NIRF MBA Rankings 2021 - Strange Or Accurate?

IIM Kozhikode, IIT Delhi Ranked Above XLRI, IIM Indore & IIM Lucknow | NIRF 2021 Rankings of Top Indian MBA Colleges

In the 2021 NIRF MBA rankings of India's top MBA colleges, IIMs Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta have emerged as India's top three business schools. Six out of India's top ten business schools are IIMs, while three IITs also feature amongst the top ten. In the overall rankings, surprisingly, IIT Delhi has been ranked above IIM Indore, IIM Lucknow, IIM Shillong, XLRI, SPJIMR and IIFT Delhi. In 2021, IIM Kozhikode has moved up in rankings to find itself amongst India's top five business schools, replacing IIM Lucknow when compared to last year's rankings.

Surprisingly, SPJIMR, considered to be amongst India's top ten MBA colleges, has further slipped in rankings, going from the 18th position in 2020 to the 19th position in 2021. NMIMS and SIBM Pune on the other hand have marginally improved their rankings as compared to last year.

Note - The data in the table below is sortable and can be sorted in ascending/descending order for each of the five parameters, i.e., Teaching & Learning Resources, Research & Professional Practice, Graduation Outcomes, Outreach & Inclusivity, and Peer Perception.

In the overall rankings, amongst the new IIMs, IIM Raipur has claimed the top spot (15th) while IIM Kashipur, once again, is the lowest ranked second generation IIM. Private institutes such as GLIM, IMI Delhi, ICFAI, Amity University, and KIIT have been ranked above IIM Kashipur, which may be a cause for concern for the IIM. While seven IIMs feature amongst India's top fifteen business schools, the IITs are not far behind, with five IITs featuring amongst the top fifteen. The IITs have been ranked above premier management institutes like MDI Gurgaon, SPJIMR, and NITIE Mumbai.

IIM Ahmedabad, SPJIMR, IIM Bangalore Provide Best Graduation Outcome For MBA Grads | NIRF MBA Rankings 2021

In terms of graduation outcome post-MBA, IIM Ahmedabad, SPJIMR and IIM Bangalore take the top three positions. SIBM Pune has been ranked above IIMs Lucknow, Indore and Shillong. IIFT Delhi, considered to be a premier b-school, features below the likes of FORE School of Management, TAPMI, IMI Delhi, XUB, and many IITs and new IIMs.

Amongst the second generation IIMs, IIM Ranchi provides the best graduation outcome for its MBA graduates, while IIM Udaipur is ranked the lowest for this parameter, even below IIM Nagpur which is a third generation IIM.

IIM ABC Miles Ahead of The Rest In Terms of Brand Perception | NIRF MBA Rankings 2021

In terms of brand perception, i.e., how a b-school is perceived by employers and academics, IIM Bangalore has achieved a perfect score and is perceived as India's leading business school, ahead of IIMs Ahmedabad, and Calcutta. When it comes to perception, there is a chasm between the top three and the rest, which goes on to show how well respected IIMs ABC are by employers and academics.

Surprisingly, and as a major win for the institute, IIM Trichy has been ranked above many premier management institutes such as IIM Indore, XLRI, IIFT, MDI Gurgaon, and SPJIMR Mumbai. Oddly, SPJIMR, considered to be one of India's leading business schools as per the InsideIIM MBA Rankings of 2021, has consistently featured outside of the top twenty in the NIRF MBA rankings. Also odd is the rank of XLRI Jamshedpur, which is ranked behind the likes of IIM Trichy and IIT Delhi, and only marginally better than IIT Madras.

MDI Gurgaon has been ranked below IIM Nagpur, while NITIE Mumbai has been ranked below Chandigarh University and at the same level as TAPMI Manipal and IIM Kashipur. Amongst the second generation IIMs, IIM Trichy ranks the highest while IIM Kashipur ranks the lowest.

How much do you agree with the NIRF MBA rankings of 2021? Which business schools have been ranked incorrectly, in your opinion? Do you think that these rankings are reliable while deciding which business school to join/hire from? Let us know in the comments. Also check out InsideIIM's MBA Rankings of 2021.