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CLAT 2026 Cut Off Marks [Category-Wise & Top NLUs Cut Off]
December 15, 2025
Reader’s Digest: The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is the gateway to top National Law Universities across India, and the CLAT 2026 cut off is the minimum score or rank you need to secure a seat. These CLAT cut-offs change every year depending on the exam difficulty level, number of applicants, total seats and reservation policies. Understanding the expected CLAT 2026 cut off marks in advance helps you decide your college preferences, counselling strategy and how realistic your NLU dream list is.
The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a pivotal entrance examination for admission into National Law Universities (NLUs) across India. The CLAT 2026 cut off represents the minimum score or rank required for admission to these institutions. These cut-offs vary annually based on factors such as the exam's difficulty level, the number of applicants, and the availability of seats.
CLAT 2026 Cut Offs [Expected] For Top NLUs
Based on CLAT 2024 & 2025 trends and NLU-wise allotment lists, the table below shows the expected CLAT 2026 cut off in terms of safe score range and approximate safe ranks for top NLUs. Treat these as indicative ranges, not official cut offs.
| NLU / Cluster | Expected Safe Score Range | Approx. Safe Rank Range | Why this CLAT 2026 cut off range? |
|---|---|---|---|
| NLSIU Bengaluru | 100–105+ | ~AIR 1–120 | 2024 closing marks around 103.5 (Gen); top NLU, closes very early |
| NALSAR Hyderabad | 97–102+ | ~AIR 50–250 | Historically closes under ~200–250 for General category |
| WBNUJS Kolkata | 94–99+ | ~AIR 150–350 | Often 3rd–4th preference NLU, still highly competitive |
| NLU Jodhpur / GNLU Gandhinagar | 92–96+ | ~AIR 250–450 | Usually close under AIR 400–450 for General category |
| NLIU Bhopal / MNLU Mumbai / RMLNLU Lucknow | 89–94+ | ~AIR 400–800 | Strong mid–top NLUs; closing ranks generally fall in this band |
| Other older NLUs (HNLU, RGNLU, NLUO, NUALS, CNLU, etc.) | 83–90+ | ~AIR 800–1500 | Ranges based on 2023–24 closing rank trends across categories |
| Newer NLUs | 78–85+ | ~AIR 1500–2500+ | Heavily depends on preference order, domicile quota and seat matrix |
If your score falls inside these bands, you are likely to clear the CLAT 2026 cut off for at least one NLU in that cluster, subject to category, domicile and seat availability.
Rough Category-wise Expected CLAT 2026 Cut Off Bands (Any Decent NLU)
The following ranges show the indicative CLAT 2026 cut off bands (safe scores out of 120) for getting into a decent NLU. Exact CLAT cut offs will vary NLU-wise and category-wise.
| Category | Expected Safe Score Band (out of 120) |
|---|---|
| General | 85–100+ (depending on NLU) |
| EWS | ~82–96 |
| OBC (Non-creamy) | ~78–95 |
| SC | ~70–88 |
| ST | ~65–85 |
Use these CLAT 2026 cut off bands as a reference while checking your score with the CLAT 2026 Rank Predictor and CLAT 2026 College Predictor.
Key Factors Influencing CLAT 2026 Cut offs:
-
Exam Difficulty: A more challenging exam typically results in lower cut-off scores, while an easier exam leads to higher CLAT 2026 cut offs.
-
Number of Applicants: An increase in applicants heightens competition, potentially raising cut-off scores.
-
Seat Availability: The total number of seats in NLUs affects cut-offs; fewer seats can lead to higher cut-off scores.
-
Reservation Policies: Category-based reservations (General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS, etc.) influence cut-offs, as each category has different qualifying marks based on the number of reserved seats.
-
Domicile Quotas: Certain NLUs offer domicile-based reservations, in which candidates from the home state may have different CLAT 2026 cut offs than out-of-state candidates.
How to Use CLAT 2026 Cut Off for NLU Shortlisting & Counselling
Knowing the expected CLAT 2026 cut off is useful only if you can convert it into smart decisions for college selection and counselling. Instead of randomly filling NLU choices, use the CLAT 2026 cut off marks, your predicted rank, and past trends together.
- First, estimate your score: Use the CLAT 2026 Answer Key and your OMR responses to calculate your raw score.
- Check your predicted rank: Enter your score in the CLAT 2026 Rank Predictor Tool to see an approximate All India Rank range.
- Match score & rank with NLU clusters: Compare your score with the NLU-wise expected CLAT 2026 cut off table given above (NLSIU/NALSAR/Top NLUs vs other NLUs).
- Factor in your category & domicile: Use the category-wise CLAT 2026 cut off bands and check if you have a domicile advantage for specific NLUs.
- Prepare a realistic preference list: Divide NLUs into three buckets – Dream, Target and Safe – based on how close your score is to the expected CLAT 2026 cut off marks for each college.
- Use tools during counselling: While filling choices in counselling, keep the CLAT 2026 College Predictor and this cut off page open together to avoid impulsive choices.
When you align your expected score, rank and the predicted CLAT 2026 cut off, you minimise guesswork and maximise your chances of landing in the best possible NLU for your profile.
Learn the Difference Between CLAT Marks Vs. Ranks
Are you, by chance, looking for the cut-off around the LLM Program? Check CLAT PG Cut off here!
CLAT 2026 Cut off: Top Student Queries Answered
Before we get into the cut-off, find answers to the most common queries of students around the CLAT 2026 Cut off:
- How does the CLAT 2026 cut off vary across different NLUs & law colleges? The CLAT cutoff varies across NLUs based on factors such as the number of seats available, the number of applicants, the exam's difficulty level, and candidates' performance.
- What is the difference between CLAT Cut off & CLAT merit list? The CLAT 2026 cut off is the minimum score to get admission to a law program. The CLAT merit list lists candidates who have qualified for the exam and are ranked by overall performance.
- Is the CLAT cutoff for UG and PG in 2026 the same? No, the Consortium of NLUs releases the CLAT category-wise cutoff separately for UG and PG programs on its official website.
Check Out: CLAT 2025 Rank List
Factors Affecting CLAT 2026 Cut off Marks
The Consortium of NLUs considers the following factors to determine the cut-off for the CLAT Entrance Exam:
- The total number of applicants
- Number of students who qualified for the exam
- The total number of seats available
- Previous year CLAT cut-off
- The difficulty level of the paper
- Category
Read More: CLAT Participating Colleges
Here is essential info based on CLAT 2025 allotment lists:
1] Category-Wise Opening and Closing Ranks:
- General: The range varies significantly, with top NLUs like NLSIU Bangalore having an opening rank of 1 and a closing rank of 102.
- OBC: The opening and closing ranks are wider. For instance, NALSAR Hyderabad starts at 189 and goes up to 1116.
2] Admission Cutoffs for Top 3 NLUs:
- NLU Bangalore: For the general category, the cutoff range is 1-102.
- NALSAR Hyderabad: The range for the general category is 4-167.
- NLU Kolkata: The cutoff for the general category falls between 140-277 for the BA LLB program and 289-1010 for the BSc LLB program.
Check Out: CLAT Answer Key
Previous Year CLAT Cut Off Trends
CLAT Cut off Marks 2025 [As Per CLAT First Allotment List]
Here's the table of CLAT cut off marks 2025 as per the first allotment list for all NLUs:
Disclaimer: These ranks do not include Domicile reservations or any other horizontal reservations.
CLAT Cut off Marks 2024 [As Per CLAT Fifth Allotment List]
Here's the table of CLAT cut off marks 2024 as per the fifth allotment list for all NLUs:
Disclaimer: These ranks do not include Domicile reservations or any other horizontal reservations.
Check Out - CLAT Seat Allotment
What After CLAT Cut-off Release?
The CLAT Consortium releases the merit list after the cut-off marks are announced. You are called for CLAT Counselling only if you score above the cut-off marks.
- During the counselling, you must submit all your educational certificates, and you will be disqualified from counselling if you fail to submit the documents.
- After document verification, the Consortium will provide your admission based on your score.
- The admission process involves five steps: registration, making NLU choices, seat allotment, fee payment, and reporting to the designated college.
College-wise CLAT Cut off 2023 [Category-Wise]
You can use the CLAT cut-off 2023 category-wise to get a fair idea of this year's cut-off! Here is a compilation of the CLAT cutoff 2023 as per the 5th provisional allotment list (last list):
| NLUs | General (Closing Rank) | OBC (Closing Rank) | SC (Closing Rank) | ST (Closing Rank) |
| NLSIU Bangalore | 114 | 923 | 2674 | 4059 |
| NALSAR Hyderabad | 177 | 1116 | 3388 | 6174 |
| WBNUJS [BA LLB] | 260 | Reserved for WB Domicile | 4217 | 7792 |
| WBNUJS [BSc LLB] | - | - | - | - |
| NLIU Bhopal [BA LLB] | 463 | 1268 | 5311 | 10960 |
| NLIU Bhopal [BSc LLB] | - | - | - | - |
| NLU Jodhpur | 383 | - | 4457 | 8076 |
| HNLU Raipur | 805 | 2061 | 7137 | 11277 |
| GNLU Gandhinagar | 462 | 1878 | 5683 | 10837 |
| RMLNLU Lucknow | 749 | Reserved for UP Domicile | Reserved for UP Domicile | Reserved for UP Domicile |
| RGNUL Punjab | 1307 | - | 8856 | 15585 |
| CNLU Patna [BA LLB] | 1541 | - | Reserved for Bihar Domicile | Reserved for Bihar Domicile |
| CNLU Patna [BBA LLB] | 2183 | - | Reserved for Bihar Domicile | Reserved for Bihar Domicile |
| NUALS Kochi | 1461 | - | Reserved for Kerala Domicile | Reserved for Kerala Domicile |
| NLU Odisha | 1207 | - | 7957 | 16910 |
| NUSRL Ranchi | 1895 | 2756 | 10032 | 18477 |
| TNNLU Tiruchirappalli [BA LLB] | 2045 | 1672-3135 | 10557 | 14452 |
| TNNLU Tiruchirappalli [BCom LLB] | 2385 | 4615 | 12250 | - |
| DSNLU Vishakhapatnam | 2080 | - | - | - |
| MNLU Mumbai | 590 | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile |
| MNLU Nagpur [BA LLB] | 2102 | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile |
| MNLU Nagpur [BBA LLB] | 2226 | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile |
| MNLU Aurangabad [BA LLB] | 2655 | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile |
| MNLU Aurangabad [BBA LLB] | 2818 | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile |
| NLUJA Assam | 2569 | Reserved for Assam Domicile | Reserved for Assam Domicile | Reserved for Assam Domicile |
| HPNLU Shimla [BA LLB] | 2816 | - | 11982 | 20699 |
| HPNLU Shimla [BBA LLB] | 2873 | - | 12362 | 23999 |
| MPDNLU Jabalpur | 2698 | 4318 | 12073 | 23002 |
| DBRANLU Sonepat | 2713 | 4515 | 11010 | 21673 |
| GNLU, Silvassa | 1820 | 3992 | 10104 | 14846 |
CLAT Previous Years Cut-off Marks [2022, 2021, 2020]
This exam has changed over the years in terms of its CLAT exam pattern, difficulty level, and cut-offs. The following information highlights the CLAT cut-off over two years, with its highs and lows for you to analyse.
- The pattern change has dramatically influenced the question paper format and the college-wise cut-off. Scroll below to find the official, clear-cut-off for each college or category.
Read more: CLAT 2026 Counselling Process
CLAT Cut off Marks 2022
Check the table below for college-wise CLAT cut off 2022:
| NLUs | General (Closing Rank) | OBC (Closing Rank) | SC (Closing Rank) | ST (Closing Rank) |
| NLSIU Bangalore | 85 | - | 2224 | 3428 |
| NALSAR Hyderabad | 162 | 945 | 2761 | 5158 |
| WBNUJS [BA LLB] | 257 | Reserved for WB Domicile | 4933 | 7238 |
| WBNUJS [BSc LLB] | - | - | - | - |
| NLIU Bhopal [BA LLB] | 451 | 1510 | 4793 | 7808 |
| NLIU Bhopal [BSc LLB] | - | - | - | - |
| NLU Jodhpur | 378 | - | 5881 | 7620 |
| HNLU Raipur | 837 | 1980 | 8932 | 13374 |
| GNLU Gandhinagar | 430 | 1747 | 6527 | 12014 |
| RMLNLU Lucknow | 756 | Reserved for UP Domicile | Reserved for UP Domicile | Reserved for UP Domicile |
| RGNUL Punjab | 1184 | - | 9434 | 16179 |
| CNLU Patna [BA LLB] | 1498 | - | Reserved for Bihar Domicile | Reserved for Bihar Domicile |
| CNLU Patna [BBA LLB] | - | - | Reserved for Bihar Domicile | Reserved for Bihar Domicile |
| NUALS Kochi | 1315 | - | Reserved for Kerala Domicile | Reserved for Kerala Domicile |
| NLU Odisha | 1193 | - | 9726 | 17417 |
| NUSRL Ranchi | 1729 | 2698 | 10818 | 18195 |
| TNNLU Tiruchirappalli [BA LLB] | 2024 | 4006 | 12015 | 16880 |
| TNNLU Tiruchirappalli [BCom LLB] | - | - | - | - |
| DSNLU Vishakhapatnam | 1797 | - | - | - |
| MNLU Mumbai | 548 | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile |
| MNLU Nagpur [BA LLB] | 1657 | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile |
| MNLU Nagpur [BBA LLB] | - | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile |
| MNLU Aurangabad [BA LLB] | 2275 | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile |
| MNLU Aurangabad [BBA LLB] | - | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile |
| NLUJA Assam | 1979 | Reserved for Assam Domicile | Reserved for Assam Domicile | Reserved for Assam Domicile |
| HPNLU Shimla [BA LLB] | 2477 | - | 13057 | 22145 |
| HPNLU Shimla [BBA LLB] | - | - | - | - |
| MPDNLU Jabalpur | 2399 | 4118 | 13105 | 22836 |
| DBRANLU Sonepat | 2481 | 4197 | 12356 | 23442 |
Check Out: CLAT 2026 Result [Check Toppers List]
CLAT Cut Off Marks 2021 [Official]
The CLAT Consortium released the cut-off after each round of counselling. So, the final admission was provided based on the CLAT Cut-Off 2021 marks and CLAT Participating College admission policy.
| NLUs | General (Closing Rank) | OBC (Closing Rank) | SC (Closing Rank) | ST (Closing Rank) |
| NLSIU Bangalore | 83 | - | 2112 | 3042 |
| NALSAR Hyderabad | 172 | - | 2884 | 6854 |
| WBNUJS [BA LLB] | 241 | Reserved for WB Domicile | 3644 | 8125 |
| WBNUJS [BSc LLB] | - | - | - | - |
| NLIU Bhopal [BA LLB] | 378 | 1045 | 4086 | 14684 |
| NLIU Bhopal [BSc LLB] | - | - | - | - |
| NLU Jodhpur | 356 | - | 5983 | 15063 |
| HNLU Raipur | 765 | 2061 | 9735 | 8454 |
| GNLU Gandhinagar | 375 | 1693 | 7277 | 14753 |
| RMLNLU Lucknow | 676 | Reserved for UP Domicile | Reserved for UP Domicile | Reserved for UP Domicile |
| RGNUL Punjab | 1075 | - | 10357 | 18707 |
| CNLU Patna [BA LLB] | 1312 | - | Reserved for Bihar Domicile | Reserved for Bihar Domicile |
| CNLU Patna [BBA LLB] | - | - | Reserved for Bihar Domicile | Reserved for Bihar Domicile |
| NUALS Kochi | 1144 | - | Reserved for Kerala Domicile | Reserved for Kerala Domicile |
| NLU Odisha | 1207 | - | 7957 | 16910 |
| NUSRL Ranchi | 1507 | 2596 | 11742 | 19796 |
| TNNLU Tiruchirappalli [BA LLB] | 1834 | 4119 | 13332 | 19551 |
| TNNLU Tiruchirappalli [BCom LLB] | - | - | - | - |
| DSNLU Vishakhapatnam | 1473 | - | - | - |
| MNLU Mumbai | 453 | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile |
| MNLU Nagpur [BA LLB] | 1448 | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile |
| MNLU Nagpur [BBA LLB] | - | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile |
| MNLU Aurangabad [BA LLB] | 2022 | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile |
| MNLU Aurangabad [BBA LLB] | - | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile | Reserved for Mah Domicile |
| NLUJA Assam | 1659 | Reserved for Assam Domicile | Reserved for Assam Domicile | Reserved for Assam Domicile |
| HPNLU Shimla [BA LLB] | 2009 | - | 13033 | 25226 |
| HPNLU Shimla [BBA LLB] | - | - | - | - |
| MPDNLU Jabalpur | 1996 | - | - | - |
| DBRANLU Sonepat | 2040 | 3666 | 14185 | 25209 |
Check Out NUSRL Ranchi Cut Off
Conclusion
As we reach the end of this enlightening journey of exploring CLAT 2026 Cut-offs for various law colleges, it's time to pause and reflect on the key takeaways that will help you craft your own success story:
- CLAT 2026 cut offs are dynamic and vary annually; staying updated on trends is crucial.
- Identifying target colleges based on CLAT cut-offs can help you set realistic goals and allocate resources accordingly.
- Analysing cut-offs across different categories aids in understanding the level of competition.
Remember, dear reader, that knowledge is power. Use these insights to plan your preparation strategically, set achievable targets, and ultimately conquer CLAT exam
Official website for verification: https://consortiumofnlus.ac.in/
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CLAT cut off, and how is it determined?
Are the CLAT 2026 cut off same for UG and PG programs?
How does the difficulty level of the exam impact the clat 2026 cut off?
Do domicile reservations affect the CLAT 2026 cut off?
What is the difference between the CLAT cut off and merit list?
Where can I find the official category-wise CLAT 2026 cut offs?
What is the CLAT 2026 cut off?
Is the CLAT 2026 cut off same for all NLUs?
Are CLAT 2026 UG and PG cut offs the same?
How can I estimate whether I will clear the CLAT 2026 cut off?
Can CLAT 2026 cut off be lower than 2025?
Samriddhi Pandey
Content Writer
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