Top PGDM Colleges in India – Placements, fees, cutoffs

One of the most common questions that our mentors at IMS face is about the difference between an MBA and a PGDM degree. Students can get confused with the differing terminology despite the fact that they are pretty much the same with little to no difference. In fact, even in career outcomes, both of them rank equally. We’ve covered this topic in much more detail in the blog – MBA vs PGDM. In this blog, we’re looking at the top PGDM colleges in India.

Yes, yes, we do realise the irony of creating a separate list for the top PGDM colleges in India when there is no discernible difference between the two. To assuage your doubts, you can take a look at this ranking – Top MBA Colleges in India – which is a unified list considering both MBA and PGDM degrees as the same. 

This blog on the top PGDM colleges in India is for students specifically looking to pursue a PGDM degree from the best colleges in India. 

Unlike most other blogs, our rankings don’t follow the NIRF rankings. We at IMS have our own parameters to classify institutions based on – placement data, RoI, entrance test cutoffs, brand and legacy value, and mentor opinions. You can read about the parameters in detail at the end of this blog. Just scroll down to the end, and you’ll know how and why we categorise colleges a certain way.

Now that that’s clear, let’s dive right into the top PGDM colleges in India. Trust us, you’re in for a few surprises.

Top PGDM Colleges in India – Placements, fees, and cutoffs

How to choose the right top PGDM colleges in India for your career goals?

So, here’s a question – what makes the top PGDM colleges in India all that great? Is it great rankings in different lists? Is it a good placement package? Or getting the best job roles? Or RoI? Or peer reviews? Or research papers? Or brand and legacy value? Choosing the right top PGDM colleges in India that fit your career goals and aspirations can be very tricky. IMS mentors have condensed all those factors into 5 of the most critical ones – Placements, Alumni, RoI, Brand Value, and campus and cohort details. 

Read More – CAT Cutoff – How much do you need to score to get into the top colleges?

Placement Data

While hard placement statistics such as highest, average, and median salaries alone cannot be used to determine student outcomes, it is the only source of clean data easily available. Most other long-term outcomes, such as future growth and job roles, take time to manifest, making them harder to quantify. Keeping that in mind, check out audited placement reports from official websites only. Some tier 2 and 3 colleges have been known to inflate numbers to attract candidates. See which companies visit the campuses and what sort of roles are on offer. Often, even if your target company does visit the campus, it won’t necessarily offer the role that you are looking for. Your goal should be to align your choice of tier 2 MBA colleges in India with your career aspirations. 

Alumni Reviews

Alumni reviews will be your single biggest source of verified BSchool information. Look up the alumni of your chosen PGDM college on LinkedIn. Before you text them to discuss the value actualisation and scope of their MBA, peruse their profile and make a note of their job roles and career trajectory. Does it mirror the one you want? If yes, consider it a huge positive sign. Ask them about their college experience and whether it was worth the time and money. The conversation should reveal quite a few incisive insights about your target PGDM college in India. Check out Reddit threads that discuss your chosen institution. Reddit is often the only source of information that is untainted by any biases. Apart from that, you can also check out Quora to find answers to specific questions about the college. 

Read More – The Top MBA Colleges with Low Fees

ROI

Pursuing an MBA degree from one of the many top PGDM colleges in India is a massive investment of time, money, and energy. Most colleges charge exorbitant fees, notwithstanding the opportunity costs involved. But many great MBA programs with high fees also offer great returns down the line, allowing you to quickly recover costs and build equity. That’s why RoI is such a critical factor. We’ve used this parameter to score colleges on how well they help you build your career in the right direction.

Keep in mind this parameter takes up greater importance when considering PGDM colleges in India since spending heftily on a program with little to no returns is a bad investment. But don’t just look at the median package. Try to see how well the alumni of your college are doing 3 and 5 years down the line. How fast has their career progressed in terms of money, job roles, and responsibilities?

Brand and Legacy Value

An institution’s brand value is a crucial factor in deciding the fate of its students. This comprises employer reviews, academic perception, and peer perception. Often, the age of the institute also plays a part in carving a legacy. This factor comes into play when considering schools such as the GIM, GLIM, and IMT. These schools may not be as highly ranked as some of their peers, but they still hold a lot of heft due to their legacy. Some of the top PGDM colleges in India have been around for decades and have carved a space for themselves.

Campus and Cohort Details

While not as critical as the other factors, the campus and cohort should also play a role in your decision. After all, a better campus also spells more exposure and access to opportunities to build your profile. Larger campuses generally tend to have more facilities, allowing you to lead a better life on campus. But do not take colleges at face value and make it a point to visit the campuses on open days.

Along similar lines, your cohort will also help shape you as an individual. When around similarly ambitious, hard-working, and talented people, your potential will also expand, enabling you to absorb more information. And let’s not forget the power of a solid network and how it can come in handy down the road. Fortunately, most of the top PGDM colleges in India that have been around for years boast a massive alumni network that can come in handy during your job search.

Conclusion

In your quest to join one of the top PGDM colleges in India, you’ll have to write many entrance tests. The IMS CATapult program is the perfect way to ensure you are prepared for all of them, giving you an edge over your peers. You get access to 100+ mentor-led live classes along with 50+ masterclasses to cover the full syllabus for not just CAT but also XAT, NMAT, SNAP, GMAT, and MICAT. Just click on the banner above and fill out the form to learn more.

Disclaimer: The information, statistics, and data contained herein are produced, processed, compiled, and based on various sources from the public domain believed to be reliable to the best of our knowledge. These details have been disseminated for reference purposes only, and IMS makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding the quality, content, suitability, completeness, adequacy, accuracy or timeliness of such information, placement report, and data. Readers are further advised to procure information from the official websites of the respective Universities/institutes/ Business Schools etc.