CLAT, AILET, SLAT, LNAT UK: Registration Fees alone can cost a Whopping INR 23000+
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  • CLAT, AILET, SLAT, LNAT UK: Registration Fees alone can cost a Whopping INR 23000+

CLAT, AILET, SLAT, LNAT UK: Registration Fees alone can cost a Whopping INR 23000+

Ongoing Event

CLAT Application Date:01 Aug' 25 - 31 Oct' 25

Sansar Singh ChhikaraUpdated on 26 Aug 2025, 04:31 PM IST

Legal education in India is on an upward trend with an increasing number of students enrolling for this promising career path each year. Talking of legal education in India, the National Law Universities (NLUs) take up the top spot in most charts, with NLSIU Bengaluru leading the way. After the NLUs come other private law schools like Symbiosis Law Schools, Jindal Law School etc. Just like engineering, medical and other education streams, law admissions also majorly come through entrance exams. CLAT, AILET, SLAT, LNAT UK - these are counted as some of the top law entrance exams in India. While there is so much to talk about these entrance exams, one thing that differentiates these LETs (Law Entrance Exams) from other entrance exams is the exorbitantly high registration fees.

CLAT, AILET, SLAT, LNAT UK: Registration Fees alone can cost a Whopping INR 23000+
CLAT, AILET, SLAT, LNAT UK: Registration Fees alone can cost a Whopping INR 23000+

Shockingly, just signing up for these top law entrance tests — CLAT, AILET, SLAT, and the UK’s LNAT can drain over ₹23,000 from a student’s pocket. This is just the application fee, expenses like coaching, study material, and other preparations come on top of this. It doesn’t end here, the tuition fee of NLUs, and private law schools like SLS and JGLS have been very high. In this article, we discuss in detail the high application fee for top law schools, comparison with other LETs, tuition fees and other details.

NLUs Student Bodies Demand Urgent CLAT Fee Reforms

Student Bar Associations and Marginalised Empowerment Clinics from National Law Universities (NLUs) across India recently started a petition demanding urgent reforms in CLAT fee structure. This pertained to the over the top counselling registration and application fee. These student bodies also started an e-petition to garner support from the student community. In 2024, avitribai Intersectional Study Circle at NALSAR (SISC), NALSAR Student Bar Council, NLS Savitri Phule Ambedkar Caravan (SPAC), NLS Student Bar Association, DSNLU Student Bar Association, DNLU Student Council Association, and NLIU Bhopal Savitri Phule Ambedkar Caravan (SPAC) had made a formal representation to the Consortium of NLUs regarding the unreasonable counselling registration fee. However, no action was taken by the Consortium in this matter.

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CLAT, AILET, SLAT, LNAT UK application fee vs OLETs

There is a stark difference between the application fees of these big four law entrance exams and state level and other law entrance exams. The below-given table shows a comparison between CLAT, AILET, SLAT, LNAT UK and other law entrance exams like MH CET Law, TS LAWCET, AP LAWCET

Comparison of fee - Big 4 vs OLETs

Big 4 Law Exams

OLETs

  • CLAT - General Category - Rs 4000, SC/ST/PwD - 3500
  • AILET - General Category - Rs 3000, SC/ST/PwD - Rs 1000
  • SLAT - Rs 2250 (Additional Rs 1000 for each programme)
  • LNAT UK - 120 GBP OR 14,200+ INR
  • MH CET Law - General Category - Rs 1000 SC/ST/PwD - Rs 800
  • AP LAWCET - General Category - Rs 900, BC - 850, SC/ST - Rs 800
  • TS LAWCET - General Category - Rs 900, SC/ST/PH - Rs 600
  • KLEE - General/SEBC Category - Rs 900, SC/ST - Rs 450
  • Lucknow University BA LLB - General Category - Rs 800, SC/ST/PwD - Rs 400

Law Entrance Exam Fees vs Other National Level Entrance Exams

To get a clearer picture of the high registration fee of law entrance exams it is important to pitch it against big national level entrance exams like JEE, NEET etc. The CLAT registration fee is four times that of JEE Main - the biggest engineering exam in the country. The registration fee of JEE Mains is Rs 1000 for General category, whereas the fee for CLAT exam for the same category is Rs 4000. Coming to NEET exam, the registration fee is 50% less than that of CLAT exam. The below-given table draws comparison between major law entrance exams and other national level entrance exams like JEE Main, NEET etc.

Law Entrance Exams vs National Level Entrance Exams

Law Entrance Exams

National Level Entrance Exams

  • CLAT - General Category - Rs 4000, SC/ST/PwD - 3500
  • AILET - General Category - Rs 3000, SC/ST/PwD - Rs 1000
  • SLAT - Rs 2250 (Additional Rs 1000 for each programme)
  • LNAT UK - 120 GBP OR 14,200+ INR

  • JEE Main - General Category - Rs 1000, Female/OBC/EWS - 800, SC/ST/PwD/Transgender
  • NEET - General Category - Rs 1700, EWS/OBC-NCL - Rs 1600, SC/ST/PwD/Third-Gender - 1000
  • VITEEE - Rs 1350
  • NIFT - General/OBC/EWS - Rs 3000, SC/ST/PwD Rs 1500
  • CUET UG - General Category - Rs 1000, OBC-NCL/EWS - RS 900, SC/ST/PwD - Rs 800
  • NCHMCT JEE - General Category/OBC-NCL - Rs 1000, EWS - 700, SC/ST/PwD/Transgender - Rs 450

Is the CLAT counselling registration fee too high?

It is not just the high registration fee of CLAT that is bothering candidates. Once the CLAT exam is over, candidates who are invited for counselling must pay an extortionate registration fee of Rs 30,000 just to sit in the admission process. ST/SC/OBC/BC/EWS/PWD candidates also need to pay Rs 20,000. The amount candidates need to pay without even a guarantee of seat confirmation may end up being too hefty. Earlier this year, the Delhi High Court also noted, “We expect that the aforesaid observations would be sufficient for the Consortium to take heed of and take appropriate steps to avoid such excessive fee in the next examinations, scheduled for the following years.” The Consortium of NLUs, however, has not made any amendments in its registration or counselling fee structure.

If the Registration Fee Hurts, the NLU Tuition Might Break You

CLAT registration is just the step one towards getting closer to securing a seat at your preferred law school. Students who are surprised by the registration fee might get further shocked after seeing the tuition fees of top NLUs. The top ranked National Law University in India - NLSIU Bengaluru will cost an astronomical amount of approximately Rs 22.75 lakhs for a 5-year LLB. Similarly, pursuing BA LLB at SLS Pune will amount to Rs 23.65 lakhs just in tuition fees. The below-give table lists down the most expensive NLUs in India:

Most Expensive NLUs (UG – BA LLB) by Full 5-Year Cost

NLU Name

Annual Fee (₹ lakh)

Total 5-Year Fee (₹ lakh)

NLSIU Bengaluru

4.55

22.75

RPNLU Prayagraj

4.53

22.65

MNLU Nagpur

3.85

19.25

NLU Delhi

3.83

19.15

MNLU Mumbai (All India)

3.62

18.10

WBNUJS Kolkata (BA LLB)

3.55

17.75

DNLU Jabalpur

3.51

17.55

NUSRL Ranchi

3.39

16.95

MNLU Aurangabad (All India)

3.22

16.10




The Price of Prestige: Are NLUs, SLSs, and JGLS Worth the Cost?

The dream of studying at the top law schools in India comes at a high cost starting from the registration fee, subtly moving to the counselling fee and eventually ending at tuition fee. It is an undeniable fact that the above-discussed law schools come with great prestige and unmatched opportunities. For students coming from mediocre to weaker financial backgrounds, it is not just about clearing the entrance exams but also managing the significant financial cost incurred during the entire process. Eventually, cost becomes a barrier for many deserving students from weaker financial backgrounds. In the end, it all falls on the student to carefully weigh their options, get an idea of the financial after-effects and then choose a wise and well-suited option. It is indeed worth asking if these costs are truly justifiable or these law schools and exam-conducting bodies should slash down the costs to make legal education accessible in India.

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Questions related to CLAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CLAT ?

Hello,

While NLUs are costly, you can still pursue government-funded law education through state-funded universities and their affiliated colleges that accept CLAT scores, such as institutes like Banaras Hindu University and Aligarh Muslim University.

I hope it will clear your query!!

It is always better to take the CLAT exam right after Class 12 if your goal is to build a career in law, because CLAT UG is specifically designed for admission into integrated five-year law programs like BA LLB, BCom LLB, or BBA LLB. Appearing after Class 12 saves you time, as you complete both graduation and law together in a single course. On the other hand, if you first complete graduation and then plan for law, you will not be eligible for CLAT UG but instead for CLAT PG, which is meant for admission into LLM programs. This path takes longer, because you first spend three or four years on graduation and then add another three years in an LLB program if you choose not to go for an integrated course. So, if you are already sure about pursuing law as your career, writing CLAT right after Class 12 is the smarter and time-saving option, while writing it after graduation makes sense only if you are considering higher studies in law or a shift in career later.

For CLAT, the most important topics are from  Legal Reasoning, Current Affairs & GK, the Indian Constitution, English Language, Quantitative Techniques and Logical Reasoning. For a brief detail you can go through the following link: https://law.careers360.com/articles/clat-important-topics

Thank You.

Hi dear candidate,

Both the colleges Maharaja Agrasen (MAIMS) or Gitarattan (GIBS) are affiliated to IP University and allows admission either by CLAT or IPU CET Law. Without either of these exams, your admission is NOT accepted there. You can try looking for management quota seats in these colleges if you have got good marks in 12th class.

BEST REGARDS

Hi dear candidate,

You can easily register yourself for CLAT exam by visiting the Consortium of NLUs official website and follow these steps:

  • Register yourself with your EMail ID, phone number and password.
  • Log in using OTP
  • Complete application form by entering details, selecting program (UG/PG) and uploading required documents mentioned there.
  • Then at last, review the application and pay the registration fees.
  • Download your confirmation slip.

Know the complete process at:

CLAT Registration 2026 (Started): Documents Required, Application Fee, Link, Steps to Apply

BEST REGARDS