CLAT 2026 ST Category Cut-Off After First Counselling

CLAT 2026 ST Category Cut-Off After First Counselling

Isha GargUpdated on 17 Jan 2026, 04:48 PM IST

The CLAT 2026 first allotment list was released on January 7, 2026. This list set the first admission benchmarks for Scheduled Tribe (ST) category candidates. As the most competitive entry point in the multi-round counselling process, the first list highlights a demand for premier National Law Universities (NLUs). While ST cut-offs are generally more accessible, top NLUs remain highly selective. For NLSIU Bengaluru, the ST rank closed at approximately 5,000. NALSAR Hyderabad followed with an ST closing rank of 5,200. Students in this round had to pay confirmation fees by January 15, 2026. The CLAT second allotment list 2026 is expected on January 22, 2026. Lower-ranked candidates can find openings in the upcoming rounds.

CLAT 2026 ST Category Cut-Off After First Counselling
CLAT 2026 ST Category Cut-Off After First Counselling

CLAT ST First Round Cut-Off 2026

NLU/program

ST closing rank cut-off

NLSIU Bengaluru

5000

NALSAR Hyderabad

5200

NLU Jodhpur (BA LLB Hons)

5907

WBNUJS Kolkata (BA LLB Hons)

6010

GNLU Gandhinagar

7913

NLU Jodhpur (BBA LLB Hons)

8113

NLIU Bhopal (BA LLB Hons)

9461

WBNUJS Kolkata (BSc LLB Hons)

9615

NLIU Bhopal (BSc LLB Hons Cyber Security)

10429

HNLU Raipur

11239

RGNUL Punjab

13152

NLUO Cuttack (BA LLB)

14196

GNLU Silvassa

14278

DSNLU Visakhapatnam

15199

NUSRL Ranchi (BA LLB Hons)

15765

NLUJA Assam

17399

NUSRL Ranchi (BBA LLB Hons)

17445

NLUO Cuttack (BBA LLB)

17986

TNNLU Tiruchirappalli (BCom LLB Hons)

19158

HPNLU Shimla (BA LLB Hons)

19833

NLU Sonepat (DBRANLU)

20080

HPNLU Shimla (BBA LLB Hons)

21090

DNLU Jabalpur

21749

IIULER Goa (BA LLB Hons)

22702

IIULER Goa (BBA LLB Hons)

23737

MNLU Nagpur (BA LLB Hons)

52882

MNLU Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (BBA LLB Hons)

55620

MNLU Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (BA LLB Hons)

60165

MNLU Nagpur (BBA LLB Hons)

66593

Expected CLAT 2026 Round 2 Cut-Off for ST Category

Based on the CLAT round 1 closing ranks and previous year trends, the following are the expected Round 2 closing ranks for ST aspirants:

CLAT 2026 ST Expected Round 2 Cut-Offs

NLU

ST closing rank

NLU Jodhpur

5955

HNLU Raipur

10507

GNLU Gandhinagar

8568

GNLU Silvassa Campus

15112

RMLNLU Lucknow

-

RGNUL Patiala

11901

CNLU Patna (BA LLB)

-

CNLU Patna (BBA LLB)

-

NUALS Kochi

-

NLU Odisha BA LLB

12211

NLU Odisha BBA LLB

13134

NUSRL Ranchi BA LLB

15006

NUSRL Ranchi BBA LLB

-

NLUJA Assam

39689*

DSNLU Visakhapatnam

15023

TNNLU Tiruchirappalli BA LLB

15384

TNNLU Tiruchirappalli BCom LLB

-

MNLU Mumbai

-

MNLU Nagpur - BA LLB

-

MNLU Nagpur - BBA LLB

58982*

MNLU Aurangabad- BA LLB

58389*

MNLU Aurangabad - BBA LLB

58,982*

HPNLU Shimla - BA LLB

17192

HPNLU Shimla - BBA LLB

18531

MPDNLU Jabalpur

20038

DBRANLU Sonepat

19698

NLUT Agartala

-

RPNLU Prayagraj

-

IIULER Goa BA LLB

20461

IIULER Goa BA LLB

20846

*state reservation

Factors Influencing CLAT Cut-Off 2026 for ST

Several variables contribute to the specific cut-off ranks observed in the CLAT 2026 allotment rounds:

  • Examination difficulty: The CLAT 2026 paper was rated as "easy to moderate" but lengthy. This leads to higher scores, which can compress ranks and result in more competitive cut-offs.

  • Candidate NLU preferences: NLSIU and NALSAR remain the top choices for nearly all high-ranking candidates, maintaining high CLAT cut-offs across all categories.

  • Seat matrix changes: Total seats in the ST category are strictly reserved at 7.5% in most NLUs. Some institutions like NLSIU have increased their overall intake (now 310 seats), which slightly broadens the CLAT rank range for admission.

  • Domicile reservations: Many NLUs reserve seats for home-state candidates, which can lower the cut-off for local ST students while keeping it higher for All-India ST applicants.

How to Download CLAT 2026 Second Merit List

With the CLAT first round having concluded, candidates should prepare for the release of the CLAT second merit list by following these steps:

  • Visit the official Consortium website: consortiumofnlus.ac.in.

  • Navigate to the "Counselling" section and click on the "Second Provisional Allotment List" PDF link.

  • View the list to check the updated status (upgrade/allotted/no change).

  • If candidates have a new allotment, they must exercise their option (freeze, float, or exit) and pay the confirmation fee by the specified deadline to secure the seat.

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Questions related to CLAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CLAT ?

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.

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