CAT 2025: IIM Calcutta MBA sees widening gender gap, dominance of science students, freshers

The two-year MBA programme at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta has been witnessing a gender imbalance over the last three years. The institute recorded a spike in the number of candidates from the science background while arts showed a significant decline in enrollment. IIMC will admit students to its Postgraduate Programme (PGP) 2026-28 batch through the Common Admission Test (CAT) 2025.

In 2024, the number of male candidates in the IIM PGP batch rose from 54% to nearly 60%. However, only 41% of the females made up the total strength, down from 46% some three-to-four years ago. Of 889 students, 528 were male and 361 were female.

Notably, many women from the commerce stream joined the institute in large numbers as compared to men. On the other hand, engineering students are losing interest as the B-school saw a drop in the participants. Moreover, 646 students from the science stream enrolled in the management course at the fifth top IIM in the country.

Also read CAT 2025: IIMs see more women, fewer engineers as MBA programmes diversify intake

IIM CAT 2025: IIM Calcutta MBA batch overview

While the institute is yet to announce its MBA admission policy 2026-27, it gave 30% weightage to CAT exam score last year. As per the latest IIM Calcutta placement report, 465 students secured as many as 573 offers.

The student intake, over the last three sessions, has increased from 819 to 865, show MBA batch profiles.

Also read IIM Ahmedabad raises CAT cut-off 2025, tightens selection criteria for MBA, PGP admissions 2026

IIM Calcutta work experience analysis

Even though the management institute assigns 8% weightage to work experience, more freshers have been joining its MBA programme, with 197 being the highest number in the latest batch. The number of those with a short experience peaked in 2023, only to drop in 2024. On the other hand, mid-experience level graduates made a comeback in the recent admissions. Highly experienced professionals with more than 48 months of experience are not really interested in studying the course, shows the data.