Updated on 7th March 2026 | 03:21 pm |#IIMLAdmissions
IIM Lucknow, also known as IIML, is the fourth IIM, established in 1984, and is among India's leading management institutes. IIM Lucknow holds AMBA, AACSB, and EQUIS accreditations and features in NIRF and Financial Times rankings. IIM Lucknow programmes include two-year MBA, MBA-ABM, MBA-SM, PGP for Executives, MBA-WE, one-year IPMX, bMBA, and Ph.D. Placement statistics are published in official reports on the institute website. Candidates seeking admission need to meet IIM Lucknow eligibility and IIM cutoffs based on CAT and the institute's admission policy.
Read on for details on IIM Lucknow admission, fees, placements, and cut-offs.
IIM Lucknow (Indian Institute of Management Lucknow) is one of India's premier B-schools. The IIM Lucknow campus is at Prabandh Nagar, IIM Road, Lucknow – 226 013, with a second campus at Noida for executive programmes such as IPMX and PGP for Executives.
The institute emphasises the case study method, faculty quality, and an environment that fosters the development of ethical business leaders. As stated on the official Placement page:
IIM Lucknow's Ranking & Accreditations (including NIRF, AMBA, AACSB, Financial Times, EQUIS) are listed under About IIM Lucknow on the official website. Student exchange and international linkages are also detailed there.
Students can follow the table below to understand the courses and their duration offered at IIM Lucknow
|
Category |
Programme |
Duration |
Admission Basis |
|
Post Graduate Programmes (PGP) |
MBA |
2 Years |
CAT |
|
MBA-ABM (Agribusiness Management) |
2 Years |
CAT |
|
|
MBA-SM (Sustainability Management) |
2 Years |
CAT + Min. 24 months work exp. |
|
|
PGP for Executives |
MBA-WE / PGPWE (Working Executives) |
2 Years |
As per programme eligibility criteria |
|
IPMX – International Programme in Management for Executives (1-Year MBA) |
1 Year |
GMAT / GRE |
|
|
bMBA (Blended MBA) |
2 Years |
CAT |
|
|
Doctoral Programmes |
Ph.D in Management |
As per programme guidelines |
CAT / GMAT / GATE / JRF |
|
Ph.D for Working Executives (EFPM) |
As per programme guidelines |
GMAT / GRE / GATE / JRF |
|
|
Executive Education |
Short & Long Duration Programmes (EGMP, DGMP, MDPs, Customised Programmes, FDPs) |
Varies |
Programme-specific |
Admission to MBA, MBA-ABM, and MBA-SM is governed by the IIM Lucknow Admission Policy.
Stage 1: Shortlisting for WAT (Writing Ability Test) and PI (Personal Interview) is done on the basis of minimum CAT percentile requirements (sectional and overall), and a composite score that includes CAT performance, class 12 and graduation marks, work experience, and diversity factors.
Stage 2: Final selection is based on performance in WAT-PI and other criteria as specified in the admission policy. The WAT-PI shortlist for MBA / MBA-ABM / MBA-SM – Batch 2026-28 is published on the institute website.
The definitive process, criteria, and formulae are in the IIML Admission Policy and official admission pages at www.iiml.ac.in.
Bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent as required for CAT.
Applicants must have a valid CAT score. Shortlisting is based on minimum CAT cutoffs (sectional and overall) and the composite score defined in the admission policy.
Shortlisted candidates are invited for the Writing Ability Test (WAT) and the Personal Interview (PI). Shortlisting is based on a composite score that includes CAT performance, academic consistency, diversity factors, and work experience.
Final selection is based on the combination of CAT, WAT, PI, academic profile, work experience, and diversity.
Offers are made as per the policy and category-wise merit.
Students can check out the fee structure for MBA in IIM Lucknow for each term
|
Particulars |
Term I () |
Term II () |
Term III () |
Term IV () |
Term V () |
Total () |
|
Admission Fee (one-time) |
70,000 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
70,000 |
|
Tuition Fee |
1,90,000 |
1,90,000 |
1,90,000 |
— |
1,90,000 |
7,60,000 |
|
Infrastructure Fee |
1,15,000 |
1,15,000 |
1,15,000 |
1,15,000 |
1,15,000 |
5,75,000 |
|
Refundable Deposit |
20,000 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
20,000 |
|
Alumni Membership Fee |
— |
— |
— |
5,000 |
— |
5,000 |
|
GRAND TOTAL (incl. refundable deposit) |
3,95,000 |
3,05,000 |
3,05,000 |
1,20,000 |
3,05,000 |
14,30,000 |
** Fees are subject to changes, students are advised to keep checking the official IIM Lucknow website for latest updates.
Here is the list of cutoffs at IIM Lucknow for your reference, which goes as follows:
IIM Lucknow has established specific qualifying CAT percentile cutoffs for shortlisting candidates for the Personal Interview (PI) round. These cutoffs vary by category and are as follows:
|
Category |
VARC |
DILR |
QA |
Total |
|
General |
85 |
85 |
85 |
90 |
|
EWS / NC-OBC |
77 |
77 |
77 |
82 |
|
SC |
55 |
55 |
55 |
65 |
|
ST / PwD |
50 |
50 |
50 |
60 |
VARC = Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension | DILR = Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning | QA = Quantitative Ability
Important: The minimum PI pass mark is 12 out of 40. Candidates scoring below this threshold are excluded from the final merit list.
Disclaimer: Cutoffs and selection criteria are subject to change each year. Always verify from the official IIML Admission Policy.
The merit list and final selection are based on the composite score and criteria. The weightages for the final selection are given in the following table
|
Component |
Weight – MBA & MBA-SM |
Weight – MBA-ABM |
|
CAT Score |
30 |
35 |
|
Academic Performance (12th + Graduation) |
5 + 5 |
5 + 5 |
|
Diversity Factor (Academic + Gender) |
5 + 5 |
5 + 5 |
|
Work Experience |
5 |
0 (Not applicable) |
|
Writing Ability Test (WAT) |
10 |
10 |
|
Personal Interview (PI) |
40 |
40 |
|
TOTAL |
100 |
100 |
Indian Institute of Management Lucknow successfully completed its Final Placements 2025 with 604 offers for 583 students, recording an average salary of 32.3 LPA and a median of 31 LPA. Other statistics can be seen in the table below
|
Key Placement Statistics |
|
|
Indicator |
Value |
|
Batch |
2025 |
|
Total Batch Size |
583 |
|
Total Offers Secured |
604 |
|
Average CTC |
32.3 LPA |
|
Median CTC |
31 LPA |
|
Highest Domestic CTC |
75 LPA |
|
Highest International CTC |
65 LPA |
The table below presents a breakdown of placements across domains, including the percentage of batch placed, highest CTC, and mean CTC for each domain
|
Domain |
% of Batch |
Highest CTC |
Mean CTC |
|
Consulting |
38% |
45.3 LPA |
36.6 LPA |
|
General Management |
21% |
53 LPA |
29.2 LPA |
|
Finance |
15% |
75 LPA |
32.5 LPA |
|
IT / Tech / Product / Analytics |
14% |
57.6 LPA |
32.8 LPA |
|
Sales & Marketing |
8% |
42.5 LPA |
28.2 LPA |
|
Operations |
3% |
53.6 LPA |
29.6 LPA |
The table below presents a snapshot of the Batch of 2025 profile, covering gender composition, top institutes represented, and the distribution of work experience across the batch.
|
Gender Split |
Top Institutes Represented |
Work Experience Distribution |
|
Male: 68% (399) Female: 32% (184) |
IITs: 59 | NITs: 82 | BITS: 8 | SRCC: 22 |
0-1 yr: 250 | 1-2 yrs: 118 | 2-3 yrs: 129 | 3-4 yrs: 63 | 4+ yrs: 23 |
Here is the list of key recruiters for IIM Lucknow
|
Category |
Recruiters (Selected) |
|
First-Time Recruiters |
Ather Energy, Crackle Technologies, GMR Group, HPCL, Jefferies, Karan Group, Lava, Mankind Pharma, Marsh McLennan, Maruti Suzuki, NAFED, PhonePe, Purplle, TESCO, TVS Supply Chain Solutions, UKG, Varroc, Walmart |
|
Legacy Recruiters |
Accenture, Adani Group, Aditya Birla Group, Adobe, Amazon, American Express, Bain & Company, Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte, EY Parthenon, Godrej, Goldman Sachs, JPMC, Kearney, McKinsey & Company, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, PwC, Tata Administrative Services, Zomato |
For MBA aspirants, summer placements offer the first real glimpse into the corporate world. Conducted at the end of Year 1, these internships allow students to apply classroom learning in live business environments, and for many, they become the launchpad for their final placement offers through the PPO route.
Students can check out the Key summer placement statistics for IIM Lucknow
|
Indicator |
Value |
|
Batch |
2026 |
|
Total Batch Size |
576 |
|
Total Offers Secured |
576 |
|
Average Stipend |
1.43 Lakhs / month |
|
Median Stipend |
1.50 Lakhs / month |
|
Highest Domestic Stipend |
3.95 Lakhs / month |
|
Highest International Stipend |
1.75 Lakhs / month |
|
Students with Stipend > 1 Lakh/month |
409 students |
|
Students with Stipend > 1.5 Lakhs/month |
279 students |
|
Average Stipend – Top 10% |
2.92 Lakhs / month |
For thousands of MBA aspirants every year, IIM Lucknow represents more than just a degree; it is a launchpad into India's top boardrooms, consulting firms, and global organisations. With a rigorous admission process, world-class faculty, and a placement record that consistently attracts India's best recruiters, IIML continues to cement its place among the country's premier B-schools. If you are targeting IIM Lucknow for the Batch of 2026-28, now is the time to align your CAT preparation with the cutoffs, understand the admission criteria in depth, and put your best foot forward."
For the General category, the minimum overall CAT percentile required for shortlisting is 90, with a minimum of 85 in each section (VARC, DILR, and QA).
Yes, for the MBA programme, work experience carries a weightage of 5 marks in the final selection score. However, for MBA, work experience carries zero weightage. For MBA-SM, a minimum of 24 months of work experience is mandatory just to be eligible.
The total fee including the refundable deposit is 14,30,000, spread across five terms. This includes admission fee, tuition fee, infrastructure fee, alumni membership, and a refundable caution deposit of 20,000.
The Batch of 2025 recorded a mean CTC of 32.3 LPA and a median CTC of 31 LPA, with the highest domestic offer reaching 75 LPA
Yes, IIM Lucknow holds all three of the world's most prestigious business school accreditations AMBA, AACSB, and EQUIS, making it one of the few Indian B-schools with triple accreditation.