Top 20 PGDM Colleges in India: Courses, Fees, Admissions, Average Package
India has more than 5000 institutes offering PG management courses, such as PGDM. Find the list of top PGDM institutes of India with salary and tuition fee.
Top PGDM Colleges in India
Top PGDM Colleges in India: More than 5,000 institutes in India offer PG management courses, including PGDM. PGDM full form is Post Graduate Diploma in Management. PGCET course is similar to an MBA degree courses. The primary difference between a PGDM and MBA is the type of educational institution and its ability to change the curriculum. MBA is a degree course, whereas PGDM is a Diploma course. A degree can be offered by a University, which is recognised by the University Grants Commission.
Some of the best PGDM colleges in India include the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, the S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, and the Xavier Labour Relations Institute, Jamshedpur. Candidates planning to pursue MBA this year, can refer to this article for more information on MBA admission to top PGDM colleges in India.
- Top 20 PGDM Colleges in India (Based on NIRF Ranking)
- Top IIMs offering PGDM Courses
- Top Non-IIMs offering PGDM Courses
- Top PGDM Institute in India based on Placements
- Top PGDM Institute in India based on Fees
- Best Cities for PGDM in India
- Best PGDM Colleges Admission Process
- Difference between MBA and PGDM
Top 20 PGDM Colleges in India (Based on NIRF Ranking)
Every year NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) releases rank-wise PGDM colleges along with best colleges across streams. The rank of PGDM colleges is determined based on numerous factors, including
- Teaching, Learning and Resources (TLR)
- Research and Professional Practice (RP)
- Outreach and Inclusivity (OI)
- Graduation Outcomes (GO)
- Perception (PR)
The rank of each PGDM institute varies from year to year based on how well a college or university performed across different parameters. The table below mentions top 10 PGDM colleges in India:
| Sr. No. | PGDM Colleges |
NIRF 2025 Rank of PGDM Institutes
|
|---|---|---|
| 1 | IIM Kozhikode | 3 |
| 3 | IIM Lucknow | 5 |
| 2 | IIM Mumbai | 6 |
| 5 | MDI, Gurgaon | 9 |
| 4 | XLRI Jamshedpur | 10 |
| 9 | IIT, Kharagpur | 12 |
| 7 | IIM Raipur | 15 |
| 8 | IIFT | 17 |
| 6 | IIM Rohtak | 19 |
| 10 | SPJIMR | 20 |
| 16 | IMT, Ghaziabad | 30 |
| 14 | MICA, Ahmedabad | 33 |
| 15 | Great Lakes Institute of Management | 37 |
| 11 | IIM Shillong | 38 |
| 18 | IMI, Delhi | 40 |
| 17 | Goa Institute of Management | 43 |
| 20 | Institute of Rural Management Anand | 54 |
| 12 | IIM, Tiruchirappalli | 57 |
| 19 | IIM, Amritsar | 64 |
| 13 | IIM, Nagpur | 99 |
Commonly asked questions
CMAT cutoff refers to minimum percentile required for admission to a particular college. Score accepting colleges determine the cut offs individually based on certain parameters. CMAT cut offs for top colleges like JBIMS, SIMSREE, PUMBA are generally 99 percentile and above.
Some factors that influence TANCET cutoff scores include number of seats, difficulty level of exam, previous cutoff trends, number of test takers, performance of test takers, among other factors.
On an average, about 10-15 CAT aspirants score 100 percentile. Given below is the data of CAT 100 percentilers of last 4 years:
Exam year | CAT 100 percentilers | State wise numbers |
|---|---|---|
CAT 2025 | 12 | 1- Uttar Pradesh 1- Karnataka 1- Maharashtra 3- Delhi 2- Haryana 2- Gujarat 1- Jharkhand 1- Odisha |
CAT 2024 | 14 | 1- Andhra Pradesh |
CAT 2023 | 14 | 1 – Andhra Pradesh |
CAT 2022 | 11 | 2 - Delhi 1 - Gujarat 1 - Haryana 1 - Kerala 1 - Madhya Pradesh 2 - Maharashtra 2 - Telangana 1 - Uttar Pradesh |
Top IIMs offering PGDM Courses
Not all IIMs offer a PGDM course, some IIMs, including Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta brand their management course as PGP; however, awards an MBA degree after course completion. The list of IIMs offering PGDM programme is mentioned below:
| PGDM Colleges |
NIRF Rank of PGDM Institutes
|
|---|---|
| IIM Kozhikode | 3 |
| IIM Lucknow | 5 |
| IIM Mumbai | 6 |
| IIM Raipur | 15 |
| IIM Rohtak | 19 |
| IIM Shillong | 38 |
| IIM, Tiruchirappalli | 57 |
| IIM, Amritsar | 64 |
| IIM, Nagpur | 99 |
Top Non-IIMs offering PGDM Courses
The table below mentions the list of best PGDM institutes in India that are not IIMs:
| PGDM Colleges |
NIRF Rank of PGDM Institutes
|
|---|---|
| MDI, Gurgaon | 9 |
| XLRI Jamshedpur | 10 |
| IIT, Kharagpur | 12 |
| IIFT | 17 |
| SPJIMR | 20 |
| IMT, Ghaziabad | 30 |
| MICA, Ahmedabad | 33 |
| Great Lakes Institute of Management | 37 |
| IMI, Delhi | 40 |
| Goa Institute of Management | 43 |
| Institute of Rural Management Anand | 54 |
Also Read: Top 20 MBA colleges apart from IIMs
Commonly asked questions
The CAT cut offs for IIM Bangalore hovers between 97-100 percentile. The qualifying CAT cut off required for being eligible for IIM Bangalore's Written Ability test (What) and Personal Interview PI is 85 percentile for General category students, whereas for SC candidates, it is 70 percentile. For ST candidates, it is 65 percentile and for PwD candidates it is 60 percentile. Given below are the sectional and overall qualifying CAT cut offs for IIM Bangalore.
- General category: 80 VARC 75 DILR 75 Quantitative Aptitude 85 (Overall)
- NC-OBC category: 75 VARC 65 DILR 65 Quantitative Aptitude 75 (Overall)
- EWS category: 70 VARC 65 DILR 65 Quantitative Aptitude 75 (Overall)
- SC category: 65 VARC 60 DILR 60 Quantitative Aptitude 70 (Overall)
- ST category: 55 VARC 55 DILR 55 Quantitative Aptitude 65 (Overall)
- PwD category: 50 VARC 50 DILR 50 Quantitative Aptitude 60 (Overall)
NMAT cutoff scores are released by the participating institutes during its admission process. Candidates have to apply for the desired b-school. Some of these institute may or may not release the NMAT cutoff scores. Candidates must refer to the official website of the desired b-school to know about the cutoff scores.
The overall NMAT cut-off level generally remains between 150-280. More than 40 B-Schools across India and 20+ international B-schools accept NMAT scores for MBA admission. the cutoff scores and percentile changes across participating b-schools. Additionally, some colleges may seek admission based on sectional as well as overall cutoff scores, while some may only consider the overall cutoff.
Having a good academic profile for IIM admission is very critical. The top 6 IIMs lay a lot of emphasis on Class 10 and Class 12 score for selection of candidates for WAT-PI round. The academic profile is evaluated again at the time of preparation of final merit list. It has been seen in the past that some candidates despite having 99+ percentile, were not selected for PI round due to low score in Class 12.
The academic profile is assessed for academic as well as gender diversity. Which means a candidate who studied Arts in Class 12 may be selected for PI with lower marks than a candidate who studied Science in Class 12.
Candidates aiming for IIMs must know that while the importance of academic profile is very important for top IIMs, it is moderately important for rest of the IIMs. For, other top MBA colleges, overall profile matters more than academic score. So, if you do not have superlative scores in Class 10 and 12, build a good profile with work experience and extra curricular activities to increase your chances of selection.
Minimum qualifying cut off for IIM Ahmedabad is 95 percentile whereas for IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta, it is 85. However final cut offs for these three top IIMs are between 99 to 100 percentile.
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Top PGDM Institute in India based on Placements
The space below mentions the average package of top 10 PGDM colleges in India:
| Sr. No. | PGDM Best Colleges | Average Package (in INR) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
IIM Kozhikode |
31.02 LPA |
| 2 |
IIM Lucknow |
32.20 LPA |
| 3 |
IIM Mumbai |
25.27 LPA |
| 4 |
XLRI Jamshedpur |
32.7 LPA |
| 5 |
IIM Raipur |
21.04 LPA |
| 6 |
IIM Rohtak |
18.73 LPA |
| 7 |
MDI, Gurgaon |
27.26 LPA |
| 8 |
IIT, Kharagpur |
TBA |
| 9 |
SPJIMR |
33.02 LPA |
| 10 |
IIM, Tiruchirappalli |
20.55 LPA |
Also Read: IIM Placements
Top PGDM Institute in India based on Fees
The space below mentions the PGDM course fee of best colleges in India:
| Sr. No. | PGDM Best Colleges | PGDM Fees (in INR) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | IIM, Kozhikode | 20.5 L |
| 2 | IIM, Lucknow | 12.6 L |
| 3 | IIM, Mumbai | 8.5 L |
| 4 | XLRI, Jamshedpur | 2.9 L |
| 5 | IIM, Raipur | 14.2 L |
| 6 | MDI, Gurgaon | 18.1 L |
| 7 | IIT, Kharagpur | 25 L |
| 8 | SPJIMR | 20.4 L |
| 9 | IIM Trichy | 19.5 L |
| 10 | IIM Shillong | 14.6 L |
| 11 | IIFT | 4.85 L |
| 12 | Great Lakes Institute of Management | 9 L |
| 13 | Goa Institute of Management | 18.3 L |
| 14 | IMI, Delhi | 18.2 L |
| 15 | MICA, Ahmedabad | 21 L |
| 16 | IMT, Ghaziabad | 18.8 L |
| 17 | IIM, Amritsar | 12.5 L |
| 18 | Institute of Rural Management Anand | 12.6 L |
| 19 | IIM Nagpur | 17.7 L |
| 20 | IIM Rohtak | 8.9 L |
Commonly asked questions
PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, is among the top MBA colleges accepting TANCET scores for admission. As per the TANCET cutoff from 2021 and 2020 session, candidates who had secured more than 99 percentile were admitted to the college for MBA Admission. The cutoff score for each year varies and the reservation quota also has an impact on PSGCT admission. Generally if a candidate is ranked within top 130 test takers, he she has a higher chance of getting into PSG College of Technology. Candidates can get the TANCET rank list and TANCET cutoff scores/ranks from the previous session available on the Tamil Nadu MBA Admission website.
Best Cities for PGDM in India
With over 4000 cities and towns in India, PGDM colleges are situated in every part of the country. PGDM course is known to deliver practical knowledge of the business world. Therefore, candidates prefer to pursue a PGDM course from a tier-1 city with flourishing businesses. Some of these cities in India include Pune, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Bangalore. Find the top PGDM colleges in Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune, and Bangalore below:
Top Colleges for PGDM in Delhi
Check the space below to know best PGDM colleges in Delhi based on popularity on shiksha:
- Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi
- Jamia Milia Islamia
- IIM Rohtak
- MDI, Gurgaon
- Amity University, Noida
Top Pune PGDM Colleges
Check the space below to know best Pune PGDM colleges based on popularity on shiksha:
- Symbiosis Institute of Business Management
- National Institute of Bank Management
- Pune Institute of Business Management
- National Insurance Academy
- Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship Development
Top Bangalore PGDM Colleges
Check the space below for top Bangalore PGDM colleges based on popularity on shiksha:
- Christ University
- Alliance School of Business
- Jain University
- Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship
- Welingkar Bangalore
Best PGDM Colleges in Hyderabad
Check the space below for best PGDM colleges in Hyderabad based on popularity on shiksha:
- Institute of Management Technology
- University of Hyderabad
- National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management
- NMIMS, Hyderabad
- KL University
Best PGDM Colleges Admission Process
The admission process for PGDM course is identical to MBA admissions. Candidates will have to appear for national-level/state-level entrance exams for PGDM admissions.
Top exams for PGDM Admissions
The space below mentions the names of PGDM exams conducted at national or state levels:
Explore more MBA exams with upcoming dates
29 Apr '26
3 May '26
3 May '26
16 Apr '26 - 28 Apr '26
9 Oct '25 - 30 Apr '26
15 Oct '25 - 30 Apr '26
23 Mar '26 - 30 Apr '26
30 Apr '26
30 Apr '26
15 May '26
Difference between MBA and PGDM
The primary difference between a PGDM and an MBA is that a PGDM is a diploma programme, while an MBA is a degree program. A diploma course is offered by an autonomous institute, while an MBA degree is offered by a university or college affiliated to a university. A b-school may offer both MBA as well as PGDM courses.
A b-school may market the PGDM or MBA course with different names, such as PGP. The award at the time of course completion will be among PGDM or MBA degree.
The difference between PGDM and MBA is tabulated below:
| Feature |
PGDM |
MBA |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of course |
Diploma |
Degree |
| Awarding body |
Autonomous institute (typically holds AICTE approval or standalone institutes) |
University (typically regulated by UGC) |
| Knowledge imparted |
Industry-oriented |
Theoretical |
| Curriculum flexibility |
Can change every year with advancing industry standards |
Can change in long term |
Which programme among PGDM and MBA is right depends on the individual needs as well as goals. Candidates looking for a course that imparts practical skills can choose a PGDM. However, candidates looking for a program that provides a broader understanding of business concepts and principles must go for an MBA degree course. Before choosing a degree or a diploma course, aspirants must have an understanding of MBA accreditation.
Irrespective of what course is chosen by the candidate, employers regard both MBA and PGDM at equal levels.
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Abhishek is a content writer and editor with 7+ years of experience in education journalism. He completed his graduation from University of Delhi with a BA Degree. At Shiksha.com, he handles content for MBA, BBA, an
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