Indian Institute of Management Lucknow : Admission 2026, Cutoffs, Courses, Fees, Placements and Rankings

IIM Lucknow has different courses, and each course needs a certain exam for admission. The list of exams may change based on the program you want to join. Some courses need tests like Common Admission Test (CAT), Graduate Record Examination (GRE), or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Some also need rounds like a Writing Ability Test or an Interview. The table below make it easy to see which exam is needed for each program. 

The Post Graduate Programme in Management is a two-year, full-time residential course, meaning students live on campus for the entire duration of the program. Such​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ a system keeps students thoroughly engaged with their classes, projects, group work, and other campus activities. Besides, it develops the qualities of a good team and helps people learn to collaborate effectively. Post Graduate Programme is designed to create capable and self-assured managers. It makes the students familiar with core concepts of business. Additionally, it equips them with the skills necessary for their future jobs. The ultimate objective is to assist them in excelling in the business world while making a valuable ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌contribution.

The IIM Lucknow academic calendar for the academic year 2026 is likely to be released soon. The first term classes shall start in July 2026, and the first semester exam shall be held in November 2026. For further details, students can visit the IIM Lucknow Admission Portal, which is available at the official website. IIM Lucknow Placements statistics are also available on the website of IIM Lucknow. 

IIM Lucknow Eligibility Criteria for PGP

IIM Lucknow Selection Process for PGP

IIM Lucknow follows a three-step process for selection in the PGP-MBA programme: 

• Checking Eligibility

• Shortlisting for Personal Interview

• Final Selection 

Step 1: Checking Eligibility

Students who wish to seek admission to the PGP-MBA programme at IIM Lucknow must meet the minimum eligibility criteria set by the Institute. Students also have to achieve the minimum overall percentile. Those students who meet these eligibility criteria will move to the next selection stage. 

Step 2: Shortlisting for Personal Interview (PI)

Those candidates who meet the minimum eligibility criteria from stage 1 will go through stage 2 for further selection. Candidates will be selected based on the reservation policy of the institute, and shortlisting will be based on their composite score. 

Stage 3: Final Selection

Final selection is based on the marks obtained in the stage 1 and stage 2 processes.  The selection of candidates will be done separately for each category, which includes General, EWS, OBC, SC, ST, and PwD, and the ranking will be based on each student’s Composite Score. The final list of selected candidates will be published on the official website of the IIM Lucknow.

IIM Lucknow PGP Cutoff

IIM Lucknow releases the cutoffs for the selection in PGP courses. This cutoff is based on the various cores of reservation, set by the Government. To get shortlisted for IIM Lucknow PGP (MBA), candidates must meet both sectional and overall percentile cutoffs in the CAT exam. The cutoff varies depending on the categories, as shown below in the table: 

IIM Lucknow PGP ABM is a two-year Post Graduate Programme in Agribusiness Management, a full-time residential course designed to develop agribusiness leaders, entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs with vision, competence and appropriate attitude for promoting agribusiness and agro-based enterprises with a strong international orientation.

The objective of the programme is to develop the understanding of the key functions of businesses and critical and analytical skills that equip students to excel in complex, uncertain and dynamic business environments. For further details regarding the admission process, students can contact at IIM Lucknow admission contact number, provided on the official website. 

Duration: Two years

Mode: Full-time, Regular

IIM Lucknow Eligibility Criteria for PGP-ABM

IIM Lucknow Selection Process for PGP-ABM

The selection process for the IIM Lucknow PGP-ABM programme is as per the process given below: 

CAT 2025 Results

Information related to the CAT 2025 results will be tentatively available starting from the first week of January 2026 on this website. The list of candidates shortlisted for the next level of selection will be made available on the website of the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow). Students must achieve the qualifying marks in the CAT examination. 

Admission Process

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow) shortlists candidates for the interview stage based on its own criteria, which may be independent of each other. The process may include a Written Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interviews (PI). Performance in the CAT 2025 examination is an important component in the admission process. The institute may additionally use other factors such as the previous academic performance of the candidates, relevant work experience, gender, and academic diversity, and other similar inputs in shortlisting and ranking of candidates at various stages of the IIM Lucknow admission process.

Verification Process

If a candidate is shortlisted for an interview by any Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow), he must comply with the following eligibility verification:

• Marksheets and Degree Certificates: The candidate must show all the mark sheets and submit attested copies to prove eligibility at the time of the interview. If a candidate is selected for a programme, the original degree certificate and mark sheets of all semesters, along with their attested copies, must be submitted for verification at the time of joining the programme.

• Reservation Category Requirement: If shortlisted for an interview, SC, ST, NC-OBC, EWS, and PwD candidates must show the original caste/class or disability certificate and submit a photocopy at the time of the interview, along with the submission requirements as specified.

• Candidates in the Final Year of Graduation: If shortlisted for an interview, candidates appearing for the final bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification examination must show an original certificate from the Principal or Institution certifying that the candidate has obtained 50% marks or equivalent (45% in case of candidates belonging to the SC, ST and PwD category) based on the latest available marks. He/she must submit an attested copy of the original certificate at the time of the interview.

IIM Lucknow Eligibility Criteria for IIM Lucknow PGP ABM

The Indian Institute of Management Lucknow offers a two-year full-time residential Post Graduate Programme in Sustainable Management (PGP SM). Post Graduate Programme in Sustainable Management states that businesses are embedded in society and cannot be separated from it, and therefore aims to develop management professionals with a holistic perspective on economic, social and environmental issues.

IIM Lucknow PGP SM is one of the popular courses among the very few institutes in India, perhaps among the very few in the world also, to have pioneered a Sustainable Management Programme. Students can read more informational points for the MBA-SM course for the IIM Lucknow admission 2026.

Weights for Final Score calculation

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow offers a two-year full-time residential Post Graduate Programme in Management for Working Executives. Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow) provides this programme at its Noida campus. This course was previously known as the Working Managers' Programme (WMP).

IIM Lucknow PGPWE is a uniquely designed program for working executives, entrepreneurs and professionals who desire to enhance their managerial knowledge and skills through formal management education while continuing to work full-time in their ongoing professions or business. 

Duration: Two Years

Mode: Full-time, Regular (residential Course)

IIM Lucknow Eligibility Criteria for PGPWE:

IIM Lucknow Admission Process for PGPWE Programme

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow) selects students based on a three-stage selection process: 

1. Eligibility Check 

2. Writing Ability Test (WAT) and Personal Interview

3. Final selection 

IIM Lucknow Selection Process for PGPWE

• Candidate must fill and submit the Application Form online, Application Form, and upload the scanned copies of the documents in support of the attainments mentioned in the IIM Lucknow Eligibility Criteria.

• Completed Application Form must be submitted by November 20, 2025

• Based on the scores in GMAT/GMAT Focus Edition/GRE/CAT/GATE/ PGPWE Entrance Exam, candidates are shortlisted for the Writing Ability Test and Personal Interview. 

• After the Writing Ability Test & Personal Interview are done, the final score is calculated using the following weightage formula: 

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow offers a one-year International Programme in Management for Working Executives (IPMX). Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow) offers this course at its Noida campus. IPMX is a one-year residential programme designed for mid/senior-level professionals to prepare them for top positions in industry roles. 

The IPMX programme was started in the year 2008 and is accredited by AACSB and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). Candidates who want to seek admission in this one-year executive programme must have a valid score card of GMAT/GMAT Focus Edition/GRE entrance tests. 

IIM Lucknow Eligibility Criteria for IPMX

To apply for this programme, candidates need to meet the following conditions:

• A bachelor’s degree in any stream with a minimum of 50% marks or equivalent from any recognised university. 

• A valid GMAT or GRE score, the score must be valid till the last date of application; It is mandatory to submit the Official Score card/Test Taker copy (if the Official Score card is not yet received) along with the application.

• Candidates need to submit the GMAT/GMAT Focus Edition/GRE score card along with the application form

• A minimum of 5 years full-time (Regular) post-qualification (after graduation) work experience is mandatory for admission to the IPMX programme at Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow). 

• The Programme is open to executives of all nationalities.

IIM Lucknow Selection Process for IPMX

The selection for the IPMX programme at Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow) is processed through the following pattern: 

• Candidate fills and submits the application form online, Application Form and uploads the scanned copies of the documents in support of the attainments mentioned in the Eligibility Criteria. 

• Completed Application Form must be submitted by October 17, 2025, for the first phase and December 17, 2025, for the second phase. 

• The candidate provides the contact details of the recommenders. The suggested recommenders will receive an email requesting them to submit the recommendation letters online directly to the admissions office. 

• Candidates are shortlisted for the Writing Ability Test (WAT) and the Personal Interview (PI) based on GMAT/GMAT Focus Edition/GRE score card. 

• A candidate’s final score for selection in IPMX for batch 2026 – 27 will be calculated based on the assigned weights as per the following table: 

Note- Offer of admission will be provided on the final score. 

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow provides a two-year Blended Post Graduate Programme (b-MBA), specially designed for working professionals. The syllabus of bMBA programme holds a careful balance between academic curriculum and real-world experiences, integrating core courses, electives, and a dedicated project to ensure holistic learning and application. 

Students can continue in their current professional roles while benefiting from access to Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow)’s distinguished faculty, a diverse peer network, and cutting-edge digital learning resources.

Duration: Two years

Mode: Full-time, Regular (Residential Programme)

IIM Lucknow Eligibility Criteria for bMBA 

To get admitted to the blended-MBA programme, students must meet the IIM Lucknow eligibility criteria, given below: 

• Work Experience: Minimum of three years of full-time relevant work experience after graduation on August 31, 2025. 

• Candidate must have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional qualification (CA/CS/ICWA) with minimum 50% marks from a recognised university or Institute in India or abroad.

• Candidates must have a valid CAT/ GRE/ GMAT/ GMAT (focus) score. The exam should be centre-based only, and the score card is Valid for the last five years.

• The programme is open to applicants of all nationalities, and both Indian and international candidates can apply.

Equivalent Qualifications: 

Candidates who want to seek admission to the b-MBA programme, having the following eligibility criteria, are eligible to apply: 

• Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university. 

• Chartered Accountant (CA) or Company Secretary (CS) from ICAI. 

• Cost and Management Accountant (ICWA/CMA) from ICAI. 

• Foreign degree equivalents must be recognised by AIU (Association of Indian Universities).

IIM Lucknow Admission Process for bMBA 

The process of admission to the blended-MBA programme at Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow) is based on a three-stage admission process, which is as follows: 

1. Shortlisting Stage

2. Personal Interview (PI)

3. Final Admission Stage

Shortlisting Stage: 

Shortlisting is based on the following criteria and respective weightages: 

Interview Stage

Candidates shortlisted on the basis of their Shortlisting Score will be invited for the interview. Only candidates scoring a minimum of 12 marks out of 40 in the interview will be considered for the final merit list preparation. 

The Minimum qualifying marks in the Personal Interview are 12 out of 40 Marks. Candidates who do not achieve the minimum marks in PI will not be allowed to move to the further admission stages. 

Final Admission Stage 

Candidates who complete the shortlisting and Personal Interview Stage successfully are considered in the final stage of admission. The illustration of final score calculation is given as follows: 

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow offers a Doctoral Programme in Management for research scholars who are enthusiastic about research in the different fields of the Management sector. The programme was launched in 2000-2001 and is specially designed to produce high-quality academicians, researchers, and management thinkers by providing an opportunity for interdisciplinary education and research in management. The highly academically charged environment of the institute helps scholar to develop and sharpen their intellect. 

Duration: 3 to 5 Years

Mode: Full-time, Regular (Residential)

IIM Lucknow Eligibility Criteria for PhD

The candidates who want to get admission in the PhD programme must have one of the following qualifications obtained from any of the universities incorporated by an act of the central or state legislature in India. IIM Lucknow admission criteria for PhD course is given below: 

• Candidates must have a Master's degree or its equivalent in any discipline with a minimum 55% aggregate marks (50% for SC/ST candidates). 

• Candidates having a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering with 75% marks [70% for SC/ST candidates]. 

• Any professional qualifications such as CA, ICWA and CS with a minimum 55% aggregate marks.

• Candidates must have secured a minimum of 55 % marks in all their public examinations starting with the secondary level. 

• Work experience in industry or academics, though not mandatory, will be given due credit in the selection process.

Area of specialisation

The Doctoral Programme in Management (DPM) offers a wide range of specialisation areas to help students focus on their research interests. Students must read out the IIM Lucknow admission criteria 2026 details, available on the official website and brochure, provided by the IIM Lucknow. Some of the areas of specialisation of PhD programmes are given below:  

• 1. Agri-Business Management

• 2. Business Sustainability

• 3. Communication

• 4. Decision Sciences (OR/ Stats)

• 5. Economics and Business Environment

• 6. Finance & Accounting

• 7. Human Resource Management

• 8. Information Technology & Systems

• 9. Marketing Management

• 10. Operations & Supply Chain Management

• 11. Strategic Management

Note: Students can choose only one specialisation area while applying. The area should be related to their academics and interests. 

The admission process for the PhD programme at Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow) is based on as per given process: 

• Applicants will be shortlisted for the selection interview based on a valid score of one of the following exams: Common Admission Test (CAT), GATE, GRE, GMAT or JRF/SRF, conducted by UGC/CSIR/ICAR. 

• The score card of the entrance examinations taken during the last two years will only be considered valid. 

• Applicants will be shortlisted for an interview based on the following: 

• CAT

• GATE

• GRE

• GMAT

• JRF

• SRF

Admission to the programme is also open to international applicants, including NRIs and foreign nationals. Their admission will be based on GMAT/GRE scores obtained within the previous year.

Admission Schedule for Admission in PhD Programmes 

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow offers the Executive Fellow Programme in Management (EFPM). This is a doctoral program and primarily aims at preparing students for a career in management research, teaching and consulting. 

The program is uniquely designed to meet the learning aspirations of enthusiastic executives and teaching professionals, and will enhance the state-of-the-art research skills required for increased understanding of today's complex business world while continuing to work. Students must meet the minimum admission criteria, according to the IIM Lucknow Admission Policy. 

IIM Lucknow Eligibility Criteria for EFPM

For admission to the EFPM (PhD) programme at Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, students are required to meet the following minimum eligibility criteria: 

For General Category Candidates:

• Candidates must passed class 10+2 with minimum 50% marks.

• Graduation and Post Graduation courses with minimum 50% marks and 55% marks respectively or equivalent CGPA. 

• Students having Graduation in Engineering, CA, CS or ICWA with a minimum 55% aggregate marks and B.Com. as UG degree with minimum 50% marks or equivalent CGPA.

For SC/ST Category Candidates: 

• Candidates must passed class 10+2 with minimum 50% marks.

• Graduation and Post Graduation courses with minimum 45% and 50% marks respectively or equivalent CGPA. 

• Students having Graduation in Engineering, CA, CS or ICWA with a minimum 50% aggregate marks and B.Com. as UG degree with minimum 45% marks or equivalent CGPA.

• Note: Post Graduation with less than two years is not acceptable for admission at IIM Lucknow Campus

Work Experience: 

• Candidates should currently employed in a full-time job with a minimum of 7 years of work experience as on 31st March 2026. 

• Age of the candidate should not be more than 55 years as on 31st March 2026.

Qualifying Examinations (Any of the following)

1. CAT

2. GATE

3. GMAT

4. GMAT Focus Edition

5. GRE

6. JRF/SRF

7. PGWE Entrance Examination held in December 2025 by IIM Lucknow, Noida campus. 

Note: Online GMAT/GMAT Focus Edition/GRE (take-home) exam scores are not valid; only test centre-based GMAT/GMAT Focus Edition/GRE scores are valid.

Selection Process for PhD for Working Executives

Students who want to seek admission to the PhD for Working Executive programme at Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM Lucknow) must have to go through the following steps: 

• The candidate submits a duly filled Application Form along with copies of documents in support of the attainments. 

• The candidate needs to mention the area of specialisation from the following academic areas: 

• Agribusiness Management

• Economics and Business Environment

• Business Sustainability

• Business Communication

• Decision Sciences (Statistics and Operations Research)

• Finance and Accounting

• Human Resource Management

• Information Technology and Systems

• Marketing Management

• Operations and Supply Chain Management

• Strategic Management

Candidates can fill out only one application form in which they can apply to two areas of specialisation. Applications filed by the candidates are shortlisted by the area-level screening committee. 

Shortlisted candidates are called for a personal interview at either the IIM Lucknow Campus or its Noida Campus. Final selection in the EFPM (PhD for Working Executives) at IIM Lucknow admission is based on personal interview and academic, and profile of the candidates.