Amity University-Noida Law Admissions 2026
Among top 100 Universities Globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2026
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.
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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.
Among top 100 Universities Globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2026
Ranked #18 amongst Institutions in India by NIRF | Ranked #1 in India for Academic Reputation by QS Rankings | 16 LPA Highest CTC
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.
Order of Preference | Name | City | NIRF Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | National Law School of India University | Bengaluru | 1 |
2 | Hyderabad | 3 | |
3 | Kolkata | 4 | |
4 | Gandhinagar | 8 | |
5 | Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University | Lucknow | 20 |
6 | National Law Institute University, Bhopal | Bhopal | 21 |
7 | Ranchi | 22 | |
8 | Patiala | 24 | |
9 | National Law University, Cuttack | Cuttack | 26 |
10 | 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.
| Preference order | Name | City | NIRF Rank | Placements (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 |
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.
| NLU | Cut-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)
The top-ranked NLU as per NIRF Law ranking 2024 is NLSIU Bangalore.
The median package for NLSIU is Rs. 16 LPA.
No, CLAT scores are not accepted for admission to NLU Delhi. Instead, you can appear in the All India Law Entrance Test (AILET).
The top 5 NLUs are NLSIU Bangalore, NLU Delhi, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata and GNLU Gandhinagar.
On Question asked by student community
With an AIR of 34724 and OBC category rank of 7153, chances of getting a seat in DSNLU Visakhapatnam are low in early rounds. However, since you are already invited for counselling, there may be some chance in later rounds depending on seat vacancy and cut-off movement. You should participate
With a CLAT LLM rank of 13656, getting a top NLU is difficult. You may have chances in lower-ranked NLUs or private law universities, depending on seat availability and category.
You can check CLAT LLM counselling details here:
https://law.careers360.com/articles/clat-llm-cut-off
With a CLAT PG rank of 1257 in the SC category and being a woman candidate with Rajasthan domicile, you do have a realistic chance of securing admission to several National Law Universities, though the top NLUs may be difficult at this rank. Admission chances depend heavily on category-wise cut-offs,
With a CLAT PG rank of around 11,000, getting admission into the top National Law Universities (NLUs) is not likely, as their general category cut-offs usually close much earlier. However, you still have realistic chances in lower-ranked and newer NLUs, especially in the later rounds of CLAT counselling or through
With a CLAT 2026 All India Rank around 2070, Telangana domicile, and holding an OBC certificate (girl candidate), your chances of getting admission into a top-tier NLU like NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, NUJS Kolkata or NLU Jodhpur are quite low, as their closing ranks are usually much higher. However, you
Among top 100 Universities Globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2026
Ranked #18 amongst Institutions in India by NIRF | Ranked #1 in India for Academic Reputation by QS Rankings | 16 LPA Highest CTC
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