CLAT 2026 Cut Off for General Category: Expected Cut-Off Ranks and Marks for Top 10 NLUs
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CLAT 2026 Cut Off for General Category: Expected Cut-Off Ranks and Marks for Top 10 NLUs

Isha GargUpdated on 16 Dec 2025, 07:22 PM IST

CLAT 2026 cut-offs for the general category define the final ranks required for admission to National Law Universities (NLUs). These NLU cut-offs come from multiple counselling rounds and determine CLAT seat allocation across law programs like BA LLB and BBA LLB. General category candidates compete for roughly 1,752 seats spread across 26 participating NLUs. For the CLAT 2026 exam, scheduled on December 7, 2025, approximately 70,000-75,000 students are expected to appear.
Also check: CLAT 2026 Cutoff (LIVE): Expected Cutoff For All NLUs

CLAT 2026 Cut Off for General Category: Expected Cut-Off Ranks and Marks for Top 10 NLUs
CLAT 2026 Cut Off for General Category

CLAT 2026 Expected Cut-Off Ranks and Marks for Top 10 NLUs

NLU

General rank

General marks

NLSIU Bengaluru

112-115

98+

NALSAR Hyderabad

160-165

95+

WBNUJS Kolkata

300-350

93+

NLU Jodhpur

350-360

92+

GNLU Gandhinagar

430-450

91+

NLIU Bhopal

480-500

91+

MNLU Mumbai

550-600

90

HNLU Raipur

800-830

89

*state category reservation

CLAT Past Year Closing Ranks and Marks

NLU

Regular closing rank

Regular marks

Spot closing rank

Spot marks

NLSIU Bengaluru

112

94.4

-

-

NALSAR Hyderabad

159

93.9

168

93.8

WBNUJS Kolkata (BA LLB)

327

92.2

485

90.6

NLU Jodhpur

367

91.8

N/A

-

GNLU Gandhinagar

444

91

451

90.9

NLIU Bhopal (BA LLB)

480

90.6

527

90.4

MNLU Mumbai

558

90.1

550

90.3

WBNUJS Kolkata (BSc LLB Hons)

711

89.4

855

89.2

HNLU Raipur

807

88.9

1112

88.3

NLIU Bhopal (BSc LLB)

915

88.5

917

88.9

NLU Odisha (BA LLB)

1013

88.1

1667

85.8

NLU Odisha (BBA LLB)

1176

87.5

1668

85.8

RGNUL Patiala

1279

87.1

1704

85.7

NUALS Kochi

1346

86.9

1701

85.7

CNLU Patna (BA LLB)

1398

86.7

1981

84.7

CNLU Patna (BBA LLB)

1555

86.1

2366

83.4

MNLU Nagpur (BA LLB)

1529

86.2

3793

79.1

MNLU Nagpur (BBA LLB)

1623

85.9

3976

78.6

DSNLU Visakhapatnam

1682

85.7

2566

82.7

NUSRL Ranchi (BA LLB)

1667

85.8

-

-

NUSRL Ranchi (BBA LLB)

1760

85.5

-

-

TNNLU Tiruchirappalli (BA LLB)

1763

85.5

2424

83.2

TNNLU Tiruchirappalli (BCom LLB)

1947

84.8

2961

81.3

DBRANLU Sonepat

1930

84.8

2470

83

MNLU Aurangabad (BA LLB)

1949

84.8

N/A

-

MPDNLU Jabalpur

2243

83.8

5398

74.6

NLUJA Assam

2141

84.1

4004

78.5

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

MNLU Aurangabad (BBA LLB)

2393

83

N/A

-

RPNLU Prayagraj

2469

82.7

3906

78.7

RMLNLU Lucknow

-

-

1500

87

GNLU Silvassa Campus

-

-

4943

75.8

CLAT 2025 regular round data shows NLSIU Bengaluru closed at rank 112 with 94.4 marks, while NALSAR Hyderabad ended at 159 with 93.9 marks. Mid-tier NLUs such as NLIU Bhopal and NLU Odisha closed at 88-90 marks. RGNUL Patiala accepted up to 1279 rank at 87.1 marks. Spot rounds offered extended chances, with NLUT Agartala admitting rank 12,515 at just 65.4 marks and HPNLU Shimla at 5,856 with 73.3 marks. Data from both regular and spot rounds suggests that students aiming for the top 10 NLUs need 90+ marks for regular rounds. With 75,000 expected applicants in 2026, cut-offs can rise 2-5%.

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Questions related to CLAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CLAT ?

If you have secured a CLAT 2026 rank of 13656 and are aiming for admission to LLM programmes in National Law Universities (NLUs), it’s important to understand how selection usually works. LLM admissions at most NLUs depend primarily on the candidate’s CLAT PG rank, but the level of competition is high because many applicants compete for a limited number of seats. With a rank around 13656, the chances of securing a seat in the most sought-after NLUs like NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata or National Law University Delhi are quite slim because these institutions tend to have much higher closing ranks for most specialisations in their LLM programmes.

However, your rank keeps you in a position to explore other good NLUs and national law schools where the closing ranks are relatively lower or have larger seat matrices. Institutions such as Hidayatullah National Law University Raipur, National Law University Odisha, Gujarat National Law University, Tamil Nadu National Law University, Chanakya National Law University Patna and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University Lucknow have historically had closing ranks beyond the top five NLUs. These universities often offer quality legal education, experienced faculty, moot court activities, internships and decent placement opportunities for LLM graduates. Many of them also have specialisations in areas like constitutional law, corporate law, human rights law and international law, giving you options to pursue your interests.

It is also essential to remember that CLAT PG counselling usually happens in multiple rounds, including mop-up and stray vacancy rounds, through which seats in various universities are reallocated as candidates make changes or withdraw. With a rank in the mid-range, participating in all counselling rounds will improve your chances because some seats open up later in the process. Apart from NLUs, some universities and law schools that accept CLAT PG scores may also offer admission based on home-state quotas or reserved category benefits if applicable to you. Evaluating all these options with an open mind will help you find a suitable law institute where you can pursue your LLM and build your legal career.

All the best.

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.

Hello there,

Here is a list of government and semi-government colleges that accept CLAT score:

  1. IIM Rohtak
  2. Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University
  3. National Forensic Science University
  4. CUSAT
  5. Jamia Hamdard University

However, these universities also carry out separate registration to apply using your CLAT Scorecard.

I hope this helps you.

Thankyou.