CLAT Scope in Future - Placements, Salary, Career Opportunities

CLAT Exam Scope: Exam Statistics

Given below are some figures on the CLAT seats on offer and the number of candidates appearing for CLAT over the last few years. The statistics show an increasing number of students appearing for the exam, and also an increase in the number of seats. The rising numbers point to a good scope for CLAT in India. Last year, close to 72000 candidates appeared for CLAT UG and over 16000 appeared for CLAT PG. The analysis of success rate in CLAT shows the success rate is around 5% in UG and 9% in CLAT PG when we compare the candidates with the available seats. This makes CLAT one of the most difficult and sought-after law entrance exams in India.

CLAT Exam Statistics

CLAT NLUs Rankings in India

As per the data from the HRD ministry, 12 NLUs that accept CLAT find a place in the NIRF law rankings 2025 among the top 40 law schools in the country. The high rankings of NLUs again reflect the importance of CLAT in the legal education landscape in India. The rankings are given in the table below.

CLAT NLUs NIRF Rankings 2025

CLAT Scope in Future: NLUs Placements

The scope of CLAT in future includes careers in various legal fields. Top NLUs regularly see visits by top companies and legal firms during their placement season. The after CLAT salary per month can vary widely based on the job and location. Given below are median salary figures for the top-ranked NLUs for UG and PG law programmes.

CLAT NLUs Placement Salary Data

Note: An internship can help boost the after CLAT salary per month by providing valuable experience.

CLAT Scope and Career Opportunities

A law degree from a top law school can open up many career opportunities after CLAT, which makes CLAT a good career option. Some students aim for higher salary after CLAT by pursuing additional qualifications. Let’s understand the CLAT exam scope by looking at the job profiles available to students.

• Legal Associate: Many top law firms recruit students from NLUs to be part of their legal team on attractive salaries. The average after CLAT salary per month increases with experience and specialisation in law. These law firms have some top names as their clients and students get the opportunity to work on their cases.

• PSU Recruitments through CLAT: Many Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) also hire employees through the CLAT exam. The PSU recruitments through CLAT often see companies such as Power Grid Corporation, and National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) among others recruit law officers through scores obtained in CLAT.

• Corporate Lawyer: Other than law firms, top corporations and banks also have a legal team that supervises the company’s activities and regulatory compliance. Such lawyers working with companies are often referred to as corporate lawyers. They can work either as in-house corporate lawyers or as consultants.

• Independent Practice: Many lawyers also choose to do independent practice. They fight cases on behalf of their clients in court. Such lawyers who represent clients in courts are known as advocates. To become an advocate in India, a law graduate has to clear the All India Bar Examination and obtain a Certificate of Practice (CoP)

• Academics: Law students can also choose to pursue higher education such as PhD and enter the exciting field of academics where they teach budding lawyers and advocates at law school. Often this requires the students to have completed an LLM and possess other relevant qualifications.

• Social Activism: Lawyers can also take up social activism or become part of an NGO to be associated with a social cause. Lawyers can fight for social rights by filing PIL or RTI queries to maintain accountability among public authorities.

Note: Networking during law school can help secure a higher salary after CLAT.

You may also check:

• Top Law Entrance Exams in India
• LLM Entrance Exams
• Competitive Exam for Law Graduate
• Law Admissions Without Entrance Exam