While crore-plus placement packages at India’s premier management institutes often grab headlines, the latest placement data reveals a more measured picture of what MBA graduates typically earn after completing their studies.
Among the country’s leading Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), IIM Calcutta reported the highest median salary for the 2023–25 batch at ₹35 lakh per annum. IIM Ahmedabad followed with a median package of ₹33 lakh, while IIM Bangalore recorded ₹32.61 lakh.
IIM Lucknow reported a median salary of ₹31 lakh, while IIM Kozhikode and IIM Indore posted median packages of ₹27.5 lakh and ₹27 lakh respectively.
Why median salary matters
Education experts often consider median salary a more reliable indicator of placement outcomes than the highest package or average salary.
Unlike average salaries, which can be influenced by a small number of exceptionally high offers, the median salary represents the earnings of the student positioned in the middle of the batch. This provides a clearer picture of what a typical graduate is likely to earn after completing an MBA programme.
Salary growth remains modest
Despite strong placement numbers, growth in median salaries has remained relatively modest over the past three placement cycles.
The average median salary across the six IIMs increased by only 3.73 per cent between the 2021–23 and 2023–25 batches, indicating that the earnings of a typical MBA graduate have not risen dramatically in recent years.
IIM Indore recorded the highest growth in median salary, rising from ₹24.7 lakh to ₹27 lakh, an increase of 9.31 per cent. IIM Ahmedabad followed with growth of 6.45 per cent, while IIM Calcutta registered an increase of 3.95 per cent.
IIM Lucknow and IIM Kozhikode posted modest gains of 3.33 per cent and 1.85 per cent respectively.
IIM Bangalore records decline
Among the six institutes analysed, IIM Bangalore was the only one to report a decline in median salary.
Its median package fell from ₹33 lakh for the 2021–23 batch to ₹32.61 lakh for the 2023–25 batch, representing a decline of 1.18 per cent.
The figures suggest that while top salary packages continue to attract attention, median salaries offer a more realistic measure of placement success and graduate earning potential across India’s leading business schools.