CLAT 2026 Top 8 NLUs Cut-Offs - Closing Rank, Previous Trends

Detailed CLAT UG 2025 category-wise closing ranks

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General Category Closing Rank Trends (2021-2025)

Analysis of General Category Closing Rank Trends

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.

EWS Category Closing Rank Trends (2023-2025)

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Analysis of EWS Category Closing Rank Trends

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.

OBC Category Closing Rank Trends (2021-2025)

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Analysis of OBC Category Closing Rank Trends

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.

SC Category Closing Rank Trends (2021-2025)

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Analysis of SC Category Closing Rank Trends

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.

ST Category Closing Rank Trends (2021-2025)

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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.

Factors driving year-to-year cut-off changes

1. Number of applicants: When more students apply, competition rises. This causes higher cut-offs, as many candidates compete for a fixed number of seats.

2. 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.

3. Seat availability: The total number of seats in each NLU impacts cut-offs. Limited seats increase cut-offs, since candidates compete for fewer spots.

4. 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.