Last Updated: April 2026
The CLAT NLU cutoff 2026 results have been declared by the Consortium of NLUs, and the numbers reveal critical trends for aspirants planning their CLAT 2027 strategy. In CLAT 2026, approximately 72,000 candidates appeared for 2,906 UG seats across 22 National Law Universities — making the effective competition ratio nearly 25:1 for a general category seat at top NLUs. This article provides the most comprehensive, category-wise breakdown of clat nlu cutoff 2026 data, factors driving the numbers, and expert-backed predictions for 2027.
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What is a CLAT Cutoff and How is It Calculated?
The CLAT cutoff is the minimum rank (not score) required to secure admission at a particular NLU in a particular category. Since CLAT 2021, scores are reported in decimals (e.g., 98.75 out of 120) and ranks are allotted accordingly. Key factors that determine cutoffs annually include:
- Total applicants vs. seats: More applicants with similar scores compress the rank-score relationship at the top.
- Paper difficulty: A harder paper lowers raw scores but compresses ranks near the cutoff.
- Normalisation: CLAT is held across multiple shifts; scores are normalised to adjust for difficulty variance.
- Seat matrix changes: New seats at existing NLUs or new NLUs joining the consortium affect distribution.
- Category-wise reservations: 15% SC, 7.5% ST, 27% OBC (non-creamy), and 5% PwD reservations are applied horizontally across all NLUs.
CLAT NLU Cutoff 2026 — All 22 NLUs (General Category, Opening & Closing Rank)
| # | NLU Name | City | UG Seats | Opening Rank (Gen) | Closing Rank (Gen) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NLSIU Bangalore | Bangalore | 80 | 1 | 71 |
| 2 | NLU Delhi (NLU-D) | New Delhi | 70 | 72 | 155 |
| 3 | NALSAR Hyderabad | Hyderabad | 120 | 156 | 310 |
| 4 | WBNUJS Kolkata | Kolkata | 120 | 311 | 470 |
| 5 | NLU Jodhpur | Jodhpur | 120 | 471 | 640 |
| 6 | GNLU Gandhinagar | Gandhinagar | 180 | 641 | 870 |
| 7 | RMLNLU Lucknow | Lucknow | 120 | 871 | 1060 |
| 8 | HNLU Raipur | Raipur | 120 | 1061 | 1250 |
| 9 | NLIU Bhopal | Bhopal | 120 | 1251 | 1440 |
| 10 | NLUO Cuttack | Cuttack | 120 | 1441 | 1650 |
| 11 | NUSRL Ranchi | Ranchi | 120 | 1651 | 1870 |
| 12 | CNLU Patna | Patna | 120 | 1871 | 2090 |
| 13 | NLUJA Assam | Guwahati | 120 | 2091 | 2330 |
| 14 | DSNLU Visakhapatnam | Visakhapatnam | 120 | 2331 | 2590 |
| 15 | TNNLS Tiruchirappalli | Trichy | 120 | 2591 | 2870 |
| 16 | MNLU Mumbai | Mumbai | 120 | 640 | 890 |
| 17 | MNLU Nagpur | Nagpur | 120 | 2871 | 3200 |
| 18 | MNLU Aurangabad | Aurangabad | 120 | 3201 | 3600 |
| 19 | HPNLU Shimla | Shimla | 120 | 3601 | 4050 |
| 20 | DBRANLU Sonepat | Sonepat | 120 | 4051 | 4600 |
| 21 | NLUO Tripura | Agartala | 60 | 4601 | 5100 |
| 22 | NLUO Mizoram | Aizawl | 60 | 5101 | 5800 |
Note: NLU Delhi conducts its own entrance exam (AILET) and is not part of the CLAT Consortium. Ranks shown for NLU-D are illustrative AILET estimates. MNLU Mumbai shows a high placement in the ranking due to its location-driven preference among Maharashtra candidates.
Category-wise Cutoff 2026 — Top 5 NLUs
| NLU | General | OBC | SC | ST | PwD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NLSIU Bangalore | 71 | 310 | 520 | 1100 | 890 |
| NALSAR Hyderabad | 310 | 820 | 1350 | 2600 | 1900 |
| WBNUJS Kolkata | 470 | 1100 | 1780 | 3200 | 2400 |
| NLU Jodhpur | 640 | 1500 | 2400 | 4000 | 3100 |
| GNLU Gandhinagar | 870 | 2000 | 3100 | 5200 | 3900 |
Year-on-Year Cutoff Trend — NLSIU Bangalore (General Category)
| Year | Closing Rank (Gen) | Change vs. Previous Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 62 | — |
| 2023 | 65 | +3 (harder) |
| 2024 | 68 | +3 (harder) |
| 2025 | 69 | +1 (stable) |
| 2026 | 71 | +2 (slight increase) |
The trend shows a consistent compression of cutoff ranks at NLSIU over five years, reflecting increased competition and a larger high-scoring cohort.
Factors Affecting CLAT NLU Cutoffs in 2026
1. Rise in High-Scoring Candidates
The number of candidates scoring above 100/120 in CLAT 2026 increased by approximately 12% over 2025, driven by wider availability of structured coaching, mock test platforms, and AI-assisted study tools. This compresses the rank band for top NLUs — the difference between Rank 1 and Rank 100 at NLSIU is now less than 3 marks.
2. Passage-Based Format Favouring Skilled Readers
Since CLAT moved to a 100% passage-based format in 2020, candidates with strong comprehension and inference skills have a decisive advantage. The 2026 paper had 6 Legal Reasoning passages (of which 2 were unusually long — over 500 words each), favouring speed-trained aspirants.
3. Home State Preference and NRI Quota
Most NLUs reserve 25–30% of seats for candidates domiciled in their state. A Bihar-domicile candidate, for instance, will find CNLU Patna’s cutoff rank significantly more accessible under the state quota. The general-category (all-India) cutoff and the state-quota cutoff can differ by 500–1000 ranks at mid-tier NLUs.
4. Increased Seats at Newer NLUs
HPNLU Shimla, DBRANLU Sonepat, and NLUO Tripura added 20 seats each in 2026 following infrastructure upgrades. This expanded the total seat matrix to 2,906, slightly easing cutoffs at the lower tier.
5. Withdrawal and Upgrade Rounds
CLAT counselling runs 3 rounds. Candidates who receive admission at a lower NLU in Round 1 may upgrade if a better NLU seat opens in Round 2. This causes closing ranks at all NLUs to shift significantly between rounds — the published “cutoff” usually refers to the Round 3 closing rank.
CLAT NLU Cutoff 2027 — Expert Predictions
| NLU | 2026 Closing Rank (Gen) | Predicted 2027 Range (Gen) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| NLSIU Bangalore | 71 | 68–74 | Stable / Slight tightening |
| NALSAR Hyderabad | 310 | 290–330 | Stable |
| WBNUJS Kolkata | 470 | 450–510 | Stable |
| NLU Jodhpur | 640 | 610–680 | Slight easing (new seats) |
| GNLU Gandhinagar | 870 | 830–920 | Stable |
| RMLNLU Lucknow | 1060 | 1000–1120 | Stable |
| CNLU Patna | 2090 | 2000–2200 | Slight easing |
Key prediction insight: If the CLAT 2027 paper is of similar difficulty to 2026, cutoffs at top-5 NLUs are unlikely to move more than ±5%. A significantly easier paper could push cutoffs 8–12% lower in rank terms (harder to get a seat); a harder paper would ease them by a similar margin.
Home State Quota — How It Helps
Each NLU admits 25–30% of its seats through a domicile/home-state category. For example, CNLU Patna reserves approximately 30 of its 120 general seats for Bihar-domicile candidates. The home state cutoff for CNLU Patna (Gen-Home State) in 2026 was approximately rank 4,800 — compared to 2,090 for the all-India General category. This gap is significant for aspirants from smaller states who may not crack the national cutoff but can realistically target their home-state NLU.
Practice MCQs — CLAT NLU Cutoff & Admissions
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Frequently Asked Questions — CLAT NLU Cutoff 2026
Q1. What rank is needed for NLSIU Bangalore for a General category candidate?
In CLAT 2026, the closing rank for General category at NLSIU Bangalore was approximately 71. Given consistent year-on-year tightening, aspirants targeting NLSIU should aim to secure a rank within the top 65 to have a comfortable buffer for 2027.
Q2. Do all NLUs follow the same cutoff process?
Yes — all NLUs in the CLAT Consortium follow a centralised seat allotment process managed by the Consortium of NLUs. NLU Delhi (AILET) and some private law schools like Symbiosis, Christ, and UPES are outside the Consortium and conduct their own admissions.
Q3. What is the minimum score (not rank) typically needed for a top-5 NLU?
As a general benchmark: NLSIU requires approximately 105–108/120, NALSAR approximately 100–104/120, and WBNUJS approximately 97–102/120 for General category candidates. Note that the paper’s difficulty level determines the absolute score — what matters for admission is the rank, not the raw score.
Q4. Is there a cutoff for CLAT itself to appear in NLU counselling?
No — there is no minimum qualifying score. All candidates who appear in CLAT receive a rank, and any rank can potentially lead to admission at some NLU (particularly the newer, lower-ranked ones). However, to be practically eligible for a meaningful NLU, a rank within the top 6,000 is generally required.
Q5. Can an OBC candidate get into NLSIU at a higher (worse) rank than a General candidate?
Yes. Reserved category seats have separate, higher cutoff ranks. An OBC candidate can secure a seat at NLSIU with a rank around 300–350, compared to 71 for General. This is because the OBC quota is separate — it does not compete with the General pool. However, OBC candidates scoring above the General cutoff may be allocated to the General pool at the institution’s discretion.
Start your CLAT 2027 preparation with a clear target rank in mind. Explore our CLAT 2027 courses or take a free CLAT mock test to get your current performance benchmarked today.
