Maharashtra National Law University (MNLU), Nagpur, has released the fourth list of candidates shortlisted for the BA LLB course. 20 students, all belonging to the unreserved category, have been shortlisted in this round. The CLAT cut-offs for MNLU Nagpur have dropped from AIR 1529 in the CLAT counselling to 3547 in the mop-up round, more than 2.3x lower than the original closing rank. The fourth merit list also mentions 10 students on the waiting list who will be given admission offers if any vacancies arise after the current round of admission.
CLAT Rank | Category |
3347 | Unreserved/General |
3357 | Unreserved/General |
3376 | Unreserved/General |
3379 | Unreserved/General |
3381 | Unreserved/General |
3394 | Unreserved/General |
3398 | Unreserved/General |
3425 | Unreserved/General |
3428 | Unreserved/General |
3434 | Unreserved/General |
3442 | Unreserved/General |
3465 | Unreserved/General |
3502 | Unreserved/General |
3503 | Unreserved/General |
3506 | Unreserved/General |
3515 | Unreserved/General |
3537 | Unreserved/General |
3538 | Unreserved/General |
3539 | Unreserved/General |
3547 | Unreserved/General |
AIR | Category |
3565 | Unreserved/General |
3571 | Unreserved/General |
3582 | Unreserved/General |
3598 | Unreserved/General |
3603 | Unreserved/General |
3615 | Unreserved/General |
3616 | Unreserved/General |
3619 | Unreserved/General |
3625 | Unreserved/General |
3653 | Unreserved/General |
MNLU Nagpur offers 120 seats in the BA LLB (Hons.) programme. A majority of these seats (86) are reserved for Maharashtra domicile candidates. Only 34 seats are offered under the all-India unreserved category. Despite the limited seats in the unreserved category, the university is accepting 20 students in the spot round. The cut-offs, which closed at 1529 in CLAT counselling, have been lowered after each round of spot admission. This is also a reflection of the student preference for the university — a CLAT counselling consisting of three rounds, followed by a three-spot round admissions, ended up filling just 14 seats from the total intake, if the university is aiming to fill all 34 seats in the category.
Last year, MNLU Nagpur BA LLB admission closed at all-India rank 1473 during CLAT counselling. However, the spot admission round, conducted in nine rounds, resulted in lowering the admission bar to an all-India rank of 3464. In the year 2023-24, the admissions were slightly competitive as the spot round admissions closed at AIR 2098 for the unreserved category.
Category | Percentage (%) | No. of Seats |
Scheduled Castes of Maharashtra | 13 | 16 |
Scheduled Tribes of Maharashtra | 07 | 08 |
De-notified Tribes (A) of Maharashtra | 03 | 04 |
Nomadic Tribes (B) of Maharashtra | 2.5 | 03 |
Nomadic Tribes (C) of Maharashtra | 3.5 | 04 |
Nomadic Tribes (D) of Maharashtra | 02 | 02 |
Special Backward Class of Maharashtra | 02 | 02 |
Other Backward Classes (OBC) of Maharashtra | 19 | 23 |
Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of Maharashtra | 10 | 12 |
Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC) | 10 | 12 |
Unreserved Seats | -- | 34 |
Total | 120 |
While the drop in BA LLB cut-offs shows the student preference and willingness to apply to other law schools, it is also part of a wider trend this year. Due to delays and controversy around CLAT 2025 results, several NLUs — except NLSIU Bangalore — have conducted multiple spot round admissions. However, some NLUs, such as NALSAR Hyderabad, NLU Trichy, have set the cut-off bar to ensure competitive admissions. NALSAR Hyderabad invited admission applications from candidates with CLAT AIR less than 200, whereas NLU Trichy set the general cut-off at CLAT AIR 5763. RMNLU Lucknow invited applications from candidates having CLAT AIR up to 1200.
On Question asked by student community
With a CLAT PG rank of 1257 in the SC category and being a woman candidate with Rajasthan domicile, you do have a realistic chance of securing admission to several National Law Universities, though the top NLUs may be difficult at this rank. Admission chances depend heavily on category-wise cut-offs, domicile reservations, and how many seats are available in a given year. For top-tier NLUs like NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, or NLUD, the closing ranks for SC category usually fall much lower, so chances there are minimal. However, you should definitely consider mid- and lower-ranked NLUs where SC category cut-offs often extend beyond 1200–1500 ranks.
You should prioritise NLUs that offer domicile or state quota benefits, especially those closer to your home state or neighbouring regions. National Law University Jodhpur (if applicable under domicile or category movement), Hidayatullah National Law University Raipur, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University Lucknow, Gujarat National Law University Gandhinagar, Maharashtra National Law University (Nagpur or Aurangabad), National Law University Odisha, and Tamil Nadu National Law University are some options where candidates in the SC category with similar ranks have secured seats in previous counselling rounds. Lower-tier NLUs like Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University, Himachal Pradesh National Law University, and Dharmashastra National Law University can also be kept in your preference list as safer options.
Your strategy should be to keep a wide preference list during counselling, placing mid-ranked NLUs first and then moving to lower NLUs, rather than restricting yourself only to a few choices. Also, stay active during subsequent counselling rounds and vacancy rounds, as many seats in the SC category are filled later due to withdrawals. Overall, while top NLUs may be tough, you have a fair chance of getting into a decent NLU if you plan your preferences smartly and remain flexible.
With a CLAT PG rank of around 11,000, getting admission into the top National Law Universities (NLUs) is not likely, as their general category cut-offs usually close much earlier. However, you still have realistic chances in lower-ranked and newer NLUs, especially in the later rounds of CLAT counselling or through vacant seats.
At this rank, you may consider NLUs such as NLU Tripura, NLU Meghalaya, NLU Nagaland, NLU Sikkim, NLU Andhra Pradesh, NLU Odisha, NLU Jabalpur, and NLU Aurangabad, particularly if you belong to a reserved category like SC, ST, OBC, EWS, or have domicile or women reservation applicable. Cut-offs for these universities tend to go higher in rank compared to older NLUs, and seats often open up in subsequent counselling rounds due to withdrawals.
If you do not secure an NLU seat, you should also strongly consider reputed state and private law universities that accept CLAT PG scores or conduct their own entrance tests. Universities such as Faculty of Law, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Delhi University (DU – through CUET PG), Jamia Millia Islamia, Symbiosis Law School, Christ University, Jindal Global Law School, and Nirma University are good alternatives for LLM aspirants. Many of these institutions offer strong academic exposure, experienced faculty, and good research opportunities, sometimes even better than newer NLUs.
Overall, while a rank of 11,000 limits options in top NLUs, admission is still possible in newer NLUs or good non-NLU law universities, provided you actively participate in counselling rounds and keep backup options ready.
With a CLAT 2026 All India Rank around 2070, Telangana domicile, and holding an OBC certificate (girl candidate), your chances of getting admission into a top-tier NLU like NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, NUJS Kolkata or NLU Jodhpur are quite low, as their closing ranks are usually much higher. However, you still have realistic chances in several mid-tier and newer NLUs, especially if OBC reservation and domicile or women reservation is applicable.
Based on previous years’ counselling trends, you can reasonably expect chances in NLUs such as NLU Odisha (Cuttack), NLIU Bhopal (borderline, depending on category movement), NLU Assam (Guwahati), DSNLU Visakhapatnam, TNNLU Tiruchirappalli, HPNLU Shimla, NLU Tripura, NLU Meghalaya, NLU Sikkim, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar NLU Sonipat. Some of these universities see rank movement in later rounds and vacancies, particularly for reserved categories and women candidates.
Since you are from Telangana, you should definitely keep NALSAR Hyderabad in your preference list, but only after all higher NLUs, as the domicile quota is limited and usually closes at a much better rank. Still, it is worth trying because domicile and category together can sometimes help in spot or vacancy rounds.
Your best strategy would be to prepare a balanced preference list: first include all top NLUs, then mid-tier NLUs like NLU Odisha and NLIU Bhopal, followed by newer and lower-ranked NLUs where your rank has a stronger chance. Make sure you actively participate in all counselling rounds, including vacancies, as many seats open up after withdrawals.
Cut-offs vary every year depending on seat intake, category distribution, and counselling dynamics, so even if you miss out in early rounds, you should not lose hope. Keep your documents ready, track counselling updates closely, and stay flexible with preferences to maximize your chances of securing an NLU seat.
Hello there,
Here is a list of government and semi-government colleges that accept CLAT score:
However, these universities also carry out separate registration to apply using your CLAT Scorecard.
I hope this helps you.
Thankyou.
Hello,
With EWS rank 2673 in CLAT 2026, you are unlikely to get the top NLUs like NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, NLIU Bhopal, or RMLNLU Lucknow .
You have good chances for mid-tier NLUs such as:
DBRANLU Sonepat
MPDNLU Jabalpur
IIULER Goa
NUSRL Ranchi
DSNLU Visakhapatnam
CNLU Patna BBA LLB
RPNLU Prayagraj (in later rounds)
Most newer MNLUs like Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Silvassa
Final allotment can vary depending on counselling rounds and seat availability
You can also use our CLAT College Predictor Tool to predict which colleges you can get based on your score and rank.
Hope it helps !
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