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    CLAT Round 2 Cut-Offs: How Closing Rank Shifted in Top 7 NLUs

    CLAT Round 2 Cut-Offs: How Closing Rank Shifted in Top 7 NLUs

    Isha GargUpdated on 27 Jan 2026, 02:58 PM IST

    The CLAT 2026 round 2 allotment shows how competitive it is to secure a seat at the top-tier National Law Universities (NLUs). In this round, the top-tier institutions show stability in ranks; for example, the all-India general category closing rank for NLSIU Bengaluru shifted by only 7 positions, while NALSAR Hyderabad moved by 13 ranks. On the other hand, rank movement is more noticeable in NLU with a specialised program - BSc LLB, offered by WBNUJS Kolkata.

    CLAT Round 2 Cut-Offs: How Closing Rank Shifted in Top 7 NLUs
    CLAT Round 2 Cut-Offs: How Closing Rank Shifted in Top 7 NLUs

    By comparing these ranks with CLAT 2025 final cutoff data, students can decide if their current allotted NLU seat is likely to be their final destination or if an upgrade to a better NLU is possible. Understanding these shifts is essential to making an informed choice between the freeze and float options. The previous year’s CLAT cutoff data suggests that students within 50 to 80 ranks from the current closing ranks of top 6-7 NLUs can continue floating admission options.

    CLAT 2026 Round 2 Cut-Offs vs CLAT 2025 Final Cutoffs (General Category)

    College name

    CLAT 2026 round 1 closing rank


    CLAT 2026 round 2 closing rank


    CLAT round 1 to round 2 drop

    CLAT 2025 final closing rank

    Estimated further drop (CLAT round 2 to final)

    NLSIU Bengaluru

    101

    108

    7

    112

    4

    NALSAR Hyderabad

    148

    161

    13

    159

    -2

    WBNUJS Kolkata (BA LLB)

    284

    327

    43

    327

    0

    NLU Jodhpur (BA LLB)

    310

    340

    30

    367

    27

    NLU Jodhpur (BBA LLB)

    386

    405

    19

    -

    -

    GNLU Gandhinagar

    372

    392

    20

    444

    51

    NLIU Bhopal (BA LLB)

    431

    451

    20

    480

    29

    HNLU Raipur

    736

    766

    30

    807

    41

    WBNUJS Kolkata (BSc LLB)

    550

    582


    32

    711

    129

    NLIU Bhopal (BSc LLB)

    666

    No new allotment

    -

    915

    -

    Evaluating Closing Rank Shifts in Top 7 NLUs

    The CLAT 2026 closing rank data shows stability in rank shifts among the top 7 NLUs. NLSIU Bengaluru remains the most competitive institution, with its closing rank moving by only 7 positions in round 2. This shift indicates that nearly all top-ranked candidates allotted NLSIU in round 1 have opted to freeze their seats.

    A similar pattern can be seen at NALSAR Hyderabad, which saw a shift of only 13 ranks. Notably, NALSAR’s current round 2 closing rank of 161 has already surpassed its 2025 final cutoff of 159. This indicates that the CLAT 2026 cutoff is already higher than that of the previous year.

    This shift in cutoffs becomes more noticeable within the remaining tier 1 NLUs. WBNUJS Kolkata (BA LLB) experienced a drop of 43 ranks in the general category. Its CLAT 2026 round 2 closing rank (AIR 327) has already reached the CLAT final closing rank of 2025. This suggests that the chances of shifting in rank in CLAT rounds 3,4 or 5 for the BA LLB program are minimal.

    GNLU Gandhinagar and HNLU Raipur, however, show potential for students choosing to float. GNLU Gandhinagar currently stands at a closing rank of 392. Comparing this to the 2025 final cutoff of 444, there is a potential window for further drops in their ranks. Similarly, HNLU Raipur moved by 30 positions in round 2 to reach AIR 766. Given that the 2025 final cutoff was 807, candidates within 40 ranks of the current cutoff can have a realistic chance to get into HNLU Raipur in the upcoming lists.

    The most significant rank drop in further rounds is expected to occur in law-specialised programs, such as BSc LLB. WBNUJS Kolkata added 6 new students to its BSc LLB program in round 2. Its current closing rank is 582, but its final rank last year was 711. This gap shows that specialised courses are more flexible than traditional BA LLB seats. Because fewer students choose these programs, the ranks tend to move more freely. With five full rounds of counselling in CLAT 2026, there is a high chance this rank will drop significantly by the final list.

    At NLIU Bhopal, the BSc LLB (Cyber Security) program reported no new general category allotments in round 2. Since NLIU Bhopal reintroduced the BSc LLB program in the 2025 cycle, its final closing rank for general category students reached AIR 915. However, this year, it is likely to close well below AIR 900.

    It is important to note that these rank drops are not guaranteed. Further movement depends entirely on seat vacation. Ranks only drop when students leave their allotted seats to join other institutions, courses, move to private universities, or fail to complete the NLU admission formalities, such as the counselling fee and university fee.

    What to Expect in CLAT 2026 Round 3?

    As the CLAT admission cycle moves into round 3, the choice between freeze and float becomes critical. For candidates who have secured a seat in their first-choice NLU, locking the seat is the right option. Freezing indicates that the candidate is satisfied with the allotted college and has to pay the non-refundable confirmation fee and university fee. However, for those still aiming for a higher-ranked institution, the data indicates that securing an upgrade among the top-tier NLUs becomes more difficult from this round.

    The float option is best suited for students who are within a realistic range of getting allotted a seat at a higher preferred NLU. The previous year CLAT cutoff trends show that general students whose current rank is within 50 to 80 positions from the closing ranks of top-tier NLUs should consider floating, as these institutions can experience minor rank shifts in further rounds.

    Unlike the general category, reserved categories often experience more significant rankfall in later rounds. For instance, the OBC category at NLSIU Bengaluru closed at AIR 1071 in round 2, but the 2025 data shows a final closing rank of 1541. At NALSAR Hyderabad, the EWS closing rank of 713 and the ST rank of 5716 have already surpassed last year’s closing rank of 546 for EWS and 3621 for ST, respectively. This shows that the reserved category at NALSAR is currently less competitive than it was at the end of last year.

    By round 3, the rank movement in the top 7 NLUs typically slows down. However, a significant rank shift continues in mid-tier and lower-tier NLUs. Data indicates that mid-tier institutions like NLU Odisha can see an estimated drop of up to 175 ranks by the final rounds. In the lower-tier or newer NLUs, such as HPNLU Shimla or NLUT Agartala, the cutoffs may drop by 300 positions or more.

    Candidates must also understand that selecting the float option is not a passive choice. It requires the payment of a mandatory confirmation fee to hold the seat. If the deadline to pay the counselling fee is missed, the system automatically cancels the allotment. In such cases, the student loses their secured seat entirely.

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    Questions related to CLAT

    On Question asked by student community

    Have a question related to CLAT ?


    With a rank of 3917 in CLAT PG, your best options for an LLM include top private universities that accept CLAT scores, along with CUETPG opportunities. Some of the best non-NLU options are BHU, LPU Jalandhar, UPES Dehradun, etc.

    Hello Santosh,

    Domicile cut-offs are unpredictable. You can apply and get a seat only if the domicile category is selected. You can apply, but the chances of getting either of them are rare.

    CLAT is an entrance examination conducted for admissions into law colleges. The qualifying marks vary with the colleges. You should check the details on the website to get a clear idea regarding cut offs for the colleges. You will also get the exam pattern through the article shared.

    The exact number for students appeared for CLAT has not been revealed yet. About 88,657 students appeared Nationwide for CLAT examination.

    Hello, it is highly unlikely to get admission to the GGSIPU Main Campus or VIPS. However, you can target other colleges affiliated with GGSIPU through the counselling process.