CLAT Application Date:01 Aug' 25 - 31 Oct' 25
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 will conduct 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.
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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.
| Particulars | Dates |
|---|---|
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 closes | Will be notified |
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
Ranked #18 amongst Institutions in India by NIRF | Ranked #1 in India for Academic Reputation by QS Rankings | 16 LPA Highest CTC
Ranked 1 st among Top Law Schools of super Excellence in India - GHRDC | NAAC A+ Accredited | #36 by NIRF
Submit the list of preferences and save your counselling registration form.
24 NLUs 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. It must be noted that RPNLU Prayagraj and IIULER Goa now participate in CLAT. However, candidates have to separately apply to the institute.
| NLU Name | Courses |
|---|---|
BA LLB Hons, LLM | |
BA LLB Hons, LLM | |
BA LLB (Hons), B.Sc LLB (Hons), LLM | |
BA LLB (Hons), BSc LLB (Hons), LLM | |
BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLM | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | |
BA LLB (Hons), B.Com LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), BSc LLB (Hons), BSW LLB (Hons), LLM | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | |
BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons) | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | |
BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLM | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | |
BA LLB (Hons), B.Com LLB (Hons), LLM | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | |
BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons),LLM | |
BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLM | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | |
BA LLB (Hons) | |
BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLM | |
BA LLB (Hons), LLM | |
| RPNLU Prayagraj | BA LLB (Hons.) |
| IIULER Goa | BA LLB (Hons.), BBA LLB (Hons.), LLM |
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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
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 2024 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, 16 are National Law Universities, of which 15 accept CLAT. 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.
| Name | City | State | Score | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Law School of India University | Bengaluru | Karnataka | 83.83 | 1 |
| National Law University | New Delhi | Delhi | 77.48 | 2 |
| NALSAR University of Law | Hyderabad | Telangana | 77.05 | 3 |
| The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences | Kolkata | West Bengal | 76.39 | 4 |
| Gujarat National Law University | Gandhinagar | Gujarat | 69.56 | 8 |
| Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University | Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh | 55.92 | 20 |
| National Law Institute University, Bhopal | Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh | 55.64 | 21 |
| National University of Study and Research in Law | Ranchi | Jharkhand | 55.52 | 22 |
| The Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law | Patiala | Punjab | 54.7 | 24 |
| National Law University, Cuttack | Cuttack | Odisha | 54.49 | 26 |
| National Law University and Judicial Academy | Kamrup | Assam | 53.39 | 27 |
| Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai | Mumbai | Maharashtra | 51.7 | 31 |
| Chanakya National Law University | Patna | Bihar | 51.7 | 31 |
| Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur | Nagpur | Maharashtra | 51.43 | 34 |
| National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) | Kochi | Kerala | 47.96 | 38 |
| Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University | Visakhapatnam | Andhra Pradesh | 47.94 | 39 |
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 Marks | Details |
|---|---|
| 90-100 | Top NLUs for CLAT Marks 90-100 |
| 75-80 | Top NLUs for CLAT Marks 75-80 |
| 70-75 | Top NLUs for CLAT Marks 70-75 |
| 65-70 | Top NLUs for CLAT Marks 65-70 |
| CLAT Rank | Details |
|---|---|
| 200-300 | Top NLUs for CLAT rank 200 to 300 |
| 300-400 | Top NLUs for CLAT rank 300 to 400 |
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.
| Name | City | State | Rank | Placements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Law School of India University | Bengaluru | Karnataka | 1 | Rs. 16 LPA |
| NALSAR University of Law | Hyderabad | Telangana | 3 | Rs. 16 LPA |
| The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences | Kolkata | West Bengal | 4 | Rs. 20 LPA |
| Gujarat National Law University | Gandhinagar | Gujarat | 8 | Rs. 16 LPA |
| Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University | Lucknow | Uttar Pradesh | 20 | Rs. 7 LPA |
| National Law Institute University, Bhopal | Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh | 21 | Rs. 16 LPA |
| National University of Study and Research in Law | Ranchi | Jharkhand | 22 | Rs. 10 LPA |
| The Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law | Patiala | Punjab | 24 | Rs. 9 LPA |
| National Law University, Cuttack | Cuttack | Odisha | 26 | Rs. 14.5 LPA |
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Candidates can provide NLU preference list at the time of completing the CLAT 2025 counselling registration.
As per NIRF law rankings 2024, NLSIU Bengaluru is the number one ranked NLU in India.
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
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
For CLAT PG 2026 application :
Photograph: JPEG/JPG, 200x230 pixels, 20–50 KB, white/light background, recent passport-size photo.
Signature: JPEG/JPG, 140x60 pixels, 10–20 KB, sign on white paper with black ink, must match exam documents.
Hope it helps !
Hi dear candidate,
On our official website, you can find various study material EBooks and Sample Papers that can help you prepare better that you can download for free.
Kindly refer to the link attached below:
CLAT E-books and Sample Papers
CLAT Study Material 2026 PDF - Books, Mock Test, Question Papers
BEST REGARDS
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.
Ranked #18 amongst Institutions in India by NIRF | Ranked #1 in India for Academic Reputation by QS Rankings | 16 LPA Highest CTC
Grade 'A+' accredited by NAAC | Ranked 33rd by NIRF 2025
NAAC A+ Grade | Among top 100 universities of India (NIRF 2024) | 40 crore+ scholarships distributed
India's youngest NAAC A++ accredited University | NIRF rank band 151-200 | Approved by Bar Council of India
Ranked 1 st among Top Law Schools of super Excellence in India - GHRDC | NAAC A+ Accredited | #36 by NIRF
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