Institute of Management Studies BHU (formerly FMS BHU): Courses, Fees, Admission 2025, Cutoff, Placement, Ranking

Institute of Management Studies, Banaras Hindu University, also known as IMS BHU, is a public institute, established in 1968. Located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, the IMS BHU campus is part of the expansive Banaras Hindu University, which spans over 1,300 acres. The institute is affiliated with Banaras Hindu University and recognized by AICTE and UGC. IMS BHU is ranked 48th by NIRF under the Management category in 2024.

IMS BHU offers a wide range of postgraduate, diploma, certificate, and doctoral programs in the stream of Management. MBA, MBA in International Business (MBA-IB), MBA in Agribusiness, and Ph.D. in Management are some of the popular courses. Admissions at IMS BHU are based on entrance examinations. The institute accepts CAT for MBA, and BHU-RET for Ph.D. programs.

For placements, IMS BHU placement rate is approximately 95%. During the placement drive of 2025, the highest salary package offered was INR 19.8 LPA, and the average package stood at INR 11.4 LPA.

IMS BHU Highlights

IMS BHU admissions are based on national-level entrance examinations. Students seeking admission at IMS BHU must fulfill the eligibility criteria set by the institute and appear for the entrance examination. Interested students should follow the below-mentioned criteria for IMS BHU admissions:

MBA: Candidates seeking admission to MBA must appear for the CAT 2025 and participate in the BHU admission process for Group Discussion and Personal Interview (GD/PI).

MBA in International Business (MBA-IB): Candidates seeking admission to MBA-IB must appear for the CAT 2025 and participate in the BHU admission process for GD/PI.

MBA in Agribusiness: Candidates seeking admission to MBA in Agribusiness must appear for the merit/written exam conducted by BHU Varanasi for the seat allotment process.

Ph.D. in Management: Candidates seeking admission to Ph.D. must appear for the BHU-RET and participate in the BHU Research Entrance Test Counseling for the seat allotment process.

IMS BHU Admission Dates 2026

Latest updates about IMS BHU admissions are as follows:

For more information regarding the Institute of Management Studies, BHU admission, kindly visit the IMS BHU admission.

The admission process for the MBA programmes at the Institute of Management Studies, Banaras Hindu University (IMS BHU), for 2026 is streamlined and based on the CAT 2025 scores. With 118 seats available across its MBA programmes, candidates must follow a structured procedure to secure admission. Below is a step-by-step guide to the process, sourced from the official Banaras Hindu University portal. For detailed guidance, visit the Institute of Management Studies BHU Admission.

• Step 1: Register and appear for CAT 2025, conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management, ensuring a valid score.
• Step 2: Apply through the BHU online portal in January 2026, submitting required documents and paying the INR 2,000 registration fee.
• Step 3: Meet eligibility criteria, including a bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks (general category).
• Step 4: Await shortlisting based on CAT scores (50% weightage), academic records (20%), and other criteria.
• Step 5: Attend group discussion and personal interview sessions in Varanasi, contributing 30% to the final merit.
• Step 6: Check the final merit list on the BHU portal and complete admission formalities, including fee payment.

The cutoff for admission to the MBA programmes at Institute of Management Studies, Banaras Hindu University (IMS BHU) for the 2026-28 batch will be determined by CAT 2025 scores, used to shortlist candidates for the group discussion and personal interview (GD/PI) rounds. As of September 2025, CAT 2025 is scheduled for late November, with results expected in January 2026, so official cutoffs will be released via the BHU admission portal around February 2026. 

Based on a deep analysis of past trends from 2021 to 2025, the cutoffs have remained remarkably consistent, typically ranging between 80-85 percentile for the General category, with no major fluctuations despite varying applicant numbers. This stability reflects the institute's balanced selection criteria, allocating 50% weightage to CAT scores. For reserved categories, cutoffs are adjusted per government norms, showing a similar steady pattern over the years.

The Institute of Management Studies, Banaras Hindu University, supports students through various scholarships. Merit-based awards recognise academic excellence, while need-based options assist students from economically weaker backgrounds.

IMS BHU Scholarships are available to meritorious and financially weak students. Scholarships offered at IMS BHU are as follows:

IMS BHU, compares favourably with other management institutes due to its affordability and university backing. Below is a comparison with similar colleges like FORE School of Management, Department of Management Studies IIT Delhi, and Ramanujan College.