Baby IIMs and New IIMs vs IIT MBA: Which Is Better for You?
A 95 to 98 percentile in CAT puts you in an awkward spot. It is often too low for the top six IIMs, but it can get you into the baby IIMs, the new IIMs and the management schools at the IITs. All of them have the "IIM" or "IIT" name, and the placement numbers look close. Here is how they actually compare on placements, fees, brand and fit.
The Short Answer
The best IIT MBA programmes, such as IIT Bombay's SJMSOM and IIT Delhi's DMS, post higher median packages than the baby IIMs and similar or higher medians than most new IIMs, and they cost less. The baby IIMs have the lowest medians among the IIM groups. The new IIMs sit in between, and IIM Shillong stands out. If you want a tech or product-linked career, an IIT MBA is often the stronger pick. If you want management consulting, general management or a broad IIM alumni network, an older or stronger new IIM may fit better. The right choice depends on your target role, your fee budget and your city preference, not the label alone.
Which Institutes Are We Talking About?
For the top six IIMs, see our comparison of the top six IIMs.
Placements: How the Numbers Compare
These are the latest figures available for each group. They come from different years, so use them as a guide, not an exact ranking.
Baby IIMs (median package, approximate)
The group median is about ₹14.5 lakh a year.
New IIMs (median package, approximate)
The group median is about ₹18.5 lakh a year.
IIT MBA programmes (latest figures)
What this tells you
- The top IIT programmes beat every baby IIM and most new IIMs on median. SJMSOM, DMS and VGSoM post medians above ₹22 lakh, which is higher than any baby IIM and all new IIMs except Shillong.
- The lower IIT programmes are close to the stronger new IIMs. IIT Madras and Roorkee have medians around ₹18 lakh, similar to IIM Raipur, Trichy and Ranchi.
- IIM Shillong is the outlier among the new IIMs. Its median is close to the top IIT programmes.
- Baby IIMs trail on median. Most are between ₹12 and ₹17 lakh.
The headline numbers hide the spread. Always compare the median, not the highest package. If you want to understand why, see our post on how to read stipend numbers.
Fees and Return on Investment
IIT MBA programmes are noticeably cheaper than most IIMs, which changes the return on investment.
A baby IIM can cost close to double an IIT programme while paying a lower median. If you are financing your MBA with a loan, this gap matters, because the loan repayment takes a larger share of a ₹14 lakh salary than of a ₹22 lakh one.
Brand and Alumni Network
Fees and median are only part of the choice.
- IIM brand. The IIM name carries weight with recruiters across industries, especially in consulting, general management, banking and HR. Even the baby IIMs benefit from the brand, though their alumni networks are younger and smaller.
- IIT brand. The IIT name is strong with technology, product, analytics and core-industry recruiters. Many IIT MBA students also have an IIT or engineering base, which helps in technical roles.
- Network age. Older IIMs and the top IIT programmes have larger alumni bases. Baby IIMs are still building theirs, so placement support can be thinner.
Which Roles Suit Which Choice?
This table is our judgement, not a rule. Placement outcomes depend on the campus, the batch and your own profile.
Other Factors to Weigh
- Location. Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai bring more recruiters and internship options than smaller campuses. Several baby and new IIMs are in smaller towns, which can limit exposure.
- Batch size and campus support. Smaller batches can mean more individual attention but fewer recruiters. Check how many companies visit each campus.
- Programme structure. IIMs offer a two-year PGP. Some IIT programmes are structured differently, and a few run as an MBA within an engineering campus. Read each programme's own curriculum.
- Your background. Engineers may find IIT programmes a natural extension. Non-engineers should check the placement mix before choosing a tech-heavy campus. Our guide to top MBA specialisations for engineers, commerce and arts graduates can help you decide.
- Selection process. IIT MBA forms are usually later than the IIM and November-deadline forms. See our calendar of MBA forms closing in November for what to fill first.
How to Decide
- Pick the role you want first. A tech role and a consulting role lead to different answers.
- Compare the median, not the highest package, and look at the group of roles recruiters actually offer.
- Calculate your fee against the median. If you need a loan, plan the repayment against a realistic salary.
- Visit or talk to current students. Ask where recent graduates ended up, not just the top offers.
- Check the exact programme. Each IIT and IIM has its own structure, specialisations and recruiter mix.
- Keep your preparation on track. Your choices depend on your score, so use the weeks before CAT well. Our guide to the mistakes to avoid in the last six weeks before CAT 2026 can help.
What We Do Not Know Yet
- Placement figures come from different years and programmes, so a gap of a few lakh between two institutes may not be meaningful.
- Placement reports use different methods. Some use the median, some the average and some report only the top part of the batch, so compare like with like.
- IIT programmes change their intake and structure from year to year, so check the latest details.
- Future placements depend on the economy and on recruiters, so past numbers do not guarantee your outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are IIT MBA programmes better than baby IIMs? On median placements and fees, the top IIT programmes (Bombay, Delhi, Kharagpur) perform better than the baby IIMs. The IIM brand and alumni network can still matter more for some career paths.
Are new IIMs better than baby IIMs? On median placements, yes, as a group. The new IIMs have a median of about ₹18.5 lakh against about ₹14.5 lakh for the baby IIMs, and IIM Shillong is well ahead of both.
Which baby IIM has the best placements? IIM Nagpur has the highest median among the baby IIMs, followed by IIM Jammu, Sambalpur and Visakhapatnam.
Which IIT has the best MBA? IIT Bombay's SJMSOM has the highest median among the IIT programmes, followed by IIT Delhi's DMS and IIT Kharagpur's VGSoM.
Is an IIT MBA worth it compared with a baby IIM? For many students, yes. It usually costs less and pays a higher or similar median. The right choice depends on the role you want and on the programme's recruiter mix.
Which is better for tech and product roles? IIT MBA programmes, because recruiters from technology companies value the IIT name and the technical base of the cohort.
Which is better for consulting? Older IIMs lead, followed by the stronger new IIMs. Consulting recruiters at baby IIMs are fewer, so check each campus.
What CAT percentile is needed for these programmes? It varies by institute, category and the year's cutoffs, and no institute publishes a safe percentile. Read each institute's selection criteria, such as our post on IIM Calcutta's MBA selection criteria for 2027 for how an IIM builds its shortlist.
Final Word
A baby IIM or a new IIM is not automatically better than an IIT MBA, and the reverse is also true. Compare the median, the fee and the roles recruiters actually offer, and pick the programme that fits your target career. Placement figures and fees change every year, so confirm the latest numbers on each institute's official website before you decide.
Kavya Kumar
Founder of GRADSCALE, which he architected and built from scratch — the daily drill engine, PYQ access, analytics and leaderboards behind the platform's daily execution system.
