Jindal Global Law School Admissions 2026
Ranked #1 Law School in India & South Asia by QS- World University Rankings | Merit cum means scholarships | Early Admissions (Pahse 2) Deadline: 28th Feb’26
The top 8 National Law Universities (NLUs) form the cornerstone of legal education in India and are the most popular choices for students with high CLAT ranks. These premier institutions are NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata, NLU Jodhpur, GNLU Gandhinagar, NLIU Bhopal, RMLNLU Lucknow, and HNLU Raipur. These NLUs are recognised for their excellent academics and have a decade-plus record of producing high-profile legal professionals.
Admissions to these NLUs are highly competitive, and each year thousands of students compete for limited CLAT seats, making admission tough. Understanding the trends in these CLAT cut-offs is essential for aspirants to know competition levels and to set realistic goals. These NLUs not only shape legal professionals but also influence the overall standards of law education nationally, making them the most desired destinations in the CLAT admission landscape.
NLU | General (closing rank) | EWS (closing rank) | OBC (closing rank) | SC (closing rank) | ST (closing rank) |
NLSIU Bengaluru | 112 | 703 | 1541 | 3133 | 3396 |
NALSAR Hyderabad | 159 | 546 | 1219 | 3273 | 3621 |
WBNUJS Kolkata (BA LLB) | 327 | - | 4168* | 4753 | 6343 |
WBNUJS Kolkata (BSc LLB) | 711 | - | 4596* | 6987 | 9739 |
NLU Jodhpur | 367 | 986 | 1776 | 5445 | 5955 |
GNLU Gandhinagar | 444 | 1118 | 2303 | 5934 | 8568 |
NLIU Bhopal (BA LLB) | 480 | 1377 | 1757 | 5763 | 8243 |
NLIU Bhopal (BSc LLB) | 915 | 1997 | 2464 | 8625 | 11901 |
RMLNLU Lucknow (BA LLB) | 780 | 2088* | 3769* | 11228* | - |
HNLU Raipur | 807 | - | 2408 | 7660 | 10507 |
*state category reservation
Year | NLSIU Bengaluru | NALSAR Hyderabad | WBNUJS Kolkata (BA LLB) | NLU Jodhpur | GNLU Gandhinagar | NLIU Bhopal (BA LLB) | RMLNLU Lucknow | HNLU Raipur |
2021 | 83 | 172 | 241 | 356 | 366 | 378 | 676 | 765 |
2022 | 85 | 162 | 257 | 378 | 430 | 451 | 756 | 756 |
2023 | 114 | 177 | 260 | 383 | 462 | 463 | 749 | 805 |
2024 | 102 | 167 | 279 | 379 | 464 | 450 | 764 | 791 |
2025 | 112 | 159 | 327 | 367 | 444 | 480 | 780 | 807 |
Over the five years from 2021 to 2025, general category closing ranks show clear trends among the top 8 NLUs. NLSIU Bengaluru remains the most competitive, with closing ranks between 83 in 2021 and 112 in 2025. This means only students with ranks below 115 got selected here. NALSAR Hyderabad is the second most preferred, with closing ranks ranging from 160 to 170. WBNUJS Kolkata (BA LLB) closed admissions at around 327 in 2025. NLU Jodhpur’s closing rank stayed steady between 356 and 367.
NLUs like GNLU Gandhinagar and NLIU Bhopal (BA LLB) have also seen gradual rises, from 366 to 444 and 378 to 480, respectively. RMLNLU Lucknow and HNLU Raipur also showed rises, from 676 to 780 and 765 to 807, respectively. Overall, the top two NLUs maintain stable and very low closing ranks due to high demand and limited seat expansion.
Year | NLSIU Bengaluru | NALSAR Hyderabad | WBNUJS Kolkata (BA LLB) | NLU Jodhpur | GNLU Gandhinagar | NLIU Bhopal (BA LLB) | RMLNLU Lucknow | HNLU Raipur |
2023 | 510 | 680 | - | - | 1210 | 1290 | 1845* | - |
2024 | 523 | 564 | - | - | 1248 | 1376 | 2326* | - |
2025 | 703 | 546 | - | 986 | 1118 | 1377 | 2088* | - |
*state category reservation
The EWS category closing ranks from 2023 to 2025 show mixed trends among top NLUs. At NLSIU Bengaluru, the closing rank rose from 510 to 703, a 38% increase, indicating more competition. NALSAR Hyderabad’s closing rank fell from 680 to 546, a 20% decrease, showing less competition or better seat availability. GNLU Gandhinagar’s rank decreased by 10%, while NLIU Bhopal’s rank increased slightly by 7%. RMLNLU Lucknow saw a fluctuating trend, rising sharply in 2024 and then falling in 2025, with an overall 13% increase across three years.
Year | NLSIU Bengaluru | NALSAR Hyderabad | WBNUJS Kolkata (BA LLB) | NLU Jodhpur | GNLU Gandhinagar | NLIU Bhopal (BA LLB) | RMLNLU Lucknow | HNLU Raipur |
2021 | - | 2703 | 1378 | - | 379 | 417 | 944 | 7238 |
2022 | 638 | 7849 | 11472* | - | 1747 | 1510 | 3568 | 1980 |
2023 | 923 | 1116 | 7119* | - | 1878 | 1268 | 3088* | 2061 |
2024 | 971 | 1116 | 23192* | 1424 | 1858 | 1315 | 3613* | 2069 |
2025 | 1541 | 1219 | 4168* | 1776 | 2303 | 1757 | 3769* | 2408 |
*state category reservation
OBC closing ranks across NLUs show mixed trends from 2021 to 2025. At NLSIU Bengaluru, ranks rose sharply from 638 in 2022 to 1541 in 2025, an increase of 142%. NALSAR Hyderabad improved from 7849 in 2022 to 1219 in 2025, a drop of 84%, showing stronger competition. WBNUJS Kolkata fluctuated heavily due to state quotas. Ranks moved from 1378 (2021) to 23192 (2024) and then improved to 4168 (2025). NLU Jodhpur appeared in 2024 at 1424 and rose to 1776 in 2025, showing a mild increase.
GNLU Gandhinagar and NLIU Bhopal stayed stable, ranging between 1300 and 2300. RMLNLU Lucknow increased from 944 in 2021 to 3769 in 2025. HNLU Raipur moved slightly from 1980 to 2022 to 2408 in 2025. Overall, top NLUs like NLSIU and NALSAR remain highly competitive, while mid-tier NLUs show small year-to-year shifts. The rise in closing ranks at some institutions signals growing participation under the OBC category.
Year | NLSIU Bengaluru | NALSAR Hyderabad | WBNUJS Kolkata (BA LLB) | NLU Jodhpur | GNLU Gandhinagar | NLIU Bhopal (BA LLB) | RMLNLU Lucknow | HNLU Raipur |
2021 | 3042 | 2884 | 3644 | 5983 | 7277 | 4086 | 10062 | 9735 |
2022 | 2224 | 2761 | 4933 | 7620 | 6527 | 4793 | 10476 | 8797 |
2023 | 2674 | 3388 | 4217 | 4457 | 5683 | 5311 | 9582* | 7137 |
2024 | 3007 | 3574 | 4503 | 8960 | 6175 | 5178 | 10340* | 6765 |
2025 | 3133 | 3273 | 4753 | 5445 | 5934 | 5763 | 11228* | 7660 |
*state category reservation
SC category closing ranks from 2021 to 2025 do not show a predictable trend and vary year to year across NLUs. In the past 5 years, NLSIU Bengaluru’s closing rank generally stayed near 3000. NALSAR Hyderabad’s SC closing ranks mostly ranged between 2700 and 3500. WBNUJS Kolkata recorded ranks between 3500 and 5000, while NLU Jodhpur showed more variation, shifting between 5500 and 7000, with a significant peak at 8960 in 2024.
GNLU Gandhinagar’s ranks ranged between about 5700 and 7300, and NLIU Bhopal’s ranks mostly ranged from 4000 to 5800. RMLNLU Lucknow and HNLU Raipur showed higher ranks due to state quotas, with closing ranks often exceeding 9000 and going as high as around 11,000 at Lucknow.
Year | NLSIU Bengaluru | NALSAR Hyderabad | WBNUJS Kolkata (BA LLB) | NLU Jodhpur | GNLU Gandhinagar | NLIU Bhopal (BA LLB) | RMLNLU Lucknow | HNLU Raipur |
2021 | 3042 | 6854 | 8125 | 15063 | 14753 | 14684 | 26103 | 14684 |
2022 | 3428 | 5158 | 7238 | - | 12014 | 10189 | 19504 | 12027 |
2023 | 2835 | 6174 | 7792 | 8076 | 10837 | 10960 | 27764* | 11277 |
2024 | 7487 | 6083 | 8860 | 8960 | 11580 | 11527 | 34174* | 12035 |
2025 | 3396 | 3621 | 6343 | 5955 | 8568 | 8243 | - | 10507 |
*state category reservation
ST category closing ranks from 2021 to 2025 vary widely across NLUs. In the past 5 years, NLSIU Bengaluru’s closing ranks have mostly ranged between 2800 and 7500. NALSAR Hyderabad’s ST closing ranks were between about 3600 and 6850. WBNUJS Kolkata mostly ranged between 6300 and 8900. NLU Jodhpur showed broad variation, from closing ranks at 15063 in 2021 to closing ranks at 5955 in 2025.
GNLU Gandhinagar’s ranks mostly ranged between 8500 and 15000. NLIU Bhopal showed ST closing ranks typically between 8200 and 14600. RMLNLU Lucknow showed much higher closing ranks, reaching as high as over 34000 in the year 2024. HNLU Raipur’s closing ranks varied between roughly 10500 and 14700. Overall, 2025 data shows stronger competition for ST candidates across top NLUs, especially NLSIU and NALSAR, as closing ranks fell considerably compared to 2024.
Number of applicants: When more students apply, competition rises. This causes higher cut-offs, as many candidates compete for a fixed number of seats.
Ranked #1 Law School in India & South Asia by QS- World University Rankings | Merit cum means scholarships | Early Admissions (Pahse 2) Deadline: 28th Feb’26
Among top 100 Universities Globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2026
Exam difficulty: he difficulty level of the exam directly affects NLU cut-offs. If the exam is hard, fewer students score high marks, dropping cut-offs. Conversely, an easier exam results in higher cut-offs as more students score well.
Seat availability: The total number of seats in each NLU impacts cut-offs. Limited seats increase cut-offs, since candidates compete for fewer spots.
Ranked #18 amongst Institutions in India by NIRF | Ranked #1 in India for Academic Reputation by QS Rankings | 16 LPA Highest CTC
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Candidate performance: If many candidates perform well, the cut-offs rise because competition becomes tougher. On the other hand, if overall scores drop, cut-offs decrease accordingly.
5. NLU popularity: Popular and top-ranked NLUs like NLSIU Bengaluru and NALSAR Hyderabad attract more applicants. This popularity raises their cut-offs. Conversely, lesser-known or lower-ranked NLUs have lower cut-offs.
On Question asked by student community
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
Among top 100 Universities Globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) Interdisciplinary Science Rankings 2026
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Ranked #18 amongst Institutions in India by NIRF | Ranked #1 in India for Academic Reputation by QS Rankings | 16 LPA Highest CTC
Last Date to Apply: 21st December 2025 | Grade 'A+' accredited by NAAC | Ranked 33rd by NIRF 2025
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