A student seeking my advice on which MBA institute should he join said “Sir, if I were your nephew then after considering all factors which out of these three institutes would you recommend?”
There is always a dilemma when it comes to choosing an MBA institute because a wrong choice of institute could very easily lead to a poor career growth or waste of money or both. Unfortunately, most rankings do not consider the student’s point of view and have a low weight for one of the most important criteria – the placements.
To my mind the most important measure of the worth of a B School is its placement record and hence my preference for an institute is determined primarily by the placements. Placements refer to not only the average/median salary but also include the difficult to quantify factors like the reputation, quality of opportunities and the kind of companies that visit the institute. Secondly, with most of the good institutes charging a fee of over Rs 12 lakh for the MBA program, the cost of doing an MBA is a factor that cannot be ignored.
Between similarly placed MBA institutes the location becomes the tie breaker. I also believe that all programs in an institute are not at the same level and hence I have a program-wise order of preference and not institute-wise.
So dear nephews/nieces, my order of preference of over 100 MBA programs is given in the table below. Please note that this should not be misunderstood as a ranking of MBA institutes/programs. The institutes/programs of different levels are placed in different clusters and within a cluster the ones on top are preferred over the lower ones. However, institutes within 2-3 places of each other are at par and you could choose any of them. For the institutes in Cluster 6 it might be useful to prefer an institute in your state/region as the overall cost would be lower and being from the region could be helpful during placements. For example, if you are from West Bengal then IISWBM is likely to be a better option than IBS Hyderabad.
Finally, do not rely only on this table, do check the other sources (especially current and past students) as well and take an informed decision looking at all factors that are important for you. This table has around 144 institutes/programs and there are many good institutes that I am not aware of. Hence for institutes not in this list (also for Cluster 6 institutes) a campus visit along with interaction with current students are recommended before the final decision.
It is worth noting that Institutes in the first few clusters have been ranked based on a few more parameters. While one really cannot differentiate between IIM A, B and C. IIM A tops the list based on reputation and C comes in second place since its fees is the lowest amongst the three. FMS is in the top 5 in the list because of the ROI. JBIMS is a little lower since there is reservation for candidates from Maharashtra. TISS is a little lower in the list but that’s mostly because it is a specialized program. A general management program is preferred (over specialized programs) as it allows you to choose your area of specialization after studying all subjects in the first year. However, if you are interested in that stream then it would rank higher for you. For e.g. if you are looking for a specialization in HR then XLRI, TISS and IIM K would be your preferences.
Top MBA Colleges: Cluster 1 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Undoubtedly, like every year IIM Ahmedabad, Calcutta and Bengaluru acquire the top three positions in best B- schools’ rankings respectively. With the best placement records, great reputation and endless opportunities these institutes stand as crème de la crème institutes. FMS Delhi, IIM Lucknow and XLRI are all equally good and one can choose either of these based on one’s specific requirements. If you are a candidate with over 3 years of work experience then you should be looking at ISB Hyderabad which offers a one-year course and accepts GMAT scores for admission. FMS, TISS and JBIMS stand out in terms of excellent Return on Investment (ROI) due to their very low fee and excellent placements. | ||
| 1. Indian Institute of Management (IIM-A) | Ahmedabad | PGP |
| 2. Indian Institute of Management (IIM-C) | Kolkata | PGDM |
| 3. Indian Institute of Management (IIM-B) | Bengaluru | PGP |
| 4. Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) – Delhi University | New Delhi | MBA |
| 5. Xavier Labour Research Institute (XLRI) | Jamshedpur | HRM |
| 6. Indian Institute of Management (IIM-L) | Lucknow | PGPM |
| 7. Xavier Labour Research Institute (XLRI) | Jamshedpur | BM |
| 9. Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS) | Mumbai | MMS |
| 10. Indian School of Business (ISB) | Hyderabad | PGP |
| 11. Management Development Institute (MDI) | Gurgaon | PGPM |
| 12. SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR) | Mumbai | PGDM |
| 13. Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) | Mumbai | MA HRM LR |
Top MBA Colleges: Cluster 2 |
||
| Many other IIMs and non-IIM colleges are part of cluster 2. This cluster shows that some non-IIM institutes make their mark as better B-schools than most of the IIM colleges in terms of growth, learning and placements. IIFT Kolkata is also listed in cluster 2 along with IIFT Delhi because that they have common placements and hence there is no disparity among the two institutes. IIML ABM is preferred over IIMA FABM because while IIML does not differentiate between ABM and PGP in terms of placement opportunities, IIMA has a separate placement process for PGP and FABM. Most interesting is National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) renowned for its operations courses making its way in cluster 2.
* same ranking for the two institutes because of the common placements and almost the same set of faculty teaching at both campuses. |
||
| 12. Indian Institute of Management (IIM-K) | Kozhikode | PGP |
| 13. Indian Institute of Management (IIM-I) | Indore | PGPM |
| 14*. Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) | New Delhi | MBA |
| 15*. Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) | Kolkata | MBA |
| 16. Indian Institute of Management (IIM-L) | Lucknow | ABM |
| 17. Indian Institute of Management Shillong | Shillong | PGPM |
| 18. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay – SJSOM | Mumbai | M. MANAGEMENT |
| 19. Indian Institute of Management (IIM-A) | Ahmedabad | FABM |
| 20. National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) | Mumbai | PGDIM |
| 21. Indian Institute of Management Ranchi | Ranchi | PGDM |
| 32. Indian Institute of Technology Delhi – DMS | New Delhi | MBA |
Top MBA Colleges: Cluster 3 |
||
| The new IIMs feature in this cluster.IIM Ranchi is seen to be gearing up as the HRM program by IIM Ranchi has been appreciated by the industry. B-schools such as MICA and IRMA that offer specialized programs also find their spot in this cluster. It must be understood that in their specialization, these two B-schools are the best in the country. For example, MICA is regarded as one of the top most B-schools in country for its Marketing and Advertising program. NMIMS should be looked up for finance while SIBM for marketing and HR. For candidates with over 2 years of work experience Great Lakes Chennai 1 year program (PGPM) can be considered over others as it has excellent industry recognition, but it is not approved by AICTE as PGDM hence those looking for further studies or Government/PSU jobs should also enroll for distance learning MBA from IGNOU or Annamalai University else they would be considered as “graduates” and not “post graduates” in India. In this cluster the IITs can be preferred over the others due to their low fee and good placements.
*same ranking for the three institutes as the placements are at par and all three have similar location benefits and are at parity with each other. |
||
| 22. Indian Institute of Management Raipur | Raipur | PGP |
| 23*. Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM) | Pune | MBA |
| 23*. Symbiosis Centre for Management and HRD (SCMHRD) | Pune | MBA |
| 23*. NarseeMonjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) | Mumbai | Core |
| 24. Indian Institute of Management Trichy | Trichy | PGPM |
| 25. Indian Institute of Management Rohtak | Rohtak | PGP |
| 26. Indian Institute of Management Udaipur | Udaipur | PDP |
| 27. Indian Institute of Management Kashipur | Kashipur | PGP |
| 28. Management Development Institute (MDI) | Gurgaon | PGPM HRM |
| 29. Xavier Labour Research Institute (XLRI) | Jamshedpur | Global MBA |
| 30. Indian Institute of Management Ranchi | Ranchi | PGDHRM |
| 31. Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA) | Ahmedabad | PGDM-C |
| 33. Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur – VGSOM | Kharagpur | MBA |
| 34 .Institute of Rural Management (IRMA) | Anand (Gujarat) | PGPRM |
| 35. Great Lakes Institute of Management (GLIM) | Chennai | PGPM |
| 36. Xavier Institute of Management (XIMB) | Bhubaneshwar | MBA BM |
| 37. Sydenham Institute of Management Studies, Research and Entrepreneurship Education (SIMSREE) | Mumbai | PGDBM |
| 38. Management Development Institute (MDI) | Gurgaon | PGPM IM |
| 39. Institute of Management Technology (IMT) | Ghaziabad | PGDM |
| 40. Indian Institute of Technology Madras – DMS | Chennai | MBA |
Top MBA Colleges: Cluster 4 |
||
| The highlights of this cluster are B-schools like IMI Delhi, XIMB, KJ Somaiya, TAPMI which are ranked on the basis of quality opportunities and location. These colleges are equally good based on their past records.In terms of ROI the best institutes in this cluster are MFC, DU and MSc Finance JBIMS followed by NITIE and the IITs. | ||
| 41Indian Institute of Management (IIM-V) | Vishakhapatnam | PGP |
| 42.Indian Institute of Management (IIM-N) | Nagpur | PGP |
| 43.Indian Institute of Management (IIM-Amritsar) | Amritsar | PGP |
| 44. Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur – DMS | Kanpur | MBA |
| 45. Masters in International Business (MIB) Delhi School of Economics DU | Delhi | MIB |
| 46. Master of Human Resource and Organisational Development (MHROD) Delhi School of Economics DU | Delhi | MHROD |
| 47. Master of Finance & Control (MFC), DU | Delhi | MBA Fin |
| 48. Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies | Mumbai | MSc Finance |
| 49. International Management Institute (IMI) | Delhi | PGDM |
| 50.Indian Institute of Management (IIM-S) | Sirmaur | PGP |
| 51.Indian Institute of Management (IIM-J) | Jammu | PGP |
| 52. T A Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) | Manipal | PGDM |
| 53. National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) | Mumbai | PGDISEM |
| 54. Indian Institute of Science (IISc) | Bengaluru | M.Mmgt (Tech Mgmt& Biz Analytics) |
| 55. Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee – DMS | Roorkee | MBA |
| 56. NarseeMonjee Institute of Management Studies
|
Mumbai | MBA HR |
| 57. Xavier Institute of Management (XIMB) | Bhubaneshwar | MBA HRM |
| 58. Indian Institute of Management (IIM-L) | Lucknow (Noida) | SM |
| 59. Symbiosis Institute of International Business (SIIB) | Pune | MBA IB |
| 60. K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research (SIMSR) | Mumbai | PGDM, IB, FM |
| 61. Goa Institute of Management (GIM) | Goa | PGDM |
| 62. Bharathidasan Institute of Management (BIM) | Tiruchirapally | MBA |
| 63. Master of Business Economics (MBE), Department of Business Economics, DU | Delhi | MBE |
| 64. Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA) | Chennai | PGDM |
| 65. FORE School of Management | New Delhi | PGDM, IB |
Top MBA Colleges: Cluster 5 |
||
| Apart from the ones mentioned above, even other colleges are not far behind. Many aspirants who are unable to crack CAT with good score can definitely think of taking up any of these colleges. The final choice is made based on preferences and the requirements of the candidate. Also, Bennett & Coleman Group’s Benenett University finds its way in this cluster right in the first year of its inception. This is majorly because for its first batch, Bennett had assured a package of at least 7.5 LPA, for every student, at any of the companies of the Times Group. This kind of a placement guarantee helps it in getting to Cluster 5 | ||
| 66. NarseeMonjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) | Bengaluru | PGDM |
| 67. BITS Pilani, Department of Management | Pilani | MBA |
| 68. Delhi School of Management – Delhi Technological University (DTU) | Delhi | MBA |
| 69. Nirma University – Institute of Management (IMNU) | Ahmedabad | MBA |
| 70. Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management (LBS) | Delhi | PGDM, Finance |
| 71. Institute of Financial Management & Research (IFMR) | Chennai | PGDM, PGDM-WE |
| 72. Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM) | Bengaluru | MBA |
| 73. Symbiosis Institute of Operations Management (SIOM) | NASIK | MBA Ops |
| 74. International Management Institute (IMI) | Delhi | PGDHRM |
| 75. Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management (SITM) | Pune | MBA |
| 76. Bennett University | Greater Noida | MBA |
| 77. Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies (SIMS) | Pune | MBA |
| 78. Great Lakes Institute of Management (GLIM) | Chennai | PGDM |
| 79. Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication (SIMC) | Pune | MBA CM |
| 80. TAPMI School of Business, Manipal University | Jaipur | MBA |
| 81. Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) | Bhopal | PGDFM |
| 82. Faculty of Management Studies, Banaras Hindu University (FMS BHU) | Varanasi | MBA MBA IB |
| 83. IFIM Business School | Bengaluru | PGDM |
| 84. Great Lakes Institute of Management (GLIM) | Gurgaon | PGPM 1 year |
| 85. Vanguard Business School | Bengaluru | MBA |
| 86. University Business School (UBS) | Chandigarh | MBA |
| 87. PUMBA (University of Pune) | Pune | MMS |
Top MBA Colleges: Cluster 6 |
||
| 88. International Management Institute (IMI) | Kolkata | PGDM |
| 89. Institute of Management Technology (IMT) | Ghaziabad | DCP |
| 90. International Management Institute (IMI) | Delhi | PGDM B&I |
| 91. GD Goenka University | Gurgaon | MBA |
| 92. PanditDeendayal Petroleum University | Gandhinagar | MBA |
| 93. Nirma | Ahmedabad | MBA |
| 94. National Institute of Bank Management | Pune | PGDM B & FS |
| 95. Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship (XIME) | Bengaluru | PGDM |
| 96. Welingkar Institute of Management | Mumbai | MMS, PGDM |
| 97. Management Development Institute (MDI) | Murshidabad | PGP |
| 98. Institute of Management Technology (IMT) | Hyderabad | PGDM |
| 99. Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIM Tech) | Noida | PGDMPGDM (International Business) |
| 100. SDM Institute for Management Development (SDMIMD) | Mysore | PGDM |
| 101. NarseeMonjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) | Hyderabad | PGDM |
| 102. Institute of Management and Technology IMT – Nagpur | Nagpur | PGDM |
| 103. Symbiosis Institute of Business Management- Hyderabad | Hyderabad | MBA |
| 104. Universal Business School | Karjat | MBA |
| 105. Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS) | Ranchi | PM |
| 106. Symbiosis Centre for Management and HRD (SCMHRD) | Pune | MBA-IM |
| 107. Symbiosis Institute of International Business (SIIB) | Pune | MBA AB, MBA E&E |
| 108. K.J.Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research (SIMSR) | Mumbai | PGDM – Retail Management |
| 109. Shri Ram College of Commerce Global Business Operations (SRCC GBO), DU | Delhi | GBO |
| 110. Great Lakes Institute of Management (GLIM) | Gurgaon | PGPME |
| 111. Symbiosis Institute of Computer Studies and Research (SICSR) | Pune | MBA-IT |
| 112.Symbiosis Center for Information Technology | Pune | MBA-ITBM |
| 113. ICFAI Business School | Hyderabad | MBA/PGPM |
| 114. Xavier Institute of Management (XIMB) | Bhubaneswar | MBA – Rural Management |
| 115. Xavier Institute of Social Service (XISS) | Ranchi | Marketing & Finance |
| 116.Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies | Harihar and Pune | PGDM |
| 117. Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship (XIME) | Kochi | PGDM |
| 118.Symbiosis Institute of Health Services (SIHS) | Pune | MBA |
| 119.Symbiosis Institute of Banking and Finance (SSBF) | Pune | MBA BF, PGDBF |
| 120. National Insurance Academy | Pune | PGDM |
| 121. National Power Training Institute | Faridabad | MBA (Power Management) |
| 122. Chetana’s Ram Prasad Khandelwal Institute of Management & Research | Mumbai | MMS, MFM,MMM |
| 123. KIAMS | Pune | PGDM |
| 124. Ramaiah Institute of Management Studies | Bengaluru | PGDM |
| 124. ISME | Bangalore | PGDM |
| 125. Siva Sivani | Hyderabad | PGDM |
| 126. IPE Hyderabad | Hyderabad | PGDM |
| 127. GIBS | Bangalore | MBA |
| 128. DMI | Patna | PGDM |
| 129. EMPI | Delhi | PGDM |
| 130. CBS | Kolkata | PGDM |
| 131. FIIB | Delhi | PGDM |
| 132. LPU | Chandigarh | MBA |
| 133. World University of Design | Haryana | MBA in Design Strategy and Management |
| 134. Glocal | Saharanpur | MBA |
| 135. Doon Business School | Dehradun | MBA |
| 136. Quantum | Dehradun | MBA |
| 137. Galgotia University | Greater Noida | MBA |
| 138. Shiv Nadar University | Greater Noida | MBA |
| 139. Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management (IISWBM) | Kolkata | MBA |
| 140. Xavier Institute of Management & Research | Mumbai | PGDM |
| 141. Institute of Management Studies | Noida | PGDM |
| 142. Amity University | Noida | MBA |
| 143. Llyod Institute of Management Studies | Greater Noida | MBA |
| 144. PES University | Bengaluru | MBA |
| 145. Alliance school of business | Bengaluru | MBA |
| 146. Indira School of Business Studies | Pune | MBA, PGDM |
| 147. Christ University | Bengaluru | MBA |
| 148. Accurate Institute of Management and Technology | Greater Noida | MBA, PGDM |
| 149. RayatBahra Institute of Management | Mohali | MBA |
| 150. New Delhi Institute of Management (NDIM) | New Delhi | PGDM |
| 151. Asian Business School | Noida | MBA/PGDM |
| 152. Asia Pacific Business School | New Delhi | MBA/PGDM |
| 153. Jindal Global University | Sonipat | MBA |
| 154. University of Petroleum & Energy Studies | Dehradun | MBA |
| 155. Ansal University | Gurgaon | MBA |
| 156. Manav Rachna University | Faridabad | MBA |
| 157. Delhi School of Business | New Delhi | PGDM |
| 158. TAPMI SOB | Jaipur | MBA |
| 159. North Cap University | Gurgaon | MBA |
| 160. ApeejayStya | Gurgaon | MBA |
| 161. NL Dalmia Institute of Management Studies and Research | Mumbai | PGDM |
| 162. Sri Balaji Society | Pune | PGDM |
| 163. FLAME University | Pune | MBA |
| 164. SIES | Mumbai | PGDM |
| 165. NIA SOM | Pune | PGDM (Insurance) |
| 166. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham | Coimbatore | MBA |
| 167. BIMM | Pune | PGDM |
| 168. Army Institute of Management | Kolkata | MBA |
| 169. ITM | Mumbai | PGDM |
All the best
GP
Sir, what to choose between ximb and tapmi.
Interested in fin and ops.
XIMB ranks higher.
I am 2014 pass out ..currently have 35 month work ex …have not converted any top institute… Planning of giving one more attempt ..but my work ex till next year will be 48 months …is it fine …as I want to get in only top 20 ….
Note this year only college is chetna
Mahesh, with your work ex, you should aim for an executive MBA. IIM-A, B, C, L, FMS, XLRI, ISB etc are some of the top B-Schools offering executive MBA.
Yes but for executive MBA a managerial work ex. Is required.. I don’t have that…. And lastly I want to switch my domain… So doing executive MBA won’t help
10th/12th/Grad – 71.14/58.6/75.49 with 14 months of work ex, got 202 in Nmat, 91 %ile in snap and 63 in Cat and 94.12 in Cmat. So this year I am only getting Ximb Rural Management. Please tell me how is the course and future growth.
Vivek, If you have to pursue MBA this year itself, then you can go for XIMB Rural Management. Ensure that you are one of the top performer in your class to reap the maximum benefit. However if you appear for CAT’18 again you would have the ideal work experience and if you work hard and smart, you can aim for a better B-School.
Sir how is PGDM IB course at KJ Somaiya? Will it be very different from PGDM Core in terms of placements?
Satyam,
The rankings are given considering all the factors- fees, placements, faculty etc. Go through the list.
Hi Sir,
I have a work ex of 3.5 years in IT industry. I have converted Great Lakes Chennai PGPM. I am awaiting results from IMT, IMI and FORE.
I am yet to appear for IIT Kanpur and Roorkee.
If i convert all the above colleges, what is the best option that i should choose?
Great lakes would be preferable considering my work ex, however, their last placement season wasn’t upto the mark.
Could you please guide me ?
Dhruv, the ranking above constitutes all the factors- alumni experiences, faculty, fees and placements. Therefore Great lakes should be your first choice followed by IMT.
Great lakes followed by IMT
Hi Team CL,
My waitlist no. is 83, after the fist list was released by SIBM-Pune. Do I have a chance in getting into the merit list or should I look for other options like NMIMS Mumbai? I want to do an MBA in marketing and belong to the general category.
Chiradeep, As per the previous year trends, you could be selected but I would not suggest you to bank on only one option. Look out for other options aswell.
As per previous year trends, yes! but also keep your other options open.
sir, I have 10th- 10cgpa, 12th-88%, grad-69% b.com. hons., work exp- 1.5 yr as accounts assistant CAT 2017- 77.77%ile. Preference for finance what colleges to apply?
Anamika, at 77.77% you could try NIBM- Pune, IBS etc. For more options check out the rankings in cluster 4,5 and 6.
NIBM-Pune, IBS and other colleges from cluster 4 onwards.
Hi Sir
Is Great lakes PGPM students will be considered as only graduates in India as it is not approved by AICTE?
I heard it is approved by AICTE 2 days before.
It means, is it approved only as certificate program (by which we cant do Phd in India)?
or
Was it approved by AICTE recently as degree (which can make us to do Phd in India)?
Please give relevant information on this.
Thanks in Advance
Srini, the website clearly states that the program is approved by AICTE.
Sir,
I gave CAT 2016 (91.2 percentile) and CAT 2017 (89.72 percentile). I am a GEM student with the following profile – 90.57/ 72/ 8.02. Currently I have 11 months of work experience in IT. I have a gap of 1 year after class 12. Will such profile and considering IIMs getting very profile focused these days, shall I give CAT again in 2018? Or should I join bschools like TAPMI/ BIM Trichy/ KJSOMAIYA which I might be getting this year at this percentile?
Also I am inclined towards marketing. If I am able to get a good bschool next year, will my IT experience of more than 2 years hamper my placements in marketing?
Please reply Sir as I need your guidance.
Dear student, apologies for the delay. Write CAT again only if you’re sure of crossing 98%ile. Your 12th marks could hamper some good shortlists even at a good percentile. But there are also schools which give very less weightage to past acads or don’t at all (MDI, FMS, SIBM, NMIMS) As for your gap, if you can justify it in an interview and stick to your stance, it’s all good!
Seems like you have some thinking to do! All the best.
hi Sir,
i have a call from SITM, Pune, is it worth considering ? i have an ex. of 30 months in telecom, Ericsson, my CTC is 3.8lpa.
Yamini, please share more information- CAT score, academic background, snap score etc.
cat OA 86.64
qua – 85
verbal – 86
dilr -69
10th 95
12th 95
grad engg -66.8
WHAT ARE MY BEST OPTIONS
Kevin, you could look at colleges from Cluster 3 onwards. You could also retake CAT and aim for a better score.
Dear Sir,
What should be the rationale in choosing between the baby IIMs- Nagpur/Vizag and IMT G/XIMB? What should be the choice and why?
You should consider: fees, ROI, and location factor for making a sound decision. XIMB followed by IMT-G
Location, fees and ROI. My suggestion would be XIMB followed by IMT-G.
Thanks to inform Top MBA colleges In India