CLAT 2026: How Domicile Quotas Can Sharply Lower NLU Cut-Offs and Boost Admission Chances
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CLAT 2026: How Domicile Quotas Can Sharply Lower NLU Cut-Offs and Boost Admission Chances

Ongoing Event

CLAT Application Date:01 Aug' 25 - 31 Oct' 25

Shubham BhakuniUpdated on 05 Aug 2025, 09:05 AM IST

The domicile quota, regardless of its fairness, presents a strategic advantage for students seeking admission to prestigious National Law Universities (NLUs). All NLUs participating in CLAT 2026 offer domicile reservation, ranging from 25% to 70% of total intake — there is no uniformity in this reservation. But one trend is very clear — state quota significantly reduces the cutoff ranks in NLUs.

CLAT 2026: How Domicile Quotas Can Sharply Lower NLU Cut-Offs and Boost Admission Chances
CLAT 2026: How Domicile Quotas Can Sharply Lower NLU Cut-Offs and Boost Admission Chances

For instance, NLSIU Bangalore, where competition is cut-throat and general category success rate is below 0.5%, the all India general category admission closed at AIR 112 in CLAT 2025, but reserved seats for general category - Karnataka were filled up to AIR 460, a drop of 4x. NALSAR Hyderabad, where three rounds of CLAT counselling ended general category admission at AIR 162, the domicile quota seats in the same category were offered till AIR 607, a drop of 3.7x.

Similarly, NLIU Bhopal BA LLB cutoffs were 480 for all India general category and 1085 for general-domicile category. The allotment list for GNLU Gandhinagar shows all India general category admission closing at 444 in third round of CLAT counselling, whereas, the domicile reserved seats in general category were closed at 2609 (vacant) and 2549, the last provisionally admitted candidate.

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All the data presented above, and in the table below, shows how state quota seats change the admission standards for certain candidates.

CLAT Cut-Offs 2025: General vs. Domestic Categories

NLU

Gen Male Cut-Off Rank- All India

Gen Male Cut-Off Rank- State Quota

Drop in AIR

NLSIU Bangalore

112

460

348

NALSAR Hyderabad

162

607

445

WBNUJS Kolkata

327

1119

792

NLU Jodhpur

367

581

214

GNLU Gandhinagar

444

2549

2105

GNLU Silvassa

1461

33059

31598

NLU Bhopal

480

1085

605

NLU Ranchi

1667

5514

3847

NLU Assam

2141

3128

987

NLU Trichy

1763

3912

2149

Source: CLAT 2025 counselling third round admission lists

Domicile Quota in NLUs:

The National Law Universities (NLUs), despite carrying the term "national" in their names, are, in fact, state universities. They are established through Acts passed by the respective state legislatures. Consequently, the domicile quota is also governed by the reservation policies of the individual states. As a result, there is no uniformity in domicile reservation offered across NLUs. In several cases, the reservation exceeds 50% of total intake, significantly reducing all-India intake and further diluting the national character implied by their names. For example, all three MNLUs — Mumbai, Nagpur and Aurangabad keep around 72% seats reserved for Maharashtra candidates, leaving only 28% seats in the all-India category.

NLU-wise CLAT 2025 Reservation Criteria

2025 CLAT data

Takeaways: What’s Next for CLAT 2026 Aspirants?

It is clear — the domicile reservation can change the game and bypass the intense competition CLAT has. The CLAT 2026 applications are currently open. The registration window closes on October 31. Adding domicile reservation criteria is the last stage of the application process. Candidates should carefully review the eligibility, which in some NLUs extends beyond the criterion of having a formal residency certificate in the state. While students are not required to submit the domicile certificates at this stage, admission under the state quota will be offered only upon fulfilling the eligibility and submitting the relevant certificates. They need to submit the documentary proof at the time of admission.

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Questions related to CLAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CLAT ?

Hello Mujahideen

Around 75,000 - 80,000 students have registered for CLAT examination this year. There are approximately 3,700 seat available in all NLUs through CLAT 2025.

In NLSIU Bengaluru, total 300 UG seats are available while in TNNLU Trichy, 180 are available.

Hope this answer helps! Thank You!!!

Hello,

If you want to prepare for the CLAT 2026 LLM exam. You should first understand the CLAT PG exam's syllabus, exam pattern, and weightage of sections like constitutional law and jurisprudence. Also, after that, create a structured study plan with good time management, and focus on your weak areas to improve yourself for the exam. You can also prepare with PYQ and mock tests.

I hope it will clear your query!!

Yes, the School of Excellence in Law (SOEL) accepts CLAT scores for admissions, and there are cutoffs for different categories. SOEL, part of TNDALU, offers BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), and BCA LLB (Hons) programs. The cutoffs vary based on the category and program.

For the OC category, the cutoff for BA LLB/BBA LLB was 97.750, and for BCA LLB, it was 96.5.

The cutoff can fluctuate based on the number of applicants, the difficulty of the exam, and the number of seats available

Hello

Yes, scholarships are available for CLAT merit holders. Many law schools, including some top institutions, offer financial assistance based on CLAT scores. For example, National Law Universities (NLUs) often offer merit-cum-means scholarships to students who excel in the exam. Additionally, some private organizations and law firms also offer scholarships to top CLAT scorers. The amount and criteria for these scholarships vary, but they usually cover tuition fees or provide financial support for study materials and other expenses.

Hello,

Here is the link where you can access Free Mock tests : CLAT Mock Test 2026

Hope it helps !