- Published averages run from 8 months at FORE to 29 months at IIM Udaipur and IIM Jammu. Most older IIM and IIT batches sit between 19 and 27 months.
- IIM Ahmedabad reports 24 months (2026-28), IIM Bangalore 27 (2026-28), IIM Calcutta 22.6 (2024-26) and IIT Bombay 25 (2024-26).
- Definitions differ. Some averages cover only students who had a job, and some combine several programmes, so two numbers are not always comparable.
- An average is not a cutoff. None of these colleges states a minimum for its flagship programme, and a few experienced students can lift the average.
The average work experience in MBA batch at most older IIMs and IITs is about two years, and published figures run from 8 months at FORE to 29 months at IIM Udaipur and IIM Jammu. The table below covers 23 colleges, each with its own batch year.
Every figure is the college's own reported number as of 6 November 2026. Where a college has not published one, it is left out rather than estimated.
Why does batch work experience matter for you?
It tells you who you will sit beside in class and who you will be compared with in a group discussion. It also helps you judge how to present your own experience.
It does not decide eligibility. For selection, experience is a small scoring item and most flagship programmes set no minimum. See MBA eligibility for the rules.
What is the average work experience in MBA batch by college?
| College | Batch | Average | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| FORE School of Management | 2024-26 | 8 months | All PGDM programmes, Delhi and Gurugram |
| SCMHRD Pune | 2024-26 | 10.4 months | 53% freshers |
| IMI Delhi | 2024-26 | 18 months | 45% freshers |
| IIM Rohtak | 2024-26 | 18.8 months | |
| IIM Tiruchirappalli | 2025-27 | 19 months | |
| IIT Kharagpur, VGSOM | 2024-26 | 19 months | |
| FMS Delhi | 2024-26 | 19.5 months | 54% freshers |
| IIT Delhi, DMS | 2023-25 | 19.7 months | |
| IIM Kashipur | 2025-27 | 22 months | MBA and MBA Analytics combined |
| IIM Indore | 2024-26 | 22 months | |
| IIM Calcutta | 2024-26 | 22.6 months | |
| IIM Mumbai | 2024-26 | 23 months | |
| IIM Ahmedabad | 2026-28 | 24 months | 414 students joined the PGP |
| IIM Kozhikode | 2025-27 | 24 months | Combined PGP, PGP-Fin and PGP-LSM cohort of 586 |
| IIM Raipur | 2025-27 | 24 months | |
| NMIMS Mumbai | 2024-26 | 24.4 months | |
| IIT Bombay, SJMSOM | 2024-26 | 25 months | 126 students |
| IIM Bangalore | 2026-28 | 27 months | PGP and PGPBA combined |
| MDI Gurgaon | 2024-26 | 27 months | 24% engineers |
| IIT Madras, DoMS | 2024-26 | 2.3 years | As the report states it |
| IIM Sambalpur | 2025-27 | 28 months | 70% have prior experience |
| IIM Udaipur | 2023-25 | 29 months | Students with experience only; 68% have any |
| IIM Jammu | 2024-26 | 29 months | 72% freshers |
For scale, ISB's one-year PGP Class of 2026 reported an average of four years of prior work experience.
How do engineers and women sit beside work experience?
| College | Batch | Engineers | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Ahmedabad | 2026-28 | 60.87% | 30.92% |
| IIM Bangalore (PGP) | 2026-28 | 67% | 42% |
| IIM Mumbai | 2024-26 | 71% | 48% |
| IIM Kozhikode (flagship PGP) | 2025-27 | 47% | 55% |
| IIM Lucknow | 2024-26 | Not published | 35% |
| IIM Indore | 2024-26 | Not published | 27% |
| IIT Bombay, SJMSOM | 2024-26 | Not published | 15% |
| MDI Gurgaon | 2024-26 | 24% | Not published |
| FORE | 2024-26 | 16% | 57% |
The mix varies as much as the experience does. IIM Kozhikode's 2025-27 flagship cohort is 53% non-engineers, while IIM Mumbai's 2024-26 batch is 71% engineers.
How do older IIMs, newer IIMs and IITs differ?
- Older IIMs in the table: 22 to 27 months. IIM Lucknow publishes bands and no average.
- IITs: 19 to 25 months, with IIT Madras at 2.3 years.
- Newer IIMs: 18.8 to 29 months, with no clean pattern.
The newer-IIM spread comes partly from definitions. IIM Jammu reports 72% freshers and an average of 29 months, so that figure is unlikely to describe the whole class. It appears to cover only the experienced students. IIM Bodh Gaya reports 76.25% freshers and a median of 27 months for its experienced students.
How should you read an average?
- Add the months: 8 x 0 + 2 x 60 = 120.
- Divide by 10 students: 12 months.
- Line the students up by experience. The middle values are both 0.
Answer: The average is 12 months and the median is 0. Two people lifted the average above what most of the class has.
Colleges rarely publish a median, so check four things instead.
- Scope: is it the flagship programme or several combined?
- Who is counted: all students, or only those with experience?
- Batch year: older batches may not match the current intake.
- A band split: IIM Lucknow's 2026 report counts 225 students with up to one year, 109 with one to two years and 141 with two to three years.
What do the numbers say about your fit?
Less than people assume. None of the flagship programmes in the table states a minimum, and selection formulas give experience a small share: 8 of 100 final points at IIM Calcutta (2027-29) and 5 at IIM Lucknow (2026-28). A profile below the batch average is not a disqualifier, and one above it is not an advantage by itself.
What the batch profile does show is the usual comparison group in your interview. Use the MBA predictor to see which calls fit your score and profile.
How do you use a batch profile in your SOP and interview?
- Do not quote the average to a panel. Describe what you did, in numbers where you can.
- With less experience than the batch, lead with projects, internships and results you can explain in detail.
- With more, say why you want the MBA now and which role you want after it.
- Prepare for the interview with the GD and PI note.
Where do we not have data?
We hold no average for IIM Lucknow (bands only), IIM Nagpur (42.42% freshers, no average), IIM Visakhapatnam, XLRI, SPJIMR, SIBM Pune or IIFT. No college in our files publishes a median. Check the college's batch profile or placement brochure, and see its page in the college atlas where the profile is published.