IIM Lucknow (IIML): Admission Process, Programs Offered, Eligibility, Cut-offs, Fees & Placements

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.

About IIM Lucknow

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.


Courses Offered at IIM Lucknow

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


IIM Lucknow Admission Process 2026

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.


IIM Lucknow Admission Criteria 2026

Eligibility Criteria

Bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent as required for CAT.

CAT Exam

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.

Shortlisting for WAT and PI

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

Final selection is based on the combination of CAT, WAT, PI, academic profile, work experience, and diversity.

Offer of admission

Offers are made as per the policy and category-wise merit.


IIM Lucknow Fees 2025

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.


IIM Lucknow Cutoffs (Minimum CAT Requirements)

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.


IIM Lucknow Merit List / Final Selection

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


IIM Lucknow Final Placements 2025

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


Domain-wise Placement Statistics

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


Batch Profile

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


Key Recruiters

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


IIM Lucknow Summer Placements 2026

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.

Key Summer Placement Statistics

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


Conclusion

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."

Frequently Asked Questions

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.