01 · Class profile
Who is in the ISB PGP class
Test scores
| Test | Average | Median | Range |
|---|
| GMAT Focus | 672 | 675 | 575 to 795 |
| GMAT Classic | 720 | 723 | 640 to 780 |
| GRE | 325 | 325 | 309 to 337 |
ISB sets no minimum test score and no minimum CGPA. The ranges above are what the enrolled class actually scored.
Work experience of the class (number of students)
Number of students in each band. Experience range in the class: 2 to 18 years.
Class of 2027: 424 students at Hyderabad and 415 at Mohali (ISB press release, 7th May 2026). Age range 21 to 42.
Women are 389 of 839 on ISB's class profile page; the press release says over 45%, and ISB's placement report shows 47% female for the Class of 2027.
Where do you sit in this class? Enter your score, experience and profile and see your position and interview risk.
Check my chances02 · Placements
Where ISB PGP graduates go
₹37.12 lakh
average salary
₹163.66 lakh
highest salary
Class of 2026: 1,177 offers for a class of 811; highest salary ₹163.66 lakh.
About 65% of the class changed industry and about 65% changed function. There were 35 international offers, and 27 companies made 10 or more offers each (including Accenture, Mastercard, EY, Deloitte, McKinsey, Alvarez and Marsal and Nagarro). ISB does not publish a median salary.
Share of offers by industry
Consulting and advisory
45% Share of offers from each industry.
Others: pharma and healthcare, media, conglomerates, infrastructure, government and NGOs, manufacturing.
Share of offers by function
Consulting and strategy
46% Analytics and technology
22% Share of offers in each function.
Others: operations, general management and leadership programmes, and other functions.
Class of 2026 placement report, reviewed by KPMG and dated 10th Oct 2026. Salary is the average across the class, not a promise for any one student.
03 · Fees and scholarships
What it costs, and how to pay less
₹34.48 lakh
fee before GST
about 25%
students with aid
₹20,000
refundable deposit
ISB's pages differ on aid: its fees page says about 25% of students receive financial support, while its Class of 2027 press release says scholarships went to about 13% of the cohort.
Fee for the 2027-28 batch: shared accommodation, paid in a single instalment, and it covers admission, commitment and tuition fees. GST is charged on top and ISB does not state the rate. ISB calls the fee indicative and subject to revision.
Paying the fee
| Item | What to know |
|---|
| Admission fee | Of the fee, ₹3 lakh plus taxes is the admission fee, partly refundable. |
| Payment deadline | It is due by the deadline in your offer email. |
| Your decision | ISB wants your accept or decline decision within 10 days of the offer. |
ISB scholarships
| Scholarship | What you get and who it is for |
|---|
| Merit waiver | 25% to 100% of tuition. Every applicant is considered automatically; there is no separate form. |
| Merit by diversity | 25% to 100% for high-merit applicants from diverse educational or professional backgrounds. |
| Need-based waiver | 100% if family income is up to ₹8 lakh; 75% if it is above ₹8 lakh and up to ₹20 lakh. Family income includes yours. You write an essay and give proof of income. ISB's FAQ page quotes a different cap (₹18 lakh), so confirm the current limit with ISB. |
| Bridge to India | 25% for applicants working abroad who plan to return to India. Needs an essay. |
| Armed Forces | 50% for up to 6 veterans or officers moving to civilian life. Separate application. |
| Serving IAS officers | 100% for up to 3 serving IAS officers, who return to government service. Separate application. |
| Destination India | 100% of tuition for 25 non-Indian nationals, chosen on admission merit with no separate application. |
ISB also lists more than a dozen donor-funded awards, among them the Taparia Family and J.C. Flowers ARC scholarships (100% for 5 awardees each) and three Bajaj Auto merit scholarships (ISB lists ₹10 lakh). Most need no separate application. Each applicant can receive only one tuition waiver. ISB gives no date for scholarship decisions: its FAQ says waivers are indicated in the admission offer where applicable, and its process page says some shortlisted applicants get a scholarship interview before the Scholarship Committee decides. ISB can change criteria, amounts and the number of awards at any time.
Education loans
ISB lists Axis Bank, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India and Credila as loan partners. Listed rates start at 6.75% (Central Bank of India), Credila lists 8.75% onwards, and terms go up to 15 years. Several offer loans up to ₹40 to ₹50 lakh with no collateral. Rates change, so confirm with the bank.
Could your profile earn a merit waiver? Check where you stand before you apply.
Check my chances04 · Rounds and deadlines
Which round, and by when
Round 120th Sep 2026
- Interviews:
- Week 2 Oct to Week 2 Dec 2026
- Decision:
- End-Dec 2026
Round 26th Dec 2026
- Interviews:
- Week 4 Dec 2026 to Week 1 Feb 2027
- Decision:
- Mid-Feb 2027
Round 317th Jan 2027
- Interviews:
- Week 1 to Week 4 Feb 2027
- Decision:
- Mid-Mar 2027
ISB says competition is the same in every round. Each round opens about two months before its deadline. Applications that miss a deadline roll into the next round, nothing is accepted after 17th Jan 2027, and you can apply once per year. Interview dates are tentative: ISB gives weeks, not days.
Not sure which round to aim for? We look at your file and tell you.
Check my chances05 · Clubs and activities
Life outside class
ISB groups its clubs as professional, impact and exclusive, social and special interest groups. Below are the 29 it describes in detail. Professional clubs are student-run and supervised by the Graduate Student Board; social clubs are run by elected students.
Professional clubs (7)
| Club | What they do |
|---|
| Business Analytics | ISB lists plans for an analytics foundation course, individual learning paths, career pathways and hands-on boot camps. |
| Business Technology | Speaker series with industry leaders; the BTC Conclave networking event; a technology track at ILS and Solstice. |
| Consulting | Speaker sessions with consultants from different firms; weekly guesstimate sessions; resume workshops and reviews. |
| Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital | Idea generation and team building; sessions on fundraising. |
| Finance | Artha, the club's flagship event; speaker sessions with industry veterans; case competitions. |
| Operations Management | Six Sigma certifications; simulation-based workshops; analytics and visualisation masterclasses. |
| Marketing | Alumni and peer sessions; real campaign execution; case competitions. |
Impact and exclusive clubs (4)
| Club | What they do |
|---|
| Net Impact | A Gold Chapter club working on impact consulting projects, sustainability initiatives and CSR partnerships. |
| Senior Executive | A forum for students with 8 or more years of experience: speaker sessions, industry-connect workshops, and bonding events for members and their families. |
| Toastmasters | Toastmasters Pathways learning journeys; regular prepared and extempore speeches with feedback; speech contests at area, district and region levels. |
| Women in Business | Open forums; networking events; mentorship initiatives. |
Social clubs (12)
| Club | What they do |
|---|
| Arts and Creativity | On-campus art activities; sessions with established artists. |
| Dance | The Aikya and Solstice dance events; workshops in Zumba, Bollywood, Salsa, Hip-Hop and Contemporary. |
| Fashion and Lifestyle | Industry deep-dives; collaborations with Hyderabad entrepreneurs; style workshops. |
| Management and Life Learnings from Ancient Indian Scriptures | Conversations and storytelling; speaker sessions; games and comics. |
| Music | Performances at Solstice, ILS and Advaita; ticketed gigs at venues in the city; jam nights and open mics. |
| Photography | Photo-walks and field trips; live workshops; the "400+ of Us" video of every student. |
| Quiz | Regular theme-based quizzes; quizzes at ISB's flagship events. |
| Radio | The Tete-a-Tete show and the Class Ke Pehle programme; members serve as RJs. |
| Spectrum | ISB's diversity and inclusion club: the Pride Parade; cohort-wide sensitisation initiatives; partnerships with employers committed to diversity. |
| Sports | Sports events; ISB says it will look at e-sports and hiking and at sessions on careers in sports; beginner-friendly initiatives. |
| Stand-up Comedy | Open mics; improv nights; workshops. |
| Theatre | Stage productions for marquee events; short films and movie nights; storytelling nights. |
Special interest groups (6 described; ISB also lists 12 more approved groups)
| Club | What they do |
|---|
| Energy and Sustainability | Green business models, clean energy and climate-conscious investing, working with corporates, policymakers and sustainability leaders. |
| Healthcare | Networking events; peer learning sessions; speaker series and industry treks. |
| Media and Entertainment | Homecoming, the group's flagship event; industry speaker sessions; sessions across media and entertainment careers. |
| Luxury and Retail and E-commerce | Speaker sessions with retail leaders; peer-to-peer workshops. |
| Public Policy | Discussions with policymakers, bureaucrats and think tanks. |
| Real Estate and Infrastructure | Insights into urban development, real estate investment, smart cities and infrastructure financing, with industry experts, developers and policymakers. |
The programme is fully residential, in serviced studio apartments, across two campuses: Hyderabad and Mohali.
Activities are as ISB describes them on its club pages. Clubs change what they run each year.
06 · Process
From application to decision
Apply
Submit the application, documents, test score, essays and recommender details before the round deadline.
ISB then verifies your application within 20 days and gives you 3 days to fix anything missing. Only verified applications go forward.
Shortlist announcementBy email, 3 to 7 days' notice
ISB reviews each verified file as a whole and invites shortlisted candidates to interview.
ISB publishes no shortlist date, only the interview window for each round. Everyone shortlisted is interviewed. There is no group discussion.
Written essays and interview
Two on-the-spot essays, then about 30 minutes with a panel of ISB faculty, alumni and senior staff.
Virtual (Zoom) or in person at a tier-1 city location. ISB assigns the final format and weights both equally.
Decision
The Admissions Committee, made up of faculty and alumni, decides and ISB emails the result.
Some applicants get a scholarship interview. Accept within 10 days; the admission fee is ₹3 lakh plus taxes, partly refundable.
07 · What you need
What goes into the application
1. Eligibility
You need at least 24 months of full-time work experience, counted as of 31st March.
2. Test score
A GMAT (Classic or Focus) or GRE score from a test centre, not older than 5 years at the round deadline. There is no minimum and no preference between tests.
3. Essays
Two are mandatory and one is optional. Reapplicants write an extra reapplicant essay.
Essay 1: Leadership (required, 400 words)
What unique experiences have shaped who you are? What have these experiences taught you about leadership and the kind of leader you aspire to be?
Essay 2: Learning approach (required, 400 words)
What intellectual experiences have influenced your approach to learning and have led you to pursue an MBA? Please describe using anecdotes from your own experiences.
Essay 3: Intellectual pursuits (optional, 250 words)
Share with us any intellectual pursuits, unique perspectives, or experiences that you pursued that have shaped your worldview. How could they potentially contribute to our learning community?
4. One letter of recommendation
ISB needs one professional recommendation, ideally from someone who has closely observed your work recently. Family and friends are not accepted. You enter your recommender's name, phone number and official email, and ISB sends them an online evaluation link. There is no PDF or paper copy.
ISB does not link a recommendation template or a GMAC format; its FAQ says no template is necessary. Your one recommendation must be submitted online by your chosen round's deadline, and ISB says on-time submission is your responsibility; its FAQ advises requesting it as early as possible. Read ISB's FAQ.
5. Documents
Keep proof of identity, academic certificates and transcripts (unofficial ones first, official ones if you get an offer) and your professional documents ready.
08 · What ISB wants
How ISB reads your file
ISB lists three selection criteria. Here is what each means for your application.
| ISB looks at | In plain words |
|---|
| Analytical thinking | You spot real business or social problems, think them through, and design a sensible response. It shows in your work, your achievements and your goals. |
| Demonstrated leadership potential | Empathetic, effective communicators who inspire and motivate others to create impact. ISB looks for it in your work, your interpersonal skills and your contributions outside work. |
| Commitment to growth | You stay curious, learn from failure and keep improving. It shows in how you handled setbacks and what you did next. |
ISB reads everything together: academics, test score, work, extracurriculars, essays, awards and the recommendation. No single item decides it.
See how your file reads against these three criteria before you spend weeks on essays.
Check my chances09 · Interview questions
What ISB interviewers typically ask
Five questions that show the pattern, based on candidates' own accounts of their ISB interviews. The tag says how likely that type of question is: high means it comes up in close to half of candidate accounts or more, medium in roughly a quarter to just under half, and low in fewer than a quarter. Nobody gets a fixed list: expect around nine questions, most of them follow-ups to your own answers.
| Topic | Chance | How it is usually asked |
|---|
| Your career goals | HIGH | “Why that short-term goal, and why that industry first?” |
| A leadership or teamwork story | HIGH | “Tell us about a time you handled a conflict in your team.” |
| Why an MBA | HIGH | “Why do you need an MBA now, when your career is going well?” |
| Your current work, in depth | MEDIUM | “Describe a typical day in your job and the decisions you own.” |
| A case or technical question | LOW | “Estimate the total petrol sold across the pumps in your city.” |
10 · Interview experience
What the interview is actually like
What ISB says
| Topic | What to expect |
|---|
| Duration | About 30 minutes. |
| Format | Virtual or in person. ISB sets the final format. |
| Written essays | Two on-the-spot essays. |
What candidates report
| Topic | What to expect |
|---|
| Duration | 30 to 40 minutes. |
| Panel | Two or three people, mostly ISB alumni. |
| Attitude | Mostly warm and conversational, with plenty of follow-up questions. |
| Written essays | The essays are on workplace dilemmas. |
Based on candidates' own accounts, so treat it as a guide to the pattern, not a promise.
11 · FAQs
Questions students ask about ISB PGP
Is there a minimum GMAT or GRE score for the ISB PGP?
No. ISB sets no minimum score and no preference between the GMAT (Classic or Focus) and the GRE. The score must be from a test centre, and no more than 5 years old at the round deadline. Home-based tests have not been accepted since the April 2025 intake. For context, the Class of 2027 had a median GMAT Focus of 675 and a median GRE of 325.
How much work experience do I need?
At least 24 months of full-time work experience, counted as of 31st March. Part-time work and CA articleship do not count. With less than two years, ISB points you to its PGP YL route instead.
Is there a minimum CGPA or percentage?
No. ISB sets no minimum CGPA and reads your academics along with the rest of your file.
How many recommendations does ISB need?
One professional recommendation, ideally from someone who has closely observed your work. Family and friends are not accepted. You enter your recommender's name, phone and official email, and ISB sends them an online evaluation link. No template is needed.
Is there a group discussion in the ISB interview?
No. Everyone who is shortlisted is interviewed, for about 30 minutes by a panel of ISB faculty, alumni and senior staff, and you also write two on-the-spot essays. You get 3 to 7 days' notice by email.
Which round should I apply in?
ISB says the competition is the same in every round and that all three rounds have the same eligibility criteria. Applying early helps you plan, but the round does not by itself change your chances. Pick the round in which you can submit your strongest application.
How much does the ISB PGP cost?
₹34.48 lakh plus GST for the 2027-28 batch, with shared accommodation and a single payment, plus a refundable security deposit of ₹20,000. ISB calls the fee indicative and subject to revision.
Can I get a scholarship at ISB?
ISB's fees page says about 25% of PGP students receive financial support, while its Class of 2027 press release says scholarships went to about 13% of the cohort. Every applicant is considered automatically for merit waivers of 25% to 100%. Need-based waivers are 100% for family income up to ₹8 lakh and 75% up to ₹20 lakh, per ISB's fees page. ISB's FAQ page quotes a different cap (₹18 lakh), so confirm the current limit with ISB. Each applicant can receive only one tuition waiver.
When do I hear if I am shortlisted?
ISB does not publish a shortlist date. It invites shortlisted candidates to interview by email, and publishes an interview window and a decision window for each round. See the rounds section above for the current dates.
Can I reapply to ISB?
Yes, once per year. Reapplicants write an extra reapplicant essay, and ISB gives them a 50% waiver on the application fee. They do not need to resubmit test scores unless they took an online or home-based test.