What if I don't get an NLU through CLAT 2026

What if I don't get an NLU through CLAT 2026

Ongoing Event

CLAT Exam Date:12 Nov' 25 - 07 Dec' 25

Sansar Singh ChhikaraUpdated on 25 Aug 2025, 10:34 AM IST

The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) will conduct the CLAT 2026 on December 07, 2025. Through the scores of the Common Law Admission Test, candidates can get admission to 24 NLUs and other participating law colleges. If you don't secure a National Law University (NLU) seat through CLAT 2026, you still have options to pursue a legal education and career. Every year, thousands of candidates appear in CLAT exam to get admission to top National Law Universities. There are limited seats available in the NLUs, therefore, only the top ranking candidates get the opportunity to get admission. Candidates who are not able to get an NLU through CLAT exam get disheartened. Such candidates should understand that there are many good alternatives. There are several CLAT affiliated colleges and other top private universities that are offering undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in law. To know more about other good options and information regarding other top law schools. In this article, candidates will get detailed information on what to do if they don't get an NLU through CLAT 2026.

This Story also Contains

  1. What should I do if I don't get admission to NLU after CLAT 2026
  2. Top Law Entrance Exams Other Than CLAT
  3. CLAT 2026 and Other Participating Colleges
What if I don't get an NLU through CLAT 2026
What If I Don’t Get an NLU Through CLAT

What should I do if I don't get admission to NLU after CLAT 2026

Candidates shouldn't get disheartened upon failing to get admitted to the National Law University. There are several good options for such candidates. A few of them are listed below:

  • Apply for Affiliated Colleges: Apart from 24 National Law Universities, there are 65 CLAT affiliated colleges that grant admission to various law courses. Candidates with lower ranks can apply to these colleges.

  • Appear for other law entrance exams: There are many popular law entrance tests that are held for admission to law schools. Candidates should look into the details of exams such as AILET, LSAT—India, SLAT, CUET Law, etc. The syllabus of the law entrance tests are mostly similar, which puts the candidates in an advantageous position to prepare for the exams.

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Top Law Entrance Exams Other Than CLAT

Exam Name


Courses offered


Details

AILET

BA LLB, LLM

The National Law University Delhi conducts the All India Law Entrance Test once a year, in offline mode.

SLAT

BA LLB, BBA LLB

The Symbiosis Law School Admission Test is conducted by Symbiosis International University Pune in online mode.

ULSAT

3-year LLB, B.Com LLB, BA LLB, BBA LLB, LLM

University of Petroleum and Energy Studies Dehradun, conducts the ULSAT. The University of Petroleum and Energy Studies Law Studies Aptitude Test once a year in online mode. It's a university-level exam.

  • Apply for state universities: Almost every state in India has their own law universities. There are some state-level entrance exams such as MH CET, TS LAWCET, etc, which can help candidates get admission in the best law universities and colleges of the respective state

  • Private universities: There are several private universities that are offering admissions in law courses such as 3-year LLB, integrated LLB, LLM, and Diploma in Law. Generally, admissions to such universities are granted either based on merit or through a university-level entrance exam.

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.
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CLAT 2026 and Other Participating Colleges

Apart from 24 National Law Universities, 65 other participating law universities will accept CLAT 2026 scores. Candidates can visit the respective college’s website to learn more about the admission process.

Other CLAT participating universities

Sl. No

Institute NameCourses Offered

1

Aurobindo Institute of Law, Indore

BA LLB, LLB LLM

2

AAFT University, Noida

BBA LLB

3

ABBS School of Law, Bengaluru

BBA LLB

4

Alliance University, Bengaluru

BA LLB, BBA LLB, LLB, LLM

5

Amity University, Noida

BA LLB, BBA LLB, B.Com LLB, LLB, LLM

6

Apex University Jaipur

BA LLB, LLB, LLM

7

Arka Jain University, Jamshedpur

BBA LLB

8

ASBM University, Bhubaneshwar

BA LLB, BBA LLB

9

Asian Law College, Noida

BA LLB, LLB

10

BITS Law School, Mumbai

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons)

11

BML Munjal University, Gurgaon

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLB,

12

BRCM Law College, Bhiwani, Haryana

BA LLB, LLB, LLM

13

DME Law School, Noida

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons)

14

SGT University, Gurgaon

BA LLB,BBA LLB, LLB, LLM

15

Fairfield School of Law, Delhi

BA LLB, BBA LLB, LLM

16

Galgotias University, Noida

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLB (Hons)

17

GD Goenka University, Gurgaon

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), B.Com LLB (Hons), LLB (Hons), LLM

18

Gitam School of Law, Visakhapatnam

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLM,

19

GLA University, Mathura

BBA LLB (Hons), B.Com LLB (Hons), LLM,

20

GLS University, Ahmedabad

BA LLB, BBA LLB (Hons), LLM

21

Gopal Narayan Singh University, Rohtas, Bihar

BA LLB, BBA LLB, LLB, LLM

22

Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLM

23

Harlal School of Law, Noida

BA LLB

24

IAMR Law College, Ghaziabad

BA LLB, LLB

25

IILM University, Gurgaon

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLM,

26

IIM, Rohtak

5 Year Integrated Programme in LAW (IPL)

27

Indore Institute of Law, Indore

BBA LLB (Hons) with Global and Transnational Studies, BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLB (Hons), LLM

28

Institute of Law, Nirma University, Ahmedabad

BA LLB (Hons), B.Com LLB (Hons), LLM

29

IPEM Law Academy, Ghaziabad

BA LLB, B.Com LLB, LLB

30

ISBR Law College, Bangalore

BBA LLB, LLB

31

ITM University, Raipur

BA LLB, BBA LLB, LLM

32

JECRC University, Jaipur

BA LLB(Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), B.Sc (Forensic Science) LLB (Hons)

33

JIMS Engineering Management Technical Campus School of Law, Noida

BA LLB, BBA LLB

34

Kalinga University, Naya Raipur

BA LLB, BBA LLB, LLB, LLM

35

Karnavati University, Gandhinagar

BA LLB(Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLM

36

K R Mangalam University, Gurugram

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), B.Com LLB (Hons), LLB (Hons)

37

LLoyd Law College, Greater Noida

BA LLB, LLB

38

Mahindra University, Hyderabad

BA LLB(Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLB (Hons)

39

Mangalayatan University, Beswan, UP

BA LLB, B.Com LLB, LLB, LLM

40

Manipal Law School, Bengaluru

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), B.Com LLB (Hons),LLM

41

Manipal University, Jaipur

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), B.Com LLB (Hons), B.Sc (Hons), LLB

42

Marwadi University, Rajkot, Gujarat

BA LLB (Hons), B.Com LLB (Hons)

43

Mewar University, Gangrar, Rajasthan

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLB, LLM,

44

MIT World Peace University, Pune

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLB, LLM,

45

Mody University, Lakshmangarh, Sikar, Rajasthan

BA LLB , BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLM

46

National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar

B.Sc LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLB (Hons), LLM

47

Oriental University, Indore

BA LLB, LLB, LLM

48

Presidency University, Bangalore

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), B.Com (Hons), LLM

49

Quantum University, Roorkee, Uttarakhand

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons)

50

Raffles University, Neemrana

BA LLB (Hons),BBA LLB (Hons), LLB, LLM

51

Rashtriya Raksha University, Gandhinagar, Gujarat

LLM

52

Renaissance Law College, Indore

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), B.Com (Hons), LLB (Hons)

53

Reva University, Bengaluru

BA LLB, BBA LLB, LLM

54

RNB Global University, Bikaner

BA LLB, BBA LLB, LLB, LLM

55

Sai University, Chennai

BA LLB (Hons), LLM

56

Sanskriti University, Mathura

BA LLB (Hons), LLM

57

Siddhartha Law College, Dehradun

BA LLB, BBA LLB, LLB, LLM

58

SRM University, Delhi

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLB (Hons), LLM

59

SVKM’s NMIMS, Mumbai

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLM

60

Techno India University, Kolkata

BA LLB, BBA LLB, B.Com LLB, LLB, LLM

61

Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad

BA LLB, BBA LLB, B.Com LLB, LLM

62

Teri School of Advanced Studies, Delhi

LLM

63

ICFAI University, Dehradun

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLB (Hons), LLM

64

University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), B.Com (Hons), LLB

65

Uttaranchal University, Dehradun

BA LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), LLB (Hons), LLM

Reappearing for CLAT

There is no limit to the number of attempts in CLAT. Candidates who don't get into NLU can also take a drop and appear for the exam again next year. Candidates should make sure that they analyse their past year’s mistakes to make a better strategy. The primary focus of the candidates should be on building the right strategy, solving CLAT previous year papers and taking a lot of mocks.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Will CLAT 2026 be hard?
A:

The CLAT is known to be one of the most popular and toughest entrance exams in India. Considering previous year question papers and trends, CLAT 2026 will be easy to moderate.

Q: What is the exam pattern of CLAT 2026?
A:

The types of questions asked in the CLAT are of objective type. Total of 120 questions are asked from the syllabus. For every right answer there are two marks and negative marking of 0.25.

Q: How to get admission in NLU without CLAT?
A:

The All India Law Entrance Test (AILET) is a national-level law entrance exam that will be held by NLUD every year to enrol students at National Law University (NLU), Delhi.

Q: Can i get admission in NLU without CLAT?
A:

No, CLAT exam is necessary for admission into the National Law Universities (NLUs), as they all accept the CLAT score except for NLU Delhi, which only accepts the AILET score.

Q: Is CLAT worth a drop?
A:

Many students take a drop to prepare for CLAT. However, rigorous preparation for 9 to 10 months is enough to clear the exam.

Q: Does CLAT have two attempts?
A:

There is no limit to the number of attempts a candidate can make for CLAT.

Q: Is there any other way to get into NLU?
A:

To get admissions in NLUs, students will have to mandatorily appear for CLAT exam. Except for NLU Delhi, which accepts AILET scores, its own entrance exam for admissions.

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Questions related to CLAT

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to CLAT ?

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:

  1. Faculty & Focus: Look for institutions with experienced faculty who offer personalized doubt clearing, not just recorded lectures.

  2. Material Quality: The study material must be updated to the latest CLAT pattern, emphasizing Legal Reasoning and Current Affairs.

  3. 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

Yes, there are several law colleges in India that offer admission without requiring CLAT or other national-level entrance exams — and one such option is MERI Institute, Delhi .

At MERI Institute , students can pursue law courses based on their 12th-grade merit , without the stress of competitive entrance tests. This makes it an excellent choice for those who want to build a career in law but prefer a more straightforward admission process.

The institute focuses on practical legal education , with experienced faculty members, regular court visits, moot court training, and interactive seminars that help students understand real-world legal practices. The campus environment is supportive and student-friendly, offering both academic guidance and personal growth opportunities.

So, if you’re looking for law colleges without CLAT , MERI Institute in Delhi can be a great fit—providing quality education, a balanced learning approach, and a pathway to a successful law career without the pressure of tough entrance exams.

For CLAT 2025, the General Knowledge and Current Affairs section has around 28 to 32 questions. These questions come from recent news, events, and general topics like the Constitution, international issues, awards, and government schemes.

You should mainly focus on current events from the last 12 to 18 months. The exam gives short passages from newspapers or magazines, and you have to answer questions based on those passages.

The most important topics are national and international current affairs, major government policies, legal news, awards and honours, science and technology updates, sports events, important personalities, and environmental issues.

Some of the most expected topics for CLAT 2025 are global conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war and Middle East updates, major elections in India and other countries, new laws, bills, and reforms in India, international meetings like G20 and COP climate conferences, important awards in 2024 and 2025, recent achievements in science and space technology, and new government schemes and court judgments.

To prepare, you should read current affairs daily, revise important news from April 2024 till now, and practice passage-based questions from mock tests. Static GK (like history, geography, or constitution) should also be studied but only the parts that are connected to current events.

Career360 website for CLAT GK: https://law.careers360.com/articles/clat-gk-questions


Hello dear candidate,

Yes, you are right UGC rules do not allow two regular full time courses simultaneously.

But for CLAT or NLU admission they only check if your 12th certificate is valid and is from a recognized board, not if you did another course along with it.

The BCI also do not reject candidate for this reason.

Thank you.