NIRF 2025: These 5 IIMs Show Surprising Rise This Year
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NIRF 2025: These 5 IIMs Show Surprising Rise This Year

#MBA
Suvam MaitiUpdated on 18 Sep 2025, 10:05 AM IST

IIM Sambalpur took a giant leap in the MBA NIRF 2025 ranking, which was released on September 4, 2025. In the NIRF ranking 2025 for the MBA colleges, IIM Sambalpur improved its rank by 16 places and moved to 34 from the NIRF ranking of 50 in 2024. Though IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore and IIM Kozhikode maintained their position as the top 3 management colleges in India as per NIRF ranking 2025, it was 5 IIMS that showed a surprising rise in NIRF 2025 ranking that took the spotlight with its NIRF 2025 rank list. Along with the improvement in the NIRF Ranking 2025, IIM Sambalpur also improved its NIRF score, which reached 58.59 from 51.47 of the last year. Apart from IIM Sambalpur, IIM Trichy (16) and IIM Jammu (35) are up by 11 and 7 places respectively in the NIRF ranking PDF 2025.

This Story also Contains

  1. NIRF Management Ranking 2025: Key Highlights
  2. NIRF Ranking 2025: Top 5 IIMS that gained the most this year
  3. NIRF Ranking 2025: IIMs Gainers
  4. NIRF Ranking 2025: From 66 to 34 in 3 years, IIM Sambalpur’s Growth has been steady over the years
  5. IIM Sambalpur in the NIRF Ranking over the Years
  6. NIRF Ranking 2025: Top 3 IIMS that lost the most this year
  7. NIRF Ranking 2025: IIMs that slipped the
  8. NIRF MBA Ranking 2025: How IIMs Performed this year
  9. NIRF Ranking 2025: How IIMs Performed 2025 Vs 2024
NIRF 2025: These 5 IIMs Show Surprising Rise This Year
NIRF 2025 Ranking: 5 IIMs Show Surprising Rise

NIRF Management Ranking 2025: Key Highlights

  • NIRF 2025 Ranking Top 3 IIMs are IIM Ahmedabad (1), IIM Bangalore (2), and IIM Kozhikode (3).

  • Out of 21 IIMs, 9 IIMs improved their NIRF Ranking, while 6 IIMs slipped in NIRF 2025 Ranking compared to last year.

  • NIRF 2025 Ranking: The Highest Gain among IIMs is IIM Sambalpur (34), ranking increased by 16 places. IIM Trichy (16) NIRF 2025 ranking increased by 11 places, and IIM Jammu (35) NIRF 2025 Ranking increased by 7 places.

  • IIM Shillong (38) slipped 14 points from NIRF ranking 24 last year, while IIM Amritsar (64) slipped 17 places from 47 last year.

NIRF Ranking 2025: Top 5 IIMS that gained the most this year

Here is the list of the IIMs that have increased their places in the NIRF Ranking 2025, as well as the NIRF score 2025

NIRF Ranking 2025: IIMs Gainers

IIM

State

NIRF Ranking 2025

NIRF ranking 2024

Improve from NIRF Ranking 2024

NIRF Score 2025

IIM Sambalpur

Odisha

34

50

+16

58.59

IIM Tiruchirappalli

Tamil Nadu

16

27

+ 11

64.95

IIM Jammu

Jammu & Kashmir

35

42

+7

58.5

IIM Nagpur

Maharashtra

25

31

+6

60.88

IIM Sirmaur

Himachal Pradesh

51

57

+6

54.03

IIM, Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh

5

7

+2

77.97

IIM Bodh Gaya

Bihar

31

33

+2

59.65

IIM, Raipur

Chhattisgarh

15

14

+1

65.03

IIM, Udaipur

Rajasthan

21

22

+1

61.79

NIRF Ranking 2025: From 66 to 34 in 3 years, IIM Sambalpur’s Growth has been steady over the years

IIM Sambalpur, which was ranked 50 in the NIRF Ranking 2024, climbed up to 16 places to gain a rank of 34 in the NIRF ranking 202,5, which was published on September 4, 2025. Though there are better-ranked IIMs in the NIRF MAB ranking 2025, none of them increased their ranking like IIM Sambapur did. However, rather than a surprise, it is a steady and continuous growth for IIM Sambalpur.

From the NIRF ranking 2022, where Sambalpur was ranked 66, it has moved gradually upwards in the next three years. From 58 in the NIRF ranking 2023 and 50 in the NIRF ranking 2024, this management college in Odisha gained its highest rank (34) in the NIRF ranking PDF.

As it will be evident from the table below, this year, IIM Sambalpur improved its score in all five parameters, which is the deciding factor for the NIRF ranking 2025. In the TLR, it scored 80.96, up from 64, while in RPC, IIM Sambalpur gained a score of 20.18. In the Outreach and Inclusivity (OI), IIM Sambalpur scored 80.34. This needs a special mention as this year, in the 2025-27 batch, IIM Sambalpur witnessed non-engineers having a slight edge over the engineers in the flagship MBA programme.

Celebrating their improvement in the MBA NIRF ranking 2025, the IIM posted on social media that,

“IIM Sambalpur, a rising beacon of management excellence, has scripted yet another milestone in its journey! Year after year, the institute continues to redefine the benchmarks of management education, nurturing leaders who are not only future-ready professionals but also ethically grounded and socially conscious changemakers.

This achievement signifies a remarkable 16-place rise from last year, highlighting IIM Sambalpur’s consistent progress and commitment to excellence.

Gratitude to our faculty, students, alumni, followers, and stakeholders for being integral to this journey of growth and impact.”

IIM Sambalpur in the NIRF Ranking over the Years

Years

NIRF Rank

TLR

RPC

GO

OI

Perception

Score

NIRF 2025

34
(Up by 16 ranks)

80.96

20.77

84.61

80.34

31.31

58.59

NIRF 2024

50
(Up by 8 ranks)

64.06

18.02

81.32

75.56

30.31

51.47

NIRF 2023

58

(Up by 8 ranks)

70.41

14.09

78.38

74.76

23.95

50.9

NIRF 2022

66

56.84

13.00

84.26

70.52

22.58

47.11

NIRF Ranking 2025: Top 3 IIMS that lost the most this year

Here is the list of three IIMs whose ranking slipped down from that of the NIRF ranking 2024

NIRF Ranking 2025: IIMs that slipped the

IIM

State

NIRF Ranking 2025

NIRF ranking 2024

Position Slipped from NIRF Ranking 2024

NIRF Score 2025

IIM Amritsar

Punjab

64

47

-17

51.7

IIM Shillong

Meghalaya

38

24

-14

57.7

IIM Rohtak

Haryana

19

12

-7

62.6

IIM, Visakhapatnam

Andhra Pradesh

29

26

-3

59.95

IIM, Calcutta

West Bengal

7

5

-2

77.34

IIM, Ranchi

Jharkhand

18

17

-1

62.77

NIRF MBA Ranking 2025: How IIMs Performed this year

Like last year, IIM Ahmedabad (1), IIM Bangalore (2) and IIM Kozhikode (3) remained in the top three spots of the NIRF ranking 2025 for the management domain. However, apart from these three IIMs, IIM Kolkata dropped two places from 5 to 7 in the NIRF ranking 2025. IIM Shillong, another old IIM, also witnessed a 14-place slip from 24 to 38 in the NIRF ranking 2025.

In the table below, we have charted out how 21 IIMs, the prominent colleges to study MBA in India, have performed in the NIRF 2025 ranking list

NIRF Ranking 2025: How IIMs Performed 2025 Vs 2024

IIM

State

NIRF Ranking 2025

NIRF ranking 2024

Position Improved/ Slipped from NIRF Ranking 2024

NIRF Score 2025

IIM, Ahmedabad

Gujarat

1

1

0

83.29

IIM, Bangalore

Karnataka

2

2

0

81.56

IIM, Kozhikode

Kerala

3

3

0

79.85

IIM, Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh

5

7

+2

77.97

IIM, Mumbai

Maharashtra

6

6

0

77.58

IIM, Calcutta

West Bengal

7

5

-2

77.34

IIM, Indore

Madhya Pradesh

8

8

0

75.68

IIM, Raipur

Chhattisgarh

15

14

+1

65.03

IIM, Tiruchirappalli

Tamil Nadu

16

27

+ 11

64.95

IIM, Ranchi

Jharkhand

18

17

-1

62.77

IIM, Rohtak

Haryana

19

12

-7

62.6

IIM, Udaipur

Rajasthan

21

22

+1

61.79

IIM, Kashipur

Uttarakhand

23

23

0

61.74

IIM, Nagpur

Maharashtra

25

31

+6

60.88

IIM, Visakhapatnam

Andhra Pradesh

29

26

-3

59.95

IIM, Bodh Gaya

Bihar

31

33

+2

59.65

IIM, Sambalpur

Odisha

34

50

+16

58.59

IIM, Jammu

Jammu & Kashmir

35

42

+7

58.5

IIM, Shillong

Meghalaya

38

24

-14

57.7

IIM, Sirmaur

Himachal Pradesh

51

57

+6

54.03

IIM, Amritsar

Punjab

64

47

-17

51.7

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Which is the top-most MBA college in the NIRF Ranking 2025?
A:

IIM Ahmedabad is the top-most MBA college in the NIRF Ranking 2025. 

Q: Which is the top-most non-IIM MBA college in the NIRF Ranking 2025?
A:

IIT Delhi is the top-most non-IIM MBA college in the NIRF Ranking 2025. 

Q: Which is the top-most IIM MBA college in the NIRF Ranking 2025?
A:

IIM Ahmedabad is the top-most IIM in the NIRF Ranking 2025. 

Q: Which is the top-most IIT MBA college in the NIRF Ranking 2025?
A:

IIT Delhi is the top-most IIT that offers MBA in the NIRF ranking 2025

Q: Which is the top-most private MBA college in the NIRF Ranking 2025?
A:

MDI Gurgaon is the top-most private MBA college in teh NIRF Ranking 2025

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Hello,

Transferring mid-stream from an online MBA to an offline MBA is generally very difficult and rare, requiring a fresh application and usually withdrawal from your current program. You can apply for a new offline MBA after completing your online MBA or even while pursuing it (with caution), provided your current university is recognized.

I hope it will clear your query!!

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You have scored 234 (QA: 78, VA: 84, LR: 72), you have a higher chance of getting a call from the NMIMS Mumbai MBA Core call, as it is the nearest score to the 235 cutoff. You have a good score in the verbal subject and have a decent score in QA/LR, which makes a call quite possible. It also depends on the final year's cutoffs and the specific section requirements. Around 230-250 marks are considered a good score. I hope this information helps you.

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Yes, it is possible to pursue an MBA again, even if you have already completed your first MBA from a state university. Many students can do an MBA course twice for skills enhancement, a stronger network and significant career growth. It helps to grow the work experience to show a real need for the second degree. If you need any information regarding the MBA course, please read the article List of B-School Exams in India which was published on our official website, careers360.

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MBA colleges Admissions are usually based on entrance exams like CAT, XAT, GMAT, or CMAT.
Some MBA colleges in India offer direct admission without entrance exams. These colleges usually admit students based on graduation marks, basic eligibility criteria, and document verification.
It is important to check UGC approval, accreditation, faculty quality, and placement support before choosing any college offering direct MBA admission.

Some Top Colleges in North:
IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Lucknow, IIM Indore, Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, XLRI Jamshedpur, SP Jain Institute of Management and Research Delhi NCR, IMT Ghaziabad

Some Top Colleges in South:

IIM Bangalore, IIM Kozhikode, Indian School of Business (ISB) Hyderabad, Great Lakes Institute of Management Chennai, PSG Institute of Management Coimbatore, LIBA (Loyola Institute of Business Administration) Chennai, XIME Bangalore, SDMIMD Mysore

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree offers a wide range of specialized fields, allowing professionals to focus their expertise on specific industries or business functions. Choosing the best specialization depends heavily on your prior work experience, career goals, and the industry you wish to target. You can explore a detailed list of all MBA types and specializations here: Choosing the best specialization depends heavily on your prior work experience, career goals, and the industry you wish to target. You can explore a detailed list of all MBA types and specializations here: Types of MBA Courses and Specializations .