CLAT aspirants who do not secure admission in the top NLUs can still pursue legal education at mid-tier National Law Universities (NLUs). These universities include RGNUL Patiala, MNLU Mumbai, RMLNLU Lucknow, and others. For CLAT 2026, candidates in the rank range of 400-2000 generally have a good chance of getting into these universities. Admission depends on various factors, such as the category of the candidate and the specific program they choose (BA LLB, BBA LLB, etc.).
In the table below are the counselling dates of CLAT 2026.
| Event | Date |
| Release of the first allotment list | January 7, 2026 (10:00 AM) |
| Payment of the seat confirmation fee | January 7 - January 15, 2026 |
| Deadline for document upload | January 15, 2026 (1:00 PM) |
| Release of the second allotment list | January 22, 2026 |
NLU | NIRF rankings 2025 | Law Courses offered | Total number of ug seats* | Closing rank |
RGNUL Patiala | - | BA LLB (Hons) | 214 | 1279 |
21 | BA LLB (Hons) | 191 | 780 | |
NUALS Kochi | - | BA LLB (Hons) | 60 | 1346 |
HNLU Raipur | - | BA LLB (Hons) | 187 | 827 |
MNLU Mumbai | 31 | BA LLB (Hons) | 122 | 558 |
CNLU Patna | 17 | 3-year LLB, BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons) | 3-year LLB: 60 | 1398 |
NLU Odisha | 15 | BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons) | BA LLB: 120 | 1013 |
NUSRL Ranchi | 30 | BA LLB (Hons) | 140 | 1667 |
MNLU Nagpur | 28 | BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons) | BA LLB: 120 | 1529 |
DSNLU Visakhapatnam | - | BA LLB (Hons) | 132 | 1682 |
*including supernumerary seats
NLU | OBC Closing Rank | SC Closing Rank | ST Closing Rank |
RGNUL Patiala | - | 8625 | 12742 |
RMLNLU Lucknow | 3769* | 11228* | - |
- | 15029* | - | |
HNLU Raipur | 2408 | 7660 | 10507 |
MNLU Mumbai | 8067* | 15622* | 13124* |
CNLU Patna (BA LLB) | 7359* | 12662* | - |
NLU Odisha (BA LLB) | - | 7247 | 12967 |
NUSRL Ranchi (BA LLB) | 3597 | 9902 | 15023 |
MNLU Nagpur (BA LLB) | 15059* | 27496* | 16868* |
DSNLU Visakhapatnam | 3813 | 9330 | 15632 |
*state category reservation
Predictor | Tool Link |
CLAT UG 2026 College Predictor |
The CLAT 2026 cutoff is calculated by considering several key factors. It depends on:
The total number of students appearing for CLAT 2026.
The difficulty level of the CLAT 2026 exam.
The total number of seats available in each NLU.
Candidates' NLU preference order during counselling.
Each NLU’s reservation policy for General, EWS, OBC, SC, and ST categories.
Event | Date |
Counselling registration begins | December 17, 2025 |
Last date for counselling registration & fee payment | December 27, 2025 |
First allotment list released | January 07, 2026 |
Confirmation fee payment & admission (Round 1) | January 07, 2026 – January 15, 2026 |
Second allotment list released | January 22, 2026 |
Confirmation fee payment & admission (Round 2) | January 22, 2026 – January 29, 2026 |
Third allotment list released | February 05, 2026 |
Confirmation fee payment & admission (Round 3) | February 05, 2026 – February 12, 2026 |
Last date to pay university fee (Rounds 1–3 freeze candidates) | April 24, 2026 |
Fourth allotment list released | May 02, 2026 |
Confirmation fee payment & admission (Round 4) | May 02, 2026 – May 08, 2026 |
Fifth and final allotment list released | May 15, 2026 |
Confirmation fee payment & admission (Final round) | May 15, 2026 – May 20, 2026 |
Last date to pay university fee (Rounds 4 & 5 freeze candidates) | May 30, 2026 |
The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) has declared that the deadline to fill and lock their NLU preferences via the CLAT 2026 admission counselling portal is December 27, 2025, at 11:59 PM. Failing to submit preferences by this date will make a candidate ineligible for the CLAT seat allocation process. Candidates must log in to their CLAT account and select their preferred National Law Universities in descending order of priority. It is highly recommended to select as many NLUs as possible to maximise chances of securing a seat.
On Question asked by student community
Since you scored 8000 AIR in CLAT, getting into top NLUs may not be possible, so it is a good idea to look for affordable and good law colleges.
State government law colleges are usually low in fees, and have decent reputation. Some options include Government Law College, Mumbai, Faculty
Yes you can get addmission into UPES dehradun with the clat rank of 8037
Through the below college predictor you will get the list of best collges based on your rank:
CLAT College Predictor 2026 (Free) - https://law.careers360.com/clat-college-predictor
Hope it helps
With 67 marks in and SC rank 415 in CLAT, you have a very good chance of getting admission in CNLU Patna BA LLB. The SC category cut-off at Patna NLU are usually much lower than the general category, so your rank is well within the likely range. Final admission
HELLO,
For CLAT 2026 counselling , the only official registration window announced by the Consortium of NLUs was from 17 Dec 2025 to 27 Dec 2025 that was last date to register and pay the fee. There are no additional or alternate registration dates released for 2026 beyond this window.
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
Among top 100 Universities Globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2026
Excellent curriculum; an impressive range of electives, besides core law courses. Up to 100% merit scholarship on a first-come, first-served basis
Ranked #18 amongst Institutions in India by NIRF | Ranked #1 in India for Academic Reputation by QS Rankings | 16 LPA Highest CTC
AICTE & UGC Approved | NAAC A+ Accredited
NAAC A+ Accredited | Among top 2% Universities Globally (QS World University Rankings 2026)
NAAC A++ Approved | Curriculum Aligned with BCI & UGC