CLAT NLU Preference List 2026 - NLUs Ranking, Placement, How to Select NLUs
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CLAT NLU Preference List 2026 - NLUs Ranking, Placement, How to Select NLUs

Sukriti SahooUpdated on 07 Dec 2025, 06:42 PM IST

CLAT NLU Preference List 2026: The Consortium of National Law Universities (CNLU) will open the window to submit CLAT 2026 NLU preferences during the CLAT 2026 counselling registration. Candidates will be allowed to submit the NLU preference list 2026 through their login. The consortium has conducted CLAT 2026 on December 07, 2025. Eligible candidates are advised to submit CLAT 2026 NLU preferences before the deadline. Candidates who were shortlisted for the counselling process will have to fill in their NLU preference list at the time of counselling registration after publication of the result. At least 15 NLU preferences should be submitted in the NLU preference list. There is no limit on the maximum NLU preferences. Last year, two new universities were added to the list of CLAT 2026 colleges, namely RPNLU Prayagraj and IIULER Goa. The two universities are now part of the consortium and will conduct their admission through the CLAT 2026 admission process. Read the complete article to know about the CLAT NLU preference list 2026, top NLUs accepting CLAT and more.

LiveCLAT 2026 Result LIVE: NLUs to announce results for law admissions soon; counselling process, top collegesDec 15, 2025 | 2:10 PM IST

The officials from the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) have confirmed Careers360 that the CLAT 2026 results will be declared tentatively on December 17. 

CLAT 2026 results will be declared on consortiumofnlus.ac.in. (Image source: Official)

Read More

This Story also Contains

  1. CLAT NLU Preference 2026 - Important Dates
  2. CLAT NLU Preferences - List of Participating NLUs and Courses
  3. Selecting NLUs for admission preference - Important factors to consider
  4. Top Ranked NLUs in India 2026
  5. NLU Preferences as per CLAT 2026 Marks and Ranks
  6. CLAT 2026 NLU Preference List - Top 10 NLUs by Ranking & Placement
CLAT NLU Preference List 2026 - NLUs Ranking, Placement, How to Select NLUs
CLAT 2026 NLU Preference List (Image by diana.grytsku on freepik)

The CLAT NLU preference 2026 will determine the allotment for the candidates during the counselling. Creating the right preference for NLUs is very crucial as candidates can obtain seat allotment in only those NLUs that are part of their preferences. Through the Common Law Admission Test, candidates will be admitted into 5-year LLB and LLM programmes of participating NLUs.

CLAT NLU Preference 2026 - Important Dates

ParticularsDates

CLAT 2026 exam

December 07, 2025 from 2 pm to 4 pm

Declaration of CLAT 2026 result

One week after the exam

CLAT counselling registration opens

Will be notified

CLAT counselling registration closesWill be notified

How to give NLU preferences for CLAT 2026?

To provide their NLU preference list, candidates must log in to their account on the consortium's website. Given below are three simple steps to do give NLU preferences.

  • Log in to your CLAT 2026 account

  • Click on the counselling registration option.

  • Click on Update preferences

  • Select the NLUs in the order of preference

UPES Integrated LLB Admissions 2026

Ranked #18 amongst Institutions in India by NIRF | Ranked #1 in India for Academic Reputation by QS Rankings | 16 LPA Highest CTC

Jain University, Bangalore - Law Admissions 2026

NAAC A++ Approved | Curriculum Aligned with BCI & UGC

1690878964544

  • Submit the list of preferences and save your counselling registration form.

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.
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CLAT NLU Preferences - List of Participating NLUs and Courses

25 NLUs, one off-campus of GNLU Gandhinagar in Silvassa and IIULER Goa are participating in CLAT 2026, but many of these offer more than one integrated LLB course. Candidates can check the complete NLU preference list as given by the Consortium of NLUs below in a table. However, candidates have to separately apply to the institute.

CLAT NLUs 2026

NLU NameCourses

NLSIU Bengaluru

BA LLB Hons, LLM

NALSAR Hyderabad

BA LLB Hons, LLM

NLIU Bhopal

BA LLB (Hons), B.Sc LLB (Hons), LLM

WBNUJS Kolkata

BA LLB (Hons), BSc LLB (Hons), LLM

NLU Jodhpur

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLM

HNLU Raipur

BA LLB (Hons), LLM

GNLU Gandhinagar

BA LLB (Hons), B.Com LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), BSc LLB (Hons), BSW LLB (Hons), LLM

GNLU Silvassa Campus

BA LLB (Hons), LLM

RMLNLU Lucknow

BA LLB (Hons), LLM

RGNUL Patiala

BA LLB (Hons), LLM

CNLU Patna

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons)

NUALS Kochi

BA LLB (Hons), LLM

NLUO, Odisha, Cuttack

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLM

NUSRL Ranchi

BA LLB (Hons), LLM

NLUJA Assam, Guwahati

BA LLB (Hons), LLM

DSNLU Visakhapatnam

BA LLB (Hons), LLM

TNNLU Tiruchirapalli

BA LLB (Hons), B.Com LLB (Hons), LLM

MNLU Mumbai

BA LLB (Hons), LLM

MNLU Aurangabad

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons),LLM

HPNLU Shimla

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLM

DNLU Jabalpur

BA LLB (Hons), LLM

DBRANLU, Sonipat, Haryana

BA LLB (Hons)

MNLU Nagpur

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLM

NLUT Agartala

BA LLB (Hons), LLM

RPNLU PrayagrajBA LLB (Hons.)
IIULER GoaBA LLB (Hons.), BBA LLB (Hons.), LLM

You may also read:

Amity University, Mumbai Law Admissions 2026

Ranked as India’s #1 Not for profit pvt. University by India Today

Amity University Kolkata Law Admissions 2026

Ranked as India’s #1 Not for profit pvt. University by India Today

Selecting NLUs for admission preference - Important factors to consider

While filling candidates have to select the NLUs in order of preference. That means, if they want to gain admission to NLSIU Bengaluru, they should come in first place in the NLU preference list. The second preference should be given to the second most preferred NLU. Candidates are advised to include all NLUs in their preference list to maximise their chances of securing admission.

Among all the NLUs, the top-ranked universities are easy to pick. But there are NLUs that do not show excellent placement records but are good in infrastructure, student-faculty ratio. Students can add such NLUs to their preference list after the top 10 NLUs. Some NLUs like NLU Tripura, NLU Aurangabad, and HNLU Shimla are newly established universities. These NLUs can be given lower down the preference list. Candidates can meanwhile check the complete list of NLU preferences below, which has been created after analysing various factors including placement, location, student preference etc.

Given below are the important factors to be considered while providing the NLU preference list:

  • Courses and seats offered by NLUs

  • Eligibility criteria for admission to the law programme

  • Ranking of national law universities (NLUs) in various ranking parameters

  • College and faculty reviews of NLUs

  • Previous year cut-offs of NLUs

  • Placement records

  • Alumni base and establishment year

  • Location

Top Ranked NLUs in India 2026

The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) released by the Ministry of Education provides rankings of the top law schools in India. The NIRF Law Rankings 2025 provides a list of the top 40 law colleges in India. These include 25 government law colleges and 15 private law colleges. Among the government colleges that made the top 40 list, there are 13 National Law Universities (NLUs). While most NLUs accept the CLAT score for admission, it is important to note that all but NLU Delhi utilise the CLAT process. So, candidates appearing in the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) can refer to the rank-wise list of NLUs to prepare the NLU preference list.

NIRF Ranking for National Law Universities 2025

NameCityStateScoreRank (NIRF 2025)
National Law School of India UniversityBengaluruKarnataka82.971
National Law UniversityNew DelhiDelhi80.002
NALSAR University of LawHyderabadTelangana79.503
The West Bengal National University of Juridical SciencesKolkataWest Bengal79.394
Gujarat National Law UniversityGandhinagarGujarat76.235
National Law University, CuttackCuttackOdisha63.6615
Chanakya National Law UniversityPatnaBihar62.4017
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law UniversityLucknowUttar Pradesh60.1221
National Law Institute University, BhopalBhopalMadhya Pradesh57.6427
Maharashtra National Law University, NagpurNagpurMaharashtra56.5428
National University of Study and Research in LawRanchiJharkhand55.8130
Himachal Pradesh National Law UniversityShimlaHimachal Pradesh53.4934
National Law University and Judicial AcademyKamrupAssam53.3935

NLU Preferences as per CLAT 2026 Marks and Ranks

The table given below provides the list of top NLUs that can be submitted as part of their CLAT 2026 NLU preference list, depending on the scores and ranks obtained in the exam.

CLAT Score and Top NLUs

CLAT Ranks and Top NLUs

CLAT 2026 NLU Preference List - Top 10 NLUs by Ranking & Placement

Candidates should look at all the factors mentioned above before giving admission preference to a national law university. The top-tier NLUs like NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad and WBNUJS Kolkata are easy picks. However, candidates should look at ranking, placement records, alumni base, location and all other important factors for remaining NLUs. Below, we have given an NLUs list that students can refer to for creating their preference list.

NLU Preference List - Top 10 Recommended Colleges, Ranking & Placement

NameCityStateRank (NIRF 2025)Median Placements (LPA)
National Law School of India UniversityBengaluruKarnataka1Rs 16 LPA
NALSAR University of LawHyderabadTelangana3Rs 17.5 LPA
The West Bengal National University of Juridical SciencesKolkataWest Bengal4Rs 20 LPA
Gujarat National Law UniversityGandhinagarGujarat5Rs 14 LPA
National Law University, CuttackCuttackOdisha15Rs 8.4 LPA
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law UniversityLucknowUttar Pradesh21Rs 7 LPA
National Law Institute University, BhopalBhopalMadhya Pradesh27Rs 16 LPA
National University of Study and Research in Law
Ranchi
Jharkhand
30

N/A (Data not available)

The Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law
Patiala
Punjab
-Rs 7 LPA

You may also check:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: When should a candidate provide NLU preferences?
A:

Candidates can provide NLU preference list at the time of completing the CLAT 2026 counselling registration.

Q: Which is the top ranked NLU in India?
A:

As per NIRF law rankings 2025, NLSIU Bengaluru is the number one ranked NLU in India.

Q: Is it compulsory to provide NLU preference list?
A:

Yes, it is mandatory to provide NLU preference list. Candidates will be considered for admission in only those NLUs which they mention in the NLU preference list

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Questions related to CLAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CLAT ?

Hello,

With a score of 82 in CLAT 2026 under the EWS category, you do have a chance at getting into decent NLUs, but it may depend on the specific NLU and the cut-offs for this year.

Generally:

  • Top NLUs (like NLSIU, NALSAR, NUJS, WBNUJS) usually have higher cut-offs, so 82 might be below their usual EWS opening rank.

  • Mid-tier NLUs (like HNLU, GNLU, RMLNLU, NLUJ) could be within reach.

  • Lower-ranked NLUs and state NLUs are more likely to accept your score.

Your best step is to check the previous years’ EWS cut-offs for each NLU to see where your rank might fit.

Hope it helps !

Hello,

NUJS is among the top tier law colleges in the country. A high score in CLAT is required to get into NUJS. For you, getting into NUJS is possible but challenging. The cut off for general category often is very high (+90), but you WB domicile improves your chances for admission. Keep an eye on the final rank list and cut off.

Thank you.

Hello

With a score of 91.5 in CLAT UG 2026, your expected All India Rank would likely fall somewhere around AIR 500 to 1,000, based on previous years’ trends. The exact rank can shift depending on how tough the paper was and how other students performed. Since you belong to the OBC category, your category rank will be even better. This score definitely keeps you in a competitive range for several NLUs.

CLAT RANK PREDICTOR 2026

Hello,

CLAT or Common Law Admission Test is conducted for admission to top tier law colleges in India. The exam is conducted by Consortium of National Law Universities. While NLU's are generally not available for admission at this rank but there are many private colleges which offer good legal education and placements. JINDAL, UPES, Amity Law School, Lovely Professional University, IFIM Law School, Alliance University and many more. For more information you can check out the official website of Careers360.

https://law.careers360.com/articles/top-colleges-other-nlus-accepting-clat-scores

Thank you.

If you are expecting around 80 marks in CLAT 2026, your chances will mainly depend on that year’s overall difficulty level and how the marks translate into ranks. In most years, a score around 80 usually places candidates somewhere in the mid-rank range, which means that the top NLUs like NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad or WBNUJS Kolkata are generally difficult to get at this score. However, some of the newer or mid-tier NLUs may still be possible depending on cut-offs, reservation category, and seat availability during later rounds. Students with similar scores in past years have sometimes received calls from NLUs such as NLU Jabalpur, NLU Assam, NLU Tripura, NLU Aurangabad, or NLU Shimla, but the exact possibilities shift every year. Treat this score as competitive but not in the top bracket, and wait for the official ranks to get a clearer picture of which options are realistically open. All the best!

https://law.careers360.com/articles/nlu-cutoff