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List of NLUs in India 2025: NIRF Ranking, Courses, Admission Process
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National Law Universities (NLUs) are the premier law schools in India and are seen as flagbearers of legal education. Currently, there are 26 NLUs in India. There is an off-campus of GNLU Gandhinagar known as GNLU Silvassa. RPNLU Prayagaraj is the latest entry in the list of NLUs in India which started accepting admissions into BA LLB based on CLAT scores. The NLUs represent the second-generation reforms in legal education. The National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Bengaluru was the first NLU in India, established under the National Law School of India Act (Karnataka Act 22 of 1986).
This Story also Contains
- Law Courses Offered by Top NLUs in India
- Entrance Exams for NLUs
- Admission to NLUs through CLAT
- Admission to NLU Delhi through AILET
- NLUs Admission - Eligibility Criteria
- AILET Vs CLAT - A comparison
Out of 26 NLUs, 24 offer admissions through the Common Law Admission Test. NLU Delhi conducts its admission on the basis of All India Law Entrance Test. For NLU Meghalaya admissions, the university conducts its own entrance exam. CNLU Patna conducts its separate admission test for the LLM programme. Although RPNLU Prayagraj uses CLAT scores for its admission, it is not part of the centralised admission and counselling.
Almost all national law universities (NLUs) offer integrated LLB, LLM and PhD programmes. Some of the NLUs also offer various certification programmes. NLSIU Bengaluru and NLUO Cuttack are the only NLUs to offer a 3-year LLB programme for students who have completed their graduation. NLSIU Bengaluru offers admission to 3-year LLB through National Law School Admission Test (NLSAT) which is conducted online. In this article, students can get the full list of NLUs along with various other related details including law courses, admission process, seats, entrance exam, and cutoffs for NLUs.
You may also check: Top Law Colleges in India
NLU Full Form
The full form of NLU stands for National Law University. These universities were established to take legal education in India on par with global standards. They are no less in status than IIMs and IITs are for management and engineering respectively. Currently, there are 26 NLUs in the country. Read on to find out the list of NLUs in India rank-wise.
Top NLUs in India
NLU ranking is an important factor for candidates when deciding their preferred institute. The Ministry of Education has published the NIRF law rankings 2024 on August 12, 2024. There are total 16 Indian NLUs in the list of top government law colleges in NIRF rankings 2024. The top four NLUs in the NIRF rankings remain the same as last year. NLSIU Bengaluru is the best NLU in India that occupies the top spot in NIRF law rankings.
National Law Universities Seat Intake (Including NRI/FN/Supernumerary seats)
NLUs | UG Intake | PG Intake |
|---|---|---|
315 | 126 | |
| NLU Delhi | 180 | 80 |
132 | 66 | |
196 | 102 | |
207 | 65 | |
148 | 80 | |
187 | 94 | |
2024 | 67 | |
66 | 33 | |
191 | 55 | |
214 | 71 | |
138( 69 seats each for BA LLB and BBA LLB | 60 | |
78 | 70 | |
180 (BA LLB 120, BBA LLB 60) | 50 | |
201 | 67 | |
60 | 40 | |
138 | 69 | |
120 (BA LLB 60 , B.Com LLB 60) | 63 | |
122 | 72 | |
240 (BA LLB 120, BBA LLB 60, BA LLB (Adjudication and justicing 60) | 60 | |
120 (BA LLB 60, BBA LLB 60) | 60 | |
138 | 128 | |
134 | 57 | |
120 | - | |
60 | 50 | |
| NLU Meghalaya | - | - |
| RPNLU Prayagraj | 60 | - |
Top NLU List Rank Wise 2025
| NLU Name | NIRF Ranking 2024 | NIRF Ranking 2023 | NIRF Ranking 2022 | NIRF Ranking 2021 | NIRF Ranking 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NLSIU Bangalore | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| NLU Delhi | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| NALSAR Hyderabad | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| WBNUJS Kolkata | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 |
| GNLU Gandhinagar | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 |
| NLU Jodhpur | - | - | 10 | 8 | 5 |
| NLIU Bhopal | 21 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 17 |
| RMNLU Lucknow | 20 | 21 | 17 | 15 | 11 |
| RGNUL Patiala | 24 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 10 |
| NLUJA Kamrup | 27 | 28 | 24 | 20 | 16 |
| NLU Odisha, Cuttack | 26 | 30 | 25 | 18 | 14 |
| CNLU Patna | 31 | - | - | - | - |
| NUALS Kochi | 38 | - | - | - | - |
| NUSRL Ranchi | 22 | 24 | - | - | - |
| DSNLU Visakhapatnam | 39 | - | - | - | - |
| NLU Trichy | - | - | - | - | - |
| MNLU Mumbai | 31 | - | - | - | |
| MNLU Nagpur | - | - | - | - | - |
| MNLU Aurangabad | - | - | - | - | - |
| NLU Shimla | - | - | - | - | - |
| NLU Jabalpur | - | - | - | - | - |
| HNLU Raipur | - | - | - | - | - |
| Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Law University | - | - | - | - | - |
| GNLU Silvassa | - | - | - | - | - |
| NLU Tripura | - | - | - | - | - |
| NLU Meghalaya | - | - | - | - | - |
| RPNLU Prayagraj | - | - | - | - | - |
Law Courses Offered by Top NLUs in India
The national law universities offer 5-year integrated LLB, 3-year LLB, LLM and PhD courses. Candidates may check the list of law programmes offered by NLUs below.
Law Programmes offered by NLUs
| UG Courses | PG Courses |
|---|---|
LLD | |
PhD in Law | |
PG Diploma in Urban Environmental Management and Law (NLU Delhi) | |
Post Graduate Diploma in Tourism and Environmental Law (NLU Delhi) | |
Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Law and Policy (NLU Delhi) |
Some NLUs such as NLSIU Bangalore also offer Master of Public Policy, Certificate courses in various disciplines of law, and MBA courses.
NLU Courses Full List
| NLU | UG Law Programme | PG Law Programme |
|---|---|---|
NLU Delhi | BA LLB | LLM |
NLSIU Bangalore | BA LLB | LLM 1. Business Laws 2. Human Rights law |
NLU Hyderabad | BA LLB | LLM Specialisation in Corporate Commercial laws; Criminal law; Family law; Intellectual property; International trade and business law; legal pedagogy and research and public law and legal theory |
NLIU Bhopal | BA LLB | LLM Intellectual Property & Business Law; Constitutional and Administrative Law; Human Rights and Criminal Law |
NLU Jodhpur | BA., LL.B. B.SC., LL.B. | LLM Corporate Laws IPR Laws |
NUJS Kolkata | BA LLB BSc LLB | LLM1. Corporate and Commercial Law International Law Criminal and Security Laws |
HNLU Raipur | BA LLB | LLM Research Methods and Legal Writing Comparative Public Law/Systems of Governance Law and Justice in a Globalizing World |
GNLU Gandhinagar | BA., LL.B. B.Com.LL.B. | LLM Comparative Public Law/Systems of Governance Research Methods and Legal Writing Law and Justice in a Globalizing World |
NLU Lucknow | BA LLB | LLM Constitutional and Administrative Law Corporate Law Criminal and Security Law International Law |
RGNUL Patiala | BA LLB | LLM Business Law Constitutional Law Criminal Law International Law |
CNLU Patna | BA LLB | - |
NLU Kochi | BA LLB | LLM |
NLU Odisha | BA., LL.B. B.BA., LL.B. | LLM Corporate Law & Commercial Law (CCL) Constitutional Law |
NLU Ranchi | BA LLB | LLM Intellectual Property Rights Corporate and Commercial Law Constitutional and Administrative Law |
NLU Assam | BA LLB | LLM Corporate and Commercial Laws; Intellectual Property Laws; International Law; Environmental Law; Constitutional Law Personal Laws; Human Rights Law |
NLU Visakhapatnam | BA LLB | LLM Legal Aspects of the Commercial Transactions Corporate Securities Laws Insolvency and Bankruptcy Law Information Technology and Commercial Law Investment and Trade Law Infrastructure Law |
NLU Trichy | BA., LL.B. BCom LL.B. | LLM Corporate and Securities Laws Intellectual Property Laws Natural Resources Law |
MNLU Mumbai | BA LLB | LLM Corporate & Commercial Law Constitutional & Administrative Law Criminal & Security Law |
MNLU Nagpur | BA LLB | LLM Corporate and Commercial Laws; Intellectual Property Laws; Constitutional Law; Personal Laws; Energy and Telecommunication Laws |
MNLU Aurangabad | BA LLB | |
NLU Shimla | BA., LL.B. B.BA., LL.B. | LLM Constitutional Law Criminal Law |
NLU Jabalpur | BA LLB | LLM |
NLU Sonipat | BA LLB | - |
NLU Meghalaya | BA LLB BBA LLB BS LLB | LLM |
GNLU Silvassa Campus | BA LLB | LLM |
NLUT Agartala | BA LLB | LLM |
| RPNLU Meghalaya | BA LLB | - |
CLAT Sample Paper 2026 with Answer Key- Careers360
Download the CLAT Sample Paper 2026 PDF featuring the latest exam pattern with descriptive-type questions for effective preparation.
Download EBookNLU Admission Process
The NLU admission process consists of the candidates first appearing for a law entrance exam. Shortlisted candidates are then required to attend the counselling and seat allotment process. The steps in the NLU admissions are given below.
- Complete the registration for the entrance exam
- Appear for the exam and obtain a valid score
- Register for the counselling process
- Publication of merit list by the NLU/ Consortium
- Complete admission formalities such as document verification and payment of admission fee
Entrance Exams for NLUs
There are two law entrance exams for admission to national law universities (NLUs). The first one is the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) organised by the Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs). It is a common entrance exam for admission to 23 national law universities (NLUs). The second is the All India Law Entrance Test (AILET) of the National Law University Delhi. It is important to note here that NLU Delhi is not a member NLU of the CLAT Consortium, so the CLAT scores are not accepted by it. NLU Meghalaya also conducts its exams namely MEG UAT and MEG PAT for its UG and PG admissions respectively.
CNLU Patna also conducts a separate admission test for the LLM programme. The university’s UG programme is offered through CLAT.
Admission to NLUs through CLAT
The Common Law Admission Test or CLAT is one of the most popular law entrance tests. It is conducted offline, in pen and paper format, across the country. The application form for CLAT is typically released in July and the entrance exam is conducted in the first or second week of December. The consortium tries to complete its admission process before May. The first week of August is the time when most of the NLUs commence their classes.
Admission to NLU Delhi through AILET
The NLU Delhi’s entrance examination, AILET, is also an offline-based examination conducted across the country. The application form of AILET is released for BA LLB, LLM and PhD programmes, around August. The exam is conducted in December and the classes start in the first week of August.
| Name of NLU | Entrance Exam |
| Consortium NLUs | CLAT |
| NLU Delhi | AILET |
NLUs Admission - Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for admission to law programmes are the same across all 22 national law universities under the CLAT Consortium. NLU Delhi specified its eligibility criteria separately in its admission notification. Even though the basic eligibility criteria remain the same for admission across NLUs. Here are the details of NLU's eligibility criteria.
NLUs admission eligibility criteria
| Criteria | Details |
|---|---|
Educational qualification |
|
Minimum marks required in qualifying exam |
|
Age limit | No age limit |
Detailed eligibility criteria | For CLAT - CLAT eligibility criteria For NLU Delhi - AILET eligibility criteria |
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AILET Vs CLAT - A comparison
One can find many similarities and differences in CLAT vs AILET comparison. CLAT is essentially a comprehension-based test designed to examine the reading and critical thinking skills of the aspirant. AILET on the other hand is a mix of both comprehension and non-comprehension-based questions. Here is a brief analysis of these two NLU entrance exams.
CLAT and AILET - An overview of the pattern
| Category | CLAT | AILET |
|---|---|---|
Duration | 2 hours | 2 hours |
Mode | Offline mode | Offline mode |
Type of Questions | Multiple Type Questions (MCQs) Questions will be asked from given passages | Multiple Type Questions (MCQs) Comprehension-based questions will be given in English and Legal aptitude sections |
Number of Questions | CLAT UG - 120 MCQs CLAT PG - 120 questions | AILET BA LLB/LLM - 150 |
Total Marks | UG - 120 marks PG - 120 marks | AILET BA LLB/LLM - 150 |
Marking scheme | Each question will carry 1 mark. 0.25 marks to be deducted for an incorrect answer. | Each question will carry 1 mark. 0.25 marks to be deducted for an incorrect answer. |
Language | English | English |
Also Read -
CLAT vs AILET - Comparison of syllabus and test structure
The syllabus of the AILET and CLAT exams are more or less the same. Both entrance tests are known for testing the necessary skills required for pursuing law. However, there are some differences between CLAT and AILET as well. For example, AILET has a test structure based on both comprehension-based questions as well as simple objective questions. In CLAT, however, almost the entire test paper will be based on comprehension-based passages of 300-450 words, making it a lengthy paper. Candidates may check the details of the CLAT and AILET test structure below.
CLAT Vs AILET: Syllabus and Test structure
| Particulars | CLAT | AILET |
|---|---|---|
| Mode of exam | Offline | Offline |
| Duration | 2 hours | 2 hours |
| Sections | English, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, | English, Current Affairs, GK |
| Type of questions | MCQs | |
| No. of questons | 120 | 150 |
| Marks | 120 | 150 |
| Marking scheme | 1 mark per question 0.25 negative marks for every wrong answer | 1 mark per question 0.25 negative marks for every wrong answer |
Also Read -
NLUs Fee Structure
For undergraduate law programmes, the annual fees of NLUs range from 1.5 lakh per annum to 2.62 lakh per annum. While, in the case of LLM programmes, the annual fees range from 1.13 lakh to 1.89 lakh. In top-ranked NLUs, the annual fees tend to be higher due to the various facilities offered by them in addition to regular classes. Candidates may check the details of NLU fee structure from the quick links given below.
Fees in NLUs
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| NLU fees | NLUs fee structure 2024 |
Top Universities in India
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is full form of NLU?
A:
The full fom of NLU is National Law University.
Q: What are the law programmes offered by national law universities in India?
A:
The NLUs offer 3-year LLB, 5-year LLB, LLM, PG Diploma courses, PhD in Law, and several other programmes.
Q: Which is the best NLU in India and What rank is required for NLSIU Bangalore?
A:
According to NIRF ranking by the Government of India, NLSIU, Bangalore is the top law school in India. It is followed by NLU Delhi, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata in the ranking list.
Q: Why NLU fees are so high?
A:
National Law Universities are self-financing institutes which are not funded by the government. This makes them to charge high fees to provide better infrastructure and learning facilities.
Q: Which are the top 5 NLUs in India?
A:
NLSIU Bengaluru, NLU Delhi, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata and GNLU Gandhinagar are the top 5 NLUs in India.
Q: Which are the top 10 NLUs in India?
A:
The top 10 NLUs in India are NLSIU Bengaluru, NLU Delhi, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata, GNLU Gandhinagar, NLIU Bhopal, RGNLU Patiala, RMLNLU Lucknow and NUSRL Ranchi and NLUJA Assam.
Q: Which NLU has highest fees?
A:
NLSIU Bengaluru has the highest fees.
Q: Is NLU a private or government college?
A:
NLUs are government institutions.
Q: How many National Law Universities in India are in India
A:
At present, there are 26 national law universities in India.
Q: How can I get admission to the top National Law Universities in India?
A:
Admissions to NLUs are offered through entrance tests. You can appear in Common Law Admission Test which is accepted by 24 NLUs. Or, you can also appear in All India Law Entrance Test (AILET) for admission to National Law University Delhi. NLU Meghalaya conducts MEG UAT and MEG PAT for its UG and PG admissions.
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Questions related to CLAT
On Question asked by student community
Have a question related to CLAT ?
Hello,
The CLAT PG exam pattern consists of 120 questions and 2-hour MCQ exam with negative marking.
Subjects Covered:
-
Constitutional Law
-
Jurisprudence
-
Criminal Law
-
Contract Law
-
Other core law subjects
Here are some tricks which you must follow:
- Practice Previous Year Papers & Mock Tests
- Focus on Constitutional Law & Jurisprudence
- Time Management in Exam
- Revision Strategy
To know more access below mentioned link:
https://law.careers360.com/articles/how-to-prepare-for-clat-pg-exam
Hope it helps.
Hello,
To check your CLAT exam hall ticket, go to the official website, log in with your registration or application number and password (or other login details), and the admit card will be displayed on the screen. You should then download and print at least two copies of the admit card for the exam and counselling process.
I hope it will clear your query!!
Hello,
Yes, you can prepare for CLAT through self-study. Many students do it and score well. But self-study works only if you are disciplined and follow a proper plan.
Here are a few points to keep in mind:
1. Know the syllabus and pattern.
Understand each section: English, Current Affairs, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quant.
2. Make a fixed timetable.
Study a little every day. Consistency matters more than long hours.
3. Use good books and online sources.
Choose reliable material so you don’t waste time.
4. Practice a lot.
Solve mock tests and previous papers regularly. This is the most important part of CLAT prep.
5. Analyse your mistakes.
Check where you go wrong and improve those areas.
6. Stay updated with current affairs.
Read daily news or monthly current affairs PDFs.
If you can follow these steps honestly, self-study is enough. If you feel stuck or need guidance with strategy, you can always use online classes or doubt-clearing support.
Hope it helps !
According to our prediction the date is tentatively on December 14, 2025 or CLAT 2026 admissions. You may read more about it here law.careers360.com/articles/clat-result
Choosing the right CLAT coaching is a personal decision that should align with your learning style, budget, and location. There isn't a single "best" one.
A humanistic approach suggests you consider these factors:
-
Faculty & Focus: Look for institutions with experienced faculty who offer personalized doubt clearing, not just recorded lectures.
-
Material Quality: The study material must be updated to the latest CLAT pattern, emphasizing Legal Reasoning and Current Affairs.
-
Peer Environment: A strong peer group and competitive environment boost motivation.
The linked article from Careers360 provides context and lists major national players in the CLAT prep space, which you can use to start your comparison: https://law.careers360.com/articles/clat-online-coaching . Choose the one that feels like the best investment in your future
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