IIM Ahmedabad is India's oldest IIM and is ranked first in the NIRF 2025 Management ranking. It is known for case-method teaching, a large elective menu in the second year and a selection process that leans heavily on the CAT percentile and the personal interview. It suits candidates with strong all-round CAT performance and consistent school and college marks, whether they are fresh graduates or have a few years of work experience.
At a glance
| NIRF 2025 Management rank | 1 (score 83.29) |
| Established | 1961 |
| Type | Indian Institute of Management, governed by the IIM Act, 2017 |
| Location | Vastrapur, Ahmedabad, Gujarat |
| Flagship programme | Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP), leading to the MBA |
| Duration | Two years, full-time, residential |
| Sanctioned intake | 455 across two-year PG programmes in 2023-24 (NIRF 2025 data) |
| Admission test(s) | CAT for domestic applicants; GMAT for overseas Indian applicants and foreign nationals |
| Programme fee | Not published on the PGP pages we could access in October 2026; check the admission offer letter |
| Median salary | Rs 31 lakh per annum for the two-year PG cohort graduating in 2023-24 (NIRF 2025 data) |
| Website | iima.ac.in |
About IIM Ahmedabad
IIMA was founded in 1961, according to the institute's own archives, which also record that from 1962 to 1965 it worked out of a rented bungalow before moving to its permanent campus. An IIMA-hosted article notes that architect Louis Kahn was invited in 1962 to design the 60-acre campus, and construction was completed in 1974. IIMA describes itself as the first institution in India to adopt the case method, which is still central to the PGP. It also led the Indian Placement Reporting Standards (IPRS), the format its own audited placement reports follow. Its alumni network is described as more than 40,000 people.
In the PGP, the first year is a compulsory core spread over three terms. In the second year, students build their own specialisation from a long list of electives.
Programmes
- PGP (MBA): the two-year flagship programme covered on this page.
- PGP-FABM (MBA-FABM): a two-year programme in food and agri-business management.
- PGPX (MBA-PGPX): a one-year MBA for experienced professionals.
- MBA-BPGP, MBA-BPGP: BA & AI and ePGD-ABA: programmes for working professionals.
- PhD: the NIRF 2025 data lists 126 full-time PhD students.
- IIMA Dubai campus: a one-year MBA and an Executive MBA.
PGP students can also apply for a one-term international exchange or a dual degree with select partner schools in the second year.
Admissions and eligibility
The rules below are from IIMA's official Admission Policy for the PGP 2027-29 batch (domestic), which uses CAT 2026.
- Degree: a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% for SC, ST and PwD candidates), involving at least three years of study after Class 12.
- Final-year students may apply, but must complete all degree requirements by 30 June 2027.
- Basic filters: applicants must be 19 or older by 30 June 2027, must be Indian nationals as reported in their CAT information, and must have applied to the two-year PGP.
- Tests: CAT for domestic applicants. Foreign nationals, including those living in India, apply through the supernumerary quota using the test-centre GMAT.
- Reservation: 27% NC-OBC, 15% SC, 7.5% ST, 5% PwD and up to 10% EWS, as per Government of India rules.
Selection process
IIMA's process for the PGP 2027-29 batch has two stages.
Stage 1: shortlisting for AWT and PI
IIMA first builds an application rating out of five parts:
- Class 10, Class 12 and bachelor's marks, each scored from 1 to 10 points. More than 90% earns the full 10 points, and 55% or less earns 1 point.
- Work experience: no points under 12 months, 0.2 points per month beyond 11 for 12 to 36 months, and 5 points above 36 months.
- Gender diversity: 3 points for all non-male candidates.
The application rating is normalised against the top 50 scores in the applicant pool. It then carries 35% of the raw composite score, and the CAT 2026 overall percentile carries 65%. The raw composite score is then normalised within the applicant's undergraduate discipline. The policy lists 20 disciplines, from Engineering and Technology to Commerce, Law, Arts and Humanities, and professional qualifications.
Minimum CAT 2026 percentiles for shortlisting (non-PwD):
| Category | Overall | Each section (VARC, DILR, QA) |
|---|---|---|
| General, EWS | 95 | 85 |
| NC-OBC | 90 | 80 |
| SC | 85 | 75 |
| ST | 75 | 65 |
PwD candidates have lower cut-offs (85/75 for General and EWS, down to 65/55 for ST). IIMA reserves the right to change the cut-offs.
Stage 2: AWT, PI and final selection
Shortlisted candidates take an Analytical Writing Test (AWT) and a Personal Interview (PI) in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai or New Delhi. The final composite score is calculated as:
- 50% normalised PI score
- 10% normalised AWT score
- 40% normalised composite score from Stage 1
IIMA does not publish how the attributes assessed in the interview are weighted. The policy gives tentative dates: shortlists in the second week of January 2027 and offers in the second week of April 2027.
Fees and financial aid
We could not find the domestic PGP fee for the 2026-28 or 2027-29 batch on the official IIMA programme and admissions pages we accessed in October 2026. Figures on aggregator sites are not confirmed by IIMA, so we have left them out. Confirm the fee with the admissions office (admission@iima.ac.in) before you plan your finances. If you need financial aid, ask the PGP office about current need-based aid and scholarships; we could not verify their terms for this page.
Placements
NIRF 2025 data: for the two-year PG programmes, 444 students graduated in 2023-24 within the stipulated time, 434 were placed and 10 went on to higher studies. The median salary of placed graduates was Rs 31,00,000 per annum. It was also Rs 31 lakh for 2022-23 graduates and Rs 30 lakh for 2021-22 graduates.
PGP Final Placements 2026 (audited): IIMA's 2026 placement report was audited by B2K Analytics against IPRS Revision 2.2. The auditor's letter is dated 27 August 2026.
- 402 students were eligible for placement. 392 sought placement through the institute and 392 offers were accepted. Ten opted out, including three who chose entrepreneurship.
- Domestic offers (386): median fixed yearly cash component Rs 28,81,369; median total guaranteed cash component Rs 32,50,000; median maximum earning potential Rs 37,00,000.
- Six international offers were accepted, in Dubai, Hong Kong and Japan.
- By function, consulting accounted for 154 of the 392 accepted offers, followed by general management (67) and finance (66).
Fixed yearly cash excludes one-time payments and maximum earning potential includes variable pay, so compare like with like. Placement figures vary by year and role; read the official report before drawing conclusions.
Campus and student life
Student life is run largely through the elected Students' Affairs Council and student-managed clubs and associations, many of which invite industry speakers.
The student exchange programme is one of the largest in Indian management education. IIMA says about 150 second-year students spend a term at a partner school each year and about 90 students come to IIMA from partners. The PGP chairperson's message refers to more than eighty partner schools. Summer internships run for eight to ten weeks between the first and second years.
IIMA also runs CIIE, an incubation centre, and a "placement holiday" scheme for students who try a venture first.
How to prepare for IIM Ahmedabad
At this level, the sectional cut-offs matter as much as the overall percentile. A General-category candidate needs at least the 85th percentile in each of VARC, DILR and QA and the 95th overall just to be considered. A weak section can therefore rule you out regardless of your total. Plan your preparation around your weakest area. Our CAT 2026 syllabus guide breaks down the three sections, and how to analyse CAT mock tests will help you find where your marks leak.
Because the CAT percentile carries 65% of the shortlisting score, every percentile point counts. Read CAT percentile vs percentage to understand how scaled scores become percentiles.
The remaining 35% rewards academic consistency from Class 10 onwards. If your marks are modest, a higher CAT percentile is your main lever. Because scores are normalised within your undergraduate discipline, you are compared mainly with applicants from a similar background.
After the shortlist, the interview carries half of the final score and the writing test 10%. Practise structured written arguments under time pressure, and be ready to discuss your subjects, work and current affairs in depth.
Frequently asked questions
What is the CAT cut-off for IIM Ahmedabad?
For the PGP 2027-29 batch, IIMA's published minimums for General and EWS candidates are the 95th percentile overall and the 85th percentile in each section of CAT 2026. Lower minimums apply to NC-OBC, SC, ST and PwD candidates. These are minimum eligibility thresholds, not the scores that guarantee a shortlist.
How much weight does the interview carry at IIMA?
In the PGP 2027-29 policy, the personal interview is 50% of the final composite score, the Analytical Writing Test 10%, and the Stage 1 composite score (CAT plus academics, work experience and diversity) 40%.
What is the median salary at IIM Ahmedabad?
In the NIRF 2025 data, the median salary for the two-year PG cohort graduating in 2023-24 was Rs 31 lakh per annum. The audited PGP Final Placements 2026 report gives a median fixed yearly cash component of Rs 28.81 lakh and a median total guaranteed cash component of Rs 32.5 lakh for domestic offers.
Can I apply to IIMA without work experience?
Yes. Work experience is not required. In shortlisting, it adds up to 5 points to the application rating, with no points for less than 12 months.
What are the PGP fees at IIM Ahmedabad?
We could not verify a current domestic fee on IIMA's official pages in October 2026. Contact the admissions office for the figure for your batch.
Sources
- NIRF India Rankings 2025: Management: rank and score (accessed 22 October 2026)
- IIM Ahmedabad NIRF 2025 data submission (IR-M-S-8890): sanctioned intake, graduates, placed students, median salary, PhD numbers (accessed 22 October 2026)
- IIMA Admission Policy for PGP 2027-29 Batch (Domestic): eligibility, filters, shortlisting formula, CAT cut-offs, final composite score, timelines, reservation (accessed 22 October 2026)
- IIMA MBA admissions page: admission tests and process overview (accessed 22 October 2026)
- IIMA MBA About Programme: curriculum, electives, exchange numbers (accessed 22 October 2026)
- IIMA MBA programme page: chairperson's message, programme list, case method (accessed 22 October 2026)
- IIMA MBA Careers and Placements: placement process, IPRS, alumni network, entrepreneurship support (accessed 22 October 2026)
- IIMA PGP Final Placements 2026 audited report: audit statement, placement pool, salary statistics, function and location split (accessed 22 October 2026)
- IIMA Archives newsletter "Brick by Brick", 2022 Issue 1: founding year and early history (accessed 22 October 2026)
- IIMA: Renewing and restoring IIM Ahmedabad: Louis Kahn and campus history (accessed 22 October 2026)
Researched from official sources on 22 October 2026. Admissions policies, fees and placement figures change every year: confirm them on the institute’s website before applying.