Great Lakes Chennai has been one of the Youngest Top Ranked Institutes and consistently ranked among the top 10 business schools in India. The institute has also been Ranked 31st by NIRF 2023 Management Ranking. The college has over 9000+ successful Great Lakes alumni spread across over 30 countries. The most popular flagship programs of Great Lakes Chennai are one-year PGPM and a 2 year PGDM Corporate Program. The corporate program includes PGXPM for mid and senior-level professionals, PGPM FLEX, a weekend management program for working individuals along with MBA in Business Analytics. Great Lakes Chennai Admission for 2024 has begun for PGPM / PGDM program. Check Great Lakes Chennai Course & Fees

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Great Lakes Chennai accepts valid scores of CAT / XAT exams for admission to its prominent courses. Candidates who do not have the test scores need to take the Great Lakes Aptitude Test (GLAT). Further, admissions in the institute are also offered based on the merit obtained in the qualifying academic exams. The B school lays more stress on nurturing freshers with raw management talent at its campus for which as of now candidates with less than 2 years of work experience are only to be considered for its PGDM course. Check Great Lakes Chennai Admission 

Great Lakes Chennai has formed associations with leading global management schools to aid students in gaining much-valued business insights from a global standpoint. The institute has global collaboration with the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC), HKUST Business School, Université De Bordeaux, BAUER College of Business, University of Houston, BABSON, and IIT Stuart School of Business. Check Which one is better SIBM Bangalore or Great Lakes Chennai PGDM?

Great Lakes Quick Facts 

  • Ranking: Great Lakes, Chennai has been ranked 31st for the Management category by NIRF 2023 and 11th among private colleges by IIRF Ranking 2023. 
  • Accreditations: The institute has been benchmarked by International accreditations such as AMBA and SAQS along with national accreditations of NBA & AICTE.
  • Campus: Great Lakes has a lush green Chennai Campus, which has earned a LEED Platinum rating and within the serenity of its green campus lie state-of-the-art facilities. The 27-acre campus provides a serene backdrop for the students to grow both as individuals and as professionals. Reviews on Great Lakes Chennai
  • Batch Diversity: Great Lakes MBA 2021-23 batch comprised 43% female students. The average age of the batch is 23 years & the average work experience of the batch is 1.3 years.
  • Cutoff: The CAT and CMAT 2023 exam cut-off is expected to be 95 percentile for Great Lakes Admission 2024. Check: Great Lakes Chennai Cutoff
  • Placements: The institute concluded its 2023 placement drive. 100% placement percentage of the PGDM 2021-23 batch was achieved. The highest salary package stood at INR 46 LPA which was received by the PGDM batch. The average salary stood at INR 14.5 LPA for the PGDM students & 18.10 LPA for the PGPM students.
  • Faculty: Great Lakes Chennai has Over 80% of the faculty at the institute holds a doctoral degree from leading institutions across the world. The institute has an exceptional faculty base with 25+ International visiting faculty from Kellogg, Stanford, Yale, etc and 50+ renowned full-time faculty which offer unparalleled learning and global perspectives at Great Lakes Chennai Campus. Check: Great Lakes Chennai Faculty 
  • Learning Methodology: Great Lakes Chennai has been one of the prominent Indian Business Schools with an Industry 4.0-Ready Cutting-Edge Curriculum. The Management College uses a variety of experiential formats including simulations, live projects, empirical studies, and live trading to stimulate problem-solving and integrative thinking skills among its students. 
  • Incubation: Great Lakes Incubator (AGBI) Ranked 1 as India’s best incubator under the ATAL Tunnel Innovation Mission (AMI), supported by NITI Ayog. Check What is the minimum CAT score accepted by Great Lakes Institute of Management for its PGPM Programme?

GLIM Chennai

Great Lakes Chennai Admission Dates 2024

CAT Dates
CAT Registration Starts August 2, 2023
CAT Registration Ends September 20, 2023
CAT Admit Card October 25, 2023
CAT Exam Date November 26, 2023
XAT Dates
XAT Registration Opens July 15, 2023
XAT Registration Closes November 30, 2023
Last Date for XAT Application through GMAT / GRE December 31, 2023
XAT Exam Date January 07, 2024
CMAT Dates
CMAT Registration Begins February 13, 2024 (Tentative)
CMAT Registration Last Date March 13, 2024 (Tentative)
CMAT Correction Window March 14 to 16, 2024 (Tentative)
CMAT Admit Card Download Second week of April 2024 (Tentative)
CMAT Exam Date April 23, 2024 (Tentative)
CMAT Answer Key Third week of April 2024 (Tentative)
CMAT Result Last week of April 2024 (Tentative)
Admission Dates
Registration for PGDM & PGPM Starts August 01, 2023
Registration for PGDM & PGDM Ends To be Announced
Last Date to apply for PGPM Flex October 10, 2023
Last Date to apply for PGXPM October 20, 2023

Great Lakes Chennai Ranking

The following table represents the Rankings achieved by Great Lakes Chennai:

Ranking Body  Rank 
NIRF 2023 31
IIRF 2023 11
Business Today Ranking 2023 17
Outlook 2021 ( Private MBA ) 5
Analytics India 2021 4
Global Accreditations AMBA,SAQS,NBA

Check Great Lakes Chennai Ranking

Great Lakes Chennai Cutoff 2023

As a broad indicator based on past experience, a 90+ percentile in XAT/CAT and 95+ percentile in CMAT would be considered suitable for admission to Great Lakes Management Institute, Chennai.

CMAT Cutoff 2020 Cut-off 2021 Cutoff 2022 CMAT Cut-off 2023
90% 95% 95% 95+ Percentile

Check Given a choice between GIM GLIM FORE and TAPMI for PGDM marketing which one would you pick and why?

Great Lakes Cut off will be based on aggregate percentile score although candidates should also have scored well across the sections of the entrance exams. The cut-offs may remain as mentioned under:

Entrance Exam 1 Year PGPM Expected cut off 2 Years PGDM Expected Cut off
CAT 2022/2023* 80 Percentile 80 percentile
XAT 2023/2024* 80 Percentile 80 Percentile

Check What is the minimum CAT percentile required to be selected in the cutoff list for a PGDM course at Great Lakes, Chennai? 

Great Lakes Chennai Courses 

Course Program Eligibility
PGPM A Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized institution with at least 50% in graduation
Minimum Experience: 2 Years
Duration: 12 months
Admission Criteria: CAT/XAT/CMAT scores
Intake: 420
PGDM Applicants should possess a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized institution.
Minimum Exp. : 0-2 years
Duration: 2 Years
Admission Criteria: CAT/XAT/CMAT scores
Intake: 180
PGXPM Completed a minimum of 10+2+3 years of education with an academic track record of 50% throughout.
minimum exp.- 8 years
Duration 2 years
Selection Criteria: CAT, EA by GMAC, and XAT / Great Lakes Aptitude test
PGPM Flex Completed a minimum of 10+2+3 years of education with a minimum of 50 % marks in qualifying exams.
Minimum Exp.-- 2 years
Duration: 2 years /
Selection Criteria: CAT, XAT, MAT, or CMAT score will have to appear for GREAT (Great Lakes Aptitude Test).

Check Great Lakes Chennai Courses & Fees

Great Lakes Chennai Admission Stories

Name Scores/Percentage Work Experience Graduation score Link
Vikram Rathore CAT - 85.91 Fresher 61.09 Read More
Shivam Agrawal CAT - 93 Fresher 90 Read More
Ashish Raika GMAT - 670 Axis Bank - 7yrs 6.7 Read More
Ajinkya Dhankre CAT – 90.78 1 Year 77% Read More

Check Which one is better: a PGDM-BKFS at TAPMI or a PGDM at Great Lakes Institute of Management?

Great Lakes Chennai Class Profile

The students of MBA Batch 2020-22 come from diverse backgrounds among which 57% are engineers and rest 43% are non-engineering. The table below represents the educational background of the batch: 

Educational Background No. of Students (%)
Mechanical 10%
Computer Science 9%
Accountancy & Finance 8%
Electronics & Communications 8%
Commerce 6%
Others 59%
  • The MBA batch of 2021-23 consists of 43% female candidates.
  • Among the total students, 60% are freshers while 40% have work experience ranging from 1 to 23 months.
  • The average age of the batch is 23 years and the average experience is 1.3 years. 
  • The students have worked in companies such as EY, Accenture, Reliance Jio, Amazon, Tata Consultancy, Zoho and so on

The work experience of students is as follows:

Work Experience No. of Students (%)
Freshers 60%
3-12 Months 16%
13-18 Months 10%
19-24 Months 14%

Check Great Lakes Chennai Scholarship

Great Lakes Chennai Placements 2023

Great Lakes Chennai PGPM Placements 2023 report has been released. According to the report, the average salary for the PGPM students stood at INR 18.10 LPA and INR 14.5 LPA for the PGDM students. Reputed recruiters like Accenture, EY, Deloitte, HCL, Infosys, ZS Associates, Optum etc visited the campus. Here are the highlights of the placement drive:

Particulars PGPM (2023) PGDM (2023)
Highest Package INR 34 LPA INR 46 LPA
Average Package INR 18.10 LPA INR 14.5 LPA
Major Sectors Business & Strategy Consulting, Technology, FinTech & BFSI etc BFSI, Consulting, Technology, Automotive, FMCG & Retail etc
Top Recruiters Accenture, Deloitte, Cognizant, HCL, ZS Associates etc JP Morgan Chase, Société Générale, EY, HSBC etc

Check Which is the best choice for an experienced IT professional? XIMB, TAPMI or Great Lakes for MBA?

Great Lakes Chennai Summer Placements

During the 2024 summer internship placement drive, 268 students participated. 64 recruiters visited the campus. The highest stipend of INR 4.25 Lakhs was received. An average stipend of INR 87 K was offered to the students. The details for the same is tabulated below:

Particulars Internship Statistics (2022-24) Internship Statistics (2021-23)
Number of Recruiters 64 50+
Number of New Recruiters 46 -
Number of Students 268 220
Highest Stipend INR 4.25 Lakhs INR 3.75 Lakhs
Average Stipend INR 87 K INR 83 K
Median Stipend - INR 80 K
Major Sector Financial Services BFSI
Top Recruiters Aditya Birla Capital, HSBC, McKinsey, Arcesium, PayPal, Forge Decathlon, Microsoft, ICICI, Nestle, Sodexo, HP, Adobe, BNY Mellon, ITC

CheckGreat Lakes Chennai Placements

Great Lakes Chennai Alumni & Startups 

The Great Lakes Chennai has an Alumni Association with a participation of more than 9800 alumni members from 30+ countries. Out of 9800 alumni members, more than 250 alumni are in CXO or Senior Management Roles at different companies and organizations. Some of the notable alumni of Great Lakes Chennai are as follows. 

  • Aparna Sharma: Director at Bain & Co.
  • Allen Titto: Head-Business Consulting Group at ZS India
  • Siddharth Asokan: Director-Global Marketing and Communications at Futurice
  • Nivedita Krishnan: Digital Platform Manager at Deem Finance
  • Ajay Anand: Lead Product Manager at Walmart Global

Popular Startups by the Great Lakes Chennai Alumni:

A number of startups have been incubated by the prestigious alumni of Great Lakes Chennai and the list of the popular startups is mentioned below.

  • Smart iDeas
  • Bril
  • Tuscany Pizzas
  • Jade Magnet
  • e21 Group
  • BlazeClan Technologies Pvt. Ltd. 
  • Akaruilabs
  • AmazingHind.com
  • CropIn Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
  • HeeraCars
  • 123crackers.com
  • Spearhead EduOnline Pvt. Ltd. 
  • www.prapanjam.in
  • Ad Documentum
  • HugsBerry
  • high5store
  • Nyurals
  • Prodigitz
  • PropManage.in
  • EasyCups
  • BlackNGreen
  • Ela Green Buildings & Infrastructure Consultants Pvt. Ltd. 

Check Who are some of the famous alumni of Great Lakes Chennai?

Great Lake Chennai FAQs

Ques. How is MBA program at Great Lakes Chennai?

Ans. The MBA course is very demanding and intense these days with limited off days. It is specifically designed for experienced individuals who can work hard. It will make you master the skill of time management. MBA at Great Lakes Chennai is extremely good with decent placement figures and packages. The education quality and overall exposure for the MBA program are quite impressive. Also, the institute has been ranked at 5th position by Outlook 2021 Rankings (Private MBA). Know more about Great Lakes Chennai MBA course.

Ques. What are the loan facilities offered by the Great Lakes Chennai?

Ans. You can avail of loans from leading Education loan providers such as Bank of Baroda, Axis Bank, HDFC Credila. The terms and conditions are the same as those offered by other leading business schools. Check Great Lakes Chennai Reviews

Ques. Is Great Lakes Chennai a good college? 

Ans.  The Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai holds prestigious rankings by the top-ranking agencies such as India Today, NIRF, OUTLOOK I-Care, etc., for its excellent educational and academic quality and perfect professional exposure and campus placements. The college is counted among the top 100 Management Institutes of India. Check Great Lakes Chennai Ranking

Ques. How is the hostel life at Great Lakes Chennai? 

Ans.  Hostel life at Great Lakes Chennai is extremely joyful and vibrant. The students residing at the Great Lakes Hostels Chennai are offered extensive facilities such as sports, indoor games, rooms with all necessary amenities, a mess by Sodexo, a gymnasium, and other facilities. Know more about Great Lakes Chennai Hostel.

Ques. Is a hostel mandatory at Great Lakes Chennai? 

Ans.  As the Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai offers residential programs, all the students enrolled across the different programs of the institute are required to stay in the hostels. Also, the campus of the institute lies on the outskirts of the city, so hostels are the best option to opt for. 

Ques. Which is the best course of Great Lakes Chennai? 

Ans.  The niche course of Great Lakes Chennai is Analytics, which is considered one of the best programs of the institute to pursue. Also, the specialization provides extensive learning in analytics and their best applications in the industries and corporate world. 

Ques. Does the Great Lakes Chennai have a management quota? 

Ans.  Yes, Great Lakes Chennai has the management quota and gives the preference to the candidates with a work experience of 1 or 2 years. Also, candidates applying through the management quota have the possibility to get direct admission into the programs offered by Great Lakes Chennai. 

Ques. Which is better, PGPM or PGDM at Great Lakes Chennai? 

Ans.  Considering the placement statistics and other academic values of both the programs, PGPM is the better option to go for. The 1 year highly ranked flagship program of Great Lakes Chennai has an excellent record and reputation as compared to the PGDM program.

Ques. How do you get to the Great Lakes Chennai? 

Ans.  To get into the Great Lakes Chennai, the candidates are required to appear for the national level management exams such as CAT/CMAT/XAT on the basis of which they will be selected and granted admission to the programs of their choice. Read more onto Great Lakes Chennai Admission

Ques. How tough is it to get an MBA admission at the Great Lakes Chennai?

Ans. It completely depends on your scores and your profile. For some, it’s a piece of cake but for some, it’s not that easy.The entire selection process is framed in such a way that it evaluates an individual’s Leadership and Interpersonal Skills, Diversity, intelligence, test scores, morals, ethics and academic command. On the basis of which final selections are done.

Ques. How are the placements at  Great Lakes Chennai?

Ans. The institute has experienced successful placement drives over the years. During the 2023 placement, the highest package stood at INR 46 LPA & the average package stood at INR 14.5 LPA for the PGDM batch.

Ques. How is financial aid provided at Great Lakes Chennai?

Ans. There are no scholarships provided at Great Lakes Chennai. However, there are some merit awards for high-performing students at the end of the program. The same uniform fees apply to all students irrespective of the background. Given that all students manage to get reasonably high-paying jobs at the end of the program, they can finance the cost of education through easily available loans. These loans can be availed at competitive terms from leading Education loan providers such as Bank of Baroda, Axis Bank, HDFC Credila. 

Ques. Who are some notable alumni of Great Lakes Chennai?

Ans. Some of the well-known alumni of  Great Lakes Chennai  Abhinay Jain, Management Consultant at KPMG; Dwarika Nath, Senior Consultant at PwC, Mahim Mittal SCM Consultant at  Deloitte, Arka Roy, Senior Analyst at Commonwealth Bank, Anurag Gaur, Marketing Manager at  Axis Bank, Aditya Vats, Account Manager at  Microsoft among many others.