What LIBA is
LIBA, the Loyola Institute of Business Administration, is a Jesuit business school run by the Loyola College Society on the Loyola College campus at Nungambakkam, Chennai. It awards an AICTE-approved two-year PGDM, a diploma, not a degree; it is not affiliated to a university. Two founding years are published: 1979, when LIBA started, and 1991.
| Body | Standing |
|---|---|
| AICTE | PGDM approved, 240 seats for 2026-27; Category II under graded autonomy |
| NBA | PGDM accredited for 2023-24 to 2025-26, up to 30 June 2026; no renewal published as of October 2026 |
| AACSB | Educational member, not accredited |
| NIRF Management | 55th in 2025 (score 53.12) · 66th in 2024 |
| Programme | Seats | Format |
|---|---|---|
| PGDM (full-time) | 180, plus 15% for foreign, OCI and Gulf candidates | Two years, residential |
| PGDM (weekend) | 60 | Two years; two years’ work experience required |
| PGDM (online) | 1,000 | Two years |
| Fellow Programme in Management | 20 | Doctoral |
Full-time students specialise in Marketing, Finance, HR, Business Analytics or IT & Operations. In 2025-26 LIBA had 33 faculty for 509 students, a ratio of 1:15.42.
Admission, cut-offs and selection
Registration for the 2027-29 full-time PGDM opened in August 2026, and selection runs in February and March 2027. You need a CAT 2026 or XAT 2027 score and a degree in any discipline in regular mode, with at least 60% in Class 10, Class 12 and the degree. Candidates who cleared every subject at the first attempt are preferred, and those with more than two arrears are asked not to apply. The shortlist is on the test score alone, followed by a written ability test, group discussion and interview.
LIBA sets lower shortlisting bars for Christian and Dalit Catholic candidates. The bars for the 2026-28 batch, with no negative sectional score allowed:
| Category | CAT 2025 overall percentile | XAT 2026 percentile (without GK) |
|---|---|---|
| General | 80 | 75 |
| Christian | 60 | 50 |
| Dalit Catholic | Lower bar, figure not published | Lower bar, figure not published |
| Component | Marks |
|---|---|
| CAT or XAT score | 35 |
| Personal interview | 20 |
| Consistency in academic performance | 15 |
| Work experience | 10 |
| Group discussion | 5 |
| Written ability test | 5 |
| Sports and co-academic activities | 5 |
| Catholic Christians | 5 |
The admitted students’ scores in 2025-26 spread wider than the bars suggest: CAT percentiles ran from 51.09 to 89.61 for General and from 45.23 to 95.52 for Christian candidates. The General low sits below the General bar of 80, and no explanation is published, so ask admissions how the bar is applied before you rule LIBA in or out.
Fees and scholarships
The full-time PGDM fee for the 2026-28 batch is ₹18,89,700 over six terms, plus ₹20,000 in refundable deposits; hostel is extra. The 2027-29 fee had not been announced as of October 2026.
| Term | Amount |
|---|---|
| I (includes ₹35,000 admission and ₹36,000 foundation course) | 4,04,400 |
| II | 2,84,900 |
| III | 2,89,500 |
| IV | 3,11,960 |
| V | 3,10,600 |
| VI | 2,88,340 |
| Total | 18,89,700 |
Tuition makes up ₹14,46,900 of the total; the rest is establishment, library, computer, insurance, alumni, student activities, NPTEL and hybrid-learning charges. The library deposit (₹10,000) and retention deposit (₹10,000) are paid with the first-year fee and refunded on graduation. A student who withdraws before the last date of admission gets the fee back less ₹1,000. The weekend PGDM costs ₹7,80,600 for the 2025-27 batch and the online PGDM ₹3,50,000 for 2024-26.
Scholarships are awarded on merit-cum-means, including the Jesuit Empowerment Scholarship for students from poor and marginalised families. Corporate partners such as Bharti Foundation, Hyundai Motor India and the Palaniswamy Trust fund further scholarships for eligible students, and LIBA helps students arrange education loans from banks.
Hostel and campus
The full-time PGDM is residential, and hostel fees are charged separately from the programme fee and differ for men and women. Men choose between AC and non-AC rooms; women pay by the number sharing a room:
| Hostel and room | Fee a year |
|---|---|
| Men, non-AC | ₹1,30,000 |
| Men, AC | ₹2,50,000 |
| Women, single | ₹1,82,500 |
| Women, triple sharing | ₹1,72,500 |
| Women, four sharing | ₹1,67,500 |
| Women, five sharing | ₹1,62,500 |
Whether living in the hostel is compulsory is not stated, so a Chennai resident should ask before budgeting for it. The 2026-28 hostel rates had not been published as of October 2026, so confirm the current rate before paying. LIBA shares the Loyola College campus in Nungambakkam, in central Chennai, rather than having a campus of its own. At Great Lakes Chennai, by contrast, a twin-sharing AC room and meals are part of the PGDM fee, so the two fees cannot be compared without adding LIBA’s hostel charge.
Placements
LIBA’s 2025-26 placements closed at a ₹12 lakh median, an ₹11.32 lakh average, a ₹21 lakh highest and 36 pre-placement offers. The lowest, average and highest salary for each placement year since 2022-23:
| Year | Lowest | Average | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 7.5 | 11.5 | 20.5 |
| 2023-24 | 7.6 | 11.21 | 21 |
| 2024-25 | 7.5 | 11 | 21 |
| 2025-26 | Not published | 11.32 (median 12) | 21 |
Graduates placed, by graduating year:
| Graduating year | Graduated | Placed | Higher studies | Median salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 178 | 100 | 3 | ₹7,60,000 |
| 2022-23 | 179 | 171 | 2 | ₹10,00,000 |
| 2023-24 | 238 | 232 | 6 | ₹11,00,000 |
The placed count rose from 100 of 178 graduates in 2021-22 to 232 of 238 in 2023-24, and the median from ₹7,60,000 to ₹11,00,000 over the same years. The lowest salary has stayed near ₹7.5 lakh since 2022-23, so the floor of the batch has not moved even as the average has held at about ₹11 lakh.
How LIBA compares
LIBA’s two-year fee of ₹18,89,700 is below Great Lakes Chennai’s ₹22,50,000, but the Great Lakes figure includes a hostel room and meals and LIBA’s does not.
| Institute | Fee | Latest placement |
|---|---|---|
| LIBA (PGDM) | ₹18,89,700, hostel extra (2026-28) | ₹12 L median, ₹11.32 L average (2025-26) |
| Great Lakes Chennai (PGDM) | ₹22,50,000 with hostel room and meals (2026-28) | ₹15 L average (PGDM 2026) |
| TAPMI (MBA) | ₹9,75,000 a year tuition, hostel extra (2026-28) | ₹14.35 L average, core MBA (2024-26 batch) |
| Christ University (MBA) | ₹5,80,000 a year, other states (2027 batch) | ₹7,60,000 median (2023-24 graduates) |
Compare like with like
- Tests: LIBA takes only CAT or XAT; Great Lakes also takes GMAT, and Christ also takes MAT, CMAT, ATMA, GMAT and GRE
- Christian candidates: LIBA has separate, lower shortlisting bars for Christian and Dalit Catholic candidates
- Award: LIBA and Great Lakes award a PGDM; TAPMI and Christ award an MBA
Where to read next
- The other Chennai PGDM on this site: Great Lakes Chennai
- A university MBA in South India: TAPMI Manipal
- Every management college we cover is on the management admissions hub
Contact & address
Loyola Institute of Business Administration, Loyola College Campus, Sterling Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai 600034
Frequently asked questions
What is the LIBA PGDM fee?
₹18,89,700 for the 2026-28 batch, paid over six terms from ₹4,04,400 in the first to ₹2,88,340 in the last, plus ₹20,000 in refundable library and retention deposits. Hostel is charged separately. The 2027-29 fee had not been announced as of October 2026.
What CAT percentile do I need for LIBA?
For the 2026-28 batch, General candidates needed 80 percentile overall in CAT or 75 in XAT, without a negative sectional score, to be shortlisted; Christian candidates needed 60 or 50, and Dalit Catholic candidates a lower bar. The 2027-29 batch takes CAT 2026 or XAT 2027.
Does LIBA accept GMAT or MAT?
No. The full-time PGDM takes CAT 2026 or XAT 2027 only for the 2027-29 batch. Children of Indian workers in Gulf countries, foreign nationals and OCI candidates apply on a separate quota and can also use LIBA’s own admission test, LAT. The weekend PGDM asks for a degree with 50% and two years of work experience instead.
How much is the LIBA hostel fee?
For 2025-26, men paid ₹1,30,000 a year for a non-AC room or ₹2,50,000 for AC; women paid ₹1,82,500 for a single room, down to ₹1,62,500 for a room shared by five. Hostel is billed separately from the programme fee.
What are LIBA placements like?
The 2025-26 placements closed at a ₹12 lakh median, ₹11.32 lakh average and ₹21 lakh highest, with 36 pre-placement offers. Of the 238 who graduated in 2023-24, 232 were placed at an ₹11 lakh median.
Is LIBA NBA accredited?
Its PGDM was accredited for the academic years 2023-24 to 2025-26, up to 30 June 2026. No renewal had been published as of October 2026, so ask LIBA for the current status, because NBA counts only students who graduate while the accreditation is valid.
Do Christian candidates get a reservation at LIBA?
LIBA sets lower shortlisting bars for Christian candidates (CAT 60, XAT 50 for 2026-28) and for Dalit Catholics, and adds 5 of 100 selection marks for Catholic Christians. In 2025-26 it admitted 141 General candidates and 116 Christian, Catholic or Dalit Catholic candidates across the full-time and weekend PGDM.
📋 Data Accuracy Notice (October 2026)
- Verification: Recheck live fees, cut-offs, dates, vacancies and refund rules on the competent authority or institute website before applying, locking choices or paying.
- Corrections: We keep unknown figures unfilled instead of replacing them with third-party estimates. Report an error to [email protected].
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