CLAT Cut-Off Trends Over the Last 10 Years: A Complete Analysis (2015–2025)

The CLAT cut off in the last 10 years reveals how competition for admission to India's National Law Universities (NLUs) has changed over time. By studying the CLAT previous year cut off, candidates can gain insights into the admission trends, determine the rank they need to secure admission to their desired NLU, and plan their admission strategy accordingly. This guide provides a detailed overview of the CLAT cut-off trends between 2015 and 2025, along with insights into the significance of these trends for CLAT aspirants.

What is the CLAT Cut Off?

The CLAT cut-off is the lowest rank or score needed to get admission to a National Law University (NLU). Each of the participating NLUs announces its own cut-off following each counselling round. The cut-off depends on the number of applicants, the level of difficulty of the exam, the number of seats available, the reservation category, and the popularity of the university.

Why Is It Important To Check CLAT Previous Year Cut Off?

By studying the CLAT previous year cut off, candidates:

• Know the level of competition.
• Forecast closing ranks.
• Shortlist realistic NLUs.
• Make informed plans for counselling preferences.
• Set achievable preparation goals.

Students can also use previous years' cut-offs to get a sense of how difficult the exam was and how it might impact their chances of admission.

The last 10 years of CLAT Cut-Offs are major trends

The CLAT cut off in the last 10 years reveals that the top NLUs have been very competitive, and the newer ones have slowly gained popularity. Some of the major trends include:

• NLSIU, Bengaluru has been consistently the toughest NLU to get into, and the General category closing ranks have always been in the top 100.
• Other teams that have been consistently competitive over the years are NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata, NLIU Bhopal and NLU Jodhpur.
• The reputation and placements of newly established NLUs have seen a steady rise in their cut-offs.
• The cut-off for each category remains very different due to the reservation system adopted by each NLU.

CLAT Previous Year Cut Off: 2025 Highlights

The CLAT 2025 First Allotment List revealed that the closing ranks of the General category for some of the top NLUs were:

• NLSIU Bengaluru: 102
• NALSAR Hyderabad: 155
• WBNUJS Kolkata (BA LLB): 285
• NLIU Bhopal (BA LLB): 458
• NLU Jodhpur: 357
• GNLU Gandhinagar: 402\

CLAT 2025 Cut Off

NLUs	General (Opening Rank - Closing Rank)	OBC (Opening Rank - Closing Rank)	SC (Opening Rank - Closing Rank)	ST (Opening Rank - Closing Rank)
NLSIU Bangalore	1-102	209-1324	182-3014	228-3396
NALSAR Hyderabad	17-155	333-1219	816-3177	1311-3433
WBNUJS [BA LLB]	57-285	Reserved for WB Domicile	3048-3952	4824-6343
WBNUJS [BSc LLB]	299-652	Reserved for WB Domicile	4244-6584	8994-9739
NLIU Bhopal [BA LLB]	257-458	1086-1757	4682-5763	5456-8243
NLIU Bhopal [BSc LLB]	438-843	2158-2453	4768-7200	8673-11901
NLU Jodhpur	159-357	583-1699	3158-4659	2838-5232
HNLU Raipur	463-765	2144-2385	6232-7350	8711-9973
GNLU Gandhinagar	164- 402	715-2138	974-5791	4457-7639
RMLNLU Lucknow	460-721	Reserved for UP Domicile	Reserved for UP Domicile	Reserved for UP Domicile
RGNUL Punjab	95-1146	-	2067-8126	7540-11761
CNLU Patna [BA LLB]	882-1278	-	Reserved for Bihar Domicile	Reserved for Bihar Domicile
CNLU Patna [BBA LLB]	1215-1424	-	Reserved for Bihar Domicile	Reserved for Bihar Domicile
NUALS Kochi	350-1175	-	Reserved for Kerala Domicile	Reserved for Kerala Domicile
NLU Odisha [BA LLB}	382-943	-	3196-6557	8920-11889
NLU Odisha [BBA LLB]	552-1034	-	7630-7711	10921-12684
NUSRL Ranchi [BA LLB}	864-1476	1671-2923	8542-9324	10015-13373
NUSRL Ranchi [BBA LLB]	1164-1504	1845-3634	8493-9515	10573-13619
TNNLU Tiruchirappalli [BA LLB]	1231-1516	2045-3090	6291-9564	Reserved for TN Domicile
TNNLU Tiruchirappalli [BCom LLB]	1259-1642	3432-4096	6571-11547	Reserved for TN Domicile
DSNLU Vishakhapatnam	957-1489	2734-3612	8198-9240	13506-13834
MNLU Mumbai	418-536	Reserved for Mah Domicile	Reserved for Mah Domicile	Reserved for Mah Domicile
MNLU Nagpur [BA LLB]	680-1353	Reserved for Mah Domicile	Reserved for Mah Domicile	Reserved for Mah Domicile
MNLU Nagpur [BBA LLB]	681-1375	Reserved for Mah Domicile	Reserved for Mah Domicile	Reserved for Mah Domicile
MNLU Aurangabad [BA LLB]	1023-1580	Reserved for Mah Domicile	Reserved for Mah Domicile	Reserved for Mah Domicile
MNLU Aurangabad [BBA LLB]	1361-1850	Reserved for Mah Domicile	Reserved for Mah Domicile	Reserved for Mah Domicile
NLUJA Assam	1163-1643	Reserved for Assam Domicile	Reserved for Assam Domicile	Reserved for Assam Domicile
HPNLU Shimla [BA LLB]	949-1951	-	8641-11003	12203-15816
HPNLU Shimla [BBA LLB]	1135-1994	-	9542-12439	15632-18083
MPDNLU Jabalpur	1371-1762	2477-3926	8826-11784	13674-18330
DBRANLU Sonepat	626-1621	2173-3856	7991-11377	12630-16128
GNLU, Silvassa	755-1252	2745-3356	8380-8676	12108-12880
NLUT Agartala	1866-2098	-	Reserved for Tripura Domicile	Reserved for Tripura Domicile
RPNLU Prayagraj	1102-1987	Reserved for UP Domicile	Reserved for UP Domicile	Reserved for UP Domicile

 

The CLAT 2024 Cut Off Highlights

The CLAT 2024 Fifth Allotment List also revealed a similar trend in admissions:

• NLSIU Bengaluru: 102
• NALSAR Hyderabad: 167
• WBNUJS Kolkata: 279
• NLIU Bhopal: 452
• NLU Jodhpur: 379
• GNLU Gandhinagar: 464

What are the changes in CLAT Cut-Offs since 2015?

From the CLAT cut off last 10 years, the following trends can be observed:

• The top 5 NLUs have always taken the candidates with excellent ranks.
• The closing ranks have been fairly consistent despite the change in the exam pattern.
• The competition has grown with the number of students appearing for CLAT every year.
• Over the years, newer NLUs like MNLU Mumbai, HPNLU Shimla, DNLU Jabalpur and DBRANLU Sonepat have become more competitive.

The Factors that Affect the CLAT Cut-Off Every Year 

The CLAT previous year cut off depends on various factors such as:

• Number of candidates appearing for CLAT.
• Difficulty level of the question paper.
• Number of seats available in each NLU.
• Reservation and domicile policies.
• Preference at the time of counselling.
• The number of counselling rounds that were carried out.

These factors are subject to change annually and so are the cut-offs from one admission cycle to another.

Use CLAT Previous Year Cut Off for Counselling

The candidates should take the CLAT previous year cut off as a reference point and not as a guaranteed admission point. When counselling, students should compare their closing rank to the previous years' closing rank, add a variety of dreams, targets and safe NLUs, take into account domicile and reservation benefits as applicable, and keep all counselling allotment lists, cut-offs tend to vary between rounds.

Choose AICLET if CLAT Cut-Off is Not Cleared

Candidates who are unable to secure admission through CLAT due to the cut-off should not lose hope. They can also consider appearing for the All India Common Law Entrance Test (AICLET), which offers another pathway to pursue legal education. Through AICLET, eligible candidates can seek admission to several leading law universities and colleges across India, providing an alternative opportunity to build a successful career in law.

What Must Students Know?

The CLAT cut off of the last 10 years clearly indicates that admission to the top National Law Universities in India is still competitive. But, knowing the CLAT previous year cut off can help the candidates make informed decisions while counseling and develop a realistic admission strategy.

Although each year's cut-off is dependent on various factors, by studying the trends over the years, aspirants can determine which NLUs will best suit their expected rank. With the increasing competition in CLAT, students who keep an eye on the last 10 years cut-off trends and strategically prepare for the exam will have a higher probability of getting admission to their desired National Law University.