CLAT 2026 Cut-offs: Top NLUs Hold Strong, New Campuses Vary

The challenge window for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT 2026) provisional answer key closes today, December 12, at 5 PM . Candidates can submit objections by paying Rs 500 per question. This deadline is crucial for finalising the ranks for admissions to National Law Universities (NLUs).

CLAT cut-off trends over the past four years show top NLUs consistently attracting high-ranking candidates. NLSIU Bengaluru, NALSAR Hyderabad, and WBNUJS Kolkata typically close admissions under rank 500. Newer NLU campuses, however, show a wider range in closing ranks, often extending beyond 2800.

Top NLUs Maintain High Cut-offs

NLSIU Bengaluru remains the primary choice for top rank holders. The All India Rank 1 (AIR 1) candidate has chosen NLSIU Bengaluru for BA LLB in each of the last four years. Its closing rank for admissions has ranged from 85 to 114, indicating high competition.

NALSAR Hyderabad consistently holds the second highest CLAT cut-offs for BA LLB. Its opening ranks have varied from 6 to 25, with closing ranks between 159 and 177 over the last four years.

WBNUJS Kolkata also attracts highly ranked students. Its BA LLB program has closed admissions between rank 257 and 327 in recent years. These three premier NLUs typically conclude their admission process for general category candidates under rank 350.

Newer Campuses See Higher Closing Ranks

Newer NLUs, including MNLU Nagpur, MNLU Aurangabad, NUSRL Ranchi, DSNLU Visakhapatnam, HPNLU Shimla, and NLUT Agartala, show greater variation in their cut-offs. Candidates with ranks above 1600, and sometimes exceeding 2800, generally secure admission in these institutions. For example, NLUT Agartala’s closing rank for 2025 was 2855, and HPNLU Shimla closed at 2816 in 2023.

CLAT 2026 Important Dates and Process

The Consortium of National Law Universities (CNLUs) will declare CLAT 2026 results by the third week of December . The official website, consortiumofnlus.ac.in, will publish the results. The Consortium will prepare the final CLAT rank list based on the corrected answer key after reviewing submitted challenges.

CLAT cut-offs depend on several factors: the number of candidates taking the exam, its difficulty level, scores obtained, reservation criteria, and available seats. Experts consider a CLAT score between 105 and 110 to be a good performance.

CLAT UG Cut-off Trends (General Category – Past Four Years)