IIM Tiruchirappalli (IIM Trichy) is the eleventh IIM, set up in 2011 on a large residential campus outside Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, and it ranks 16th in the NIRF 2025 Management ranking. It suits CAT takers who want a full IIM MBA with a transparent, published selection formula, and its process rewards balanced sectional performance in CAT alongside a consistent academic record and one to three years of work experience.
At a glance
| NIRF 2025 Management rank | 16 (score 64.95) |
| Established | 2011 (instituted on 4 January 2011) |
| Type | Indian Institute of Management (Institute of National Importance under the IIM Act, 2017) |
| Location | Trichy–Pudukkottai highway, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu |
| Flagship programme | Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGPM), leading to an MBA |
| Duration | Two years, full-time, residential |
| Sanctioned intake | 410 (2-year PG programmes, NIRF 2025 data for 2023-24) |
| Admission test | CAT, through the Joint Admission Process (JAP 2026) |
| Programme fee | Rs 19.5 lakh for the 2026-28 batch (official admissions page; excludes caution deposit and mess advance) |
| Median salary | Rs 18.10 lakh a year for the batch graduating in 2023-24 (NIRF 2025 data) |
| Website | iimtrichy.ac.in |
About IIM Tiruchirappalli
According to the institute, IIM Tiruchirappalli was instituted on 4 January 2011 as the eleventh IIM. It now works from its own campus, which the institute describes as spread over 175 acres on the Trichy–Pudukkottai highway, about 11 km from Tiruchirappalli International Airport. Like the other IIMs it is governed by the Indian Institutes of Management Act, 2017, which makes it an Institute of National Importance able to award degrees.
The institute highlights its technology-equipped classrooms and a case-heavy teaching style. Its PGPM page says a student typically works through about 500 case studies and attends around 50 talks by practising managers during the programme. In the NIRF 2025 Management ranking it placed 16th with a score of 64.95.
One distinctive point is transparency. Its 2024-25 placement report was, for the first time, externally audited, and the admissions page publishes category-wise CAT percentile and composite score data from past admission cycles.
Programmes
- PGPM (MBA): the flagship two-year, full-time programme. The first year covers core courses; the second year is built from electives, with a summer internship and a compulsory "Make a Difference" social project.
- PGPM-HR (MBA-HR): a two-year MBA focused on human resource management, admitted alongside the PGPM and charged the same fee for 2026-28.
- PGPBM: an MBA for working executives, with its own admissions process.
- Ph.D. (Doctoral Programme) and Executive Ph.D. for research careers.
Admissions and eligibility
IIM Tiruchirappalli admits PGPM students through JAP 2026, a joint process run with IIM Kashipur, IIM Raipur and IIM Ranchi, coordinated by IIM Raipur. You must select IIM Tiruchirappalli in your CAT application and then register on the JAP portal when invited.
The JAP 2026 policy sets these minimum academic criteria for registration: 60% in Class X and Class XII and 50% in graduation for General, EWS and NC-OBC candidates; 55%, 55% and 45% for SC and ST candidates; and 45% in each for PwD candidates. Final-year students may apply using their marks to date, but must submit proof of completing the degree by 30 June 2026 to join. Reservation follows Government of India norms.
CAT is the only test used for the PGPM. Overseas applicants have a separate admission policy published on the institute's site.
Selection process
The process for the 2026-28 batch has two stages.
Shortlisting for interview. IIM Tiruchirappalli uses CAT percentiles to shortlist. Its published minimums (necessary but not sufficient for a call) are:
| Category | VARC | DILR | QA | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | 75 | 75 | 75 | 95.25 |
| EWS | 60 | 60 | 60 | 89 |
| NC-OBC | 60 | 60 | 60 | 88.5 |
| SC | 45 | 45 | 45 | 75 |
| ST | 25 | 25 | 25 | 44 |
| PwD | 25 | 25 | 25 | 30 |
Interviews for JAP 2026 were held in Bangalore, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and at IIM Kashipur, IIM Raipur, IIM Ranchi and IIM Tiruchirappalli.
Final admission. The composite score is weighted as follows:
- CAT percentile: 52%
- Personal interview: 20%
- Work experience: 10%
- Class X (normalised): 2%
- Class XII (normalised): 3%
- Undergraduate performance: 5%
- Gender diversity (female candidates): 6%
- Academic diversity: 2% (non-engineering graduates with a first class or above)
Work experience points peak at 24–29 months (10 points), taper to 7 for 18–23 and 30–35 months, and fall to zero below 6 months and at 48 months or more. Only full-time paid experience after graduation, counted up to 31 December 2025, is considered.
Fees and financial aid
For the 2026-28 batch, the PGPM and PGPM-HR fee is Rs 19.5 lakh, excluding the caution deposit and mess advance. This is made up of a Rs 1,00,000 acceptance fee and tuition of Rs 2,25,000 in Term I and Rs 3,25,000 in each of Terms II to VI. On top of this, students pay a mess advance of Rs 24,000 per term (subject to revision) and a refundable caution deposit of Rs 30,000 in Term I.
The institute's Academic Fee Waiver Scheme, introduced in 2025-26, gives a 50% waiver of academic fees to financially needy students, covering 2% of the students registering for the PGPM and PGPM-HR. Its scholarships page also points students to government schemes, including the central scholarships for SC, ST and OBC students, students with disabilities and minority communities, through the National Scholarship Portal.
Placements
In the NIRF 2025 data, the median salary of placed graduates of the two-year PG programmes was Rs 18.10 lakh a year for the batch graduating in 2023-24, with 383 of 386 graduates placed. The two previous years were Rs 18.60 lakh (2022-23) and Rs 16.00 lakh (2021-22).
The institute's Placement Report 2024-25, covering the batch that graduated in 2025, states it is audited for final placements for that academic year. Its highlights:
- 189 companies took part in final placements for the PGPM, and 40 for the PGPM-HR.
- The average CTC for the PGPM was Rs 19.27 lakh a year in 2025, against Rs 19.43 lakh in 2024.
- The average CTC for the PGPM-HR was Rs 17.84 lakh a year in 2025.
- IT and IT services drew the largest number of companies for the PGPM, followed by BFSI and manufacturing, pharma, hospitality and logistics.
Placement figures vary by year and role; read the official report before drawing conclusions.
Campus and student life
The institute's website lists air-conditioned smart classrooms, hostels, a learning resource centre, finance and behavioural labs, and sports facilities on campus.
Student exchange is available for about 12 to 15 weeks in Term V or Term VI. The institute lists six partner schools: IAE Aix-Marseille Graduate School of Management, ESSCA School of Management, EMLYON Business School, SKEMA Business School, ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Outside class, the placement report describes Daksha, a leadership conclave, and Lakshya, a guest lecture series that brought 32 speakers in 2024-25. Every PGPM student also does the Make A Difference project with an NGO or social enterprise. PGPM-HR students are paired one-to-one with senior HR mentors from industry.
How to prepare for IIM Tiruchirappalli
CAT carries 52% of the final score, so your percentile matters at both stages. The 75th-percentile sectional floor for General candidates also means a weak section can end your application before your overall score is counted. Plan your CAT 2026 preparation to bring all three sections up together rather than leaning on one, and use careful mock analysis to find the section that is holding you back.
Because 10% of the composite score rewards 24 to 29 months of work experience, a candidate with two years in a job gets a clear edge over a fresher. Academic marks together add another 10%. You cannot change your past marks, but you can understand where you stand: if your Class X, XII and graduation scores are modest, you will need a higher CAT score to compensate. Understanding how CAT percentiles relate to scores helps you set a realistic target.
The interview carries 20%. Be ready to discuss your academic background, work and reasons for an MBA clearly and briefly, and keep your documents ready, as JAP verifies credentials at several stages.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fee for the IIM Trichy MBA?
For the 2026-28 batch, the PGPM fee is Rs 19.5 lakh, excluding the Rs 30,000 refundable caution deposit and a mess advance of Rs 24,000 per term. Confirm the current figures on the official admissions page before you accept an offer.
What is the CAT cut-off for IIM Trichy?
For the 2026-28 batch, the published minimum for General candidates was 75 percentile in each section and 95.25 overall. The institute states that meeting these minimums does not guarantee an interview call, as the actual shortlist depends on the number of applicants.
How are IIM Trichy placements?
The NIRF 2025 data shows a median salary of Rs 18.10 lakh a year for the batch graduating in 2023-24. The audited 2024-25 report gives an average PGPM CTC of Rs 19.27 lakh a year, with 189 companies participating.
Does IIM Trichy give weight to work experience?
Yes. Work experience carries 10% of the final score for the 2026-28 batch, with the maximum awarded for 24 to 29 months of full-time paid work after graduation.
Is IIM Trichy part of CAP?
No. For 2026 it admitted through JAP 2026, with IIM Kashipur, IIM Raipur and IIM Ranchi. If you are weighing it against another JAP institute, compare the published weights on our IIM Ranchi and IIM Raipur pages.
Sources
- NIRF 2025 Management Ranking: rank and score (accessed 22 October 2026)
- NIRF 2025 data submitted by IIM Tiruchirappalli (IR-M-S-8948): sanctioned intake, graduates placed, median salary (accessed 22 October 2026)
- MBA Admission Policy: PGPM 2026-28 Batch: CAT cut-offs, selection weights, work experience scoring, interview venues, fee structure and fee waiver scheme (accessed 22 October 2026)
- JAP 2026 Policy (enclosed with IIM Ranchi Admission Criteria 2026): joint admission process and minimum academic eligibility (accessed 22 October 2026)
- About IIM Trichy: founding date, campus size and location (accessed 22 October 2026)
- PGPM (MBA) programme page: programme structure, case studies and guest talks (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Global and Industry Exposure: student exchange terms and partner schools (accessed 22 October 2026)
- Scholarships: government scholarship schemes listed by the institute (accessed 22 October 2026)
- IIM Tiruchirappalli Placement Report 2024-25: audited final placement highlights, average CTCs, company counts, campus initiatives (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.