Is it all right to choose IIM, I or K over XLRI just for the IIM brand?
Posted On - May 15, 2021I will never suggest you go for IIM Kozhikode over XLRI. Because of the establishment of new IIMs, the impact of its brand has deteriorated. IIM Indore and IIM Kozhikode aren’t at the same level. Apart from IIM ABC, the only good IIM is Lucknow. If your academic records are average then only you can consider XLRI, that too is a great choice. If you are financially weak, then FMS is the one for you.
However, the harsh reality is many companies still prefer IIM students over other B-schools. This partiality results in MBA aspirants flocking to IIMs. IIM's. If you look carefully, XLRI too is an excellent institute and is second only to IIM ABC and FMS. Additionally, those seeking specialization in HR, should not loot beyond XLRI.
So, don’t reject XLRI BM (Jamshedpur) except for IIM A, B, C, and L. One may prefer L over XL because of the IIM tag, else both are similar.
In my opinion, the preference order should be
IIM A=B=C>>L>XLRI>FMS>>IIM I>IIM K
If you have an admission offer from XLRI, don’t choose IIM I or IIM K. XLRI has a better brand presence than IIM I and IIM K. It is better in terms of academics, faculty, placements, and alumni connections.
It is one of the top B-Schools in the country and ranks right after IIM ABC. So, don’t choose IIM I or IIM K just for the IIM tag.
If you are going to choose a B-school there are certain things you need to consider before choosing one.
In the following table, you will get basic information about IIM I, K and XLRI.
|
Category |
IIM-I |
IIM-K |
XLRI |
|
Recruiters |
Flipkart, NIIT, Accenture, AIG, Ogilvy & Mather, Airtel, Amazon, GMR Group |
Accenture, Larsen & Toubro, Microsoft, Oracle, Mahindra, McKinsey & Company, Unilever, KPMG |
KPMG, Aditya Birla Group, ITC, Amazon, The Boston Consulting Group, Microsoft |
|
Average CTC |
INR 17 LPA |
INR 17.5 LPA |
INR 25 LPA |
|
Highest CTC |
INR 23-35 LPA |
INR 40.5 LPA |
INR 40 LPA |
MBA will be an investment from which you will expect a fruitful return. Hence consider the following points before settling on one.
- Placement Record: The placement records of IIM Indore and Kolkata is not better than Xavier School of Management. XLRI has wider alumni, most of its students are at CEO and CXO positions.
- Alumni: XLRI was established in 1949 and thus has wider alumni in various industries. So we cannot compare XLRI to IIM I or K.
- Reputation: The reputation of the college in industries plays an important role. IIM do have a good reputation among industries, but XLRI has a better reputation. As there are over 20 IIMs and XLRI has no reservation.
- Fees: IIM I and K fees are less than XLRI.
- Batch strength: XLRI has a smaller batch than IIM I and K. There are over 500 students in IIM I and 360 students in IIM K.
Therefore, students prefer XLRI over IIM I and K. As the former has a better reputation, placement record, alumni than IIM I and K.
