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Great Lakes Chennai offers a two-year, full-time PGDM with 340 seats. The programme is residential and is taught on one campus. It holds AACSB, AMBA and SAQS accreditation and stands #37 in NIRF Management 2025. The course fee is INR 16.08 Lakhs without hostel and INR 22.40 Lakhs with a hostel room. You apply with a CAT, XAT, GMAT, CMAT or NMAT score and then sit an interview. The Class of 2026 was placed at an average of INR 15 LPA, and 93% of the batch got an offer.
Great Lakes Chennai PGDM Fees
The total fees with hostel is INR 22.40 Lakhs and the fees without hostel is INR 16.08 Lakhs. The tuition fee is INR 10.25 Lakhs of that. The programme fee covers case studies, books and campus facilities. The institute fixes this fee for the whole two years. You must take a hostel room, so most students pay the larger total.
Fee head
Amount
How it is charged
Tuition fee
INR 10.25 Lakhs
Full course, as published
Programme fee
INR 5.78 Lakhs
Full course, as published
Alumni subscription
INR 5,000
One time
Caution deposit
INR 10,000
One time, refundable
Hostel and mess
INR 6.32 Lakhs
Full course, as published
Total, no hostel
INR 16.08 Lakhs
Full course
Total with hostel
INR 22.40 Lakhs
Full course
Great Lakes Chennai PGDM Admission Dates
CAT 2026 registration is open till 15 Sep 2026 and the exam is on 29 Nov 2026. The PGDM form for the 2027-29 batch opens in Dec 2026, after the CAT result. Classes start in Jun 2027. Apply in Cycle 1 if you can, because later cycles meet a smaller pool of open seats.
Event
Date
Status
CAT 2026 registration, last date to apply
3 Aug 2026 to 15 Sep 2026
Confirmed
CAT 2026 exam
29 Nov 2026
Confirmed
CAT 2026 result and scorecard
Dec 2026
Tentative
PGDM application opens, Cycle 1
Dec 2026
Tentative
Video and personal interview
Jan 2027
Tentative
Offer letter and merit list
Mar 2027
Tentative
Seat acceptance fee, last date
Mar 2027
Tentative
Reporting and document check
Jun 2027
Tentative
Classes start
Jun 2027
Tentative
Great Lakes Chennai PGDM Eligibility
You need 50% or more in Class 10, Class 12 and your degree, plus a CAT, XAT, GMAT, CMAT or NMAT score. Only freshers and candidates with under 36 months of work are eligible. If you fall short on marks, the institute will not take the file. Check your mark sheets before you pay the INR 2,200 form fee.
Requirement
What you need
Graduation
A bachelor's degree in any subject, 50% or more
Class 10 and Class 12
50% or more in both
Work experience
Freshers, or under 36 months
Exam
A CAT, XAT, GMAT, CMAT or NMAT score
Application fee
INR 2,200 for each programme
Great Lakes Chennai PGDM Admission Process
You take the exam first, then apply online in one of the four cycles. A video interview and a personal interview follow, and the panel scores your record and your goals. The institute makes the offer cycle by cycle. Pay the seat fee by the date on the offer letter or you lose the seat.
Step
What you do
Take the exam
Write CAT, XAT, GMAT, CMAT or NMAT
Apply in a cycle
Fill the online form before the cycle deadline
Record the video interview
Answer the questions online after the cycle closes
Sit the personal interview
A panel scores your record, your goals and your fit
Accept the seat
Pay the seat fee by the date on the offer letter
Great Lakes Chennai PGDM Cutoff
The General shortlist starts at about 80 percentile on CAT and XAT, and about 90 percentile on CMAT. The institute does not publish a fixed cutoff, so these are the levels applicants were called at last year. A strong work record or an academic prize can pull a lower score into the interview list.
Exam
Shortlist percentile
Category
CAT
80 percentile
General
XAT
80 percentile
General
CMAT
90 percentile
General
GMAT
Not published
General
NMAT
Not published
General
Great Lakes Chennai PGDM Placements
The Class of 2026 was placed at an average of INR 15 LPA and 93% of the batch got an offer. The highest offer was INR 39.3 LPA, and 63 students got a pre placement offer after their internship. Banking, IT services and consulting firms take most of the offers. They hire on campus in the second year.
Metric
Value
Average pay
INR 15 LPA, Class of 2026
Highest offer
INR 39.3 LPA
Batch placed
93%, 317 of 341
Pre placement offers
63
Top recruiters
Accenture, Deloitte, EY, Gartner, HCL, ICICI Bank
Great Lakes Chennai PGDM Scholarships
The biggest waiver is INR 10.25 Lakhs, the full tuition fee. It goes to the top ranked applicant of the cycle. Forty merit and diversity awards of INR 5 Lakhs each go to the incoming batch. At least 30% of those go to women. There is no separate form; your application and your interview decide it.
Scholarship
Who can get it
Amount or waiver
Dr. Bala V. Balachandran Merit Scholarship
The top ranked applicant of the cycle
INR 10.25 Lakhs, the full tuition fee
Merit and Diversity Scholarship
A strong academic and test record; 30% of the awards go to women
INR 5 Lakhs
Great Lakes Chennai PGDM Ranking
Great Lakes Chennai stands #37 in NIRF Management 2025. It also holds AACSB, AMBA and SAQS accreditation. Few Indian business schools hold all three together. NIRF ranks on data the institute files every year, while the three bodies check teaching, faculty and outcomes.
Ranking or accreditation
Rank or status
NIRF Management 2025
#37
AACSB
Accredited
AMBA
Accredited
SAQS
Accredited
AICTE
Approved
Great Lakes Chennai PGDM Seats and Intake
The course has 340 seats across four specialisations: Marketing, Finance, Operations and Business Analytics. Last year 317 of the 341 students in the batch were placed. AICTE approves the intake, so the seat count is fixed for the year.
Item
Detail
PGDM seats
340
Specialisations
Marketing, Finance, Operations, Business Analytics
Batch placed last year
317 of 341
Course duration
2 years, full time
Great Lakes Chennai PGDM Hostel and Campus
The hostel fee is INR 6.32 Lakhs for the two years, and a room is twin sharing and air conditioned. Vegetarian meals are part of that fee. The course is residential, so every student takes a room. A triple share costs less and is given if the institute decides.
Item
Detail
Room
Twin sharing, air conditioned
Triple sharing
Given at the institute's choice, at a lower charge
Meals
Vegetarian meals included in the hostel fee
Hostel fee
INR 6.32 Lakhs for two years
Campus
Manamai Nallathur, on East Coast Road, south of Chennai
Should you pick PGDM at Great Lakes Chennai?
This course suits students with under three years of work who want a finance or consulting job and can live on a residential campus.
Pick it if:
You want a banking or finance job: banking and financial services firms took the largest share of last year's offers, and the same names come back every year.
You want a wide alumni base: the institute has sent out batches for over twenty years, and its alumni sit inside the firms that hire on this campus.
You have under three years of work behind you: the course takes only freshers and candidates under 36 months, so you are not weighed against senior profiles.
You want the fees back fast: at the average pay the full course fees comes back in about a year of gross pay, as the ROI tile shows.
Skip it if:
You want a campus inside the city: the campus sits an hour down the East Coast Road, so weekday internships and evening city events are hard to reach.
You want a marketing-first campus: banking, technology and consulting roles take most of the offers here, so a pure marketing goal is served better elsewhere.
You need a room of your own: the course is residential and rooms are twin sharing, with a triple share given if the institute decides.
You will apply only in the last cycle: seats and awards go out cycle by cycle, so a late form meets a smaller pool of open seats.
Counsellor's advice
If you want a banking or consulting role and you can pay the residential fees, apply in Cycle 1 and take the seat. If you want a city campus or a lower fee, keep a safer college above it.
PGDM Eligibility▾
Graduation: A bachelor's degree in any subject with 50% marks or more.
School marks: 50% or more in Class 10 and in Class 12 as well.
Work experience: Freshers, or under 36 months of work when the batch starts.
Exam needed: A CAT, XAT, GMAT, CMAT or NMAT score. CAT 2025 and CAT 2026 both count.
Application fee: INR 2,200 for each programme you apply to.
PGDM Admission Process▾
Take the exam: Write CAT, XAT, GMAT, CMAT or NMAT before you fill the form.
Apply in a cycle: Four cycles open one after the other. Cycle 1 has the most open seats.
Video interview: You record answers online after your cycle closes. There is no travel.
Personal interview: A panel scores your school marks, your exam score, your work and your goals.
Accept the seat: Pay the seat fee by the date on the offer letter or you lose the seat.
PGDM Admission Dates 2027
▾
The 2027-29 dates below are official where the exam body has announced them. Tap 2028-30 Batch for expected dates of the next batch.
The 2028 calendar is not out yet. These dates are estimates based on 2027.
Confirmed
3 Aug 2026 to 15 Sep 2026
CAT 2026 registration, last date to apply
The last date to apply is 15 Sep 2026. Late forms are not taken.
Tentative
24 Sep 2026 to 27 Sep 2026
CAT 2026 correction window
You can change your exam city and your photo in this window.
Confirmed
4 Nov 2026
CAT 2026 admit card
Download it and check your test centre and your slot.
Confirmed
29 Nov 2026
CAT 2026 exam
The exam is held in three sessions on one day.
Tentative
Dec 2026
CAT 2026 result and scorecard
Your percentile decides the interview shortlist here.
Tentative
Dec 2026
PGDM application opens, Cycle 1
The form costs INR 2,200. Cycle 1 has the most open seats.
Tentative
Jan 2027
Video interview
You record your answers online after your cycle closes.
Tentative
Feb 2027
Personal interview
A panel asks about your work, your marks and your goals.
Tentative
Mar 2027
Offer letter and merit list
Offers go out cycle by cycle, not all on one day.
Tentative
Mar 2027
Seat acceptance fee, last date
You lose the seat if you miss the date on the offer letter.
Tentative
Jun 2027
Reporting and document check
Bring your original mark sheets and the offer letter.
Tentative
Jun 2027
Classes start
Hostel rooms are given out in the week before this date.
Tentative
Aug 2027
CAT 2027 registration, last date to apply
Expected to open in Aug, as it did for this batch.
Tentative
Nov 2027
CAT 2027 exam
Expected on the last Sunday of the month.
Tentative
Dec 2027
CAT 2027 result and scorecard
Expected about three weeks after the exam.
Tentative
Dec 2027
PGDM application opens, Cycle 1
Expected to open after the exam result.
Tentative
Jan 2028
Video and personal interview
Expected within weeks of each cycle deadline.
Tentative
Mar 2028
Offer letter and merit list
Expected cycle by cycle, as this year.
Tentative
Mar 2028
Seat acceptance fee, last date
Expected within days of the offer letter.
Tentative
Jun 2028
Reporting and document check
Expected in the week before classes start.
Tentative
Jun 2028
Classes start
Expected in the same month as this batch.
Source: the CAT 2026 notification and the institute admission page. Confirm on the official site before you act.
Great Lakes Chennai PGDM Fees 2027
▾
This is the full 2-year cost, not one year. The rows carry the published 2026-28 batch fee. Turn on the toggle to add hostel and mess.
Tuition fee
Full course, as published
INR 10.25 Lakhs
Programme fee
Full course, as published
INR 5.78 Lakhs
Alumni subscription
One time, in year 1
INR 5,000
Caution deposit Refundable
One time, returned when you leave
INR 10,000
Add hostel + mess
Hostel and mess
Full course, as published
INR 6.32 Lakhs
Total course fee
INR 16.08 Lakhs
2 years · tuition + programme fee, hostel not added
Total course fee
INR 22.40 Lakhs
2 years · tuition + programme fee + hostel and mess
Education loan EMI
INR 27,112
7 yr · 10.5% per year
ROI
93%
average pay INR 15 LPA vs the full fees
Education loan EMI
INR 37,768
7 yr · 10.5% per year
ROI
67%
average pay INR 15 LPA vs the full fees
Source: the institute PGDM fee page for the 2026-28 batch. Confirm on the official site before you act.
Will your score get you a call from Great Lakes Chennai?
Pick the exam you wrote. The institute does not publish a fixed cutoff, so these are the score ranges applicants were called at.
Your exam
CAT score
85 percentile and above: yes, you should get an interview call.
80 to 84 percentile: almost there. Cycle 1 gives a weaker score the best chance.
Below 80 percentile: not likely. A strong work record is your only route.
XAT score
85 percentile and above: yes, you should get an interview call.
80 to 84 percentile: almost there. Apply early and lean on your work record.
Below 80 percentile: not likely. Think about a CAT attempt next year.
CMAT score
95 percentile and above: yes, you should get an interview call.
90 to 94 percentile: almost there. The panel will weigh your marks and your work.
Below 90 percentile: not likely. A CAT or XAT score is the stronger route.
EDITOR'S NOTE
No fixed cutoff is published here, so treat these as the levels applicants were called at last year. Real work behind your profile moves the shortlist more than one point of percentile.
Great Lakes Chennai PGDM Scholarship Calculator
Pick where your profile sits to see what you can claim. The result is an estimate, so confirm it with the institute.
Your merit standing
Scholarships you missedYou do not qualify on your answer. Tap to see why.▾
Each chip below says which answer blocked the award.
Dr. Bala V. Balachandran Merit Scholarship
INR 10.25 Lakhs
Great Lakes Institute of Management
There is no separate form; your application and your interview decide it.
Who qualifies: the top ranked applicant of the cycleApply by Mar 2027
Not eligible on your answers
Merit and Diversity Scholarship
INR 5 Lakhs
Great Lakes Institute of Management
There is no separate form; your application and your interview decide it.
Who qualifies: a strong academic and test record; 30% of the awards go to womenApply by Mar 2027
Not eligible on your answers
No award matches this answer. Ask the institute about paying in parts and about the partner bank loans.
Estimated total waiver
INR 15.25 Lakhs
Your net course fee: INR 83,000
Estimated total waiver
INR 5 Lakhs
Your net course fee: INR 11.08 Lakhs
Estimated total waiver
INR 0
Your net course fee: INR 16.08 Lakhs
Great Lakes Chennai PGDM vs similar colleges
Tap a college to see it next to Great Lakes Chennai. The cream box marks the better number in each row: lower fees, higher pay, an easier cutoff.
Compare with
This page
Great Lakes Institute of Management
Chennai
Compared with
T A Pai Management Institute
Manipal
Compared with
Institute of Management Technology Ghaziabad
Ghaziabad
Compared with
Loyola Institute of Business Administration
Chennai
Compared with
IFMR Graduate School of Business
Sri City
Total fees2 years, no hostel
INR 16.08 Lakhs
tuition + programme fee
INR 19.50 Lakhs
INR 3.42 Lakhs more
INR 23 Lakhs
INR 6.92 Lakhs more
INR 19.10 Lakhs
INR 3.02 Lakhs more
INR 15 Lakhs
INR 1.08 Lakhs less
Average paylatest batch
INR 15 LPA
Class of 2026
INR 11.7 LPA
INR 3.3 LPA less
INR 18.9 LPA
INR 3.9 LPA more
INR 11 LPA
INR 4 LPA less
INR 12 LPA
INR 3 LPA less
Placement rateshare of the batch placed
93%
Class of 2026
100%
7 points higher, as reported by the college
Not published
100%
7 points higher, as reported by the college
Not published
CAT cutoffCAT percentile, General
80%
shortlist level
90%
10 points higher
90%
10 points higher
80%
Same
80%
Same
Seatsthis course
340
PGDM
Not published
360
20 more
216
124 fewer
Not published
In short
TAPMI costs more and its average pay is lower, but its shortlist asks for a higher percentile. If both call you, take this seat; if only TAPMI Manipal does, take that one.
In short
IMT Ghaziabad pays more on average but costs more and asks for a higher percentile. If your score clears both, take IMT Ghaziabad; if it clears only this one, take this seat.
In short
LIBA Chennai costs more and pays less on average, but it sits inside the city and asks for the same percentile. If you want a city campus, keep LIBA Chennai beside this seat.
In short
IFMR GSB costs less and asks for the same percentile, but its average pay is lower. If money is tight, IFMR GSB is the safer spend; if pay is the goal, take this seat.
Fees and pay can change. Check each college site before you decide.
FAQs on Great Lakes Chennai PGDM
Short answers to what students ask before they apply.
How do I get admission to this course?▾
Write CAT, XAT, GMAT, CMAT or NMAT, then apply online in one of the four cycles. A video interview and a personal interview follow. The institute makes the offer cycle by cycle. Pay the seat fee by the date on the offer letter.
What is the full fee for the course?▾
The full two-year fee is INR 16.08 Lakhs without hostel. With hostel and mess it comes to INR 22.40 Lakhs. The course is residential, so almost every student pays the larger figure. Both totals sit in the fee block above.
What percentile do I need for a call?▾
About 80 percentile on CAT or XAT, and about 90 percentile on CMAT. The institute does not publish a fixed cutoff. A strong work record can pull a lower score into the interview list. The checker above shows each exam.
Can I get a scholarship here?▾
Yes. Forty merit and diversity awards of INR 5 Lakhs each go to the incoming batch, and at least 30% of them go to women. The top ranked applicant of the cycle gets the full tuition waiver. There is no separate form.
Do I have to stay in the hostel?▾
Yes. The course is residential, so a hostel room is part of the fee. Rooms are twin sharing and air conditioned, and vegetarian meals are included. A triple share costs less and is given if the institute decides.
When do applications open for the next batch?▾
The form for the 2027-29 batch opens in Dec 2026, after the CAT 2026 result. There are four cycles and the last one closes around Mar 2027. Apply in Cycle 1 if you can. The date rail above lists every step.
How much work experience can I have?▾
Under 36 months. Freshers can apply as well. Candidates with three years or more of full-time work are not eligible for this course. Check the cut off date on the application page before you pay the form fee.
The Great Lakes Institute of Management offers a structured admission process with two cycles in December and January, focusing on candidate profiles beyond just test scores. Selection involves Group Discussions, essays, and interviews. The faculty includes experienced professionals and research-oriented professors, along with international visiting educators, enriching the learning experience. For the 2013-15 batch, the tuition fee was around 13 lakhs, covering accommodation, meals, books, and courses, but excluding personal expenses.
The PGDM program costs approximately 20 lakhs over two years, with tuition and hostel fees. A 10% annual fee increase is typical. The institute boasts a 100% placement record, with an average package of 14 lakhs per annum and the highest reaching 48 lakhs. Top recruiters include JP Morgan, Barclays, and Deloitte. Internships start in the first semester with stipends from major firms like Crisil and PayPal ranging from 50,000 to 1 lakh.
Scholarships are available for the one-year PGPM program, with merit-based awards of 1 lakh per subject topper and 3 lakhs for the batch topper. The PGDM program lacks scholarships, but financial aid through partner banks is an option. The campus environment is supportive, offering facilities like a gym and library, and maintains strong ties with MNCs, enhancing job opportunities.
...Read More
By Collegedunia’s Personal AI
GLIM Chennai: 2 Answered Questions
Is an MBA (PGPM 1 year course) from Great Lakes Chennai worth 19 lakhs?
Gaurav MukharjeeGreat Lakes Institute of Management
It is based on your interests. Great Lakes is a comparatively good institute that offers effective academics and the best infrastructure facilities, especially in the IT sector. But if you are interested in concentrating on other fields like HR, Finance, and so on, then opt for NMIMS, SIBM, SCMHRD, XIMB, and the New IIMS.
Most of the leading B schools are charging close to 20 lakhs for this course, so it is worth paying around 19 lakhs at Great Lakes Institute of Management as it has better placement support
The recent Placement Statistics at GLIM are mentioned below:
What is the GMAT cutoff score for the PGPM course at Great Lakes Chennai and what is the average placement package after the same?
Gaurav MukharjeeGreat Lakes Institute of Management
Great Lakes is a highly reputed B School that offers AICTE-approved one-year PGPM and two-year PGDM programs. For its PGPM program, Great Lakes accepts CAT, XAT, and CMAT. Here are the cutoffs of these respective exams
CAT 2021/2022
80
XAT 2022/2023
80
GMAT (Taken after Jan 1, 2020, for PGPM and after Jan 1, 2021, for PGDM)
600
CMAT 2022 for PGPM and CMAT 2022/2023 for PGDM
Below 5000 All India Rank for Chennai Campus
Below 10000 All India Rank for the Gurgaon campus
Great Lakes will accept only Last year's scores of CAT and XAT for Cycle -1 of the PGPM 2023 admission process and for both the years in Cycle-2
However, the admissions are done holistically so qualifying the above cutoffs cannot alone determine your chances of admission here. The cutoffs too vary every year depending on the applicant pool and quality. Approximately, a 90+ percentile in XAT/CAT and a 600+ score in GMAT would be considered suitable subjects to meet other criteria.
Great Lakes placement for PGPM recorded 100% placements in 2023 with an average salary recorded at 18.10 LPA.
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