The question ‘Are IIT MBAs worth it?’ is being asked by students from all across India. One of the main reasons to pursue an MBA degree from an IIT is to secure good placements. Not only does an IIT MBA land you a high-paying job but also does not ask for huge investment in terms of fees from the students. Specific IITs which you must target for MBA admissions 2026 are IIT Bombay (SJMSOM), IIT Delhi (DMS), IIT Kharagpur (VGSOM), and IIT Roorkee (DOMS).
If you have scores between 90 to 98 percentile in CAT and you don’t want to spend another year chasing 99 percentile, then choosing the right college like an IIT for MBA is a good option having low fees and decent placement trends. Students must know that IITs have not remained a backup option anymore. IITs have better ROI than baby IIMs and offer a great peer learning environment. Don’t miss these IIT MBA options if you have a CAT 90-98 percentile.
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Is An IIT MBA Worth It?
Yes, an IIT MBA is worth it if you want your MBA degree to have a good brand name attached to it. Not only are IITs a brand, but the ROI or the placement packages offered at some of the top IITs is excellent, sometimes even better than baby IIMs. IIT MBA courses are suitable for those who have a strong inclination towards consulting, analytics, or any other tech-driven roles. But if you wish to pursue an MBA degree with the IIM brand then IITs are not worth it as it is a completely different type of college.
Let’s break down the pros and cons of pursuing an IIT MBA from top IITs in India. We will also compare IIT MBA with an MBA from baby IIMs like IIM Amritsar, IIM Bodh Gaya, IIM Jammu, etc. The best and the most practical way to answer the question ‘Is an IIT MBA worth it?’ is to clarify your end goal, compare fees, and check the college features. It is important to know that management is not the core domain of IITs, IITs are famous for technical studies but an MBA from an IIT is still worth it as the popular opinion states.
Pros and Cons of an IIT MBA
Here is a side-by-side comparison of IIT MBA pros vs cons. You can check the benefits of doing an MBA course from an IIT and measure its worthiness against the cons associated with such a course. This comparison of the pros and cons of an IIT MBA brings clarity to the question on whether it is worth it or not.
| Detailed Breakdown of IIT MBA Pros and Cons | |
| Pros of an IIT MBA | Cons of an IIT MBA |
| Strong ROI meaning you will have to pay less fees and get a good quality education. | It is not the first choice of top recruiters for management roles as it has a technical brand unlike IIMs that are established MBA brands. |
| It is a good option for those who want to work into product-based or technical roles. | The alumni of IIT MBA programmes are fewer compared to IIM alumni. |
| The batch size at IITs is usually smaller, which means better communication with faculty, participation in activities and so on. | Recruiters are attracted towards older IIMs more than newer IITs offering MBA courses. |
| Wide scope of peer learning due to strong diversity in the cohort. | The culture resembles an IT college rather than a B-school. |
IIT MBA Course Overview & Eligibility
Similar to IIMs, IIT MBA course duration is for 2 years in which the first year deals with core values while the second year dives deeper into specializations or electives. IIT MBA courses eligibility is vastly similar across all IITs with an academic qualification requirement of a graduation degree (any discipline) of at least 3-4 years. IIT MBA course admissions are based on CAT scores, while some IITs also consider your work experience and 10+2 level scores.
IIT Bombay Eligibility Criteria
| IIT Delhi MBA Eligibility Requirements | |
| Academic Criteria | Details |
| Minimum Marks Required | 60% for General/EWS/OBC |
| Reserved Category Minimum Marks Required | 55% for SC/ST/PwD |
| Degree Requirement | Graduation degree of 3-4 years. Final year students may apply. |
| Non-Engineer Background | Eligible |
| CAT Sectional Cutoff | 95+ |
| Batch Intake | 132 students (2024-2026) |
IIT Delhi Eligibility Criteria
| Evaluation Parameters | Details |
| Minimum Qualifying Score | 60% for General/EWS/OBC and 55% for SC/ST/PwD |
| Graduation Degree Duration | A graduation degree from any field is acceptable as long as its completion cycle is 3-4 years for the MBA programme. Students still in the last year of their qualifying degree are also eligible to apply. For MBA Telecom, specific degrees accepted are Engineering, Technology, Science, Commerce and Economics. |
| Eligibility for Non-Engineers | Non-engineers have the choice to apply for the IIT Bombay MBA course. |
| CAT Sectional Cutoffs | IIT Bombay CAT sectional cutoffs are not publicly announced. |
| MBA Seat Intake | 115 students (approximate count) |
| MBA Telecom Seat Intake | 30 students (approximate count) |
IIT Kharagpur Eligibility Criteria: MBA vs MBAHRM
IIT Kharagpur Eligibility Criteria General, EWS, OBC, SC, ST, and PwD candidates may apply
| Factors | MBA (VGSoM) | MHRM (Department of Humanities) |
| Last Qualification | Bachelor’s degree must be 4 years in Engineering, Technology, Pharmacy or Statistics while Masters Degree may be in Science, Economics, or Commerce with Math. | A 4 years Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Technology, Pharmacy or Medicine is acceptable. A Masters degree is accepted in any field. |
| Non-Engineers | Non-Engineers must have a valid Master’s degree to apply. A BCom degree is not considered for non-engineers. | As a non-engineering student you must have a Master’s degree. BA degree is not eligible for admissions. |
| Minimum CAT %ile | General/EWS – 90 %ile OBC – 81 %ile SC/ST/PwD – 60 %ile | General/EWS – 80 percentileNC-OBC – 72 percentileSC/ST/PwD – 53.33 percentile |
| Application Deadline | 5th February, 2026 | 20th February, 2026 |
| Intake | 200 (total) | 60 (Mostly seats remain vacant) |
IIT Madras Eligibility Criteria
| IIT Madras MBA Course Eligibility Criteria | |
| Components | Details |
| Graduation Score | General/EWS/OBC – 60% SC/ST/PwD – 55% |
| Degree Duration | Any degree with a duration of 3-4 years is accepted. Final year candidates are also eligible to apply. |
| Non-Engineers | Non-engineers may apply at IIT Madras for MBA |
| CAT Sectional Cutoffs | Not shown on the website |
| Batch Intake | 93 students for the 2023-25 batch |
IIT Kanpur Eligibility Criteria
| Important Details About IIT Kanpur MBA Admission | |
| Particulars | Details |
| Score in Graduation Degree | 60% for General, EWS and OBC |
| Reserved Category Criteria | Reserved category students receive 10% relaxation in their graduation marks. |
| Graduate Degree | Duration of the graduation degree must be at least 3 to 4 years. Final year students yet to receive their final marksheet are also eligible. |
| Non-engineers | Non-engineers must apply only if they have mathematics as a compulsory subject in their 10th and 12th standards. |
| CAT Section-wise Cutoff | No sectional cutoffs are imposed for IIT Kanpur MBA |
| Batch Intake | 53 students for the 2025-27 batch |
IIT Roorkee Eligibility Criteria
| MBA Admission Eligibility at IIT Roorkee | |
| Criteria | Detailed Requirements |
| Previous Qualifying Score | It must be 60% for General, EWS and OBC. (55% for SC/ST/PwD) |
| Graduation Degree Conditions | Graduation degree must be 3-4 years (any field). |
| Non-Engineers | Non-engineering students are eligible for MBA admissions. |
| CAT Section-wise Cutoffs | Not applicable |
| Intake | Total intake capacity is 95 students |
IIT MBA Selection & Weightage
IIT MBA selection and weightages are different for different institutions. The selection process at top IITs is done in two stages. Stage one is based on initial shortlisting where the CAT scores or academic history is considered to shortlist candidates based on merit. In the second stage, shortlisting takes place through PI, WAT or GD round.
After completion of the PI round, your respective IIT will weigh your performance based score/rank against their pre-determined shortlisting weightage criteria. A weight is assigned to each candidate’s profile components including their work experience, gender, etc on a 10 point weight scale. Below are the selection weightages used at IITs for MBA programme selection.
IIT Bombay Selection Process
| IIT Bombay Shortlist Process Details | |
| Selection Parameters | Shortlisting Weightage |
| CAT Score | 75% |
| 12th Score | 5% |
| Graduation Score | 10% |
| Post-Graduation | 5% |
| Work Experience | 5% |
| Gender Diversity | No direct points, women candidates may get shortlisted based on gender diversity. |
IIT Delhi Selection Process
On the basis of IIT Delhi’s selection criteria, candidates may receive interview calls.
| Weightage Given to Shortlist Components at IIT Delhi | ||
| Components | First Shortlist Criteria | Final Selection Criteria |
| CAT Score | 65% | 40% |
| 10th Score | 6% | 5% |
| 12th Score | 5% | 3% |
| Graduation Marks | 5% | 3% |
| Work Experience | 7% | 6% |
| Graduation Institute | 6% (for MoE funded/Inst. Of Eminence) | 3% |
| Personal Interview | NA | 40% |
IIT Kharagpur Selection Process
| Shortlisting Process and Selection Weightages | |
| Program Name | Details |
| MBA (VGSoM) Shortlisting Components | CAT, Academics, and Work Experience are considered for the first shortlist. When preparing the final shortlist, your application rating received 20% weightage, CAT marks, a 40% weightage, and the Personal Interview round performance also gets 40% weightage. |
| CAT Weightage for Final Selection | The VARC section weighs 20%, DILR 40% and QA 10%. |
| MHRM Shortlisting Process | It is based on your CAT score and overall academic profile. For MHRM, specific components and their weightage are not available. |
IIT Madras Selection Process
| Selection Process Details for MBA at IIT Madras | |
| Parameter | Weightage for Shortlisting |
| CAT Score | 75% |
| 10th Score | 2% |
| 12th Standard Marks | 3% |
| Graduation Degree Marks | 5% |
| Work Experience in Years | 10% |
| Gender Diversity | 3% |
| Academic Diversity | 2% |
IIT Kanpur Selection Process
| Components and Weightage for Final IIT Kanpur Selection Process | |
| Particulars | Details |
| Initial Shortlist | It is prepared on the basis of one’s CAT percentile. |
| Final Merit List | CAT score is given 20% weightage, Graduation marks 20%, Work Experience history receives 10%. |
| Final Weightage | GD+PI round performance is attributed 50% weightage with GD weighing 20% and PI weighing 30%. |
IIT MBA Specific Conditions
At IITs, special routes exist for a certain group of people, usually ex-IITians. If you have completed your previous qualification from an IIT with a high CGPA close to 7.0-8.0 scale then you are eligible for direct admissions. CAT scores are not required to take admission into IIT MBA courses.
| Key Schemes and Special Excemptions for IIT MBA Programmes | |
| College Name | Exemption Criteria or Special Conditions |
| IIT Madras | Graduates from IIT having a CGPA higher than 8.0 on a 10 point scale are not required to present CAT exam score. They remain exempted. |
| IIT Kanpur | It is mandatory to have taken Mathematics as a study subject at the 10+2 level.The minimum score required for admission for the General/EWS/OBC category is 80 percentile (55% for SC, ST, and PwD). |
| IIT Roorkee | JEE or Advanced qualifiers having a CGPA greater than 7.0 do not require CAT scores. These candidates may be called for an interview directly.Female candidates having 1st rank or a gold medal from either an IIT or any other NIRF ranked institution under top 50 shall be exempted from CAT. |
Conclusion
Depending on your personal goals and career aspirations, an IIT MBA may be a good option with high returns. IIT MBA courses follow almost the same structure and curriculum but the college environment, brand name associated with your degree, etc may differ. Students across India have praised IIT MBA courses for their diverse peer learning environment, excellent faculty/professors and a low cost of investment compared to other B-schools in the private sector.
Based on your CAT percentile, you may prefer to enroll into an IIT MBA course if you are comfortable with an IIT environment, and choose to complete your studies at a low cost. IIT MBA is a good option to get a decent salary package. If you already have a few years of work experience and a high CAT score above 90 percentile, your chances of admission into top IIT MBA courses is high with a strong chance of conversion. The IIT MBA option also does not have a sectional cutoff in CAT which becomes difficult to clear individually. Good academics at the 10+2 level, usually around 60% marks for the general category gives you the chance to apply for IIT MBA admission.
