CLAT 2025 cut-offs for DU LLB admission; Should you choose DU over NLU?

DU 5-year LLB Cut-Offs 2025

The Delhi University’s Faculty of Law does not release merit lists for its 5-year LLB programmes. However, an estimate of last two batches shows the DU LLB cutoffs have remained inconsistent.

In the first year after launching the courses, the DU LLB cut-offs were much higher than expected, closing around CLAT rank of 1000 for the general category. This was mainly because of the popularity of DU among students.

In 2024, CLAT DU LLB cut-offs slightly dropped for the general category. Admissions closed around CLAT rank 1100 - 1200. While it is difficult to predict the exact DU BA LLB cut-offs for CLAT 2025, a further decline is likely if students research their options well in advance.

One of the key factors affecting DU CLAT cut-offs in 2025 will be the number of applicants and their CLAT ranks. DU BA LLB cutoffs and DU BBA LLB cut offs for general category are expected to remain below 2000.

The DU LLB cut offs for CLAT 2025 for EWS, SC, ST and PWD categories are highly unpredictable. They depend on the total number of applications the university receives from these categories.

NLU cut offs vs. DU BA LLB/BBA LLB cut offs

In previous years, students with CLAT rank of 1000 or below have opted for Delhi University’s BA LLB and BBA LLB courses. However, some experts will always recommend top NLUs over DU if the CLAT rank is below AIR 1000. Therefore, let’s examine if the university should be put up higher than national law universities for studying LLB.

The top NLUs such as NLSIU, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata, NLU Jodhpur, GNLU Gujrat and NLU Bhopal close admissions at much lower cut-offs. General category CLAT rank above 600 may not help the students secure admission to any of these universities.

Choosing DU over these NLUs is generally not recommended during the counselling. Some students in the previous admission batches opted for DU over top NLUs such as NUJS Kolkata, NALSAR Hyderabad, and NLU Jodhpur. Experts and counsellors might find this difficult to comprehend. It also reflects a general lack of awareness among students regarding the law colleges in India.

At CLAT rank 1000-1200, the chances of securing admission to the tier 2 NLUs are very good. If we look at the previous years’ offs, the following universities have offered admission around a CLAT rank of 1200 —

1. NLU Odisha — CLAT AIR 1205

2. NLU Ranchi — CLAT AIR 1594

3. RMNLU Lucknow — CLAT AIR 764

4. MNLU Mumbai — CLAT AIR 590

5. NLU Kochi — CLAT AIR 1136

6. CNLU Patna — CLAT AIR 1358

The RMNLU Lucknow and MNLU Mumbai cut offs might close below 800. Both these universities are good. However, MNLU has very few seats for all India general category which makes the admissions more competitive. But the remaining NLUs mentioned above are closed around CLAT ranks of 1200-1500. The highest we saw last year was for CNLU Patna which closed admission at around all India CLAT rank of 1358 for general category.

Now this university is ranked 31st best law university in NIRF 2024. The median salary offered to the last two passing batches was approximately Rs. 10 LPA. The placement percentage is also equally good with 105 students getting placed from a graduating batch of 137 in 2022-23. So, it is a fairly reliable option and should be preferred over DU.

All these NLUs discussed above have well-established campuses. All these are ranked in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) and the median salary in placements ranges from Rs. 6 to Rs. 14 LPA. Placing these NLUs above Delhi University is recommended given that the courses offered by the latter are fairly new and the university is yet to see its first batch completing the LLB and joining the legal profession.

Delhi University 5-Year LLB Career Prospects

The university will see its first batch graduating and joining the legal profession in 2028. This means the credibility of new courses in the legal profession remains untested. Despite DU having one of the best locational advantages, no one really knows how the internship and placement support is going to be.

A reference can be taken from DU's 3-year LLB programme which is one of the most sought-after among law aspirants. There are three main reasons for the popularity of this course. First, it is offered by one of the best multidisciplinary public universities in India, second, it is affordable, and third, many students studying at DU prepare for judicial services or civil services exams.

If we consider the 3-year LLB as a reference for understanding the career prospects of the 5-year LLB, it still lags far behind tier 1 and tier 2 NLUs. DU's 3-year LLB is not known for corporate placements and the packages offered are much lower than the top 15-18 law colleges in India. Law firms have preferred NLUs, and some top private law colleges in previous years.

Having a legacy of 100 years means, DU Faculty of Law has a strong alumni base which includes prominent names such as former Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, former judge S K Kaul, former finance minister Arun Jaitley and many other prominent names in judiciary, bureaucracy and politics. While this kind of strong alumni base helps the university build its reputation, the current trends in the industry and its inclusion in academics, teaching quality, faculty strength and placement records add more material value.

DU vs NLUs: When should you accept DU 5-year LLB admission offer?

Some of the newer NLUs, such as MNLU Nagpur, HPNLU Shimla, and NLU Sonipat, can be placed in the same bracket as Delhi University. However, the students should also keep their options open for non-NLUs if they are getting admission offers from these universities.

NLUs such as NLU Tripura, NLU Prayagraj, MNLU Aurangabad and MPDNLU Jabalpur are the most recent ones. Delhi University can be preferred over these given the multiple advantages the university offers, including the locational advantages, strong alumni base, and a culture that helps the students experience all-India diversity within the campus.

Last but not least, if candidates receive admission offers from tier-3 NLUs through CLAT, they should consider applying to top non-NLU law colleges such as GLC Mumbai, SLS Pune, ILS Pune, Nirma University, and Panjab University.