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
Hello Student,
To access the CLAT Exam Preparation Guide, please refer to the article link provided below. It covers important preparation tips, study strategies and section-wise guidance to help you prepare effectively for CLAT.
https://law.careers360.com/articles/how-prepare-for-clat
Hope this Helps!
For CLAT, candidates should not prepare only a fixed list of questions because the examination tests conceptual understanding, reading ability and application skills.
Important areas include:
English Language
Reading comprehension
Vocabulary in context
Inference
Main idea
Tone and author's viewpoint
Current Affairs & General Knowledge
National and international events
Government
Dear Student,
CLAT PG stands for Common Law Admission Test Postgraduate. CLAT PG is a national-level entrance examination for admission to LLM programmes offered by participating National Law Universities (NLUs) and other institutions.
Read more at : CLAT Full Form
Hey there,
If you mean CLAT eligibility for admission to 5-year LLB courses, there is no fixed CLAT score/rank that guarantees eligibility. You must first meet the basic Class 12 eligibility criteria, and admission is based on your CLAT rank, category, preferences, and counselling cut-offs.
For NLUs, a better rank
Among top 100 Universities Globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2026
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