Christ University vs AIMS vs IFIM

The perennial fascination of Indians with IITs and IIMs often alienates some other colleges which are doing good work. Due to lack of exposure given to these colleges, students often tend to miss out on them.

Some colleges in India besides the regular numero uno have maintained a steady reputation for providing quality post-graduate education in management. These colleges don’t necessarily enjoy the same attention as some other colleges do, but they are known to meet industry standards every year.

Nidhi, an Admission Counselor in Delhi explains why these colleges fall behind. ‘In India, the case with most aspirants in engineering and management is borne of mismatched expectations. While some students understand the sheer difficulty of making it to the top colleges, a majority of students tend to reside in dreamland over which college they should choose’

This is the major difference between students in developed countries like the US and the ones still developing like India. In the US, there isn’t an organized hoopla surrounding college admissions. The average selection rate of top Ivy League schools is 9.5%. The selection rate for the top IIMs is 4% and the top IITs is 0.7%. In essence, it is easier to get into MIT or Harvard than IIM Ahmedabad or IIT Delhi. This is the status quo of our current education system’

When Pawan was later asked about other B-schools besides IIMs who had a good reputation for churning out quality management professionals, he ignored the notion. ‘I’m working at a nice place. I won’t leave my job for doing an MBA as a half measure. If I spend 6-8 lakhs on a degree, I want to make sure there will be a serious boost to my career after two years and not just an incremental change.

Nidhi, when told about the point Pawan made taking an unnecessary risk, disagreed with his argument. ‘Isn’t risk a part of a business? If he takes that risk, his career isn’t going to falter. He won’t earn as much as he could have if he made it to the IIMs, but he won’t lose anything either. Many students and even professionals in India walk tiptoed as far as career and jobs are concerned. This is a major reason why most educated Indians prefer to be in the service class rather than the entrepreneurial class. No pain, no gain’

Nidhi makes an interesting point here. The one thing common with the old and the new generation is the lack of apparent risks they are willing to take. While the old generation was obsessed with government jobs, the new generation is enamored by corporate and MNC culture. Both generations were reactive to change, but not active enough to cause the change in the first place.

Some colleges, like mentioned before, have maintained a steady reputation amongst industry officials for diligently developing management graduates over the years. Some of these colleges in Bangalore have been discussed in detail below.

Top MBA colleges in Bangalore

1. Christ University

Christ University is one of Bangalore’s most well-known institutions with a stellar reputation backing its stride over the past few decades. Established in 1969, it was originally conceived as an autonomous college and called Christ College.

In 2008, it was granted the ‘deemed-to-be university’ status by the HRD ministry and has since been known as Christ University. To add further backing to its name, NAAC awarded Christ University with an ‘A’ grade, the highest grade it has to offer. 

Christ University courses and fees

Offering a range of courses across disciplines such as Science, Business administration, Law, Engineering, Humanities, Commerce and Social sciences, Christ University is home to several students pursuing different specializations. Some Christ University courses with their respective annual fees have been mentioned below.

Though Christ University offers many courses, it is most well known for its MBA programme. Many MBA aspirants in Bangalore choose Christ University due to its s sustained record as a top draw university in recent years. This is also partly down to the fact that Christ prefers granting admissions to candidates with at least one year of experience, thereby making sure the pedigree of students taking up MBA courses is optimal.

Christ University MBA cutoff

Being a top ranking institution in Karnataka, the Christ University MBA cutoff is always a source of great interest amongst students. Since it accepts scores from CAT, MAT, XAT, CMAT, and ATMA for MBA admissions, the cutoff list for the various exams is given below.

Christ University placements

Christ University placements are generally very good and exceed expectations every year when compared to other MBA colleges in Bangalore. With an average placement package of over 6.5 LPA, Christ University is very dependable when it comes to its MBA programme.

While marketing and finance are most popular amongst companies, branches such as HR and GM also find takers. The trend keeps on changing though, as branches like operations also dominate sometimes.

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2. Acharya Institute of Management and Sciences (AIMS)

Acharya Institute of Management and Sciences is an affiliate of Bangalore University known primarily for its MBA programme. It is a private institution offering undergraduate and postgraduate courses in fields such as management, social sciences, computer applications, hospitality and culinary arts.

Instituted in 1994, AIMS was founded to meet the eventual demand for management education. It is often considered by MBA aspirants for admissions due to the presence of a decent teaching methodology and good alumni networks for placements.

Christ University has a sizable proportion of MBA students with work experience

AIMS courses and fees

AIMS offers courses in both undergraduate and postgraduate fields. While MBA remains its most popular course, it is also well known for other courses in hotel management and hospitality. The AIMS fees of different courses have been tabled below.

AIMS MBA cutoff

Since its inception in 1994, AIMS has primarily been known for its MBA programme. Due to its affiliation with Bangalore University, AIMS can offer degree programmes in management. AIMS cutoff for various MBA entrance exams has been given below.

AIMS Placements

AIMS placements are considered to be the primary reason why aspirants join the institution. While they don’t claim to match the likes of IIM and XLRI, AIMS has a stable relationship with several industry bigwigs due to their strong alumni network.

As is the case with most B-schools, sales and marketing graduates were the most in-demand students at AIMS. Finance was next ahead of business operations and HR.

Branch wise analysis of placements at AIMS

3. Institute of Finance and International Management (IFIM)

IFIM is a business school located in the heart of Bangalore’s IT hub, Electronic City. 

IFIM was instituted by the Centre for Developmental Education (CDE), a body complying under the Karnataka Society Registration Act. The aim of establishing IFIM was too meet the demand for high-quality business professionals in a post-liberalization Indian economy. The college was recognized by AICTE on the very day of its inception.

 Since IFIM is not affiliated with any university, it cannot provide degree programmes in post graduate management such as MBA. Instead, it offers PGDM courses across all the different branches of management. 

IFIM Courses and fees

The only course IFIM provides is Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM). However, the PGDM course is offered across many specializations. They are as follows 

1. PGDM in General Management
2. PGDM in Finance
3. PGDM in International Business

The fees of the PGDM course per annum is Rs. 5,50,000/-

IFIM PGDM Cutoff

IFIM cutoff is always up for speculation during times of MBA admissions. The IFIM cutoff in 2016 was as follows:

IFIM Placements

Most alumni are usually satisfied with the level of placements at IFIM. With excellent pedagogy, IFIM is able to anticipate the demand of the industry and subsequently able to amend its curriculum in time. The branch-wise break up of placements at IFIM is illustrated below.

Branch wise analysis of placement at IFIM

4. Alliance University

Alliance University is a trusted name in management education in Karnataka since its inception in 2010. Formed after the success of its affiliate Alliance School of Business, Alliance University ran into controversy after a bitter public battle over the administration of the institution. 

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Nevertheless, Alliance School of Business remains recognized enough to be in demand during MBA admissions. 

Alliance Courses and fees

Alliance University may be more popular for its MBA course, but it does offer many other courses from fields such as engineering, commerce and law. Alliance University courses and their respective fees per annum have been tabled below. 

Alliance University is known primarily for its MBA programme 

5. L.N Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research

Known popularly as the WE School, Welingkar Institute was formerly more renowned in Mumbai. In 2008, it opened another college in Bangalore focusing primarily on management studies.

Due to its lack of affiliation with a university and absence of university status, WE Bangalore can only offer PGDM courses. Besides PGDM courses, WE also have a number of other courses in disciplines such as Media & Entertainment, Entrepreneurial management, Business Design & Innovation, E- Business, Healthcare, Retail and special PGDM for family-run businesses.

The USP attached with Welingkar primarily rests on its level of industry interaction and integration. In 2015, it was awarded the ‘AICTE-CII Best Industry-linked management Institute’ award. Due to its non-affiliation with any university, Welingkar tries to gauge the pulse of the industry at all times.

WE Bangalore Courses and fees

The only fulltime courses Welingkar Bangalore offers are:

1. Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM)
2. Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) in E-Business
3. Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) in Business Design and Innovation

The Welingkar fee for PGDM course is Rs. 4,34,000/- per annum.

WE Bangalore Cutoff

Prin. L.N Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research, Bangalore, accept CAT, XAT, CMAT, and MH-CET for admission to its MBA programme. The cutoff for various MBA entrance exams has been tabulated below. 

WE Bangalore Placements

As mentioned before, Welingkar has a closely-knit curriculum which ingratiates industry demands into its course structures. Due to this factor, many companies prefer Welingkar students over candidates from other colleges. The general perception regarding Welingkar is one of the close working relations with hiring officials in the industry. 

This pattern of reaching out to industries to understand the dynamics of the transient management industry helps Welingkar students get placed with decent packages. Despite being much older than some of the new institutions, Welingkar manages to maintain its name amongst MBA aspirants.

6. Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship (XIME)

XIME Bangalore is a renowned college for management located in Bangalore. It has two other campuses in Kochi and Chennai as well. Many students often confuse XIME as an affiliate of XLRI Jamshedpur. The only things common between the two institutions is that they are administered by the Jesuit Society and they both accept XAT scores. 

XIME Courses and fees

XIME only offers courses in post graduate management. There are four separate PGDM branches at XIME. They are listed as follows 

1. Human Resource Management
2. Marketing Management
3. International Business
4. Finance Production and Operation

The XIME fee is Rs. 5,00,000/- per annum. While marketing is generally the most sought after branch, HR and IB also find takers at XIME.

XIME cutoff

XIME cutoff is always a statistic management aspirants in Karnataka look forward to knowing. With a prime reputation in the industry, admissions to XIME are often considered a sound proposition amongst MBA aspirants. The XIME cutoffs for various MBA entrance exams have been tabulated below.

XIME Placements

A great factor which edges XIME ahead of other colleges in Bangalore is placements. XIME placements have always been very good, considering the college is relatively younger compared to the like of Christ University and AIMS.

Some of the placement statistics of XIME have been tabulated below.

7. S Ramaiah Institute of Management (MSRIM)

MS Ramaiah Institute of Management is an affiliate body of Ramaiah Group of Institutions which is a collection of a number of educational institutions across a plethora of disciplines. 

MSRIM courses and fees

MSRIM offers only PGDM courses due to its non-affiliation with any parent university. The PGDM courses it offers are listed below. 

1. Human Resource Management
2. International Business
3. Marketing Management
4. Banking and Financial Services
5. Finance
6. Operations
7. MSRIM fee is Rs. 3,00,000/- per annum.

MSRIM PGDM placements

Placements at MSRIM lie midway between all the top and bottom B-schools of Bangalore. While good companies like Deloitte and KPMG do visit the campus, a majority of placements are done in the low end IT jobs.

Based on reviews given by students and alumni of MSRIM, placements are generally average when scaled with the situation of most B-schools in the country. This is the reason why MSRIM is ranked amongst some of the top private B-schools in Karnataka.

8. Jain University

Established in 1990, Jain University is amongst the most renowned colleges in Bangalore. Instituted by the JGI Group, its original name was Sri Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain College. Over 185 courses in the field of Languages, Social Sciences & Humanities, Physical & Life Sciences, Engineering Science & Technology, Management, Commerce, Ph.D., and M.Phil. are offered at Jain University

Jain University Courses and fees

Some of the course details of courses offered at Jain University are given below:

Courses	Duration	Fees per annum
Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech)	4	Rs. 1,60,000/-
Master of Business Administration (MBA)	2	Rs. 3,87,500/-
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)	3	Rs. 1,71,500/-
Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com)	3	Rs. 1,15,000/-
BBA +LLB	5	Rs. 3,00,000/-
BA + LLB	5	Rs. 3,00,000/-

 

Christ University vs AIMS vs IFIM: Which is the best?

The only thing left after discussing each top B-school in Karnataka is finding which one is the best. In times when a college can springboard a student’s career, knowing which college holds the best hand is imperative for students.

However, distinguishing between these MBA colleges is no mean job. To make this task a bit easier, it is necessary to establish some factors upon which these institutions will be compared. These factors are:

1. College Perception

In matters of education in India, perception is everything. If students find a college suitable, the selection process during admissions will be more selective. This will lead to the admission of only the best possible students, which in turn will drive placements. This is how the cycle of college perception works. 

Perception is also necessary as it has the power to drive a college up or down a curve. The college in question can maintain its perception by having a cogent teaching methodology, a flexible curriculum and a suitable college environment. 

College perception is majorly shaped by alumni experience as well. This adds another incentive for the college to maintain a good rapport with its students as they could make a huge contribution to the perception of the college down the line. 

2. Placements

In India, the bottom line is everything. As for the universities and colleges, the bottomline boils down to placements. 

Students in India are often criticized for analyzing colleges purely on the basis of placements and not having a holistic viewpoint. To counter, their argument is that before spending a pile of money for a two-year degree, all they want is to be sure of landing on two feet after graduation

It is hard to argue with their point. Private B-school usually charges high fees for every course they offer. In return, students looking to take admission simply want to be assured of safety before spending a huge chunk of money. 

3. Relative fees

Taking a sample of these aforementioned seven colleges, the relative fees will be calculated as follows. 

Relative Fees (R_f) = Annual fees of college (MBA)/Annual fees of college with highest fees (MBA) 

R_f essentially signifies the relative fees of each college compared to the fees of the highest. Many people tend to give up on MBA due to the relative expenditure involved in the course. Thus, a factor such as relative fees plays a huge part in distinguishing between colleges of a similar ilk. 

4. Infrastructure

MBA is a postgraduate course in management with a great focus on developing the leaders of the financial world of the future. To inculcate a environment which resonates innovative thinking is extremely important. 

A great problem plaguing B-schools in India is the systemic problem of rote learning and half-knowledge. Instead of embracing new ideas and tactics, many B-schools in India tend to adopt a straitjacket approach to innovation. Management isn’t simply about wearing dark suits and memorizing concepts, but finding unique ways of managing resources within constraints.

Infrastructure doesn’t just imply having a huge campus and tall buildings but creating an atmosphere for future managers and entrepreneurs to flourish. 

5. Industrial exposure

The pressure to integrate and listen to industry demands has become a huge factor for many B-schools. Known to be notoriously rigid with regards to issues such as curriculum changes and outside counsel integration, many MBA colleges too rigid to change are being hit hard by companies during placements. 

This reaction of the industry has forced colleges to adopt a much more flexible approach coming to management studies and business analytics. For any student looking for an MBA college, the level of industry integration at a college plays a vital role in college selection.