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NLU Ranking 2024: 10 NLUs you must include in your CLAT 2025 preference list
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
- Top 10 NLUs Rank Wise - NIRF Law Ranking 2024
- Top 10 NLUs with the highest placements
- What are the top 5 NLUs most preferred by students?
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.
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 | 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.
Top 10 NLUs with the highest 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 |
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
| 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)
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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Have a question related to CLAT ?
Yes, you can switch from one college to another to a CLAT college through the entrance test. However, it is important to note that you will have to start from year 1 rather than transferring directly into the second or third year. Some of the top
CLAT participating colleges
here.
Here you can check out the top
NLUs offering admission into 3-year LLB
with and without CLAT exam:
1. NLSIU Bengaluru for LLB programme through NLSAT.
2. NLU Odisha and NLU Visakhapatnam offer admission into the 3-year LLB course through their own admission process.
3. CNLU Patna
Yes, for CLAT preparation, building a reading habit daily is a good approach. You can read the daily newspapers like The Hindu and The Indian Express. While going for Animal Farm by George Orwell, Word power Made Easy by Norma Lewis for novel comprehension.
Yes, you can elevate your law entrance journey with Careers360’s CLAT mock test PDF free download link given below:
https://law.careers360.com/articles/clat-mock-test
The CLAT 2027 application form will open in the first week of August 2026. While the exam will be held on the first or second Sunday of December 2026.
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