Compare IIMs

How to use these compares

These pages tell you when one campus makes more sense than another. Still read both reviews, and check the latest fee notice and placement PDF from the institute before you pay anything.

Know the kind of job you want? Start with a best-for page (consulting, finance, and so on). Already stuck between two names? Open that campus-vs-campus page.

Skip comparisons that only share the “IIM” label. Fees, placement strength, and city can differ a lot. If you cannot say why both campuses belong on your list (say, consulting hiring, a loan limit, or a city you care about), drop one and rebuild with how to shortlist IIMs.

Campus vs campus

These write-ups assume you are down to two names. They cover fees, placements, academics, and fit in one place so you are not jumping between two review tabs and a group chat.

Use them when both campuses look reachable on CAT and fit your budget. If one is a stretch and the other is realistic, rank them honestly, then confirm the numbers on each review before you pay a deposit.

• IIM Ahmedabad vs IIM Bangalore
  IIM A vs IIM B: brand, city, fees, placements, and which dual-offer holders should pick Ahmedabad or Bangalore.
• IIM Ahmedabad vs IIM Calcutta
  IIM A vs IIM C: Ahmedabad brand and IPRS clarity versus Calcutta finance culture. Pick on function and fit.
• IIM Bangalore vs IIM Calcutta
  IIM B vs IIM C: Bengaluru tech-product access versus Joka finance density. Fees, placements, and who should choose which.
• IIM Lucknow / Kozhikode / Ahmedabad vs FMS Delhi
  IIM vs FMS: fee advantage at FMS, brand and network differences, and when a non-IIM Delhi MBA wins on ROI.
• IIM Lucknow vs IIM Kozhikode
  IIM Lucknow vs Kozhikode: FMCG reputation, campus lifestyle, fees, and which BLACKI call to convert first.
• IIM Lucknow vs IIM Mumbai
  IIM Lucknow vs Mumbai: old-IIM generalist strength versus metro ops/analytics heritage. Fees and role fit.
• IIM vs IIT MBA: SJMSOM, DMS, VGSoM and DoMS Against the IIMs
  IIM vs IIT for CAT takers: IIT Bombay SJMSOM, IIT Delhi DMS, IIT Kharagpur VGSoM and IIT Madras DoMS against IIMs on fees, NIRF and placement reports.
• IIM vs SPJIMR
  IIM vs SPJIMR: specialised SPJIMR strengths versus IIM option set. When Mumbai campus culture should decide.
• IIM vs XLRI
  IIM vs XLRI: HR and BM strengths at XLRI versus IIM brand breadth. Pick on function, fees, and location.
• ISB vs IIM: PGP, Two-Year IIM MBA, or IIM One-Year Programme
  ISB vs IIM: one-year ISB PGP against two-year IIM MBAs and IIM one-year programmes. Fees, work-ex rules, GMAT vs CAT, salary definitions, when to pick each.

Best for career path and ROI

These pages shortlist campuses for a job path or money goal: consulting, finance, product, ops, or fee vs typical salary. A campus can look great for consulting and still miss your budget or city.

Start here when you know the kind of work you want more than the brand you want to wear. Check the shortlist against each review, then run the numbers in tools before you treat the list as final.

• Best IIMs for Consulting
  Best IIMs for consulting: where strategy and advisory hiring is densest, how to read offer share, and who should pick A, B, or C.
• Best IIMs for finance
  Best IIMs for finance: Calcutta, Ahmedabad, Bangalore for IB, markets, and corporate finance, with fee and convert reality checks.
• Best IIMs for HR
  Best IIMs for HR: specialised MBA-HR tracks vs flagship electives, Ranchi context, and when to prefer XLRI instead.
• Best IIMs for Marketing
  Best IIMs for marketing 2026: Lucknow, Kozhikode, Ahmedabad, Indore, Bangalore for FMCG, brand, and sales roles, with fees and fit.
• Best IIMs for operations and supply chain
  Best IIMs for operations: Mumbai’s OSCM heritage, supply-chain depth elsewhere, and when ops beats consulting for your profile.
• Best IIMs for product management
  Best IIMs for product: Bangalore-led shortlist plus A/C backups, city access, and how to avoid mistaking tech hiring for PM seats.
• Best IIMs for ROI
  Best IIMs for ROI: fee vs median math across old, new, and baby campuses, plus when brand premium is still worth paying.

Old vs new IIMs

Old vs new explains how hiring strength, brand, and fees tend to differ across campus generations. Read it for background, then name two to four institutes you would actually join.

Useful when an older campus looks unlikely and you need an honest look at newer ones. After that, open a campus-vs-campus or best-for page so you decide on real names, not a generation label.

• Old vs New IIMs
  Old vs new IIMs: when BLACKI brand is worth the fee gap, and when a strong new campus is the smarter convert.

Side-by-side tool

The essays explain the tradeoffs. The tool lines up numbers for campuses you already picked. Load two to four institutes in the Compare IIMs tool to see fees, medians, and scores on one screen.

For rough payback on one fee and one salary figure, use the fee payback calculator. Make sure you know what MEP and CTC mean with how to read placement reports before you trust any payback number.

Frequently asked questions

When should I use a written compare vs the Compare IIMs tool?

Read a written compare when you want the story: consulting vs finance, old vs new, or why one campus fits you better. Use the Compare IIMs tool when you already have two to four campuses and want fees, scores, and payback on one screen.

Are “best for” lists the same as overall rankings?

No. Best-for pages pick campuses for a specific job path or money limit. A campus can be strong for consulting and still be wrong for your budget or city. Always check the full review too.

Do compare pages replace reading both reviews?

No. Compares help you choose faster. Reviews have the fees, placements, and Anchal’s full take. Use the compare to narrow down, then read both reviews before you pay.

Next: browse reviews · guides · tools

Anchal Katyal · Founder & Author

IIM Udaipur alumna (PGDM 2015–17). Founded iimHQ after navigating the new-IIM shortlist problem herself: fees, placement evidence, and campus fit over rank-table folklore. She writes the reviews; scores are her editorial judgments. See Disclosure.

Was this page helpful?

Tell us or send a correction.

Yes No Request a correction