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Top 5 NLUs in India: The National Law Universities (NLUs) are considered the premier law schools in India. Candidates appearing in CLAT 2026, or aspiring to take admission to NLUs are required to give admission preferences at the time of CLAT counselling registration. However, choosing an NLU can be tricky, as students often wonder if all NLUs offer similar learning opportunities and placements. A closer look at the overall performance of NLUs, including their rankings, placements, achievements, and alumni records reveals some of them doing exceptionally well in all parameters, some are in the middle range, while many of them are in their initial years lacking legacy and recognition.
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While students appearing in the Common Law Admission Test should consider all factors before giving admission preferences to NLUs, their ranking and placement records hold the utmost importance. This article lists the top 5 NLUs in different parameters including overall ranking, placements and student preferences.
Unlike many other central universities, which are national for having central government funding, NLUs are state universities despite their name giving an appearance of national character. NLUs, essentially educational institutions for the judiciary, have been created as part of the second generation of legal reforms. The Chief Justices of various states act as Vice Chancellor of the NLUs. The Chief Justice of India is the vice Chancellor of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore, the oldest among all NLUs.
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As of 2025, there are 26 NLUs in India, spread across 22 states and union territories, New Delhi and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. These NLUs offer 5-year integrated LLB and LLM programmes. NLSIU Bangalore, NLU Odisha, and CNLU Patna are the only NLUs that offer 3-year LLB. Some NLUs have become multidisciplinary in recent years, and they offer various other programmes such as MBA, and Master in Public Policy in addition to law programmes.
The Tier 1 NLUs are generally considered good in all aspects and have been ranked in top positions in various law school rankings. Considering there are many parameters in every ranking framework, we are taking a government-recognised ranking framework, NIRF law ranking 2025, and Careers360 ranking of law schools, along with other crucial data such as placements and cut-offs.
The NIRF top NLUs have consistently performed well in all of its parameters. Among the CLAT accepting NLUs, 16 private law colleges are ranked in NIRF law ranking 2025. Only NLU Delhi conducts a separate All India Law Entrance Test (AILET). The top five law colleges as per NIRF 2025 are given below.
Name of NLU | NIRF Ranking 2025 | NIRF Score |
|---|---|---|
NLSIU Bangalore | 1 | 82.97 |
2 | 80.00 | |
NALSAR Hyderabad | 3 | 79.50 |
4 | 79.39 | |
5 | 76.23 |
Careers360 releases ranking for law schools in India annually. All the top five positions in the Careers360 law school ranking are secured by national law universities (NLUs). Here are the top 5 NLUs as per the Careers360 ranking of top law schools.
NLU | Careers360 rank |
|---|---|
NLSIU Bangalore | 1 |
NLU Delhi | 2 |
NALSAR Hyderabad | 3 |
WBNUJS Kolkata | 4 |
GNLU Gandhinagar | 5 |
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The placement data is one of the most important parameters to know if the course offered by the NLUs is relevant for the industry and whether law firms and corporations are participating in the campus placement drives. NLUs organise placements from the 5th semester onwards for 5-year integrated LLB programmes. The median package secured by students in the NLU placement ranges from Rs. 14 Lakh to Rs. 20 Lakh for the top 5 NLUs. The 2019-20 batch of WBNUJS Kolkata secured a median salary of Rs. 20 lakhs in the placement drive. This was the highest median salary offered in NLUs in the last three to four years. The top 5 NLUs based on placements are given below.
| Placement year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Law College Name | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
NLSIU Bangalore | Rs. 16 Lakhs | Rs. 16 Lakhs | Rs. 16 Lakhs | Rs. 15 Lakhs |
NLU Delhi | Rs. 18 Lakhs | Rs. 14 Lakhs | Rs. 19 Lakhs | Rs. 18 Lakhs |
NALSAR Hyderabad | Rs. 17.50 Lakhs | Rs. 16 Lakhs | Rs. 16 Lakhs | Rs. 16 Lakhs |
WBNUJS Kolkata | Rs. 20 Lakhs | Rs. 20 Lakhs | Rs. 16 Lakhs | Rs. 15 Lakhs |
GNLU Gandhinagar | Rs. 18 Lakhs | Rs. 16 Lakhs | Rs. 15.40 Lakhs | Rs. 14 Lakhs |
NLU Odisha | Rs. 14 Lakhs | Rs. 14.50 Lakhs | Rs. 9 Lakhs | Rs. 6 Lakhs |
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Where do the top-ranked students go in the CLAT exam? The CLAT cut-offs provide insights into the top NLUs in admission preferences given by top-performing students. The previous five to six years of CLAT cut-off data shows consistency in this respect. The previous year's cut-offs for NLUs given below will help the prospective students understand this.
NLU | Cut-off rank for General category | ||
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |
NLSIU Bangalore | 112 | 102 | 114 |
NALSAR Hyderabad | 159 | 167 | 177 |
WBNUJS Kolkata | 327 | 279 | 260 |
NLU Jodhpur | 367 | 379 | 383 |
NLU Bhopal | 480 | 450 | 463 |
GNLU Gandhinagar | 444 | 464 | 462 |
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On Question asked by student community
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.
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.
Most law colleges require entrance exams like CLAT or state-level law entrance tests. Some private universities may offer direct admission. Visit the official website of the college, fill out the application form, upload required documents, pay the fee, and complete counselling if required.
With a CLAT score of 71.35, you can apply for admission to NLU for mid-to-lower-tier NLU courses, with a state rank of 69.
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