IIM or ISB: Which one is Best

IIM stands for Indian Institute of Management while ISB stands for Indian School of Business. The major difference between these two management schools is the fact that IIM offers 2-year management programs for solid academic profiles, whereas ISB offers a 1-year PGP program targeted at young industry professionals with work experience.

IIM Vs ISB: Key Difference

To understand the major hype around these two top universities in the nation, students need to be aware of the key distinctions between IIM and ISB.

Indian Institute Management (IIM)

The Indian Institutes of Management are public business schools for management that are owned by the central government. They offer undergraduate, postgraduate, doctorate, and executive programs in addition to some extra business administration courses.

The coordination of multiple organisational divisions (such as human resources, finance, marketing, and information resources) is covered in the management course in order to achieve an organization's objectives and run the business effectively. Even more courses like Business Analytics, Executive Management, Leadership Programs, PGP, and others are now being offered by the institution.

Read More: IIM vs FMS

Indian School of Business(ISB)

The Indian School of Business is a private business school established in India in 2001. It has two parallel campuses in India, in Hyderabad and Mohali. It offers certificates in various post-graduate management programs. 

The university provides post-graduate degrees in management, management for working professionals, management for senior executives, and management for family businesses. Additionally, the institution offers the ISB Advanced Management Programs in five specializations.

Read More: MBA After 12th

IIM vs ISB: Fee Structure

Below is the list of IIM colleges and their fee structure, along with courses offered by ISB Hyderabad mentioned for the candidates planning to get admissions for their management courses in these prestigious institutions.

IIM Fee Structure

Below is the list of IIT colleges in India along with their fee structure is mentioned below in the table.

IIMs Fee Structure

Colleges	Average Fees (INR)
IIM Ahmedabad	28,00,000 - 32,00,000
IIM Bangalore	23,50,000 - 24,50,000
IIM Calcutta	25,00,000 - 27,00,000
IIM Lucknow	14,05,000 - 19,25,000
IIM Kozhikode	17,50,000 - 20,50,000
IIM Indore	16,00,000 - 21,17,000
IIM Tiruchirappalli	11,80,000 - 14,00,000
IIM Udaipur	13,00,000 - 16,54,000
IIM Raipur	14,20,000 - 15,84,000
IIM Ranchi	10,10,000 - 15,30,000
IIM Rohtak	14,00,000 - 15,20,000
IIM Shillong	14,37,500 - 14,60,000
IIM Kashipur	12,00,000 - 15,42,000
IIM Nagpur	13,75,000 - 18,00,000
IIM Amritsar	10,50,000 - 13,20,000
IIM Bodhgaya	10,50,000 - 15,55,000
IIM Sambalpur	10,50,000 - 13,00,000
IIM Sirmaur	10,34,000 - 12,50,000
IIM Jammu	8,52,000 - 13,80,000
IIM Vizag	11,00,000 - 15,04,000

Read More: IIM Fees for MBA

ISB Fee Structure

Below is the list of courses offered by ISB in India along with their fee structure is mentioned below in the table.

ISM Fee Structure

Course Name	Average Fees (INR)
Post Graduate Program in Management [PGPM]	33 lakhs - 36.30 lakhs
Post Graduate Programme in Management (Working Executives)	28 lakhs - 30.46 lakhs
Post Graduate Program in Family Managed Business [PGPFMB]	38 lakhs - 41.98 lakhs
Advanced Management Programme	10 lakhs - 13.86 lakhs
Executive Fellow Program in Management [EFPM]	45 lakhs - 47 lakhs
Post Graduate Program in Management for Senior Executives [PGPMAX]	38 lakhs - 41.63 lakhs

Read More: ISB Fees for MBA

IIM Vs ISB: Admission Procedure

Below are the admission guidelines mentioned for the candidate planning to get admission into IIM and ISB for their management courses in various fields. Candidates must adhere to these eligibility criteria before appearing for these courses. 

Admission Process for IIM

An established protocol governs the admission process to an IIM. For admission to IIMs, aspirant applicants must first register for the CAT exam. However, the steps are listed below:

• Shortlisting Candidates determined by CAT results: Candidates are contacted by the IIMs for admission once they have passed the CAT exam and have a valid CAT score. Each IIM will announce its admission requirements and cutoff via an official announcement posted on its website.
• Eligible candidates may move on to the admissions rounds after that.
• The GD-PI is called for candidates. Based on WAT: The candidate's CAT scores are thoroughly assessed at this level. Only those applicants who met the applied IIM's cutoff are summoned for group discussion and personal interviews.
• Final decision-making and calculation of composite score: In this final step, the composite scores are computed based on particular criteria, such as marks obtained in classes 10 and 12, graduation rates, performance in personal interviews, academic and gender diversity, and job experience.

Read More: IIM Admission

Admission Process for ISB

The ISB essay is crucial in selecting qualified applicants for admission, which the ISB does. A GMAT or GRE score is required for admission to ISB. The ISB admissions team evaluates the applicant's academic aptitude using the GMAT or GRE scores.

​In addition, you must have at least two years of work experience to be admitted to ISB.

Read More: ISB Admissions

IIM vs ISB: Eligibility Criteria

Below are the eligibility criteria mentioned for the candidates planning to get admission into IIMs and ISB. Candidates must check the eligibility criteria before appearing for the entrance exam to get admission into these top institutes.

Eligibility Criteria for IIM

Below are the eligibility criteria mentioned for the candidates planning MBA in IIMs

• The minimum graduation requirement for admission to an IIM is 50% overall or an equivalent CGPA (45% for SC, ST, and PWD/DA categories).
• Candidates taking the bachelor's degree/equivalent qualification exam in their final year or awaiting their results may also apply.
• The candidates must satisfy the IIM shortlist/qualifying cut-off to be called for an IIM interview.
• The minimal IIM call cut-off must be met for candidates to be eligible for interview calls and to participate in WAT/GD-PI.

Read More: How to get into an IIM?

Eligibility Criteria for ISB

Below are the eligibility criteria mentioned for the candidates planning MBA in ISB Hyderabad

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in any discipline from a recognized university.
• Valid GMAT / GRE score.
• Less than 24 months of full-time work experience by class start date 2023.
• TOEFL / IELTS score (only if the language of instruction at the undergraduate study level is not English)

IIM Vs ISB: Placements

Career possibilities and progression at IIM and ISB are comparable when wage packages are compared. It depends on the applicant's profile, industry, educational background, and aspirations.

Placements in IIMs

• IIM Lucknow had 100% placements in 2023 with 632 offers from top recruiters. 
• The highest international package in all IIMs is Rs. 65 LPA.
• And the highest domestic package in IIM Lucknow is Rs. 1CPA.
• IIM Indore has 29% of consulting firm recruiters in 2023. 
• There were 39 new recruiters in IIM Calcutta compared to 2022.

Read More: IIM Placements

Placements in ISB Hyderabad

• Of the majority of placement offers, 41.21% went to female students.
• In the class of ISB Hyderabad placements 2022, 39% of the students were female, which is among the highest percentages among prestigious business schools in this region.
• The consulting sector, IT/ITES/technology industry, BFSI industry, FMCG/Retail industry, and pharma/healthcare industry offered the most roles during the ISB placements in 2022.
• For 2022, the average ISB salary was INR 34.07 lakhs.
• The average package for ISB in 2022 has increased by 20.78% compared to the average CTC of INR 28.21 lakhs for the prior year.
• Compared to their pre-ISB packages, the ISB class of 2022 achieved an increase of roughly three times larger.
• During the ISB placements in 2022, offers were made, with every student receiving an average of 2.32 offers.

Read More: ISB Placements

IIM Vs ISB: Top Recruiters

For a 1-year executive MBA, IIM Ahmedabad will be a better option than ISB Hyderabad. Because of the course material, placement program, ROI, and popularity among professionals.

The required GMAT cutoff is roughly 700, and the candidate's performance in the Institute's in-person interview will determine their acceptance into the PGPX program.

Recruiters in IIMs

There were 5200 passing out in all 20 IIMs in 2022, in which 50% of the students already has 2 years of work experience. The maximum CTC was 70 LPA, and the average CTC offered was 25.83 LPA. There was an average of 10% increase in campus placements in 2022 compared to 2021. 

McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, MasterCard, Avendus, JP Morgan, AB InBev, Airtel, CK Birla, and TCS are top recurring businesses.

Read More: Job Opportunities after MBA from IIM

Recruiters in ISB

Every year, government think tanks, the biggest names in business, and representatives from the public sector sign up to observe the newest business stars shaped by the ISB brand. Other well-known b-schools typically have 200–300 students, whereas ISB typically presents close to 1,000 fresh graduates to potential employers.

Accenture,  Bain and Co, Genpact, Max Healthcare, PwC, Aditya Birla, Citibank, Google, McKinsey, Reliance, APUDF, Deloitte, Hindustan Lever, Microsoft, Shell, Apple, Ernst & Young, ITC, Infotech, Nestle, Times Internet, Axis Bank, Fullerton India, Larsen & Toubro, Pepsico, Zomato

Read More: MBA Salary in India