CLAT 2026: Is 70 Marks Enough This Year? NLU Chances Explained with Past Cut-Offs

CLAT 2026 General Cut-Off for Top NLUs

Analysis of NLUs for 70 CLAT Marks - General Category Students

For general category candidates scoring around 70 marks in CLAT 2026, admission chances in top NLUs are almost negligible, even in the third round of counselling. This is because the rank associated with 70 marks usually falls between 10,700 and 11,500, which is below the usual cutoffs for the best NLUs.

Tier 1 National Law Universities, such as NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata (BA LLB), NLIU Bhopal (BA LLB), GNLU Gandhinagar, and NLU Jodhpur, typically require ranks well within the top few hundred. Admission in these NLUs generally demands scores above 90 marks. Therefore, general category candidates with 70 marks should focus on NLUs with moderate cutoffs or explore reputed private and state universities accepting CLAT scores.

NLUs for 70 CLAT Marks for EWS (2023-2025 Opening and Closing Rank)

*state category reservation

Analysis of NLUs for 70 CLAT Marks - EWS Category

From 2023 to 2025, NUALS Kochi shows wide closing ranks for EWS category students, ranging from over 41,000 in 2023 to about 22,600 in 2025. These ranks indicate state quota, meaning they are domicile ranks applicable to candidates from Kerala under the state reservation. NLUJA Assam has closing ranks near 18,700 for EWS. MNLU Nagpur’s opening and closing ranks range from 2,700 to 14,700 in 2023, and from 7,800 to 16,800 in 2025, all marked as domicile ranks under the Maharashtra state quota.

MNLU Aurangabad shows opening ranks from around 13,500 in 2023 to about 8,300 in 2025, while closing ranks are up to 23,200; these are domicile ranks for the Maharashtra state quota. These ranks correspond mostly to tier 3 NLUs, where state quota seats improve admission chances for local candidates with CLAT marks around 70.

NLUs for 70 CLAT Marks for OBC (Last 5-year Opening and Closing Rank)

*State category reservation

Analysis of NLUs for 70 CLAT Marks - OBC Category

The OBC category cutoffs across major NLUs such as DSNLU Visakhapatnam, NLUJA Assam, MNLU Nagpur, and MNLU Aurangabad show gradual shifts over five years. Many ranks represent domicile quotas, reserved for state candidates. DSNLU Visakhapatnam’s opening ranks fell from around 8,881 in 2022 to 2,068 in 2024, with closing ranks varying between 11,160 and 3,813 by 2025. NLUJA Assam consistently had high closing ranks, often above 4,900 and spiking above 40,000, taking a large number of applicants with broad state quota effects.

MNLU Nagpur and MNLU Aurangabad’s opening and closing ranks represent domicile ranks under the Maharashtra state quota. For MNLU Nagpur, opening ranks have ranged roughly from 6,293 to 2,230, while closing ranks have varied from about 19,330 down to 15,059 over the years. Similarly, MNLU Aurangabad’s opening ranks have shifted between approximately 9,091 and 14,714, with closing ranks spanning from 18,000 to over 30,000.

NLUs for 70 CLAT Marks for SC and ST (5-Year Analysis)

Analysis of NLUs for 70 CLAT Marks - SC and ST Category

SC students scoring around 70 marks in CLAT 2026 have a reasonable chance of admission at several NLUs. These include CNLU Patna (BA & BBA LLB), NUALS Kochi, NUSRL Ranchi, TNNLU Tiruchirappalli, MNLU Nagpur, NLUJA Assam, DSNLU Visakhapatnam, MNLU Aurangabad, MPDNLU Jabalpur, and DBRANLU Sonepat, among others. These NLUs have historically admitted SC candidates with closing ranks often above 11,000.

ST candidates scoring around 70 marks in CLAT 2026 can expect admission at many NLUs, including GNLU Gandhinagar, GNLU Silvassa Campus, RMLNLU Lucknow, RGNUL Patiala, CNLU Patna, NUALS Kochi, NLU Odisha, NUSRL Ranchi, TNNLU Tiruchirappalli, MNLU Mumbai, MNLU Nagpur, NLUJA Assam, DSNLU Visakhapatnam, MNLU Aurangabad, HPNLU Shimla, MPDNLU Jabalpur, DBRANLU Sonepat, and NLUT Agartala. These institutes admit ST candidates at closing ranks well beyond 11,000.