SPJIMR and XLRI are considered to be two of the top B-schools in India. Their flagship programmes in post-graduation are comprehensive, and all the top recruiters go to both the institutes for placements. Although XLRI is primarily known for its PGDM (HRM) course, we will be comparing its PGDM (BM) course with SPJIMR’s PGDM course. For HRM, without a second thought, XLRI ranks the best in India. We have compiled a list of key differences between the two programs to help you with your decision in the SPJIMR vs XLRI College Comparison. Aspirants must, however, choose as per their priorities, interests, and goals.
Fees: SPJIMR vs XLRI
SPJIMR: Rs. 22.5 lacs
XLRI: Rs. 30.6 lacs
(This fee includes tuition fee, basic hostel/accommodation. Expenses associated with student exchange are not covered.)
Also Read: SIBM, Pune Vs. NMIMS, Mumbai: Which is the better choice?
Placements: SPJIMR vs XLRI College Comparison
Both institutes have stellar and 100% placement records over the years. While comparing the average and median salaries is a standard, you should also be looking at the sectoral, domain-wise placements, i.e, the percentage of students being placed in a particular domain and whether your preferred list of companies is visiting the campus or not.
For detailed reports of the two institutions (including sector/domain stats, comapnies), check:
Seat Intake
SPJIMR PGDM Program has 240+36 seats, while XLRI has around 240 seats for BM in Jamshedpur and 180 seats in the NCR campus.
Student Exchange Program
XLRI: At XL also the students get to choose an exchange program to European, US universities. The seats are divided proportionately between HR and BM courses on the campuses. Around 10% of the batch gets a chance to go on an exchange.
SPJIMR: The Global Fast Track (GFT) is a program at SPJIMR that enables students to travel to top b-schools in the USA for a 3-week course, which is related to their specialisation. There’s also the IntEx (International Exposure) Program in the second year, where the college sends students on an exchange program to countries like Japan, the USA, etc. Students from Germany, France, Singapore, and other foreign universities come to SPJIMR for the same.
Campus Life & Alumni Connect
- SPJIMR
Students are given an opportunity for all-around development while on campus. There are around 15 – 20 committees that work in different areas such as placements, cultural, social awareness, etc., and all the students must be a part of such committees. PGDM students have an option to participate in Ojas, the cultural fest, and SPrint, which is the sports fest. GASP (Guild of Actors at SPJIMR) is an annual event where students volunteer to produce a play. It’s a student-driven event.
Alumni Involvement: The AlCom (Alumni Committee) of SPJIMR is responsible for engaging with the alumni for various events that take place on the campus. They organise multiple formal and informal interactions between alumni and the current batch throughout the year. They also organise the Annual Alumni Meet along with reunions.
2. XLRI
There are plenty of activities for students to take part in at XLRI. From student societies to festivals like Ensemble, students participate in a wide range of co-curricular activities. The institute also provides counsellors for students. Despite the rigorous academics at XLRI, the students excel in co-curricular activities as well. The course consists of a village exposure programme wherein the students stay in villages, interact with the locals there, and study some of the practices and issues related to rural India.
Alumni Involvement: The Institute keeps in touch with its Alumni through newsletters and major events that it organizes throughout the year. The Alumni Homecoming is organized during the third weekend of November every year. Alumni who have completed 25 years since graduation celebrate their silver jubilee around Christmas time. They also help in arranging for guest lectures at XLRI. The current students and alumni are informally connected through a Facebook page, and the members of this group are always eager to help each other.
Read more: SIBM Final Placements 2025- Highest Salary up by 9%
Location
SPJIMR: The SPJIMR campus is located in Mumbai, the commercial capital of India. Mumbai houses important financial institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India, Bombay Stock Exchange, National Stock Exchange, and SEBI. It's also home to the headquarters of a lot of leading Indian corporate companies and multinational corporations. Mumbai, a global financial hub, offers students and professionals limitless business opportunities for growth and development. This gives SPJIMR an edge when it comes to the location having a better city and social life.
XLRI is located in Jamshedpur, which is also known as Tatanagar, as it’s the city where Jamshedji Tata first established Tata Steel. Jamshedpur is not easily accessible as it doesn’t have a civil airport of its own yet. This becomes a problem when compared on a city basis with SPJIMR. The Delhi NCR campus is also located in Jhajjar, which is an hour away from Gurugram and around 1.5-2 hours from the airport.
Electives Offered: SPJIMR Vs XLRI
| XLRI | SPJIMR |
| Economics | Finance |
| Finance | Information Management |
| Information Systems | Marketing |
| Marketing | Operations & Supply Chain |
| Production, Operations & Decision Sciences | |
| Strategic Management | |
| You can find the list of electives here. |
Selection/ Exams for Upcoming MBA Aspirants
SPJIMR: The students are selected on the basis of a composite score, which considers the applicant’s profile, academic record, scores in entrance tests (CAT/GMAT), the relevance of work experience (optional), and the aspirant's performance in the two rounds of group interviews.
For SPJIMR PGDM, you select your specialisation at the time of applying to the institute.
XLRI: The admission of students is done considering XAT scores, their professional experience, academic record, essays, and performance in personal interviews.
CAT vs XAT
| Metric | CAT | XAT |
| Time | 2 hrs | 3 hrs |
| Questions | 66-68 | |
| Sections | 3 | 3+1 |
| Navigation | Not with sections | Allowed with sections also |
| Sectional Time Limit | Yes | No |
| Top Colleges | IIMs, SPJIMR, MDI, FMS, IIFT etc | XLRI, XIMB, MICA, IMT etc |
| Negative Marking | -1 For every wrong answer except TITA | -.25 for wrong, -.1 for every unattempted after 8 ques |
For detailed info about both of the exams, check here:
FAQs
- XLRI or SPJIMR, which is better?
A lot of it will depend on your aspirations and the domain you want to work in. For HR, XLRI is best. For PGDM and XLRI BM courses, you would like to compare the placements, alumni, campus allotted, city you want to be in.
2. Does XLRI have a student exchange program?
Yes, at XL the students get to choose an exchange program to European, US universities. The seats are divided proportionately between HR and BM courses on the campuses. Around 10% of the batch gets a chance to go on an exchange.
Also Read:
