- IIM Lucknow is the cheapest of the three at Rs 20.75 lakh (2026-28) and reports the highest average, Rs 33.2 lakh (2024-26). IIM Indore is Rs 24.12 lakh and Rs 27.27 lakh. IIM Kozhikode is Rs 23.5 lakh and Rs 28.18 lakh.
- IIM Kozhikode's package figure is a batch older (2023-25) than the other two, so its gap to them is partly timing.
- Our cutoff estimates for a roughly 50% chance of an interview call are 97 (Lucknow), 96 (Indore) and 92 (Kozhikode). They are not official cutoffs.
- Consulting is the largest sector at all three: 39% at Lucknow, 41% at Indore and 32% at Kozhikode.
On published numbers, the IIM Lucknow vs IIM Indore vs IIM Kozhikode choice looks like this: Lucknow is the cheapest and reports the highest average package, Indore has the largest consulting share, and Kozhikode's package figure is a batch older than the other two. A single winner depends on your loan, your target sector and the batch year behind each number.
Everything below is as of 6 November 2026, with the batch year beside each figure. Where our data stops, the post says so.
IIM Lucknow vs IIM Indore vs IIM Kozhikode at a glance
| IIM Lucknow | IIM Indore | IIM Kozhikode | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total fee, 2026-28 batch | Rs 20.75 lakh | Rs 24.12 lakh | Rs 23.5 lakh |
| Average package | Rs 33.2 lakh (2024-26) | Rs 27.27 lakh (2024-26) | Rs 28.18 lakh (2023-25) |
| Median package | Rs 32.9 lakh | Rs 25 lakh | Rs 27.5 lakh |
| CAT cutoff (our estimate) | 97 | 96 | 92 |
| NIRF 2025, Management | 5th | 8th | 3rd |
| Accreditation | AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA | EQUIS, AACSB, AMBA | AMBA, EQUIS |
| Campus area, established | 200 acres, 1984 | 193 acres, 1996 | 97 acres, 1996 |
The CAT cutoff is our estimate of the percentile for about a 50% chance of an interview call, for a General-category candidate with an average profile. IIM Kozhikode's latest final placement report on its site on 6 November 2026 was the 2025 report, for the 2023-25 batch.
How do the fee and package compare, with batch years?
Lucknow's fee is lower than Indore's by Rs 3.37 lakh and lower than Kozhikode's by Rs 2.75 lakh. Dividing the package by the fee shows the same ordering.
| Fee | Average divided by fee | Median divided by fee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Lucknow | Rs 20.75 lakh | 1.60 | 1.59 |
| IIM Kozhikode | Rs 23.5 lakh | 1.20 | 1.17 |
| IIM Indore | Rs 24.12 lakh | 1.13 | 1.04 |
Read the fee carefully. Lucknow's total includes admission, tuition, infrastructure, refundable deposits and alumni membership, with mess charged on actuals. Indore's Rs 24.12 lakh is the course fee plus an alumni fee, without refundable deposits. Kozhikode's is two annual totals of Rs 11.75 lakh. Lucknow's placement report also covers PGP and PGP-ABM students together, 559 in all.
How does the placement sector mix differ?
| Sector share | IIM Lucknow (2024-26) | IIM Indore (2024-26) | IIM Kozhikode (2023-25) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consulting | 39% | 41% | 32% |
| Finance | 17% | 20% | 19.2% |
| General management | 20% | 15%, with operations and HR | 16.4% |
| Sales and marketing | 8% | 13% | 14.4% |
| IT, analytics and product | 13% | 11% | 13.5% |
| Operations | 3% | In the general row | 4.5% |
The colleges group sectors differently, so treat small gaps as noise. Two extra facts help. IIM Lucknow reports a mean CTC of Rs 34.8 lakh for finance roles and Rs 36.9 lakh for consulting in 2026. IIM Indore reports 158 pre-placement offers, 27% of its 2024-26 offers.
What do the class profiles say?
- IIM Lucknow (2024-26): 559 students, 35% women. No average work experience is published. The 2026 report counts 225 students with up to one year, 109 with one to two years and 141 with two to three years.
- IIM Indore (2024-26): 586 students, an average of 22 months of work experience, 27% women.
- IIM Kozhikode (2025-27 flagship PGP): 489 students, 47% engineers and 55% women. The 24-month average work experience is for a combined cohort of 586.
Which differences in selection and campus can you verify?
- Graduation marks: IIM Lucknow and IIM Indore ask for 50% (45% for SC, ST, PwD). IIM Kozhikode asks for 60% (50% for CA, CMA and CS holders) and states a CAT percentile cut-off of 85 for General.
- IIM Lucknow's final selection (2026-28): CAT 30, academics 5 and 5, diversity 5, work experience 5, WAT 10 and PI 40, with a PI pass mark of 12 out of 40.
- IIM Indore's final score: PI carries 45 and the CAT sectional scores 40. Work experience adds 0 to 3 marks at the shortlist stage.
- IIM Kozhikode's final score: CAT 35%, PI 35%, WAT 20% and resume 10%.
- Place: Lucknow, Indore (Rau-Pithampur Road) and Kozhikode in Kerala. The Lucknow and Indore campuses are about twice the area of Kozhikode's.
What do the CAT cutoff estimates mean for your call odds?
Our estimates are 97 for Lucknow, 96 for Indore and 92 for Kozhikode. A lower figure at Kozhikode does not make the final offer easier. The PI weighs 35 to 45 points at all three, and category, marks and work experience move the line.
Calls for the 2027-29 batch will use CAT 2026, held on 29 November 2026, with results expected in the first week of January 2027. Put your own profile into the IIM call predictor or the MBA predictor once your score is out.
How do you decide between simultaneous offers?
These are decision rules, not a ranking.
- Start with money. Lucknow's fee is Rs 2.75 to 3.37 lakh lower. Add hostel, mess and loan interest for each.
- Check the batch year behind the package. Kozhikode's figure is a year older than the other two.
- Match your target sector. Indore has the largest finance share (20%) and consulting share (41%). Kozhikode has the largest sales and marketing share (14.4%).
- Weigh the place. Lucknow, Indore and Kozhikode differ in city, size and distance from home.
- Compare class profiles if you care about the mix of peers.
What should you ask current students?
- How many of the batch landed their first-choice sector, and how many took what was left?
- What do hostel, mess and travel cost beyond the published fee?
- How many summer internships turned into offers?
- What did students near the median earn, and in which roles?
- Does the placement process favour one specialisation?