CLAT Cutoff Trends: How Many Marks You Need for NLSIU, NALSAR, NUJS & Beyond

The Top 3

The last three to four CLATs have shown that a score of 100 or more is difficult to achieve, but is crucial for general category students aiming for NLSIU Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad and WBNUJS Kolkata. Anything less than 95 for the general category means NLSIU will be out of reach. In terms of rank, this score will be roughly translated into AIR 100-110 last year. The NLSIU general category admission closed at AIR 112.

CLAT Marks vs Rank in Top 3 NLUs

It is also worth mentioning that last year’s CLAT was one of the most controversial law entrance exams in recent years and might not accurately reflect the trend in cutoff marks.

If we look at CLAT 2024, 2023, and 2022, the NLSIU BA LLB admissions have closed at around 98 to 100 marks. So, a score of 95 last year should be considered more as an exception than a general admission trend. It also applies to NALSAR and WBNUJS Kolkata, where a score of 95+ is required.

An overall assessment of CLAT marks vs rank data in the previous three years reveals that scoring 92 to 100 or above is very crucial for all India general category candidates aiming for tier 1 NLUs. The first 10-12 NLUs close general category admissions by All India Ranks between 1200-1300, and the score required for this rank will be around 85 to 87. At around CLAT AIR 1300, CNLU Patna will close the BA LLB admissions during the CLAT counselling. Any further drop from here is announced during the spot round admissions.

Closing Marks vs Rank in Top 13 NLUs

MNLU case

MNLU Mumbai is a unique case — it reserves around 73% of total intake for Maharashtra-domiciled candidates. Remaining seats are available for the general category of Maharashtra and the all-India category.

So, despite being a tier 2 NLU, MNLU general category admissions are highly competitive and close at around CLAT AIR 500.

In contrast, the remaining two NLUs in Maharashtra- MNLU Nagpur and Aurangabad, with equally high reservation but low student preferences, accept admissions at AIR 3500 (~80 marks) during the spot rounds.

At Lower Tier

Some NLUs that are yet to establish themselves or have started recently see multiple spot round admissions. IIULER Goa, which is not an NLU, also falls in this category. While the three to five rounds of CLAT counselling might give an appearance of admission closure, the spot rounds drag the process in several tier 3 NLUs up to 10 to 12 rounds. NLU Tripura, for example, can accept the general category admission at CLAT AIR 12,000 despite closing CLAT counselling at AIR 2855.

The reason for such a long-drawn admission process is students’ pursuit of better universities. Several non-NLUs with better opportunities are worth exploring. As a result, the tier 3 NLUs became relatively less competitive and more accessible to general category students between 5,000 to 12,000 ranks, and this translates to CLAT marks between 75 to 65.

Let's now look at how tier 3 NLUs have accepted students in spot rounds — the closing ranks, when compared with corresponding marks, help students understand NLU admission trends.

Tier 3 NLUs in closing marks vs rank: Counselling vs Spot Round

Final Thoughts

The analysis given above brings us to the following conclusions:

• Marks required for top three NLUs: 98-100, within CLAT rank 320

• Marks Required for top 12 NLUs: 90+ or CLAT rank below 1300.

• Tier 3 NLUs can accept up to 65 marks or a CLAT rank of 12,000

• CLAT counselling is not the end; students should watch the spot round admissions carefully.

Finally, if there is a question of whether a general category student can get an NLU tag at CLAT AIR 12,515, the answer is yes. But, is it worth accepting the offer? It is debatable, with some inclined to accept the NLU tag while others would argue for better non-NLUs.