Student Decision Snapshot
IIM Lucknow offers a two-year PGP/MBA with a broad management curriculum and placements spanning consulting, finance, general management, product, technology, sales and operations. The admission process uses CAT and profile-based components beyond the minimum CAT threshold.
College Overview
About IIM Lucknow
IIM Lucknow offers a broad two-year PGP/MBA ecosystem alongside specialised and executive programmes. It is a strong traditional IIM option for candidates targeting consulting, finance, general management, analytics, marketing and operations.
Why students shortlist it
The institute's 2025 NIRF Management position is #5. Students should evaluate the programme using the curriculum, admission process, fees, placement outcomes and personal career goals.
Use ranking as a starting point; make the final decision using programme fit, fees, career outcomes, admission probability and personal preference.
IIM Lucknow Ranking
India Rankings 2025: Management, Ministry of Education.
IIM Lucknow Admission Dates 2027
IIM Lucknow has not announced the 2027–29 institute-specific admission schedule yet. The CAT 2026 dates below are official/revised; IIM Lucknow application, shortlist, WAT-PI, result and programme dates remain tentative until the institute releases its next admission policy.
| Event Name | Admission Dates 2027 (Tentative) |
|---|---|
| CAT 2026 Registration Opens | 3 August 2026 |
| CAT 2026 Registration Closes | 22 September 2026, 5:00 PM |
| CAT 2026 Admit Card | 4 November 2026 |
| CAT 2026 Exam | 29 November 2026 |
| CAT 2026 Result | First week of January 2027 (expected) |
| IIM Lucknow Application | December 2026–January 2027 (tentative) |
| WAT-PI | February–March 2027 (tentative) |
| Final Admission Result | April–May 2027 (tentative) |
| Programme Commencement | June–July 2027 (tentative) |
IIM Lucknow's 2026–28 MBA policy set the minimum CAT threshold for General candidates at 85 percentile in each section and 90 overall. These are minimum thresholds for consideration, not a guaranteed interview call or final admission score. The 2027–29 policy has not been announced yet.
Admission 2027
For the 2027–29 batch, candidates will use CAT 2026 and then follow IIM Lucknow's programme-specific shortlisting and WAT-PI process. The 2026–28 policy is the latest available policy reference until the next admission policy is released.
Eligibility for PGP / MBA
- Bachelor's degree in any discipline with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA; the minimum is 45% for SC, ST and PwD candidates.
- The bachelor's degree must represent at least three years of education after 10+2 or equivalent.
- Final-year bachelor's candidates and candidates awaiting results can apply subject to IIM Lucknow's documentation and completion conditions.
- There is no separate work-experience requirement for the flagship PGP/MBA, although work experience can contribute to the selection score.
Minimum CAT shortlisting threshold: 2026–28 MBA policy
| Category | VARC | DILR | QA | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | 85 | 85 | 85 | 90 |
| EWS | 77 | 77 | 77 | 82 |
| NC-OBC | 77 | 77 | 77 | 82 |
| SC | 55 | 55 | 55 | 65 |
| ST | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
| PwD | 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 |
How the 2026–28 MBA selection worked
- Meet the CAT sectional and overall minimum thresholds for the relevant category.
- IIM Lucknow calculates a WAT-PI shortlist composite using CAT, Class 12, graduation, work experience and diversity factors.
- Shortlisted candidates submit the WAT-PI form within the stipulated deadline.
- Candidates appear for the Writing Ability Test and Personal Interview.
- For the MBA final score, the 2026–28 policy assigned 30% to CAT, 10% to academics, 5% to diversity, 5% to work experience, 10% to WAT and 40% to PI.
IIM Lucknow has not released the 2027–29 MBA admission policy yet. Once released, the CAT thresholds, shortlist weights and final-selection weights should be checked again.
Popular Programmes
IIM Lucknow offers the two-year PGP/MBA, PGP-ABM and PGP-SM, along with executive management programmes. The flagship PGP/MBA and PGP-ABM are full-time residential programmes at the Lucknow campus.
PGP / MBA
The flagship general management programme leading to the Master of Business Administration degree.
Consulting, finance, marketing, operations, product and general management roles.
PGP-ABM
A management programme with agriculture, food, rural markets and agribusiness applications.
Students interested in agribusiness, food, rural markets and related corporate roles.
PGP-SM
A specialised programme focused on sustainability and responsible management.
Candidates targeting sustainability, ESG, policy and responsible-business roles.
IPMX
A one-year management programme for experienced professionals at IIM Lucknow's Noida campus.
Professionals seeking a one-year residential management programme.
The official IIM Lucknow fee structure totals ₹20.75 lakh for the 2026–28 PGP, including admission, tuition, infrastructure, refundable deposits and alumni membership charges. Mess charges are payable separately on actual basis.
Fees & ROI
Official fee breakup: 2026–28
| Component | Amount | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Admission Fee | ₹1,00,000 | Payable in Term I. |
| Tuition Fee | ₹12,60,000 | ₹2,10,000 per term across six terms. |
| Infrastructure Fee | ₹6,90,000 | ₹1,15,000 per term; includes computer/network maintenance, digital infrastructure, library resources, books/instructional material, hostel maintenance, student welfare and related overheads. |
| Refundable Deposits | ₹20,000 | Refundable after applicable deductions; includes deposits such as library, computer and mess deposits. |
| Alumni Membership Fee | ₹5,000 | Payable in Term IV and deposited in the Alumni Fund. |
| Total | ₹20,75,000 | Official 2026–28 fee structure. |
What is not included
Mess charges are payable by students on an actual basis in every term. Personal expenses, travel, optional activities and other individual living costs are not part of the ₹20.75 lakh figure.
ROI context
For the latest 2024–26 PGP and PGP-ABM final placement cycle, IIM Lucknow reported an average salary of ₹33.2 lakh and median salary of ₹32.9 lakh. Placement outcomes vary by role and are not guaranteed.
Curriculum
The two-year PGP uses a core-management foundation followed by electives. IIM Lucknow's programme structure covers major functional areas including finance and accounting, marketing, operations, strategy, human resources and analytical tools, with elective choices expanding in the second year.
Core areas
- Finance & accounting
- Marketing
- Operations
- Strategy
- Human resources
- Business analytics and quantitative methods
How to evaluate it
- Check the current course list before choosing electives.
- Compare electives with your target role.
- Review academic workload and grading requirements.
Scholarships & Financial Assistance
IIM Lucknow provides need-based financial assistance based on family income. The institute states that students meeting the applicable income criteria can apply, irrespective of caste, creed, gender or religion. Eligibility and disbursal rules are announced after admissions, the scholarship is for one year, and disbursal is term-wise subject to academic requirements.
Students can also explore scholarships offered by Central and State Governments and other bodies through the National Scholarship Portal and relevant government portals.
Campus & Hostel
The IIM Lucknow campus is spread over about 200 acres at Prabandh Nagar and hosts the PGP and PGP-ABM programmes. Institute facilities include academic buildings, library and computing resources, sports and recreation facilities, health services and student residential infrastructure.
The institute's own directory lists dedicated PGP hostels on the Lucknow campus. Students should confirm room-allocation and accommodation charges for their batch before budgeting because hostel and mess arrangements can change.
The 2024–26 final placement report covers 559 PGP and PGP-ABM students and records more than 580 offers, with an average salary of ₹33.2 lakh, median ₹32.9 lakh, highest domestic ₹1 crore and highest international ₹65 lakh.
Placements & Career Outcomes
Three-year placement trend
| Batch | Average Salary | Median Salary | Highest Domestic | Highest International |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–26 | ₹33.2 LPA | ₹32.9 LPA | ₹1 Cr | ₹65 LPA |
| 2023–25 | ₹32.3 LPA | ₹31 LPA | ₹75 LPA | ₹65 LPA |
| 2022–24 | ₹30 LPA | ₹27 LPA | ₹1.23 Cr | ₹65 LPA |
2024–26 role distribution
The latest report shows 39% of placements in Consulting, 20% in General Management, 17% in Finance, 13% in IT/Tech/Analytics/Product, 8% in Sales & Marketing and 3% in Operations.
These figures combine PGP and PGP-ABM in the institute's final placement report; they should not be interpreted as PGP-only outcomes.
View Detailed Placement →Batch Profile & Student Life
Students should evaluate batch size, academic background, work-experience mix, campus environment and student-led activities using the latest annual and placement reports.
Evaluate these strengths
- Peer-learning quality
- Alumni and recruiter access
- Campus and academic ecosystem
Verify before deciding
- Actual workload
- Living and accommodation cost
- Role distribution in placements
Programme fit
Relevant for candidates whose target roles align with the PGP curriculum and the roles represented in recent final placements.
Check before applying
PGP-SM has a separate admission requirement and placement context; its outcomes should be assessed from the programme-specific reports rather than inferred from PGP/PGP-ABM figures.
Who Should Apply?
Relevant if
- You have a clear career reason for choosing the institute.
- The programme structure matches your target role.
Check before applying
- You are choosing only because of the rank.
- You are relying on the highest CTC for ROI.
- The programme's specialisation does not match your goal.
A recent IIM Lucknow batch AMA discusses SIP pressure and campus life. A separate current-student post on PGP-SM argues that aspirants should examine the programme-specific placement numbers rather than assume flagship-PGP outcomes apply to every programme.
Read the discussion ↗A 2026 PGP-SM student discussion specifically compares reported placement numbers with the student's own experience, making it useful as a cautionary secondary source—not as verified placement data.
Read the discussion ↗Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CAT cutoff for IIM Lucknow MBA 2026?
For the 2026–28 PGP/MBA admission process, the official minimum for General candidates is 90 overall with 85 in each CAT section. This is only the minimum eligibility/shortlisting threshold. IIM Lucknow uses a composite process, so a 90 percentile should not be interpreted as a realistic call guarantee.
What is the fee of IIM Lucknow MBA 2026–28?
Students should compare the official total with the ₹33.2 lakh average and ₹32.9 lakh median placement outcomes from the latest cycle.
Is IIM Lucknow worth the fees?
Fee value depends on the role a student targets, the total cost of attendance and the placement outcomes relevant to that role. The latest final placement report should be read alongside the full fee structure.
IIM Lucknow vs IIM Indore: which is better?
Compare the two programmes using admission criteria, fees, location, curriculum and programme-specific placement reports. Both institutes use CAT-based admission processes but their shortlisting and final-selection criteria differ.
What is the average package at IIM Lucknow?
The latest 2024–26 placement cycle reported about ₹33.2 lakh average and ₹32.9 lakh median salary, with the highest domestic offer at ₹1 crore. Median is more useful than the highest package for estimating what a typical student may receive.
What is PGP-ABM at IIM Lucknow and who should choose it?
PGP-ABM is the agribusiness management route. It is better suited to students interested in food, agriculture, rural markets, supply chains and related consulting/corporate roles. Compare its curriculum, eligibility and programme-specific placements with the flagship PGP before applying.
Should I choose IIM Lucknow PGP-SM?
PGP-SM has its own curriculum, eligibility requirement and placement reports. Its programme-specific outcomes should be reviewed separately from PGP and PGP-ABM.