If you are a Bengaluru product analyst or a Pune consulting associate with four or five years of experience, holding admits or shortlists from both schools, the Rotman vs Ivey MBA question probably feels like a choice between Toronto and a small city two hours away. That framing is the mistake we see most often. On median pay the two schools are almost level. What actually separates them is format, cash flow and the kind of job each one is built to feed. This post compares them for the Indian applicant specifically.
Rotman vs Ivey MBA on the numbers that matter
Start with the published data, not the brochures. Both schools released Class of 2025 employment reports under CSEA reporting standards, which makes a like-for-like comparison possible.
| Dimension | Rotman (Toronto) | Ivey (London, Ontario) |
|---|---|---|
| Format | 20 months, with a work term | 12 months, case method |
| Class of 2025 size | 266 | 169 |
| International share | 70% | 57% (by citizenship) |
| Average work experience | 5.0 years | 5.5 years |
| Offer or employment rate at 3 months | 82% employed | 82% with at least one offer |
| At 6 months | 90% employed | 89% with at least one offer |
| Average base salary (CAD) | 123,922 | 114,984 |
| Median base salary (CAD) | 97,000 | 100,000 |
| International tuition (CAD) | 144,770 (latest estimate) | 136,310 for 2027, plus about 7,000 in fees and insurance |
Sources: Rotman's Class of 2025 employment and salary report, Ivey's Class of 2025 employment report, Ivey's tuition page and MiM-Essay's September 2026 compilation of Rotman fees.
Look at the average versus the median. Rotman's average base is CAD 9,000 higher, but its median is CAD 3,000 lower. The reason sits inside Rotman's own report: 13% of employed graduates went into legal services at an average of CAD 239,256, which reflects the JD/MBA cohort landing at New York and Toronto law firms. Strip that out and the typical Rotman graduate and the typical Ivey graduate start on very similar money. If a counsellor shows you only the averages, ask for the medians.
Where each school actually places people
This is where the choice becomes real.
Rotman is a finance school first. In the Class of 2025, 45% of employed graduates went into financial services at an average base of CAD 100,649, and 84% took jobs in the Greater Toronto Area. Consulting was 15%. That is the profile of a school sitting a short walk from Bay Street, feeding the big five Canadian banks, pension funds such as CPP Investments and asset managers.
Ivey is a consulting school first. Consulting and corporate strategy made up 34% of accepted roles by function, and consulting was 26% of reported salaries with a median base of CAD 160,000, the highest of any industry in its report. Bain's recruiting manager is quoted in the report on Ivey's long pipeline into the firm. Ivey still sends 68% of graduates to Toronto, so the London, Ontario location matters less for final placement than applicants assume.
Neither school is a US feeder. Rotman placed 7% of its class in the USA; Ivey reported 5% outside Canada in total. With the USD 100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions introduced in September 2025, very few Indian graduates of either programme should plan on a US move straight after the MBA. Treat both as Canada-first degrees.
If you are an IT services or product engineer aiming for strategy consulting
Ivey is the stronger default. The case method mirrors how consulting interviews run, the one-year format keeps you out of the workforce for less time, and the published consulting median is higher. The trade-off is that Ivey's MBA moves to a January start from 2027, with tuition instalments due in January, May and September 2027, per its finance page. A January start means graduating into a December market, a timing Canadian recruiters have not yet been tested on with an Ivey cohort. Ask admissions directly how the 2027 recruiting calendar will work before you pay the CAD 5,000 deposit.
If you are a CA, CFA candidate or banker aiming for Bay Street finance
Rotman is the stronger default. Its 20-month structure includes a work term, 90% of the Class of 2026 secured internships, and 52% of those internships were in financial services. For an Indian applicant without Canadian work history, that internship is the single most useful asset in the degree: it gives a Canadian employer a low-risk trial before a full-time offer. The median internship paid CAD 5,250 a month, which offsets part of the longer programme's cost.
Cost and cash flow for Indian families
Sticker tuition is close: roughly ₹98 to 99 lakh for either school at current exchange rates. The real difference is time. Ivey's own estimate puts shared living in London, Ontario at under CAD 2,000 a month. Rotman estimates CAD 23,856 to 38,756 for only the first 12 months in Toronto, and the programme runs 20. Add eight more months of lost salary and Rotman is the more expensive path by a clear margin, unless the internship and a better finance outcome close the gap. For a loan-funded applicant, that gap is the question to model before anything else.
On immigration, the two are level. Since February 2024, graduates of master's programmes of at least eight months qualify for a three-year Post-Graduation Work Permit, as CIC News reported at the time and as the Government of Canada's PGWP page sets out. Ivey's 12 months buys the same three years as Rotman's 20. For the study permit stage, read our note on the provincial attestation exemption for master's students.
What this means for Indian applicants
Pick by the job, then by the cash flow, and only then by the city. Consulting-bound with a tight budget points to Ivey. Finance-bound and needing a Canadian internship on the CV points to Rotman. If you are undecided about your post-MBA function, that is a signal to fix your goals story before you choose, because both admissions committees will test it in interview.
For deeper single-school reads, see our Rotman two-year path breakdown and our Ivey one-year case method analysis. Our wider MBA abroad guide sets these two against US, UK and European options, and a profile evaluation will tell you which of the two your current profile is more competitive for.
Common questions
Is Ivey or Rotman better for Indian students?
Neither is better across the board. Rotman places more graduates in Toronto finance and has a larger, more international class, 70% international in the Class of 2025. Ivey places more graduates into consulting and finishes in 12 months. Indian applicants with finance goals and savings to cover 20 months tend to fit Rotman. Those targeting consulting, or who cannot afford two years away from salary, tend to fit Ivey. Your function goal should decide it.
Does a one-year MBA in Canada still get a three-year work permit?
Yes, under the rule in force since February 2024. A master's programme of at least eight months qualifies for a three-year PGWP, so the 12-month Ivey MBA and the 20-month Rotman MBA give the same post-study work window. The field-of-study and language requirements that apply to other programmes should be checked on the Government of Canada page before you apply, because IRCC updates these rules often.
Which Canadian MBA has the higher salary, Rotman or Ivey?
On averages, Rotman: CAD 123,922 base against Ivey's CAD 114,984. On medians, Ivey: CAD 100,000 against Rotman's CAD 97,000. Rotman's average is lifted by a JD/MBA group earning over CAD 239,000 in law firms. For a typical Indian applicant not doing a joint law degree, the median is the more honest number.
Can I get into Rotman or Ivey with a GMAT around 650?
Rotman's Class of 2026 average GMAT was 675, with 80% of the class between 600 and 720 on the old scale. A score near 650 is within range if your work story and goals are sharp. Ivey publishes GMAT exemption routes on its admissions site. In both cases, the essays and interview carry more weight for Indian applicants from crowded IT and engineering pools, which is where application editing earns its keep.
Sources verified 28 September 2026. Next review 1 January 2028. For the full picture on Canada versus other destinations, see our MBA and MiM consulting page.