An MBA is more than just a degree, it goes beyond college and placement. Today, the true value of an MBA is realized only when pursued from a top-tier institution. In India, there are three top B-schools starting with IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Calcutta stand at the top of management education, offering amazing opportunities. For most MBA aspirants, securing admission to one of these three prestigious institutes is a dream. But the key question remains: From these colleges, which is the best one? In this blog, we will compare IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIM Calcutta based on placements, fees, acceptance rate, batch profile, and job roles offered, helping you make an informed decision.
Admission to IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta is really competitive, with each institute recording an IIM acceptance rate of less than 0.20%. With such less IIM admission rates, getting into these premiere B-schools is harder than ever we look. It not only requires high CAT percentile but also a strong academic and professional background.
What is the Best of Them? IIM A vs. IIM B vs. IIM C
NIRF Ranking often place IIM Ahmedabad as the top B-school in India, yet many students choose IIM Bangalore or IIM Calcutta over it. Why? Because rankings don’t always reflect every important factor.
For some students, they prefer IIM Bangalore due to its structured curriculum, where difficult subjects are spread across semesters. Others opt for IIM Calcutta because it has a higher proportion of freshers, and companies often offer fresh graduates salaries equal to or even higher than those with prior work experience. Another reason could be their job role preference, as IIM Calcutta primarily offers finance roles, IIM Bangalore focuses on product management, and IIM Ahmedabad provides a mix of roles, mainly in consulting.
Personal preferences also play a role. A student from Gujarat may prefer IIM Ahmedabad, while someone from Karnataka may prefer IIM Bangalore. Factors like placements, alumni network, infrastructure, batch diversity, and future opportunities also influence decisions. Ultimately, choosing between these three institutes is a subjective decision, aspirants look beyond rankings to find the best fit for their goals.
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MBA Placement – IIM A vs. IIM B vs. IIM C
Based on the figures below, IIM Calcutta holds an edge over the others in terms of median salary, which is a better metric for placement comparison. On the other hand, IIM Bangalore offers the highest average package despite having the largest MBA batch. However, when considering fluctuations across different years, all three institutes remain in the same league in terms of placements.
| MBA College | Particulars | CTC (INR) |
| IIM Ahmedabad (Domestic Job offers) (2023) | Highest Package | 1.46 Cr. Per Annum |
| Average Package | 34.45 LPA | |
| Median Package | 31.58 LPA | |
| IIM Bangalore (2024)(Domestic+International Job Offers) | Average Package | 35.92 LPA |
| Median Package | 32.50 LPA | |
| IIM Calcutta (2023)(Domestic Job Offer) | Highest Package | 1.15 Cr. Per Annum |
| Average Package | 35.07 LPA | |
| Median Package | 33.67 LPA |
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MBA Fees – IIM A vs. IIM B vs. IIM C
| MBA College | Total Fees (INR) |
| IIM Ahmedabad | 28 Lakhs |
| IIM Bangalore | 26.20 Lakhs |
| IIM Calcutta | 27 Lakhs |
In terms of fees, all three institutes are more or less the same, reflecting the cost of pursuing an MBA from a top-tier college. This investment is well-suited for ambitious students looking to turn their once-in-a-lifetime MBA experience into a golden opportunity.
Acceptance Rate & Batch Profile – IIM A vs. IIM B vs. IIM C
Despite the acceptance rate being below 1%, the number of batches is still promising for any aspirant since a large pool of applicants are accepted based on their overall profile and not just CAT percentile.
The IIM admission rate at these top institutes remains low due to intense competition to enter. With IIM Ahmedabad having an acceptance rate of just 0.15%, IIM Bangalore having 0.16% and IIM Calcutta at 0.18%, it’s evident that we will be selective towards these institutes. The low IIM acceptance rates highlight the need for standout profiles across these top institutes. It is a mix of excellent CAT scores, academics, work experience and diversity factors
| MBA College | Number of Students in a Batch (2023) | Acceptance out of the admission process |
| IIM Ahmedabad | 389 | 0.15% |
| IIM Bangalore | 530 | 0.16% |
| IIM Calcutta | 465 | 0.18% |
Job Roles Offered – IIM A vs. IIM B vs. IIM C
In spite of the variety of job roles offered, there are only a few preferred job roles that aspirants target, such as those below mentioned. More importantly, it must be noted that in consulting roles, several job functions were focused on marketing, finance, product management roles, and many other functions that these institutes are preferred for. The percentage is based on the total number of students in the batch participating in the placement.
| MBA College | Consulting | Finance | Sales & Marketing | Product Management |
| IIM A | 45% | 21% | 6% | 13% |
| IIM B | 40% | 9% | 11% | 14% |
| IIM C | 41% | 15% | 9% | 18% |
Looking at the whole, it’s very hard to decide which MBA college is the best. Not only placement, but these colleges overall stand at the same level in all parameters, which favors personal and subjective decision to take control of the final decision.
Conclusion: IIM A vs. IIM B vs. IIM C
Choosing between IIM A, IIM B and IIM C is not an easy task. All three are premier business institutes with world class infrastructure, excellent placement stats, rich alumni networks and strong academics alongside. While IIM Ahmedabad is ranked among the top management institutes in India, IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta are also highly competitive in nature.
With IIM Admission rate below 0.20% across all three institutes, cracking the CAT exam and securing a seat is nothing short of a challenge. These ultra -low IIM acceptance rate reflect the high competition and competitive nature.
FAQs: IIM A vs. IIM B vs. IIM C
Q1. What is the IIM acceptance rate for top B-schools like IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta?
The IIM acceptance rate is important for aspirants to understand and it is highly competitive. IIM Ahmedabad has an acceptance rate of 0.15%, IIM Bangalore stands at 0.16% and IIM Calcutta stands at 0.18%. These figures mentioned reflect the admission process followed by these prestigious B-schools.
Q2. Why is the IIM admission rate so low?
The reason for the low IIM admission rate may be due to the higher number of applicants and the comprehensive selection process that these top institutes follow and that goes beyond CAT scores. Candidates in the admission process are evaluated on the basis of academics, work experience, diversity, performance in WAT and PI rounds.
Q3. How can I increase my chances despite low IIM acceptance rates?
To improve your chances for the IIM acceptance rate despite having less chances could be due to the high CAT percentile , strong academic background, your work experience and preparing well for the personal interview and written ability test rounds. Also to stand out for the IIM admission process you need to shift your focus towards top IIMs.
