CLAT Data Shows General Category Dominating at 62% Persisting Inequities
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CLAT Data Shows General Category Dominating at 62% Persisting Inequities

Shubham BhakuniUpdated on 08 Dec 2025, 12:58 PM IST

According to a Right to Information data, a total of 62,832 candidates registered for UG-CLAT 2025. The registrations were highest in the last six years. Year-on-year, the registration improved by around 18%. The general category participation was highest with 37,892 participants appearing in the exam, followed by 14,444 from the OBC and 6,331 from the SC categories.

CLAT Data Shows General Category Dominating at 62% Persisting Inequities
CLAT 2025 Data Shows General Category Dominating at 62% Amid Persisting Inequities

General Category Dominates With 62% Share

The category-wise breakup of student data shows that the general category remains the most competitive among all. General category candidates, including EWS, make up 62.60% — from roughly 30% of the total population.

In contrast;

  • OBC students were 23.86%. Their population share is roughly 40-50%
  • SC participation in CLAT was close to 10.46%; they constitute around 16.8% of the total population as per 2011 census data
  • ST representation is around 3%, which is similar to JEE and NEET exams. They make up around 8.6% of the total population
  • The EWS category has no official survey data, but it is roughly around 18% as per NITI Aayog estimates. Against this, around 8.9% students participate in CLAT from this category.

CLAT 2025 and 2024 Registration Trends: Category-Wise Breakup

Category

2025

2024

Applied

Appeared

Applied

Appeared

General*

39,285

37,892

32,904

31,870

OBC

14,896

14,444

13,995

13,702

SC

6,676

6,331

6,257

6,037

ST

1,975

1,859

1,644

1,571

Total

62,832

60,526

54,800

53,180

PwD

324

300

634

613

General-EWS

5,489

5,391

4,618

4,523

PwD and EWS categories are included in other relevant categories above
Source- RTI

Year on year, the general category saw the highest jump in registrations. The numbers rose by over 5,000 in a single year, indicating an increased level of competition in this category.

CLAT UG and PG: Historical Data

Year

Appeared

(UG + PG)

CLAT UG

CLAT PG

Appeared

Appeared

2025

75,361

60,544

14,817

2024

65,185

53,180

12,005

2023

51,469

42,766

8,703

2022

59,443

53,226

6,217

2021

62,106

53,532

8,574

Success Rate in CLAT

Overall, CLAT success rate ranges from 5-6% and it varies for each NLU, with four top-ranked universities recording less than 1% success rate for the general category. The success rate drops due to the NLU preference order submitted by students just before the counselling.

Big 4 NLUs: less than 1% success rate for general category

NLU Name

Closing Rank

Success Rate (in %)

NLSIU Bengaluru

112

0.30

NALSAR Hyderabad

159

0.42

WBNUJS Kolkata( BA LLB)

327

0.86

NLU Jodhpur

367

0.97

Tier 2 universities follow the top-4 NLUs mentioned above. These include GNLU Gandhinagar, NLIU Bhopal, RMLNLU Lucknow, HNLU Raipur, NLU Odisha, RGNLU Patiala, NLU Kochi and CNLU Patna.

OBC Participation in CLAT Vs JEE & NEET

The 2025 and 2024 CLATs had 23.86% and 25.77% representation from the Other Backward Classes (OBC). This is significantly lower participation compared to two other major national entrance exams conducted in India - JEE and NEET, where they form the majority.

JEE-Main paper 1 held in 2025 had 38.7% OBC participation, the highest among all categories. NEET UG 2025 also had a similar participation at 41.67%, outnumbering general category students. The OBC share in the total population in the country was 52% according to the 1980 Mandal Commission report. The 2006 National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) claims OBC forms 41% of the total population in the country. Both the Mandal Commission and the NSSO data, if taken as reference points, align with OBC participation in JEE and NEET.

Looking ahead: 2026 CLAT expected to continue this trend

The exorbitant CLAT application fee, with an English-heavy question paper, is seen by the students as prohibitive, discouraging lower-income groups from participating in the examination. The NLU's fee structure is also at par with most of the private law schools, making affordability an important factor in choosing law schools.

As there have been no attempts in CLAT 2026 to improve student participation in different categories, the current trend is expected to continue.

CLAT 2026 is set to reveal its own participation insights once the consortium releases the data. Based on current trends, another uptick in registrations is likely, driven by:

  • Increasing competition in the general category

  • Saturation in engineering/medical career options

  • Acceptance of law as a mainstream career and increasing opportunities in the private sector

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Questions related to CLAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CLAT ?

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 in all counselling rounds and keep other college options open.

You can check CLAT cutoffs and counselling details here:

https://law.careers360.com/articles/clat-cutoff


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, domicile reservations, and how many seats are available in a given year. For top-tier NLUs like NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, or NLUD, the closing ranks for SC category usually fall much lower, so chances there are minimal. However, you should definitely consider mid- and lower-ranked NLUs where SC category cut-offs often extend beyond 1200–1500 ranks.

You should prioritise NLUs that offer domicile or state quota benefits, especially those closer to your home state or neighbouring regions. National Law University Jodhpur (if applicable under domicile or category movement), Hidayatullah National Law University Raipur, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University Lucknow, Gujarat National Law University Gandhinagar, Maharashtra National Law University (Nagpur or Aurangabad), National Law University Odisha, and Tamil Nadu National Law University are some options where candidates in the SC category with similar ranks have secured seats in previous counselling rounds. Lower-tier NLUs like Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University, Himachal Pradesh National Law University, and Dharmashastra National Law University can also be kept in your preference list as safer options.

Your strategy should be to keep a wide preference list during counselling, placing mid-ranked NLUs first and then moving to lower NLUs, rather than restricting yourself only to a few choices. Also, stay active during subsequent counselling rounds and vacancy rounds, as many seats in the SC category are filled later due to withdrawals. Overall, while top NLUs may be tough, you have a fair chance of getting into a decent NLU if you plan your preferences smartly and remain flexible.

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 vacant seats.

At this rank, you may consider NLUs such as NLU Tripura, NLU Meghalaya, NLU Nagaland, NLU Sikkim, NLU Andhra Pradesh, NLU Odisha, NLU Jabalpur, and NLU Aurangabad, particularly if you belong to a reserved category like SC, ST, OBC, EWS, or have domicile or women reservation applicable. Cut-offs for these universities tend to go higher in rank compared to older NLUs, and seats often open up in subsequent counselling rounds due to withdrawals.

If you do not secure an NLU seat, you should also strongly consider reputed state and private law universities that accept CLAT PG scores or conduct their own entrance tests. Universities such as Faculty of Law, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Delhi University (DU – through CUET PG), Jamia Millia Islamia, Symbiosis Law School, Christ University, Jindal Global Law School, and Nirma University are good alternatives for LLM aspirants. Many of these institutions offer strong academic exposure, experienced faculty, and good research opportunities, sometimes even better than newer NLUs.

Overall, while a rank of 11,000 limits options in top NLUs, admission is still possible in newer NLUs or good non-NLU law universities, provided you actively participate in counselling rounds and keep backup options ready.

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 still have realistic chances in several mid-tier and newer NLUs, especially if OBC reservation and domicile or women reservation is applicable.

Based on previous years’ counselling trends, you can reasonably expect chances in NLUs such as NLU Odisha (Cuttack), NLIU Bhopal (borderline, depending on category movement), NLU Assam (Guwahati), DSNLU Visakhapatnam, TNNLU Tiruchirappalli, HPNLU Shimla, NLU Tripura, NLU Meghalaya, NLU Sikkim, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar NLU Sonipat. Some of these universities see rank movement in later rounds and vacancies, particularly for reserved categories and women candidates.

Since you are from Telangana, you should definitely keep NALSAR Hyderabad in your preference list, but only after all higher NLUs, as the domicile quota is limited and usually closes at a much better rank. Still, it is worth trying because domicile and category together can sometimes help in spot or vacancy rounds.

Your best strategy would be to prepare a balanced preference list: first include all top NLUs, then mid-tier NLUs like NLU Odisha and NLIU Bhopal, followed by newer and lower-ranked NLUs where your rank has a stronger chance. Make sure you actively participate in all counselling rounds, including vacancies, as many seats open up after withdrawals.

Cut-offs vary every year depending on seat intake, category distribution, and counselling dynamics, so even if you miss out in early rounds, you should not lose hope. Keep your documents ready, track counselling updates closely, and stay flexible with preferences to maximize your chances of securing an NLU seat.