BLACKI IIMs Compared: How They Differ on MBA Costs, Placements and Student Investment

BLACKI IIMs NIRF Ranking

As per the latest NIRF 2025 MBA ranking data, BLACKI IIMs have been ranked in the following way-

As we can see above, both IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore continue to be the top 2 IIMs in India consistently.

BLACKI IIM MBA Fees Analysis

The top IIMs in India charge a hefty amount as MBA fees. The average MBA fees charged by the IIMs is around Rs.20-27.5 lakh. This amount is charged for the 2 year MBA/PGDM programs offered by these IIMs. To analyse the MBA fees of the top 6 IIMs in India, refer to the table given below.

As per the data given in the table, we can conclude the following key highlights-

• As per the data, IIM Ahmedabad has the highest MBA fees of Rs.27.50 Lakh while the lowest MBA fees is charged by IIM Lucknow at Rs.20.75 Lakh.

• The difference between the highest and the lowest MBA fees is just Rs.6.75 Lakh.

• Comparing all IIMs, IIM Kozhikode gives the highest return on investment (ROI) at 1.37 and IIM Indore gives the lowest ROI at 1.16.

Also, there are several other components other than the tuition fees which are charged by the IIMs and need to be paid separately. These include-

• Admission Fees

• Mess Deposit

• Hostel Charges

• Refundable Caution Deposit

BLACKI IIM MBA Placement Reports

One of the things which make the BLACKI IIMs well known is the competitive placements they provide to the students. BLACKI IIMs have strong networks with top-tier MNCs and unicorn businesses in India. These MNCs actively recruit students from BLACKI IIMs and offer high level positions and competitive salaries. Refer to the table given below to know about the average, median and highest salaries offered by these BLACKI IIMs.

As per the data given, we can observe the following key highlights-

• Among the 6 IIMs, IIM Indore has the lowest placement record at an average salary of Rs.25 LPA despite charging higher fees than IIM Kozhikode and IIM Lucknow.

• Among all the IMs, both IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta have placed the highest annual package exceeding 1 crore.

• IIM Lucknow even after charging the lowest MBA fees among all 6 IIMs, placed it’s candidates with an average salary of Rs.32.3 LPA. This figure is higher than what is placed by both IIM Kozhikode and IIM Indore.

Read More- MBA Placements 2026: IIM Salary, Highest Package & More

Expenses Made By BLACKI IIMs

The fees which is charged by the IIMs is spent on multiple expenses such as salary of the faculty, academic resource expenses, Infrastructure expenses, etc. Let’s discuss some of the major expenses made by the BLACKI IIMs and see if they’re worthwhile or not.

Salaries of Faculty & Academic Resource Expenses

IIMs pay their faculty well as they are well-equipped with industry exposure, domain knowledge and have professional work experience. For the better learning and skill development of the IIM students, IIMs spend a good amount on the academic resources including the books, e-learning material too. Refer to the expenses made by the top-6 IIMs on the faculty salaries and academic resources in the past 2 academic sessions as per the data submitted to NIRF.

Here, we can see that the highest faculty salary is consistently paid by IIM Ahmedabad for both the sessions which is Rs.194.46 crore and Rs.194.72 crore. On the other hand, the lowest faculty salary is paid by IIM Calcutta at Rs.40.67 crore and Rs.36.13 crore. Even though the final MBA placement is almost the same for IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta, approx 360% higher amount is being paid by IIM Ahmedabad as salary to the faculty. Now students can raise some questions related to this such as-

• Does paying higher salary to the employees mean higher educational outcomes for the students?

• Is it really something extra-ordinary which the faculty at IIM Ahmedabad is teaching to their students which isn’t being taught anywhere else?

• Does paying higher to the faculty mean higher placement opportunities for the students?

Interesting Reads: IIM Admission Mess 2026 | IIM Indore to study Vaibhav Sooryanvanshi | An IIM Student Shares the Biggest Mistake MBA Aspirants Make

Infrastructure & Renovation Expenses

IIMs also spend a good amount of MBA fees on the renovation of the campus and other infrastructure related expenses. These expenses are made with the purpose of building premier residential, academic and recreational environments for students and the faculty. Refer to the table given below for a brief analysis of the infrastructure and renovation expenses made by BLACKI IIMs annually. These expenses do not include maintenance of hostels or rent of the building. The figures given below are as per the data submitted to NIRF by the IIMs.

As we can see in the data given, IIMs usually spend a hefty amount annually on the infrastructure and campus expenses. IIM Calcutta and IM Kozhikode in the previous session spent Rs.203.29 crores and Rs.200.90 crores which is higher than any other IIM. The questions that arise here are that is it actually worth spending this much amount on infrastructure every year? Or does it contribute to the learning experience of the candidates? We interviewed a bunch of IIM candidates who asked whether they were paying for developing skills or just to fund an IIM brand value.

Seminars And Conference Workshops

IIMs conduct annual workshops and seminars with an aim to improve the student learning experience and develop high level skills. A good portion of the MBA fees is spent by these IIMs to conduct these seminars and workshops. Refer to the table given below to get a brief idea about the amounts spent by BLACKI IIMs to conduct these workshops and seminars every year.

The numbers in the table above reveal that many IIMs spend a high amount on seminars and workshops annually. For example- IIM Lucknow spent Rs.12.46 crores in 2023 and similarly IIM Calcutta spent Rs.10.79 crores on seminars in 2023. Even after spending this much amount on seminars and workshops, the actual number of students benefitting from this are still unknown.

Even after the tempting placement records of IIMs, many candidates still remain skeptical about whether it’s worth doing an MBA from top IIMs or not. It purely depends on the goal and needs of the person. Some people join IIMs for that IIM tag and the brand value it offers, while others join these colleges for hefty MBA salary packages. However, the huge amounts spent by these IIMs on their annual expenses don’t make sense to many people. People who just want academic learning and skill development don’t find this much attractive. Hence, the final decision lies with the people only about whether it’s worth doing an MBA from BLACKI IIMs or not.