IIM Bangalore’s MBA programme best in India, 14 Indian institutes get spot in QS Global MBA & Business Master’s Rankings 2025

List of top Indian full-time MBA programmes institutes. (Graphic by Abhishek Mitra)

Three Indian MBA programmes rank among the world’s top 50 for the employability indicator, with a fourth programme securing a spot in the top 100 for this critical indicator. The country’s number one management college as per NIRF, IIM Ahmedabad’s full-time MBA programme is ranked at the top position nationally in the Entrepreneurship & Alumni Impact category, with two other Indian programmes also ranking among the global top 100 in this indicator.

IIM Bangalore’s full-time MBA programme has achieved the highest return on investment in India, with the other two programmes appearing among the world’s top 100. IIM-B’s full-time MBA programme also leads nationally for the thought leadership of its faculty, with other three programmes appearing among the world’s top 100.

Incidentally, none of the 14 ranked Indian MBA programmes features in the world’s top 250 for student and faculty diversity, highlighting a significant gender gap in the classroom. While IIMs are encouraging women students, the elite club of IIM-A, Bangalore and Calcutta are still far in bridging the gap.

This indicator also assesses the percentage of international students and faculty, an area where Indian business schools continue to lag, underscoring the ongoing challenges in internationalisation within Indian business education, as per QS.

QS CEO Jessica Turner said: “India’s performance in the QS Global MBA and Business Master’s Rankings 2025 underscores the nation’s expanding influence in global business education. Indian institutions are increasingly nurturing leaders prepared to navigate today’s complex and dynamic business environments. The strong showing of IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad, and IIM Calcutta — particularly in employability and alumni impact — demonstrates India’s ability to shape top-tier global talent. However, ongoing challenges related to internationalisation and gender diversity remain critical areas for improvement. Bridging these gaps is not only key to enhancing the global competitiveness of India’s leading business schools, but also vital for fostering more inclusive environments that align with the future of business leadership.”

The United States and the United Kingdom continue to dominate the ranking with the former occupying all three top spots — Stanford GSB’s MBA, for the fifth consecutive year, is named the world’s number one while The Wharton School remains second, followed by Harvard Business School in third. Stanford GSB’s superiority is underpinned by the world’s best alumni impact alongside exceptional Graduate Employabilit,” as per QS.

List of top 20 QS global full time MBA 2025 colleges. (Graphic by Abhishek Mitra)

QS has ranked 60 full-time MBA programmes across Asia, with India emerging as the most represented regional hub. It boast of 14 ranked programmes which is higher than China. Mainland China follows closely with 10, and Japan rounds out the top three with six programmes.

While, IIM Bangalore and IIM Ahmedabad are among the top 10 MBA providers in Asia, IIM Calcutta has dropped just below the top 10 this year. The Indian School of Business maintains a place within the top 15.

The QS Global MBA and Business Master’s Rankings 2025 spans 58 countries and territories, analysing the world’s 340 best global MBAs and a series of specialised high-demand Business Master’s Rankings, including Master’s in Management, Finance, Marketing, Business Analytics, and Supply Chain Management.