Clat Cutoff 2026: Expected Ranks, Category-Wise & Previous Year Trends
General category closing ranks for top National Law Universities in the CLAT Cutoff 2025 (latest available data) ranged from 102 for NLSIU Bangalore to 1541 for CNLU Patna in the first allotment round. The CLAT Cutoff is the minimum rank required for admission to participating National Law Universities, with the 2026 cutoffs currently being finalized through ongoing counselling rounds. This year’s competition for CLAT 2026 is expected to be intense, with top NLU cutoffs projected to remain within the top 350 ranks. 2026 cutoff will be updated post-release.
CLAT Cutoff 2026: Notification, Application & Exam Date Schedule
The table below outlines the key dates for the CLAT 2026 examination and its associated processes.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification Release | July 20, 2025 |
| Application Start | August 1, 2025 |
| Application Close | October 31, 2025 |
| Correction Window (Preferences) | November 9, 2025 |
| Admit Card Release | November 22, 2025 |
| Exam Date | December 7, 2025 |
| Result Announcement | December 16, 2025 |
CLAT 2025 (Latest — 2026 awaited) Category-wise Cutoff: General, OBC, SC, ST & EWS Closing Ranks
The following table presents the CLAT 2025 category-wise opening and closing ranks for various National Law Universities based on the first allotment list.
| NLU | Category | Opening Rank (2025) | Closing Rank (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NLSIU Bangalore | General | 1 | 102 |
| NLSIU Bangalore | OBC | 209 | 1324 |
| NALSAR Hyderabad | General | 17 | 155 |
| NALSAR Hyderabad | OBC | 333 | 1219 |
| WBNUJS Kolkata (BA LLB) | General | 57 | 285 |
| TNNLU Tiruchirappalli (BA LLB) | General | 1231 | 1516 |
| TNNLU Tiruchirappalli (BA LLB) | OBC | 2045 | 3090 |
| TNNLU Tiruchirappalli (BA LLB) | SC | 6291 | 9564 |
| DSNLU Vishakhapatnam | General | 957 | 1489 |
| DSNLU Vishakhapatnam | OBC | 2734 | 3612 |
| DSNLU Vishakhapatnam | SC | 8198 | 9240 |
| DSNLU Vishakhapatnam | ST | 13506 | 13834 |
CLAT 2025 (Latest — 2026 awaited) Round-wise Cutoff: Round 1, Round 2 & Final Round Closing Ranks
The following table details the CLAT 2025 General category closing ranks for various NLUs in the first allotment round.
| NLU | Round 1 Closing Rank (General, 2025) |
|---|---|
| NLSIU Bangalore | 102 |
| NALSAR Hyderabad | 155 |
| NUJS Kolkata | 285 |
| NLIU Bhopal | 407 |
| NLU Jodhpur | 344 |
| GNLU Gandhinagar | 443 |
| RMLNLU Lucknow | 788 |
| HNLU Raipur | 733 |
| RGNUL Patiala | 1307 |
| CNLU Patna | 1541 |
CLAT Cutoff Trends: Closing Ranks 2023 vs 2024 vs 2025 by NLU
This table illustrates the General category closing rank trends for top National Law Universities over the past three years.
| NLU | Closing Rank (General, 2025) | Closing Rank (General, 2024) | Closing Rank (General, 2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NLSIU Bangalore | 102 | 99 | 114 |
| NALSAR Hyderabad | 155 | 164 | 177 |
| WBNUJS Kolkata (BA LLB) | 285 | 275 | 244 |
CLAT Cutoff 2026 Counselling Schedule: Registration, Choice Filling & Seat Allotment Dates
The CLAT 2026 counselling process involves multiple rounds of seat allocation, as detailed in the schedule below.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Counselling Registration | December 17 – 27, 2025 |
| Seat Allotment Round 1 | January 7, 2026 |
| Round 1 Confirmation Fee Deadline | January 15, 2026 |
| Seat Allotment Round 2 | January 22, 2026 |
| Round 2 Confirmation Fee Deadline | January 29, 2026 |
| Seat Allotment Round 3 | February 5, 2026 |
| Seat Allotment Round 4 | May 2, 2026 |
| Seat Allotment Round 5 | May 2026 |
FAQs
Q. What is the expected cutoff of CLAT 2026 for top NLUs?
For CLAT 2026, the cutoff for top NLUs like NLSIU Bangalore and NALSAR Hyderabad is expected to remain highly competitive, with closing ranks projected within the top 350 for the General category. Final figures will be released post-counselling rounds.
Q. Has the CLAT 2026 cutoff been officially released?
While CLAT 2026 results were declared on December 16, 2025, the final consolidated cutoff lists for all counselling rounds are still being updated as the counselling process extends into May 2026. Specific NLU-wise cutoffs are released progressively with each allotment list.
Q. What factors influence the CLAT cutoff each year?
Several factors influence the CLAT cutoff, including the overall difficulty level of the exam, the total number of candidates who appeared, the number of seats available in participating NLUs, and the reservation policies for various categories like General, OBC, SC, ST, and EWS.
Q. How does the cutoff for CLAT 2025 compare to CLAT 2024?
The CLAT 2025 cutoff for top NLUs showed slight variations compared to 2024. For instance, NLSIU Bangalore’s General closing rank was 102 in 2025 compared to 99 in 2024, indicating consistent high competition.
Q. Where can I find the cutoff of CLAT 2024?
The official CLAT 2024 cutoff ranks were released by the Consortium of National Law Universities after each counselling round. These can typically be found on the official CLAT website or educational portals that compile previous year’s data.
Q. Is there a separate CLAT exam cutoff for different categories?
Yes, the CLAT cutoff varies significantly across different categories such as General, OBC, SC, ST, and EWS, due to reservation policies implemented by the participating National Law Universities. Each NLU also has its own specific category-wise cutoffs.
