IIM Waitlist Movement 2025: College-Wise Analysis of Last Year

The waitlist movement of IIM continues to be one of the most eagerly awaited stages for MBA hopefuls following the Common Admission Process (CAP) and final results of admissions. Thousands of applicants every year eagerly wait as the Indian Institutes of Management publish waitlist movement reports, typically extending between May to July.

Waitlist movement takes place when the initially shortlisted candidates reject admission invitations, and this drives IIMs to invite the next available candidates from the waitlist. This movement is quite different across different IIMs, categories, and years of admissions.

Upper IIMs (A, B, C, L, K, I) tend to observe minimum movement due to greater acceptance by higher-ranked candidates. For the year 2025 admissions, candidates should look forward to several rounds of waitlist movements in May-July 2025.

Younger IIMs and baby IIMs, however, tend to have substantial waitlist movement as plenty of aspirants upgrade to older IIMs or more prestigious non-IIM institutes.

Category-wise variations are observed — SC, ST, and OBC categories, being more heterogeneous in nature, witness greater waitlist movements owing to different patterns of acceptances and seats available.

Factors that Impact Waitlist Movement

There are various factors that determine the extent of movement at the waitlist at every IIM:

Acceptance Rate – When a majority of high-calibre candidates accept offers at top IIMs, movement is reduced.

Seat Intake – B-schools with bigger batch sizes (such as IIM Rohtak or IIM Indore) exhibit wider movement.

Alternative Offers – Offers to ISB, XLRI, FMS, SPJIMR, or abroad international B-schools tend to create openings at IIMs.

Reservation Policies – Category-wise allotments may lead to disproportionate movement across General, EWS, OBC, SC, and ST lists.

As competition becomes fiercer year on year, knowing the IIM waitlist movement 2025 trend can assist applicants in estimating their prospects better and making effective backup plans.