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
Since you have not specified your category, I will answer for all categories. A CLAT rank of 38169 (typically 40-45 marks) makes admission to top NLUs difficult. For General candidates, chances are nil. Even for OBC, SC, and ST categories, admission is primarily possible only through state domicile quotas or
After the CLAT results are declared, candidates participate in a centralised online counselling process managed by the Consortium of NLUs. Eligible candidates register on the official portal, submit their NLU preference list , and pay a counselling fee. Seat allotment happens across multiple rounds based on rank, category, and preferences,
Hi, you can apply for admissions in Nirma University, NFSU Ahemdabad, Alliance, IPU University and affiliated instiutes (in case you are reserved category candidates), UPES Dehradun, BITS Law School etc.
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 a CLAT AIR of 33599 and SC category rank of 2103, and being a Delhi domicile, your chances at IP University (GGSIPU) are moderate to good, especially in later counselling rounds.
Based on previous year trends, some IPU-affiliated law colleges have closed at higher SC category ranks, so
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