IIM Lucknow vs IIM Indore, the choice between them is a tricky one. Considering that both IIM Lucknow and IIM Indore are tier 1 management institutes, offering quality education, a wide variety of courses, and placement opportunities. Both IIM Lucknow and IIM Indore take admissions based on the CAT 2025 score, alongside other criteria mentioned below. Both Institutes fall under the top 10 IIMs in NIRF ranking 2025, with IIM Lucknow at the 5th position and IIM Indore at the 8th position. Belonging to the IIM family, choosing between IIM Lucknow and IIM Indore can be difficult for a candidate. Both institutes offer the PGP cour
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se and have their own unique strengths. Placement package, fee, rank, and CAT percentile all play a crucial role in deciding which institute is best for a candidate. Continue reading the article to know more about the differences between the Institutes and what each institute has to offer.
NIRF Ranking 2025: IIM Lucknow holds 5th position in the NIRF ranking 2025, while IIM Indore holds a lower position at 8th place in the NIRF 2025 ranking.
IIM Work Experience: IIM Lucknow offers a 5% weightage for work experience to the candidates. But IIM Indore does not grant any marks for work experience.
IIM Fees 2026: IIM Indore fee for MBA 2026 stands at Rs. 21.17,158, higher than IIM Lucknow by approximately 40 thousand.
IIM CAT Cutoff 2025: The pre-PI CAT Cutoff for IIM Indore and IIM Lucknow is expected to be the same for both at 90 for the general category.
IIM Average Package 2025 : The average package of IIM Lucknow PGP 2025 stood at 32.2 LPA, whereas for IIM Indore PGP 2025, it was 29.57 LPA.
The list of various courses offered by IIM Lucknow and IIM Indore is given below. It can be helpful for a candidate while selecting between IIM Lucknow and IIM Indore based on their preferences for the courses offered by the institutes.
List Of Courses Offered | |
IIM Lucknow | IIM Indore |
PGP | PGP |
PGP - ABM | PGP HRM |
PGP - SM | PGP MX |
PGP WE | EPGP |
IPMX | IPM |
bMBA | DPM |
DPM | EDPM |
EFPM | EDPMG |
NIRF ranking is released by the Ministry of Education each year. IIM Indore has held a steady NIRF rank at the 8th position for the last three years. On the other hand, NIRF ranking for IIM Lucknow keeps changing, but has maintained a better number, ranking 5th in 2025. NIRF ranking is decided based on several parameters such as TLR (Teaching, Learning, and Resources), Graduation Outcomes, Research and Outcome Practices, Outreach & Inclusivity, and Peer perception. Check out the NIRF ranking for IIM Lucknow Vs IIM Indore for the past years in the table below.
Year | IIM Lucknow NIRF Ranking | IIM Indore NIRF Ranking |
NIRF Ranking 2025 | 5th | 8th |
NIRF Ranking 2024 | 7th | 8th |
NIRF Ranking 2023 | 6th | 8th |
The IIM Lucknow PGP fee 2026 can be slightly less than the IIM Indore PGP fee 2026. IIM Indore is expensive than IIM Lucknow by approximately 40 thousand. Candidates can check the expected PGP fee for 2026-28 batch for both institutes in the table below.
PGP Fee 2026 | Amount (Rs.) |
IIM Lucknow PGP Fee 2026 | 20,75,000 |
IIM Indore PGP Fee 2026 | 21.17,158 |
Based on past trends, it is expected that IIM Indore CAT Cutoff 2025 will be higher than IIM Lucknow for the general category candidates. The category-wise minimum CAT percentile of IIM Lucknow Vs IIM Indore for offered candidates, for the year 2024-26, was as follows:
Category | IIM Lucknow CAT Cutoff 2025 (expected) | IIM Indore CAT Cutoff 2025 (expected) |
General | 92.48 | 92.92 |
EWS | 88.18 | 92.5 |
NC-OBC | 83.74 | 80.44 |
SC | 67.36 | 68.93 |
ST | 62.51 | 52.3 |
PwD | 61.29 | 52.72 |
IIM Lucknow vs IIM Indore: Pre-PI Selection
The first stage of IIM admissions consists of candidates’ shortlisting for the PI and/or WAT round based on the CAT percentile obtained by the candidate. Aspirants must fulfil the minimum sectional percentile and overall percentile to be eligible for stage 2 of the IIM admissions process. Trends suggest that the IIM Lucknow CAT cutoff 2025 and IIM Indore CAT Cutoff 2025 would be the same for those applying for both the IIMs, according to the selection criteria.
The category-wise shortlisting criteria, required CAT cutoff percentile for WAT and/or PI for IIM Lucknow and IIM Indore, are provided below.
IIM Lucknow CAT Cutoff 2025 (expected) for Pre-PI | ||||
Category | VARC | DILR | QA | Total |
General | 85 | 85 | 85 | 90 |
EWS | 77 | 77 | 77 | 82 |
NC-OBC | 77 | 77 | 77 | 82 |
SC | 55 | 55 | 55 | 65 |
ST | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
PwD | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
IIM Indore CAT Cutoff 2025 (expected) for Pre-PI | ||||
Category | VARC | DILR | QA | Total |
General | 80 | 80 | 80 | 90 |
EWS | 80 | 80 | 80 | 90 |
NC-OBC | 70 | 70 | 70 | 80 |
SC | 55 | 55 | 55 | 60 |
ST | 40 | 40 | 40 | 45 |
PwD | 40 | 40 | 40 | 45 |
*Only shortlisted candidates for Stage 1 are invited for the Personal Interview and/or WAT round.
After successfully conducting the PI and/or WAT rounds, IIM Lucknow and IIM Indore will release their respective final admission lists for 2026. The final score of the candidates is calculated by assigning marks based on the weightage each component holds, as mentioned in the IIM Lucknow selection criteria 2026, as well as IIM Indore selection criteria 2026.
Components/ Score | IIM Lucknow Final Selection Criteria 2026 | IIM Indore Selection Criteria 2026 |
Academics | 10 (12 M - 5 GM - 5) | 10 (10th - 5 12th - 5) |
CAT | 30 | 40 |
PI | 40 | 45 |
Diversity | 5 | 5 |
Work Experience | 5 | NA |
WAT | 10 | NA |
Total | 100 | 100 |
Both IIM Lucknow and IIM Indore have offered 100% placement for their students. The Highest and Average package of the IIM Lucknow vs IIM Indore for the year 2025 is given in the following table.
IIM 2025 | Highest Package 2025 | Average Package 2025 |
IIM Lucknow PGP 2025 | 75 LPA | 32.2 LPA |
IIM Indore PGP 2025 | 70 LPA | 29.57 LPA |
The reservation percentage for both IIM Indore and IIM Lucknow is the same. Reservation percentage is followed as per the requirements laid out by the Government of India.
Category | Reservation % |
OBC | 27% |
SC | 15% |
ST | 7.5% |
EWS | 10% |
PwD | 5% |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
There is not much difference between the IIM Lucknow and IIM Indore fees. The fee for IIM Lucknow PGP is Rs. 20,75,000 (approximately), while IIM Indore PGP fee stands at approximately Rs. 21.17,158.
The minimum CAT percentile required for admission in IIM Indore is 90 percentile or higher for the General and EWS categories.
IIM Lucknow PGP’s highest package stood at 75 LPA for the year 2025.
Yes, IIM Indore is a tier 1 college for management studies.
IIM Lucknow has ranked 5th in the 2025 NIRF ranking.
Both IIM Lucknow and IIM Indore are top colleges for management studies. The choice will depend on the candidate's preference and future goals.
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