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CLAT Cut-off Trends in the Last 4 Years: Which are the top preferred NLUs?
The best tool to know the most preferred NLUs is the past years’ CLAT cut-off trends. The available CLAT cut-off data shows that candidates with the highest scores often opt for top-ranked NLUs such as NLSIU Bengaluru and NALSAR Hyderabad. Candidates were required to provide their NLU preference list after the declaration of the CLAT 2025 result. Aspirants can gain admission into only those NLUs that are part of their preferences irrespective of whether they have a good score in CLAT or not. The CLAT 2025 merit list for all three rounds has been published, which contains the CLAT 2025 cut-off. Read on to find out which NLUs are the top preference among candidates, past CLAT cut-off trends, steps to provide NLU preference, and more.
LiveCLAT 2026 Answer Key (Out) LIVE: NLU answer key, response sheet PDF; calculate scores, marking schemeDec 10, 2025 | 7:05 PM IST
The CLAT 2026 question booklet numbers have symbols printed on the right side of the answer sheet. UG and PG candidates can refer to their respective symbols in the question paper below.
Symbols in CLAT 2026 question paper booklet
This Story also Contains
- Indicator of Top Preferred NLUs
- Last 4-year’s CLAT Cut-Off Trends
- Which are the Top Preferred NLUs?
- Top Ranked NLUs in NIRF 2024 Law Rankings
The Consortium of NLUs conducted CLAT 2025 on December 1, 2024, in offline mode. Through the Common Law Admission Test, candidates will be admitted into the 5-year LLB programme of participating CLAT colleges 2025.
Indicator of Top Preferred NLUs
The most reliable indicator of the extent to which an NLU is preferred by the candidates is the NLU’s CLAT cut-off rank available in the CLAT merit list. Top-ranked NLUs have very high cut-offs. They often come first in the candidate’s preference list.
However, it is also important to look at the category-wise cut-offs for a nuanced understanding of the NLU preferences. The CLAT cut-off trends point towards dissimilarities within categories in the same NLU. For instance, the data for CLAT 2024 shows that a general candidate may need around 100 marks (out of 120) for admission into NLSIU Bengaluru, while an ST candidate may only need around 80 marks to gain admission.
The cut-off for a general category candidate at a lower-ranked NLU may turn out to be higher than the cut-off for an ST candidate at NLSIU Bengaluru.
Last 4-year’s CLAT Cut-Off Trends
The CLAT cut-off for general category is often the highest cut-off for any NLUs, so it is the best indicator to understand which NLUs are the top preference among candidates. The cut-off progressively decreases as one moves to other categories such as EWS, OBC, SC and ST. Given below are the opening and closing ranks for general candidates for various NLUs for the last four years.
The opening ranks indicate which NLUs are most preferred by top-ranked candidates. The closing ranks can help candidates estimate their admission chances in the top NLUs.
CLAT General Cut-Off Trends
NLU | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
Opening rank | Closing rank | Opening rank | Closing rank | Opening rank | Closing rank | Opening rank | Closing rank | |
| 1 | 112 | 1 | 102 | 1 | 114 | 1 | 85 | |
| 17 | 159 | 6 | 167 | 25 | 177 | 8 | 162 | |
NLIU Bhopal (BA LLB) | 257 | 480 | 311 | 450 | 186 | 463 | 241 | 451 |
NLIU Bhopal (BSc LLB) | 486 | 915 | 187 | 1047 | ||||
WBNUJS Kolkata ( BA LLB) | 57 | 327 | 140 | 279 | 136 | 260 | 117 | 257 |
WBNUJS Kolkata (BSc.LLB Hons) | 299 | 711 | 289 | 1010 | ||||
| 159 | 367 | 170 | 379 | 70 | 383 | 155 | 378 | |
| 480 | 807 | 434 | 791 | 481 | 805 | 430 | 756 | |
| 236 | 444 | 210 | 464 | 147 | 462 | 175 | 430 | |
| 755 | 1461 | 593 | 1060 | 810 | 1820 | - | - | |
| 461 | 780 | 410 | 764 | 432 | 749 | 377 | 756 | |
| 565 | 1279 | 502 | 1250 | 563 | 1307 | 437 | 1184 | |
CNLU Patna (BA LLB) | 882 | 1398 | 790 | 1358 | 628 | 1541 | 932 | 1498 |
CNLU Patna (BBA LLB) | 1215 | 1555 | 1051 | 1552 | ||||
| 350 | 1346 | 231 | 1136 | 638 | 1461 | 413 | 1315 | |
| 469 | 1013 | 591 | 1205 | 504 | 1207 | 470 | 1191 | |
| 864 | 1667 | 637 | 1594 | 939 | 1895 | 933 | 1603 | |
| 1163 | 2141 | 1344 | 1704 | 1375 | 2569 | 1131 | 1979 | |
| 957 | 1682 | 656 | 1390 | 538 | 2080 | 1002 | 1589 | |
TNNLU Tiruchirappalli (BA LLB) | 1231 | 1763 | 806 | 1628 | 704 | 2045 | 807 | 1816 |
TNNLU Tiruchirappalli (BCom LLB) | 1259 | 1947 | 821 | 1711 | ||||
| 443 | 1473 | 99 | 590 | 325 | 590 | 64 | 548 | |
MNLU Nagpur (BA LLB) | 722 | 1529 | 491 | 1587 | 878 | 2102 | 999 | 1657 |
MNLU Nagpur (BBA LLB) | 1214 | 1623 | 611 | 1685 | ||||
MNLU Aurangabad- (BA LLB) | 1023 | 1949 | 945 | 1832 | 1824 | 2655 | 1390 | 2323 |
MNLU Aurangabad (BBA LLB) | 1361 | 2393 | 681 | 2115 | ||||
HPNLU Shimla - BA LLB | 949 | 2555 | 885 | 2102 | 822 | 2816 | 1056 | 2302 |
HPNLU Shimla - BBA LLB | 1298 | 2634 | 284 | 2150 | ||||
| 1371 | 2243 | 1060 | 1824 | 1696 | 2698 | 1314 | 2262 | |
| 626 | 1930 | 503 | 2050 | 767 | 2713 | 1094 | 2333 | |
| 1964 | 2855 | 1716 | 2243 | - | - | - | - | |
Infographics - CLAT General Cut-Off Trends
Which are the Top Preferred NLUs?
Analysing the general cut-off ranks for CLAT for the last four years, gives the following list of top preferred NLUs.
Top 10 Preferred NLUs
Sl. no | NLU Name |
|---|---|
1 | NLSIU Bengaluru |
2 | NALSAR Hyderabad |
3 | MNLU Mumbai |
4 | WBNUJS Kolkata |
5 | NLU Jodhpur |
6 | NLIU Bhopal |
7 | GNLU Gandhinagar |
8 | NUALS Kochi |
9 | RMLNLU Lucknow |
10 | HNLU Raipur |
Top Ranked NLUs in NIRF 2024 Law Rankings
In the NIRF law rankings 2024 released by the Ministry of Education, 15 NLUs find a place in the rank list. Candidates can take the NIRF rankings as reference to provide their NLU preferences for law admission. The NLU rankings as per NIRF law 2024 are given in the table below.
NIRF 2024 NLU Rankings
| Sl. no | Name | City | State | NIRF Score | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | National Law School of India University | Bengaluru | Karnataka | 83.83 | 1 |
2 | Nalsar University of Law | Hyderabad | Telangana | 77.05 | 3 |
3 | The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences | Kolkata | West Bengal | 76.39 | 4 |
4 | Gujarat National Law University | Gandhinagar | Gujarat | 69.56 | 8 |
5 | Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University | Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh | 55.92 | 20 |
6 | National Law Institute University, Bhopal | Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh | 55.64 | 21 |
7 | National University of Study and Research in Law | Ranchi | Jharkhand | 55.52 | 22 |
8 | The Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law | Patiala | Punjab | 54.7 | 24 |
9 | National Law University, Cuttack | Cuttack | Odisha | 54.49 | 26 |
10 | National Law University and Judicial Academy | Kamrup | Assam | 53.39 | 27 |
11 | Maharashtra National Law University Mumbai | Mumbai | Maharashtra | 51.7 | 31 |
12 | Chanakya National Law University | Patna | Bihar | 51.7 | 31 |
13 | Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur | Nagpur | Maharashtra | 51.43 | 34 |
14 | National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) | Kochi | Kerala | 47.96 | 38 |
15 | Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University | Visakhapatnam | Andhra Pradesh | 47.94 | 39 |
How to Provide NLU Preferences?
The CLAT 2025 counselling registrations closed on May 21, 2025. Candidates were required to provide their NLU preferences after the declaration of the CLAT 2025 result. The NLU admissions 2025 will be done as per the candidate’s rank and preferences given by them. At the time of CLAT 2025 counselling, candidates will be considered for admission into only those NLUs which are part of their preferences. A minimum 15 NLU preferences must be provided. There is no maximum limit.
Steps to Provide NLU Preferences 2025
Login to the CLAT account
Click on update NLU preferences
Provide the NLU choices in the order of preference
Click on submit
You may also check:
- CLAT Cut off 2025 for SC
- CLAT Cut off 2025 for OBC
- CLAT Cut off 2025 for EWS
- CLAT Cut off 2025 for NRI
- CLAT Cut off 2025 for ST
- CLAT Expected Cut Off 2025
CLAT 2026 Rank Predictor
CLAT 2026 Rank Predictor helps you estimate your All India Rank for CLAT UG. Use this smart tool as your guiding star to plan your next steps confidently.
Try NowFrequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: How to provide NLU preferences?
A:
Candidates can provide NLU preferences through their login after the declaration of the CLAT 2025 result.
Q: What is a good score in CLAT?
A:
A good score in CLAT is around 100+ marks for the general category, 90-100 for the EWS and OBC category, and 80+ for SC/ST category.
Q: Is 70 a good score in CLAT?
A:
As per the latest available cut-off trends, 70 is not a good score in CLAT for admission into top NLUs.
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Questions related to CLAT
On Question asked by student community
Have a question related to CLAT ?
Hello aspirant,
With 64.5 marks in CLAT 2026 and EWS+UP domicile, getting a top NLU may be difficult because EWS cutoffs are usually high. However, you may still have chances in the newer or mid-tier NLUs, depending on this year's overall scoring trend. NLUs like NLU Tripura, NLU Shimla or NLU Jabalpur sometimes open seats for EWS candidates at lower scores. It's best to wait for the official ranks and counselling lists, as seats shift during later rounds.
FOR REFERENCE : https://law.careers360.com/articles/clat-cutoff
THANK YOU
Hello aspirant,
Getting 43 in CLAT can feel disappointing, but it doesn't define your ability. You still have AILET, and many students improve sharply in their second attempt. For AILET, focus more on English, logical reasoning and GK. In static GK, study important books, monuments, national parks, constitutional facts and major awards. For current affairs, revise the last 6-8 months covering national events, government schemes, appointments, sports and major international news. Make short notes and revise daily. With a clear plan and claim mind, you can perform much better in AILET.
FOR GUIDANCE : https://law.careers360.com/articles/ailet-preparation-tips
THANK YOU
Hello,
Here are the Expected SC Category Cut-offs (CLAT UG 2026):
- NLSIU Bangalore: 85-87
- NALSAR Hyderabad: 82-84
- WBNUJS Kolkata: 80-82
- NLU Jodhpur: 78-80
- GNLU Gandhinagar: 76-78
- RMLNLU Lucknow: 74-76
For more details access below mentioned link.
https://law.careers360.com/articles/clat-cut-off-2026-for-sc-category
Hope it helps.
Good Morning, Candidate,
It entirely depends on the university whether the admission for the BA LLB will be based on the 12th board or the national-level entrance exam, or both. The admission exams are below
1. Common Law Admission Test
2. All India Law Entrance Test
3. Symbiosis Law Admission Test
4. Common University Entrance Test
Thank you. Hope this information helps you.
Hello
The best way to cover the important current affairs is to read the newspaper daily. Then try to analyse the newspaper and remember the trending topics. Practice the previous year's question paper and understand the pattern of the question. Summarise all current affairs topics and understand them in brief. If you want more information about current affairs, then you will read the article How to Prepare for CLAT Current Affairs 2026 .
Thank you.
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