CLAT 2026 Cutoffs for NLUs: Students who gave the CLAT 2026 exam are now waiting to understand the cut off marks. Since the exam is for 120 marks many students believe that a score above 100 can help secure a seat in a top National Law University.
The CLAT exam took place on December 7 2025 from 2 pm to 4 pm at selected test centers. After the exam students could check their answers using the official answer key. The final answer key was released on December 16 2025. The Consortium closed counselling registrations on December 27. The first seat allotment list will come out on January 7 2026 at 10:00 AM.
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CLAT Cut Off
CLAT cut off means the minimum marks or All India Rank needed to get admission into a particular NLU. There is no single cut off number. Every NLU has its own cut off. Every category also has a different cut off. The Consortium uses rank category and student preferences to decide seat allotment.
Top NLUs like NLSIU Bangalore NALSAR Hyderabad and NUJS Kolkata usually have the highest cut offs. Newer NLUs usually have slightly lower cut offs. For CLAT 2026 the cut offs are expected to stay close to last year with small changes.
CLAT 2026 Cut Offs for Top 10 NLUs
To get an idea about the CLAT cutoff 2026 for the top 10 NLUs, students can check the expected cut-off below:
| NLUs | Cut-off |
|---|---|
| NLSIU Bangalore | 100+ |
| NALSAR Hyderabad | 99+ |
| WBNUJS Kolkata | 94+ |
| NLU Jodhpur | 89+ |
| NLU Bhopal | 87+ |
| GNLU Gandhinagar | 85+ |
| MNLU Mumbai | 82+ |
| RMLNLU Lucknow | 78+ |
| NLU Odisha | 75+ |
CLAT 2026 Expected Rank and Marks
| NLU | Rank Range | Marks (Approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| NLSIU Bengaluru | 1 – 85 | 103–107 |
| NALSAR Hyderabad | 90 – 135 | 100–104 |
| WBNUJS Kolkata | 140 – 200 | 97–100 |
| NLU Jodhpur | 210 – 310 | 94–97 |
| NLIU Bhopal | 300 – 400 | 91–94 |
| GNLU Gandhinagar | 320 – 430 | 90–93 |
| RMLNLU Lucknow | 420 – 550 | 87–90 |
| HNLU Raipur | 500 – 700 | 85–88 |
| NUALS Kochi | 680 – 850 | 83–86 |
| RGNUL Patiala | 750 – 950 | 82–85 |
How Category Wise Cut Offs Work?
Category wise cut offs play a big role in CLAT admissions. General category usually has the highest cut off. Other categories have lower cut offs depending on seat availability. Because of this students must check cut offs based on their own category and not compare with others.
| Category | Rank (Expected) |
|---|---|
| General | 1 – 1000 |
| OBC | 1000 – 2000 |
| EWS | 1200 – 2500 |
| SC | 2800 – 5000 |
| ST | 4000 – 6000 |
| PwD | Differs a lot, based on type of disability and reservation policy |
CLAT Counselling Dates
CLAT counselling follows a fixed schedule. Registration for counselling closed on December 27 2025. The first allotment list will be released on January 7 2026 at 10:00 AM. After each round students must respond within the given time.
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Missing a deadline can lead to loss of the allotted seat so students must stay alert during counselling rounds.
What is Freeze, Float & Exit Option?
Freeze Option
Freeze option means the student is fully satisfied with the allotted NLU. By choosing Freeze the student locks the seat and exits further rounds. This option is best when the student gets their preferred college.
Float Option
Float option means the student accepts the current seat but still wants a better NLU in the next rounds. The student keeps the seat safe while waiting for an upgrade.
Exit Option
Exit option means the student does not want any seat through CLAT counselling. Once Exit is chosen the student leaves the process completely.
Factors Deciding the CLAT 2026 Cut Off
- Paper Difficulty-The tougher the paper, the lower the marks needed.
- Total Students Appeared-More students = more competition.
- Seats Available-If there are fewer seats, cut-off shoots up.
- Reservation Rules-Different NLUs have different quota policies.
- Your Preferences-Popular NLUs fill faster, hence higher cutoffs.
CLAT 2026 Counselling Process
- Register and pay the counselling fee (INR 30,000 for Gen/OBC and INR 20,000 for SC/ST)
- Choose your NLU preferences wisely
- Wait for the allotment round
- Once you get a seat, you choose either Freeze / Float / Exit
What to do After CLAT 2026 Cut Off is Released?
After cut offs are released students should first check if their rank falls within any NLU cut off. If a seat is allotted they should pay the fee quickly and choose the correct option. If no seat comes in the first list students should stay patient because later rounds often have more openings.
