- Average packages in our verified table run from 4.5 to 37.97 LPA across 86 two-year programmes, so one national average describes almost no real college.
- By tier: eight IIMs average 27.03 to 37.97 LPA (median 32.3), the other 11 IIMs 13.3 to 20.7 (median 18.08), IITs have a median of 22.52, and the median of 44 other private programmes is 11.16.
- Where a college reports both, the median is usually below the average: in 68 of 76 programmes. Use the median.
- Highest packages are 2.2 to 4.5 times the median in our examples. Ignore them when you plan.
- Inside a college, tracks differ by about 0.5 to 2 lakh. Between colleges the gap is 21 to 27 lakh, so the college matters more than the specialisation.
MBA salary in India has no single answer, because average packages in our verified table run from 4.5 LPA at one programme to 37.97 LPA at another. The college tier explains most of the spread, and the specialisation explains much less.
This post uses the average and median packages we have verified for 86 two-year full-time programmes, grouped by tier, with batch years and the size of each group. Packages are average domestic CTC in rupees lakh per annum, as reported by each college. Data checked on 6 November 2026.
Why is a single MBA salary in India figure almost meaningless?
The 86 programmes have a mean average package of 16.68 LPA and a median of 14.16 LPA. Only 15 of the 86 sit within 2 lakh of that mean. Forty-seven average below 15 LPA, and 16 average 25 LPA or more.
A national figure therefore describes a handful of colleges in the middle and misleads everyone else. If your target is in the top group, the national average understates your pay. If it is in the bottom group, it overstates it.
MBA salary by college tier: what do reports support?
The table shows the average package each programme reports, grouped by tier. The middle half is the range from the 25th to the 75th percentile. Groups of 5 to 9 programmes are rough guides.
| Tier | Programmes | Lowest | Middle half | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eight IIMs with the highest averages | 8 | 27.03 | 28.0 to 35.5 | 32.3 | 37.97 |
| Eleven other IIMs | 11 | 13.3 | 15.0 to 19.3 | 18.08 | 20.7 |
| IITs | 5 | 17.91 | 18.3 to 22.8 | 22.52 | 28.16 |
| Top private schools | 9 | 14.3 | 20.1 to 29.5 | 24.6 | 33.6 |
| Other government schools | 9 | 8 | 10.3 to 26.7 | 12.5 | 32.27 |
| Other private schools | 44 | 4.5 | 9.5 to 13.1 | 11.16 | 17.91 |
The eight IIMs are IIM Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Bangalore, Lucknow, Mumbai, Kozhikode, Indore and Shillong. Other government schools include FMS Delhi, IIFT and JBIMS at the top of that group, and several university departments at the bottom. The tier labels follow our programme file.
How old are the batches behind these numbers?
Batch years differ. 54 of the 86 rows are the 2026 placement season, labelled 2024-26, 2025-26 or 2026. The others are older seasons, and the oldest is labelled 2022-24. Each college page shows the exact batch, and older rows may understate current pay.
The table leaves out one-year programmes (ISB and Great Lakes Chennai), because their classes are experienced and their length differs. It also leaves out executive programmes, and counts XLRI once, because its BM and HRM batches share one report.
Average or median: which one should you use?
Use the median where it exists. A few very high offers raise an average but leave the median unchanged. 76 programmes in our table report both: the median is below the average in 68, equal in 1 and above in 7. The mean gap is 0.84 lakh.
The widest gap is IIFT (batch 2023-25), with an average of 31.3 LPA and a median of 26 LPA, a difference of 5.3 lakh. If a college gives only an average, treat it as an upper estimate of what the middle student earns.
Highest packages: why we ignore them
One offer sets the highest package, and it says little about the rest of the batch. In our examples the highest package is 2.2 to 4.5 times the median.
| College | Batch | Highest reported | Median | Highest as multiple of median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIM Nagpur | 2024-26 | 73.18 LPA | 16.32 LPA | 4.5 times |
| MDI Gurgaon | 2024-26 | 97.5 LPA | 29 LPA | 3.4 times |
| IIM Indore | 2024-26 | 82.54 LPA | 25 LPA | 3.3 times |
| IIM Kozhikode | 2023-25 | 81 LPA | 27.5 LPA | 2.9 times |
| IIM Shillong | 2024-26 | 71.5 LPA | 26 LPA | 2.8 times |
| IIM Ahmedabad | 2024-26 | 81.6 LPA | 37 LPA | 2.2 times |
Our average package ranking lists colleges by average package alongside the median and fees, which is a better starting point than any single top offer.
What drives differences inside a college: the sector mix?
Pay differs between employers and sectors inside one batch. IIM Lucknow's batch of 2026 reports a mean CTC of 36.9 lakh in consulting and 34.8 lakh in finance, against a batch average of 33.2 lakh. At SIOM Nashik's interim report (January 2026), the top 10 percent averaged 29.91 LPA against a batch average of 15.59 LPA. At IIM Jammu (2024-26), the average was 16.47 LPA, the top 10 percent averaged 22.9 and the lowest offer was 9.00.
So even inside one college, your own pay depends on which employer and role you land, not only on the batch figure.
Specialisation or college: which matters more?
Our examples suggest the college matters more. They are not a proof, since we hold few reports that split pay by track.
| Within one college | Spread between tracks | Between colleges | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| TAPMI, 2024-26: HRM 12.38, BKFS 13.49, IB 13.57, General 14.35, Marketing 14.42 LPA | about 2 lakh | IIM Ahmedabad (37.97 LPA) against the median other private programme (11.16 LPA) | about 27 lakh |
| SIBM Bengaluru, 2023-25: BA 14.32, Marketing 14.38, Finance 14.87 LPA | about 0.5 lakh | Top-eight IIM median (32.3 LPA) against other private median (11.16 LPA) | about 21 lakh |
The employer mix inside a college can shift pay more than the track label can, as the IIM Lucknow example shows. Pick the college first, and choose the specialisation by what you want to do.
Does experience change the number?
It can, but the reports we hold do not split pay by experience. Classes differ in their intake: IIM Ahmedabad's 2026-28 class averages 24 months of work experience, IIM Bangalore's 27 months, and 70 percent of IIM Sambalpur's 2025-27 class had prior experience. A college with a more experienced class may report a higher average for that reason.
ISB's 37.29 LPA average for the Class of 2026 belongs to a one-year programme with about four years of prior work experience on average, so it is not comparable with the two-year programmes above.
How do you read a placement report for your own target?
- Find the batch year and check it is the latest report.
- Use the median, not the average, and note whether the figure is domestic CTC.
- Check the share of the batch placed and the number of offers.
- Read the sector split and the recruiter list to see which employers you would face.
- Compare the fee with the pay on our MBA fees and placements page, then use the ROI page to see payback.