IIM-Ahmedabad Retains Top Spot in NIRF 2025 Management Rankings
IIM-Ahmedabad has once again been ranked as the number one management institute in India, according to the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2025 rankings released today. This marks the institution’s consistent leadership in the management category since 2016.
The NIRF rankings, which evaluate institutions across 17 categories including overall performance, universities, and research, provide a benchmark for higher education in India. These rankings are crucial for prospective students, informing their choices and influencing the competitive landscape of Indian education. The increasing participation of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) – rising from 3,565 in 2016 to 14,163 in 2025 – demonstrates the growing importance placed on these assessments.
IIM Bangalore secured the second position, followed by IIM Kozhikode, which climbed to third place, displacing IIM Calcutta to fourth. MDI Gurgaon re-entered the top 10, while XLRI experienced a slight decline, moving from ninth to tenth position. Notably, engineering institutes are increasingly appearing in the top management school rankings, with NITIE Mumbai (now IIM Mumbai) at seventh and IIT Bombay at tenth in the previous year’s list.
Despite strong performance within their category, no top management college secured a position in the top 10 of the overall NIRF rankings. IIT-Madras and IISc Bangalore continue to lead in the overall category, maintaining their positions from the previous year.