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.).
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
Yes, you can switch from one college to another to a CLAT college through the entrance test. However, it is important to note that you will have to start from year 1 rather than transferring directly into the second or third year. Some of the top
CLAT participating colleges
here.
Here you can check out the top
NLUs offering admission into 3-year LLB
with and without CLAT exam:
1. NLSIU Bengaluru for LLB programme through NLSAT.
2. NLU Odisha and NLU Visakhapatnam offer admission into the 3-year LLB course through their own admission process.
3. CNLU Patna
Yes, for CLAT preparation, building a reading habit daily is a good approach. You can read the daily newspapers like The Hindu and The Indian Express. While going for Animal Farm by George Orwell, Word power Made Easy by Norma Lewis for novel comprehension.
Yes, you can elevate your law entrance journey with Careers360’s CLAT mock test PDF free download link given below:
https://law.careers360.com/articles/clat-mock-test
The CLAT 2027 application form will open in the first week of August 2026. While the exam will be held on the first or second Sunday of December 2026.
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