRF management ranking 2024, CAT cutoff, credibility in the industry, fee structure, placement reports, return on investment, and the selection criteria that ensure a high success rate for freshers and young professionals. 

1. IIM Ahmedabad

IIM Ahmedabad is widely regarded as the leading MBA institution in India, consistently holding the top rank in students’ aspirations for the past decade. Officially, it has also dominated the rank one at NIRF management ranking since 2020. One of the old IIMs, IIM Ahmedabad, has credibility of more than 60 years, with its more than 41000 alumni working closely with top global and domestic companies across the world and India. 

The real reason behind its success and relevancy over the years was its initial foundation laid by India’s brightest minds contributing to the field of business, leadership, and management. Additionally, most of the graduates of IIM Ahmedabad in its initial years are nation builders, contributing to major developments of the country through government and startups. Also, IIM Ahmedabad is committed to developing the nation’s brightest minds and bears all expenses for their education and exposure to world-class facilities. Other details are as follows:

IIM Ahmedabad Placement Highlights (Domestic) (INR)

All the placement reports are latest by the batch of 2023. No official confirmation was given on the batch of 2024 placements. 

Salary HeadMinimumMaximumMedianMean
Maximum Earning Potential 18,05,5451,46,19,30031,58,72034,45,386

IIM Ahmedabad Placement Highlights (International) (USD)

It must be noted that all these figures are the latest USD figures by the 23rd of September 2023. Additionally, all these figures are given separately in USD to avoid any confusion regarding differences in currency exchange and power parity. 

Salary HeadMinimumMaximumMedianMean
Maximum Earning Potential1,16,0451,37,4831,26,3001,28,399

IIM Ahmedabad Selection Criteria

Admission ParametersWeightage Given
CAT Score25%
Application Rating15%
Analytical Written Test10%
Personal Interview50%
Total100%

2. IIM Bangalore

IIM Bangalore is the second top MBA college in India, according to us. Located in the main startup hub of India, Bangalore, IIM Bangalore attracts many aspirants due to its recent developments and impressive placement highlights in the country. The college has also secured a rank of 2 in the NIRF ranking management. The real reason for its success is being competitively the same on the grounds of education with IIM Ahmedabad. Additionally, its impressive feat in international offers, foreign exchange programs, and more active alumni network has made it secure this position. With a history of more than 50 years, IIM Bangalore has more than 25,000 alumni and is a global, renowned academic institution fostering excellence in management and entrepreneurship. Its alumni extend up to more than 300+ cities and 50+ countries across the globe. 

IIM Bangalore may secure its spot as a nation builder, but it did ensure a position in the making of the technology capital of India–gathering applause from international startups and companies. 

IIM Bangalore Placement Highlights (Domestic+International) (INR)

No official confirmation was given in the IIM Bangalore placement report about separate figures for domestic and international offers. Therefore, it must be assumed that the figures are already adjusted according to all the necessary guidelines for a fair view. 

Summary of CompensationINR in lakhs
Median Salary32.50
Average Salary35.92

Selection Criteria for IIM Bangalore Personal Interview

The given selection criteria are the latest by the batch of 2023 (exactly 9th September 2023). For the latter batches, there was no official update or notification given by IIM Bangalore. Candidates must assume that all the criteria are provisional and can change anytime. 

ParametersScore
CAT Score55
10th board10
12th board10
Bachelor’s Degree10
Gender Diversity5
Work Experience/Professional Course(whichever weight is higher)10

Note: The 55 points for CAT are derived from the performance in each of the three sections as follows: Verbal & Reading Comprehension (VARC) – 19 points, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) – 21 points, and Quantitative Aptitude (QA) – 15 points. The gender diversity component is applicable only for computing the pre-PI score for deciding on interview calls.

Final IIM Bangalore Selection Criteria for Admission Offer Letter

ParametersScore
Personal Interview40
WAT10
CAT25
10th board5
12th board5
Bachelor’s Degree5
Work Experience / Professional Course( whichever weight is higher)10

Note: The 25 points for CAT are derived from the performance in each of the three sections as follows: Verbal & Reading Comprehension (VARC) – 8.75 points, Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) – 10 points, and Quantitative Aptitude (QA) – 6.25 points. 

3. IIM Calcutta

IIM Calcutta is the third top MBA college on the list. IIM Calcutta is also the first IIM (Indian Institute of Management) in India, established in 1961 with a record-breaking history of over 64 years. Located in the most popular and prestigious cities of India, Calcutta was decided to be the first IIM because of its rich history, country-changed events, and stronghold of pre-India’s top minds and political figures. Since its founding, IIMC has become a globally renowned institution of high-quality management education. With over 45,000 alumni, IIM Calcutta has a good chance for a fresher in comparison to IIM A and IIM B. Around 37% of the batch was freshers.  

IIM Calcutta Placement Highlights (Domestic + International) (INR)

All the figures are based on the 58th batch of IIM Calcutta graduates in the year 2023. No official placement report has been reported yet for the batch that graduated in the year 2024. Further, most of the figures are combined of domestic and international offers presented in INR. 

Salary ComponentsINR
Average Salary35.07 Lakhs
Median Salary33.67 Lakhs
Highest Domestic CTC1.15 Cr.
Highest International CTC94.82 Lakhs

Final Selection Criteria for IIM Calcutta

ParametersWeights
CAT 2024 Score30
Personal Interview48
WAT8
Points awarded for Academic Diversity at Bachelor’s and Master’s level for non-engineering degrees and professional qualifications 6
Work Experience8

4. FMS

Among Indian MBA colleges, FMS Delhi has the highest return on investment. FMS MBA provides an average package of 34.1 LPA for a mere fee of around 2,30,000 Lakhs. FMS stands fourth on this list not only because of its high placements but also because of its domain-wise hiring, with consulting leading the chain for the past decade. It offers various management programs aimed at equipping students with the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to thrive in the dynamic business world. The curriculum is regularly updated to align with industry trends and demands, ensuring students are prepared for corporate challenges.

FMS Delhi Placement Highlights

FMS also provided the latest figures for the batch graduated in 2023. Moreover, many details are disclosed. We have gathered all the data we could find to give you a fair view of the institution. 

Particulars Details
Average Package34.1 LPA
Median Package31 LPA
Highest Domestic CTC1.23 Cr.

FMS Delhi Final Admission Selection Criteria

Candidates must note that FMS now do not give any weightage to work experience, no matter how many months.

ComponentsWeightage
CAT 50%
10th10%
12th10%
Statement of Purpose10%
Extempore5%
Personal Interview15%

5. IIM Lucknow

IIM Lucknow is also one of the old IIMs who are dominating this list. The Indian Institute of Management Lucknow is the fourth IIM to be founded in India. Founded in 1984, IIM Lucknow has since impacted millions through its faculty, alumni, and staff. The institute focuses on developing value-driven leaders, managers, and global professionals. It is also considered one of the top IIMs due to its proximity to Delhi and the rapidly developing cities of Noida and Gurgaon. Furthermore, IIM Lucknow prefers candidates with experience, that’s why its placement reports show a great growth rate compared to the other IIMs. It is also one of the IIMs that move up quickly on this list. 

IIM Lucknow Placement Highlights (INR)

IIM Lucknow just released its final placement report of the batch that graduated in the year 2024. Additionally, all the figures given below comprise domestic and international offers given in INR. 

ComponentsLakhs (INR)
Average Package30
Median Package27
Top 80% of the batch32
Top 50% of the batch37
Top 25% of the batch44
Top 10% of the batch50

IIM Lucknow Selection Criteria – Composite Score for Shortlisting for WAT-PI stage

ComponentsWeights (MBA)Weights (MBA-ABM)Weights (MBA-SM)
Scaled CAT Score606060
12th101010
Bachelor’s Degree101010
Work Experience10010
Diversity Factor: Academic Discipline5205
Diversity Factor: Gender5105
CAT Community

6. ISB Hyderabad

ISB Hyderabad ranks sixth not just because it’s a private MBA college but for several other reasons. The institute provides students with numerous opportunities for international exposure, an updated curriculum akin to foreign universities, industry experience, various one- and two-year MBA programs, excellent placement prospects, future career opportunities, and multiple entry pathways.

At ISB, you are taught by top professors from prestigious global institutions. In addition to faculty from partner schools like Wharton, Kellogg, and London Business School, the institute also features experts from other renowned institutions. Students are encouraged to approach situations from various perspectives, thanks to the diverse backgrounds of each batch. This is due to the fact that many ISB students come through the GMAT, CAT, and other major factors such as work experience and academic achievements. Each month, you are assigned a new study, and by the end of the year, you’ll have built a network that includes nearly all of your batchmates.

ISB Placement Highlights

ComponentsTop 80% of batch Average PackageTop 80% of batch Average Package
Class of 2333,25,74232,00,000

ISB Hyderabad Selection Criteria

Since ISB offers several MBA programs with varying durations, exams, and academic performance requirements. We’ll discuss it another time. 

7. SPJIMR

Founded in 1981 in Mumbai, S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) is a prominent postgraduate management institution. SPJIMR, being a non-IIM, secured this spot due to its profile-based admission and the management and leadership-focused cutting edge curriculum. The institute also offers international exposure to all participants in its full-time programs through a short-term immersion, where students travel to and study at leading academic institutions worldwide.

Placement Highlights

All the given figures are from domestic placement offers for the batch that graduated in the year 2024. 

ComponentsLakhs (INR)
Average Salary33
Median Salary31.50
Highest Salary81

SPJIMR Final Selection Criteria

Since the SPJIMR selection process is mainly based upon the profile of the candidate. We have gathered everything we can to give a fair view. 

ParametersNotes
Academic BackgroundA strong and consistent performance in 10th grade, 12th grade and every year of graduation.
Work ExperienceRelevance of work experience for the chosen specialisation.
Entrance ScoresMeeting the minimum eligibility cutoff in the required entrance exam is mandatory.
Versatility and achievementsEndeavours in diverse fields of interest and noteworthy past achievements.

8. IIM Kozhikade

IIM Kozhikode is also an old IIM established in the year 1996 and was the fifth IIM established in the country. IIM Kozhikode not only strives for excellence and high-quality education but also offers much more. Ranked 3rd among all IIMs by NIRF, the institute’s teaching pedagogy is known for its renowned course designers. In addition to classroom lectures, workshops, guest lectures, live training, fests, and corporate meetings, research activities help students refine their theoretical knowledge and promote their overall development. The faculty includes some of the brightest minds from both India and abroad, all experts in their fields. The institute is also recognized for offering opportunities to students with lower CAT scores, requiring a sectional minimum of 75 percentile within an overall percentile of 85, and providing less pressure on freshers during the intense IIM selection process. However, it is advised to score a higher CAT score to secure a guaranteed call.

IIM Kozhikode Placement Highlights

Components Lakhs CTC (INR)
Highest72.02
Average28.05
Median27

IIM Kozhikode Final Selection Criteria 

ComponentsWeightage
CAT Score35%
PI Score35%
WAT20%
Resume Score10%

9. IIM Mumbai

Formerly known as NITIE Mumbai, it was established by the Government of India and has steadily grown over the years. It ranked as one of the top tier-1 MBA colleges in the Management category. The institute offers a range of postgraduate and executive programs, with a strong focus on Supply Chain and Operations Management. Following the approval of the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill 2023 by both houses of parliament and the president’s approval, NITIE Mumbai is now officially recognized as IIM Mumbai.

Placement Highlights

IIM Mumbai has provided us with the final placement report of the batch that graduated in the year 2024. All the figures are in INR with no clarification on domestic and international job offers. 

Components Lakhs Per Annum (INR)
Average Package of 10% of the batch47.29
Median Package33.84
Highest Package54

IIM Mumbai Final Selection Criteria

ParametersWeights
CAT Score55
Personal Interview20
Academic Performance & Work Experience20
Gender Diversity05

10. IIM Indore

IIM Indore is also a prestigious top MBA college finalising our list by securing a rank of 10. It is also an old IIM, established in the same year as IIM K. At IIM Indore, it offers a rewarding experience. The faculty members are highly qualified, experienced, and always available to assist students with any doubts or questions. They are distinguished and globally recognized experts in their fields. IIM Indore boasts some of the most renowned scholars, teaching courses and conducting research in management, finance, social sciences, and professional studies. The faculty is committed to teaching, mentoring students, and engaging in research, regularly publishing in their respective areas of expertise.

IIM Indore Placement Highlights

Here are the placement highlights of IIM Indore for the batch that graduated in the year 2024. 

ComponentsLakhs Per Annum (INR)
Average Package25.68
Median Package24.50
Highest Package1 (Crore)

IIM Indore Final Selection Criteria

ComponentsWeights
10th12.5
CAT Sectional ScoresVARC:18.75DILR:9.375Quants:9.375
Personal Interview Score50

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