The Consortium of National Law Universities has announced the CLAT 2026 second allotment list on January 22, 2026. Candidates have to exercise freeze, float, or exit options in the CLAT 2026 counselling process. At this stage, it is important for students to carefully evaluate their preferred NLUs before making a final decision. One of the most important factors to consider is the placement record of the NLUs. Analysing past placement trends helps candidates understand the return on investment (ROI), the university’s standing in the legal industry, and the career opportunities available after graduation.
Choosing the mid-tier NLUs can be tricky. Some of them offer strong placements, while others may not, despite a rigorous academic environment, moot courts, and internship opportunities. The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) gives a fair idea of placements in NLUs. Seven tier-2 NLUs participated in NIRF 2025, of which four NLUs — RMNLU Lucknow, NLU Patna, NLU Ranchi, and NLU Odisha were ranked. Median salary during placements in these universities ranges from Rs 7 -14 LPA.
NIRF 2025 Rank-Wise Tier-2 NLUs - Highlights
NLU | NIRF Law Ranking 2025 | Courses Offered | Median Salary |
NLUO Odisha | 15 | BA LLB, BBA LLB and LLM | Rs 14 LPA |
CNLU Patna | 17 | BA LLB, BBA LLB and LLM | Rs 10.8 LPA |
21 | BA LLB and LLM | Rs 7 LPA | |
NUSRL Ranchi | 30 | BA LLB and LLM | Rs 9.33 LPA |
NLUO Odisha is one of the tier-2 NLUs ranked 15th best law university by the NIRF Law Rankings 2025. A total of 158 students graduated from NLUO in 2023-24, of which 77 were placed, and 10 opted for higher education.
The placement percentage of NLUO Odisha is 52.%. Out of these, the median salary of the students placed is recorded as Rs 14 Lakh per annum. The CLAT 2026 second round cut-off was 832 for the BA LLB program for the general category.
Academic year | Number of students graduating | Students placed | Median salary | Selected for higher education |
2023-2024 | 158 | 77 | Rs 14 LPA | 10 |
CNLU Patna has been ranked the 17th best law university in NIRF 2025. 110 students in 2023-2024 out of 136 students graduating that year were placed. 26 students were recorded as selected for higher education. This makes the placement percentage 100%. The median salary package was Rs 10.8 LPA. The CLAT 2026 second round cut-off for CNLU Patna is AIR 1398 for the general category for the BA LLB program.
Academic year | Number of students graduating | Students placed | Median salary | Selected for higher education |
2023-2024 | 136 | 110 | Rs 10.8 LPA | 26 |
RMLNLU Lucknow is ranked at 21st position by the NIRF Law Rankings 2025. In the academic year 2023-2024, the NLU offered good placements with a placement percentage of 92%. This was observed as 158 students were placed out of a total of 171 students who graduated that year. The median salary of the students placed is Rs 7 LPA. RMLNLU Lucknow offers BA LLB and LLM programs. As per the CLAT 2026 second allotment list, the general category cut-off is AIR 776.
Academic year | Number of students graduating | Students placed | Median salary | Selected for higher education |
2023-2024 | 171 | 158 | Rs 7 LPA | 0 |
NIRF ranks NUSRL Ranchi at the 30th position. 39 students out of a total graduating class of 101 were placed with a median salary of Rs 9.33 LPA. The placement percentage recorded is 43.8%. NUSRL Ranchi offers BA LLB and BBA LLB programs. In the CLAT 2026 second round cut-off for BA LLB, the AIR for the general category is 1353. Last year, the closing rank for the NUSRL Ranchi BBA LLB program was recorded as 1667. This rank dropped by 5429 ranks in the spot round for CLAT 2025.
Academic year | Number of students graduating | Students placed | Median salary | Selected for higher education |
2023-2024 | 101 | 39 | Rs 9.33 LPA | 12 |
RGNUL Punjab participated in the NIRF Law rankings 2025; however, it did not secure a rank. The university recorded a placement percentage of 18.2% in the academic year 2023-2024. Only 31 students were placed out of 179 graduating students. The median salary was recorded as Rs 9 LPA. This indicated a lower placement rate compared to some other tier-2 NLUs. The general category air for RGNUL Punjab is 1094 in the CLAT 2026 second allotment list. Last year, admissions closed at AIR 1279. However, this NLU closed at AIR 1500 in the CLAT 2025 spot round.
Academic year | Number of students graduating | Students placed | Median salary | Selected for higher education |
2023-2024 | 179 | 31 | Rs 9 LPA | 9 |
The total number of students who graduated from MNLU Mumbai in the academic year 2023-2024 was 107. This NLU placed only 35 students from its 5-year undergraduate law program. The placement percentage is 33.6%. The median salary of the students placed is recorded as Rs 10 LPA.
As per the CLAT 2026 round 2 cut-off, the general category cut-off is 495. Last year, MNLU Mumbai closed at 558 for the general category candidates. MNLU Mumbai records CLAT cut-offs similar to those of several Tier-1 NLUs, despite being a Tier-2 NLU. This is because it has a low All-India intake for CLAT 2026. There is a higher number of seats reserved for Maharashtra domicile candidates. As a result, fewer seats are available under the All-India category, leading to increased competition and higher closing ranks.
Academic year | Number of students graduating | Students placed | Median salary | Selected for higher education |
2023-2024 | 107 | 35 | Rs 10 LPA | 3 |
DSNLU Visakhapatnam placed 38 students out of 120 students in the academic year 2023-2024. The placement percentage of DSNLU is approximately 39%. In the academic year 2022 - 2023, the same number of students graduated, with 30 students getting placed. The median salary recorded was Rs 6 LPA. In comparison, the median salary has increased to Rs 7.5 LPA.
In the CLAT 2026 counselling process, the second round cut-off is recorded as AIR 1351 for general category students. Last year, the closing rank for DSNLU Visakhapatnam was AIR 1682 for general category candidates.
Academic year | Number of students graduating | Students placed | Median salary | Selected for higher education |
2023-2024 | 120 | 38 | Rs 7.5 LPA | 23 |
Even though some tier NLUs like NUALS Kochi and MNLU Mumbai were not ranked by NIRF, they recorded decent placement packages. For example, students at NUALS Kochi secured a median salary of Rs. 15 LPA in 2022-23 with a placement percentage of 50%.
MNLU Mumbai recorded a median salary of Rs 10 LPA in the academic year 2023-24. These trends highlight that Tier-2 NLUs offer good placements for CLAT 2026 candidates. The CLAT 2026 third merit list is set to be released on February 5, 2026.
On Question asked by student community
Hi, you can apply for admissions in Nirma University, NFSU Ahemdabad, Alliance, IPU University and affiliated instiutes (in case you are reserved category candidates), UPES Dehradun, BITS Law School etc.
Start preparing for CLAT by first understanding the exam pattern and syllabus, which includes English, Current Affairs, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques. Make a simple daily routine and begin with basics read newspapers regularly for current affairs, practice comprehension passages for English and legal sections, and solve basic
Hello
With an AIR of 9076 and EWS rank of 846 in CLAT 2026, getting a top NLUs is unlikely, which is why you didn’t get a seat in the first round. However, you still have some chances in lower-tier NLUs like NLU Odisha, NLU Assam, NLU Tripura, NLU Meghalaya,
Hello
With a CLAT 2026 score of 60.75, AIR 17,715, and OBC-NCL rank 3,347 as an out-of-Delhi candidate, getting a seat in the Faculty of Law, Delhi University is very unlikely. DU’s cut-offs for OBC candidates are usually much higher, even in later rounds. You should keep backup options like
Hello,
With AIR 10542 and OBC rank 1843, getting top NLUs is unlikely. However, you still have chances in newer or lower ranked NLUs like NLU Assam, NUSRL Ranchi, MNLU Nagpur/Mumbai, especially in later or vacancy rounds. Also consider good private law colleges as backup options.
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