NLU Ranking 2024: 10 NLUs you must include in your CLAT 2025 preference list
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NLU Ranking 2024: 10 NLUs you must include in your CLAT 2025 preference list

Ongoing Event

CLAT Application Date:01 Aug' 25 - 07 Nov' 25

Mirza Farhan BaigUpdated on 11 Sep 2024, 12:47 PM IST

Candidates applying for CLAT 2024 are required to give admission preference to national law universities (NLUs) while filling out the application form. Making a CLAT NLU preference list is one of the most important, yet less discussed. Under the old NLU admission system, an option to give admission preferences to NLUs was available only after the declaration of CLAT results allowing the students to select NLUs based on their rank/marks. This would have helped the students make more informed decisions regarding their higher education.

This Story also Contains

  1. Top 10 NLUs Rank Wise - NIRF Law Ranking 2024
  2. Top 10 NLUs with the highest placements
  3. What are the top 5 NLUs most preferred by students?
NLU Ranking 2024: 10 NLUs you must include in your CLAT 2025 preference list
10 NLUs you must include in your CLAT 2025 preference list

However, the new CLAT 2025 admission process requires the candidates to provide NLU preferences even before the exam is conducted, with no option for modification during the counselling. As the scores of Common Law Admission Test scores are not available at the time of the application process, students are required to give admission preferences randomly. This puts the students in a fix and often results in them getting lower ranked NLU despite having a higher rank in CLAT.

Regarding the NLU preferences, the students have their priorities. Some may have the clarity to go after top-ranked NLUs, while some may look at the other aspects such as fees, placements, proximity to hometown/home state etc. The CLAT rank, which is not available at the time of the application process, remains constant in all cases and is the biggest determinant of seat allocation in NLUs.

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To simplify this, we have 10 NLUs arranged in the order of preference and can be referred to by the candidates while filling out the application form.

The term “preference” can be subjective, so, we have two popular parameters — first, ranking in the NIRF 2024 law school, and second, the placement records of the NLUs which is one of the most important factors largely overlooked in NIRF.

Top 10 NLUs Rank Wise - NIRF Law Ranking 2024

Order of Preference

Name

City

NIRF Rank

1

National Law School of India University

Bengaluru

1

2

Nalsar University of Law

Hyderabad

3

3

The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences

Kolkata

4

4

Gujarat National Law University

Gandhinagar

8

5

Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University

Lucknow

20

6

National Law Institute University, Bhopal

Bhopal

21

7

National University of Study and Research in Law

Ranchi

22

8

The Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law

Patiala

24

9

National Law University, Cuttack

Cuttack

26

10

National Law University and Judicial Academy

Kamrup

27

A cursory look at the top 10 NLUs listed in NIRF given above shows that many of the prominent NLUs with better placements are either ranked lower or missing from the list. For example, NLU Bhopal which has a median placement package of Rs. 16 LPA is ranked below RMNLU Lucknow. NLU Cuttack ranked 26th in NIRF has a median salary package of Rs. 14.5 LPA much higher than many other law schools ranked above in the list. NLU Jodhpur, a tier 1 NLU and one of India's most popular law schools doesn’t even participate in NIRF Law school ranking. So, a more refined list of top NLUs should consider the placement aspect too. Here we have rearranged the top 10 NLUs in the order of placements.

Top 10 NLUs with the highest placements

Preference order

Name

CityNIRF RankPlacements (LPA)

1

The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences

Kolkata

4

20 LPA

2

National Law School of India University

Bengaluru

1

16 LPA

3

Nalsar University of Law

Hyderabad

3

16 LPA

4

Gujarat National Law University

Gandhinagar

8

16 LPA

5

National Law Institute University, Bhopal

Bhopal

21

16 LPA

6

National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS)

Kochi

38

15 LPA

7

National Law University, Cuttack

Cuttack

26

14.5 LPA

8

Maharashtra National Law University Mumbai

Mumbai

31

14 LPA

9

Chanakya National Law University

Patna

31

10.4 LPA

10

National University of Study and Research in Law

Ranchi

22

10 LPA

What are the top 5 NLUs most preferred by students?

Over the years, there has been a remarkable consistency when it comes to preferences given to NLUs by the students. NLSIU Bangalore which is considered very good in all parameters remains the most preferred NLU. Over 90% of the top 100 candidates in the CLAT exam prefer to go to NLSIU Bangalore every year. The candidates who fail to secure admission to NLSIU prefer NALSAR Hyderabad followed by WBNIJS Kolkata, NLU Jodhpur and GNLU Gandhinagr. Here is the preference order for the top 5 NLUs as per the preference given by students.

Top 5 NLUs by Cut-Offs

NLUCut-off rank for General category

NLSIU Bangalore

102

114

NALSAR Hyderabad

167

177

WBNUJS Kolkata

279

260

NLU Jodhpur

379

383

GNLU Gandhinagar

464

462

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Which is the top-ranked NLU in the NIRF Law ranking 2024?
A:

The top-ranked NLU as per NIRF Law ranking 2024 is NLSIU Bangalore.

Q: What is the median placement package for a 5-year LLB at NLSIU Bangalore?
A:

The median package for NLSIU is Rs. 16 LPA.

Q: Can I use CLAT score for NLU Delhi admission?
A:

No, CLAT scores are not accepted for admission to NLU Delhi. Instead, you can appear in the All India Law Entrance Test (AILET).

Q: Which are the top 5 NLUs in the ranking?
A:

The top 5 NLUs are NLSIU Bangalore, NLU Delhi, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata and GNLU Gandhinagar.

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Questions related to CLAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CLAT ?

Hey there,

Many government colleges and universities accept admission without CLAT, but you have to give an entrance exam. Here are the colleges and universities-

Here are some Private colleges and universities that accept admission through merit-based-

Hope it helps!!!

For CLAT 2025, the General Knowledge and Current Affairs section has around 28 to 32 questions. These questions come from recent news, events, and general topics like the Constitution, international issues, awards, and government schemes.

You should mainly focus on current events from the last 12 to 18 months. The exam gives short passages from newspapers or magazines, and you have to answer questions based on those passages.

The most important topics are national and international current affairs, major government policies, legal news, awards and honours, science and technology updates, sports events, important personalities, and environmental issues.

Some of the most expected topics for CLAT 2025 are global conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war and Middle East updates, major elections in India and other countries, new laws, bills, and reforms in India, international meetings like G20 and COP climate conferences, important awards in 2024 and 2025, recent achievements in science and space technology, and new government schemes and court judgments.

To prepare, you should read current affairs daily, revise important news from April 2024 till now, and practice passage-based questions from mock tests. Static GK (like history, geography, or constitution) should also be studied but only the parts that are connected to current events.

Career360 website for CLAT GK: https://law.careers360.com/articles/clat-gk-questions


Hello dear candidate,

Yes, you are right UGC rules do not allow two regular full time courses simultaneously.

But for CLAT or NLU admission they only check if your 12th certificate is valid and is from a recognized board, not if you did another course along with it.

The BCI also do not reject candidate for this reason.

Thank you.

Hello,

If you are from Delhi and appearing for CLAT, then you come under the General (All India) category, as CLAT reservation is based on the domicile of NLUs, and Delhi does not have a National Law University under CLAT (NLU Delhi conducts AILET separately).So, you can apply for CLAT through All India Quota, and if you don’t get a seat in NLUs. You can apply through CLAT, AILET, or private law colleges like Amity, Symbiosis, or IPU for admission.

Keep both CLAT and AILET options open to maximize your chances.


Hope you understand.


Hello,

Since you are in class 11 and targeting CLAT 2027, you have enough time to prepare without coaching. First, understand the CLAT pattern – it has English, Current Affairs, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques. Start with basics and read daily to improve vocabulary and comprehension.

Best books to start:

  • Word Power Made Easy – Norman Lewis

  • High School English Grammar & Composition – Wren & Martin

  • Legal Aptitude for CLAT – A.P. Bhardwaj

  • A Modern Approach to Logical Reasoning – R.S. Aggarwal

  • Quantitative Aptitude – R.S. Aggarwal

  • Manorama Yearbook or Lucent’s GK for current affairs

Read newspapers like The Hindu daily, practice mock tests regularly, and revise current affairs every month. With consistent practice and reading, you can easily prepare for CLAT 2027 along with JEE.

Hope it helps !