IIM Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Calcutta in QS Global MBA top 100; all three slip in 2027

Three Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have retained their place among the world’s top 100 institutions for MBA programmes in the QS Global MBA Rankings 2027. However, all three colleges have slipped in their overall positions amid lower scores for value for money and financial returns.

As per QS Global MBA and Business Master’s Rankings 2027 released on September 16, IIM Bangalore continues to be India’s highest-ranked MBA institution despite falling 12 places to joint 64th globally. IIM Ahmedabad also declined by 12 positions to joint 70th, while IIM Calcutta recorded the sharpest drop among the three, slipping 31 places to 95th. The three IIMs remain India’s only MBA providers ranked within the global top 100.

The QS rankings this year have covered more than 420 leading global MBA programmes across 65 countries and territories, along with specialised Business Master’s rankings in Management, Finance, Marketing, Business Analytics and Supply Chain Management. India has recorded 19 entries in the MBA rankings in 2027, including five new entrants, compared with just five Indian institutions featured in 2020.

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Across the overall QS Global MBA and Business Master’s Rankings, India has 28 institutions in different categories. The country trails the United States, which has 150 ranked institutions, followed by the United Kingdom with 42 and France with 35 entries.

The growing number of Indian institutions in the rankings reflects the increasing international visibility of the country’s business schools. However, the performance of MBA institutions showed mixed results. Eight of the 14 institutions slipped to a lower rank or ranking band, while six retained their previous published positions or bands. None of the returning Indian MBA entries improved their overall rank this year.

“The QS Global MBA and Business Master’s Rankings 2027 shows that more Indian business schools are continuing to build their international reputation, with five new entries from the country this year,” QS President Nunzio Quacquarelli said. He added that the global MBA market was becoming increasingly competitive and that international peers were outperforming Indian institutions in areas such as return on investment, entrepreneurship and alumni outcomes.

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IIMs see lower value-for-money

The decline in overall positions of India’s top IIMs was largely influenced by a substantial fall in their value-for-money scores, despite improvements in employability and thought leadership indicators.

IIM Bangalore’s value-for-money score dropped from 91 last year to 57.4 in the 2027 rankings. Similarly, IIM Ahmedabad’s score declined from 88.9 to 60.5, while IIM Calcutta’s fell from 78.9 to 53.3. QS clarified that these are comparative ranking scores used within its methodology and do not represent a direct percentage decline in graduates’ salaries or actual financial returns from MBA degrees.

The QS Global MBA Rankings evaluate institutions across five broad areas, including employability, entrepreneurship and alumni outcomes, return on investment, thought leadership and diversity. The methodology is designed to assess how effectively MBA programmes connect students with industry, support career progression and provide value through academic and professional outcomes.

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Despite the overall decline, employability remained one of the strongest areas for India’s leading management institutions. IIM Bangalore ranked 29th globally in employability and emerged as the second-highest institution in Asia on the indicator. IIM Ahmedabad secured the 35th position globally, followed by IIM Calcutta at 39th, placing all three institutions significantly ahead of their overall MBA rankings on this measure.

IIM Bangalore also performed strongly in specialised business education, ranking 16th globally for employability in the QS Business Master’s in Business Analytics category, highlighting its continued strength in preparing graduates for industry roles.

However, the rankings pointed to weaker outcomes for Indian MBA programmes in entrepreneurship and alumni achievements. IIM Ahmedabad, ranked 84th globally, was the only Indian MBA institution to feature among the world’s top 100 on this indicator. IIM Bangalore was placed in the 161–170 ranking band, while IIM Calcutta fell within the 181–190 band.

While the number of Indian MBA entries has more than tripled since 2020, the latest results indicate that greater international presence has not yet translated into improved overall ranking positions for India’s top leading management institutions.

(With PTI inputs)