Jindal Global Law School Admissions 2026
Ranked #1 Law School in India & South Asia by QS- World University Rankings | Merit cum means scholarships | Early Admissions (Pahse 2) Deadline: 28th Feb’26
Over 60,000 candidates are expected to appear in CLAT 2026 for the 5-year LLB programmes. CLAT, being the only LLB entrance exam for 24 NLUs, requires students to stay well-informed about the admission parameters in NLUs, including competitiveness, cutoffs, and how marks are converted into ranks. While it is too early to predict the marks versus rank in CLAT 2026, examining previous trends may still help students clear the fog around it. The cutoff trends also provide insights into NLU admission trends, student preferences for NLUs, non-NLUs and courses.
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.
NLU name | Closing Rank Last Year (General) | Approximate Marks |
112 | 95+ | |
NALSAR Hyderabad | 165 | 94+ |
WBNUJS Kolkata | 327 | 94+ |
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.
NLU | 2025 | 2024 | ||
Closing Rank | Approx Marks | Closing Rank | Approx Marks | |
NLSIU Bengaluru | 112 | 95 | 99 | 100 |
NALSAR Hyderabad | 159 | 93.9 | 164 | 98-100 |
WBNUJS Kolkata (BA LLB) | 327 | 92.2 | 275 | 96.5 |
NLU Jodhpur | 367 | 91.8 | 365 | 92.5 |
GNLU Gandhinagar | 444 | 91 | 434 | 92.5 |
NLIU Bhopal (BA LLB) | 480 | 90.6 | 450 | 92.5 |
MNLU Mumbai | 558 | 90.1 | 562 | 91 |
WBNUJS Kolkata (BSc LLB Hons) | 711 | 89.4 | 998 | 90 |
RMLNLU Lucknow | 780 | 89.6 | 733 | 90 |
HNLU Raipur | 807 | 88.9 | 765 | 90 |
NLIU Bhopal (BSc LLB) | 915 | 88.9 | 878 | 90 |
NLU Odisha BA LLB | 1013 | 88.5 | 1147 | 89.5 |
NLU Odisha BBA LLB | 1176 | 88.1 | - | - |
RGNUL Patiala | 1279 | 87.5 | 1190 | 89.5 |
NUALS Kochi | 1346 | 87.1 | 1136 | 89.75 |
CNLU Patna (BA LLB) | 1398 | 86.9 | 1285 | 89.25 |
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.
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.
NLU | Closing rank in counselling | Approx. marks | Closing rank in spot round | Approx. marks |
DSNLU Visakhapatnam | 1682 | 85.7 | 2566 | 82.7 |
NUSRL Ranchi (BBA LLB) | 1760 | 85.5 | 7782 | 69 |
TNNLU Tiruchirappalli (BA LLB) | 1763 | 85.5 | 2424 | 83.2 |
DBRANLU Sonepat | 1930 | 84.8 | 2470 | 83 |
TNNLU Tiruchirappalli (BCom LLB) | 1947 | 84.8 | 2961 | 81.3 |
MNLU Aurangabad (BA LLB) | 1949 | 84.8 | No data available | No data available |
NLUJA Assam | 2141 | 84.1 | 4004 | 78.5 |
MPDNLU Jabalpur | 2243 | 83.8 | 5398 | 74.6 |
MNLU Aurangabad (BBA LLB) | 2393 | 83 | No data available | No data available |
HPNLU Shimla (BA LLB) | 2555 | 82.4 | 5856 | 73.3 |
HPNLU Shimla (BBA LLB) | 2634 | 82.1 | 5881 | 73.2 |
NLUT Agartala | 2855 | 81.3 | 12515 | 65.4 |
NLUT Agartala | 2855 | 81.3 | 12515 | 65.4 |
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.
Ranked #1 Law School in India & South Asia by QS- World University Rankings | Merit cum means scholarships | Early Admissions (Pahse 2) Deadline: 28th Feb’26
Among top 100 Universities Globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2026
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.
On Question asked by student community
Start preparing for CLAT by first understanding the exam pattern and syllabus, which includes English, Current Affairs, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques. Make a simple daily routine and begin with basics read newspapers regularly for current affairs, practice comprehension passages for English and legal sections, and solve basic
Hello
With an AIR of 9076 and EWS rank of 846 in CLAT 2026, getting a top NLUs is unlikely, which is why you didn’t get a seat in the first round. However, you still have some chances in lower-tier NLUs like NLU Odisha, NLU Assam, NLU Tripura, NLU Meghalaya,
Hello
With a CLAT 2026 score of 60.75, AIR 17,715, and OBC-NCL rank 3,347 as an out-of-Delhi candidate, getting a seat in the Faculty of Law, Delhi University is very unlikely. DU’s cut-offs for OBC candidates are usually much higher, even in later rounds. You should keep backup options like
Hello,
With AIR 10542 and OBC rank 1843, getting top NLUs is unlikely. However, you still have chances in newer or lower ranked NLUs like NLU Assam, NUSRL Ranchi, MNLU Nagpur/Mumbai, especially in later or vacancy rounds. Also consider good private law colleges as backup options.
Since you scored 8000 AIR in CLAT, getting into top NLUs may not be possible, so it is a good idea to look for affordable and good law colleges.
State government law colleges are usually low in fees, and have decent reputation. Some options include Government Law College, Mumbai, Faculty
Among top 100 Universities Globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2026
Excellent curriculum; an impressive range of electives, besides core law courses. Up to 100% merit scholarship on a first-come, first-served basis
Ranked #18 amongst Institutions in India by NIRF | Ranked #1 in India for Academic Reputation by QS Rankings | 16 LPA Highest CTC
Last Date to Apply: 21st December 2025 | Grade 'A+' accredited by NAAC | Ranked 33rd by NIRF 2025
NAAC A+ Accredited | Among top 2% Universities Globally (QS World University Rankings 2026)
India's Largest University | BCI approved | Meritorious Scholarships up to 5 lacs |