CLAT attendance ratio rises, top NLUs cutoffs increase for 2027 aspirants

The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) on October 18, 2026, released data indicating a consistent rise in the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) attendance ratio over the past three years. This trend suggests an increase in competition for undergraduate admissions to the 26 National Law Universities participating in the CLAT consortium.

A higher attendance percentage typically marks fewer candidates skipping the examination, which contributes to a more competitive environment for securing one of the approximately 3,700 undergraduate seats available across all NLUs combined. The Consortium noted that this has led to significant shifts in cutoff trends for top NLUs.

CLAT Examination Structure and Key Dates

The CLAT UG examination is currently scored out of a total of 120 marks, with one mark awarded for each correct answer and a deduction of 0.25 marks for every incorrect response. This scoring system was implemented from CLAT 2024, a reduction from the previous 150-mark format used before 2024, which means cutoffs from earlier years are not directly comparable.

The CLAT 2026 examination was conducted on December 7, 2025, with results declared on December 16, 2025. Looking ahead, the CLAT 2027 exam is scheduled to be conducted offline, using a pen and paper format, on December 6, 2026. Results for CLAT 2027 are anticipated to be announced on December 15, 2026.

Rising Cutoff Trends and Admission Criteria

The Consortium of NLUs has observed a progressive increase in cutoff levels, particularly for the top three NLUs. The required marks for admission to these selective institutions have risen dramatically in recent years. Since the shift to a 120-mark paper in CLAT 2024, the top NLUs have remained highly competitive, with general category closing ranks typically falling within the first 350.

CLAT does not have individual sectional cutoffs. In the event of a tie in scores, candidates with higher marks in Legal Reasoning are ranked higher. If a tie persists, older candidates are given priority, and if still unresolved, computerized lots are drawn to determine the final rank. Cutoffs, which include opening and closing ranks for categories such as general, OBC, SC, ST, and EWS, are published after each counseling round conducted by the Consortium. The CLAT cutoff is influenced by paper difficulty, the number of candidates, NLU seat availability, and the reservation policy.

Expanding NLU Network and Seat Availability

The CLAT NLU list for 2027 now comprises 26 National Law Universities, following the recent additions of NLU Tripura (Agartala) and NLU Meghalaya. This expansion contributes to the overall availability of undergraduate law seats in the country. However, NLU Delhi operates independently and is not part of the CLAT consortium, admitting students solely through its own AILET examination.

The Consortium of NLUs releases a merit list, after which each NLU establishes its own closing rank for various categories over successive counseling rounds. This process determines admissions to the approximately 3,700 undergraduate seats available across the consortium’s institutions.

Further reading

• CLAT 2027: Apply for 3,520 UG seats across 26 NLUs by October 18
• CLAT 2027 registration document guidelines released: apply by October 31
• CLAT counselling: rounds, dates and seat allotment Next step
• AILET 2027 application fee payment failures: NLU Delhi issues guidelines
• CUET 2027: Register by November 25
• Pune Law: Apply for direct admission to LLB courses now Applications open

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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