The Common Law Admission Test is less than a month away, and it is time for candidates to steer their preparations towards their target score. Talking about what is a good score in CLAT 2026, marks above 95 can be termed as perfect. In a score above 95+, candidates can target any NLU they want. When it comes to a safe score in CLAT 2026, a score between 85 to 90 marks can get a student some good NLUs. While a score of 80+ in CLAT 2026 is a decent score but it is in no way a guarantee of tier 1 or tier 2 NLU. In this article we will dive deep into what are the NLUs available in the CLAT 2026 score of 80+, expected cutoff for CLAT 2026 and a lot more.
When it comes to a good score in CLAT 2026 exam, marks above 90+ is almost a guarantee of admission in all tier 1 NLUs. For admissions to tier 2 NLUs, candidates must target a score of at least 85 marks. The below-given table gives candidates a good idea of what is a good score in CLAT 2026.
Performance Level | Mock Test Score Range (out of 120) | Percentile / Outcome Expectation |
Excellent (Top NLUs like NLSIU, NALSAR, NUJS) | 105+ | 98–100 percentile (safe for top 3–5 NLUs) |
Very Good (Top 7–8 NLUs) | 90–105 | 95–98 percentile (likely to secure seats in reputed NLUs like GNLU, NLU Jodhpur, WBNUJS) |
Good (Mid-tier NLUs) | 75–90 | 85–95 percentile (admission chances in mid-ranking NLUs, new NLUs) |
Average (Lower NLUs / Private Law Schools) | 60–75 | 70–85 percentile (may get newer NLUs or strong private colleges like JGLS) |
Needs Improvement | Below 60 | Below 70 percentile (requires consistent practice and strategy adjustments) |
A CLAT score of 80 marks will be roughly get candidates a rank under 4000. There are around 3700 seats available in NLUs through CLAT. Depending upon category, candidates can get a tier 2 and 3 NLUs in a score range of 80 to 90 marks. The table given below shows the list of NLUs that candidates can expect in CLAT 2026 mark range of 80-85 marks and 85 to 90 marks.
Marks range | Expected ranks | NLUs available for admission in the mark range |
85–90 | 601–1,700 | WBNUJS Kolkata (BSc.LLB Hons), RMLNLU Lucknow, HNLU Raipur, NLIU Bhopal (BSc LLB), NLU Odisha BA LLB, NLU Odisha BBA LLB, RGNUL Patiala, NUALS Kochi, CNLU Patna (BA LLB), GNLU Silvassa Campus, MNLU Mumbai, MNLU Nagpur - BA LLB, CNLU Patna (BBA LLB), MNLU Nagpur - BBA LLB, NUSRL Ranchi BA LLB, DSNLU Visakhapatnam |
80–85 | 1,701–3,500 | NUSRL Ranchi BBA LLB, TNNLU Tiruchirappalli BA LLB, DBRANLU Sonepat, TNNLU Tiruchirappalli BCom LLB, MNLU Aurangabad- BA LLB, NLUJA Assam, MPDNLU Jabalpur, MNLU Aurangabad - BBA LLB, RPNLU Prayagraj, HPNLU Shimla - BA LLB, HPNLU Shimla - BBA LLB, IIULER Goa BA LLB, IIULER Goa BA LLB, NLUT Agartala |
NLU | General | EWS | OBC | SC | ST |
NLSIU Bengaluru | 100 | 700 | 1540 | 3130 | 3400 |
NALSAR Hyderabad | 150 | 550 | 1220 | 3273 | 3600 |
WBNUJS Kolkata | 300 | - | 4200* | 4750 | 6350 |
NLU Jodhpur | 350 | 980 | 1770 | 5450 | 5950 |
GNLU Gandhinagar | 440 | 1120 | 2300 | 5900 | 8570 |
NLIU Bhopal | 480 | 1370 | 1750 | 5760 | 8250 |
MNLU Mumbai | 1470 | 7500* | 8000* | 15600* | 13120* |
HNLU Raipur | 800 | - | 2400 | 7660 | 10500 |
The above given data points have been derived from the last year’s cutoff data .
On Question asked by student community
Start preparing for CLAT by first understanding the exam pattern and syllabus, which includes English, Current Affairs, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Techniques. Make a simple daily routine and begin with basics read newspapers regularly for current affairs, practice comprehension passages for English and legal sections, and solve basic
Hello
With an AIR of 9076 and EWS rank of 846 in CLAT 2026, getting a top NLUs is unlikely, which is why you didn’t get a seat in the first round. However, you still have some chances in lower-tier NLUs like NLU Odisha, NLU Assam, NLU Tripura, NLU Meghalaya,
Hello
With a CLAT 2026 score of 60.75, AIR 17,715, and OBC-NCL rank 3,347 as an out-of-Delhi candidate, getting a seat in the Faculty of Law, Delhi University is very unlikely. DU’s cut-offs for OBC candidates are usually much higher, even in later rounds. You should keep backup options like
Hello,
With AIR 10542 and OBC rank 1843, getting top NLUs is unlikely. However, you still have chances in newer or lower ranked NLUs like NLU Assam, NUSRL Ranchi, MNLU Nagpur/Mumbai, especially in later or vacancy rounds. Also consider good private law colleges as backup options.
Since you scored 8000 AIR in CLAT, getting into top NLUs may not be possible, so it is a good idea to look for affordable and good law colleges.
State government law colleges are usually low in fees, and have decent reputation. Some options include Government Law College, Mumbai, Faculty
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