CLAT Cut-Off Marks Category Wise Analysis

CLAT Cut-Off Marks Category Wise Analysis for Top NLUs

The highly anticipated CLAT 2025 examination concluded successfully on 1st December 2024, marking a major milestone for thousands of aspiring law students across the country. The excitement further escalated with the release of the CLAT 2025 results on 7th December 2024, as candidates now shift their focus toward understanding the CLAT 2025 cut-off marks and ranks—key metrics that determine admission into prestigious National Law Universities (NLUs) such as NLSIU Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad, and WBNUJS Kolkata.

To aid aspirants in this crucial phase, we’ve provided a detailed category-wise CLAT cut-off 2025, curated by seasoned CLAT mentors. This analysis takes into account the difficulty level of the exam, the number of applicants, and the availability of seats across NLUs, offering valuable insights to help you plan your counseling strategy effectively.

What is CLAT Cut-Off?

The CLAT cut-off refers to the minimum score required by candidates to secure admission into participating National Law Universities (NLUs). This benchmark is not static—it varies each year based on a combination of factors including:

Category of the candidate (General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS, PwD, etc.)
Choice of NLU
Domicile-based reservation
Difficulty level of the exam
Number of seats available at each NLU

For instance, if the CLAT question paper is deemed more difficult compared to previous years, the cut-off tends to be slightly lower. On the other hand, a moderately easy paper results in higher cut-off scores.

CLAT Cut-Off 2025 (Category-Wise)

Mentioned below is the CLAT 2025 cut-off range for various categories. These projections are based on expert analysis and trends observed after the completion of the examination:

Category	CLAT Cut-Off Marks 2025
General	87–98
OBC	83–95
SC	74–90
ST	70–86
EWS	85–96
PwD	65–80

EWS Category: The cut-off for EWS (Economically Weaker Section) candidates closely mirrors that of the General category, typically ranging between 85 to 96 marks.
General Category: Historically, General category aspirants require the highest score to gain admission, and for CLAT 2025, this range is estimated to be 87 to 98 marks.
OBC Category: For OBC candidates, the cut-off varies from 83 to 95 marks, depending on the NLU’s seat matrix and reservation structure.
SC Category: Candidates belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) category can expect a cut-off range between 74 to 90 marks.
ST Category: For Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates, the cut-off generally falls between 70 to 86 marks, though it may vary slightly across NLUs.

CLAT 2025 Cut-Off for Top 3 NLUs

Aspirants aiming to crack the top-tier NLUs such as NLSIU Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad, and WBNUJS Kolkata must take note of the cut-off marks required for admission in these institutes. These universities have consistently maintained high closing ranks, making them the most competitive among all NLUs.

Category	Cut-Off Marks for Top 3 NLUs
General	95–98
OBC	92–95
SC	86–90
ST	82–86
EWS	94–96
PwD	78–80

Admission into these top 3 institutions demands stellar performance across all sections of the CLAT exam. Even a few marks can significantly impact your chances of making it through the first few rounds of counseling.

CLAT 2025 Cut-Off Marks for Top 10 NLUs

For aspirants aiming to secure a seat in one of the top 10 NLUs in India, the CLAT 2025 cut-off marks will vary based on the candidate’s category and the NLU’s ranking. These institutes not only offer excellent academics but also provide robust internship and placement opportunities.

Category	CLAT Cut-Off Marks 2025
General	87–98
OBC	83–95
SC	74–90
ST	70–86
EWS	85–96
PwD	65–80

Top 10 NLUs Considered in the List:

NLSIU Bangalore
NALSAR Hyderabad
NLIU Bhopal
NLU Jodhpur
WBNUJS Kolkata
HNLU Raipur
GNLU Gandhinagar
RMLNLU Lucknow
RGNUL Punjab
CNLU Patna

These institutions are known for their academic rigour and elite alumni networks, so knowing the correct CLAT 2025 cut-off marks is crucial while locking your preferences during counseling.

NLU Cut-Off Marks 2025 (Complete List)

If you’re looking to explore options beyond the top-tier NLUs, it’s essential to have a complete view of the CLAT 2025 cut-off marks for all NLUs in India. Whether you’re applying under General, Reserved, or Domicile categories, this data will help you make informed choices.

NLU	General	OBC	SC	ST	EWS	PwD
NLSIU Bangalore	98	95	90	86	96	80
NALSAR Hyderabad	96	93	86	82	94	78
WBNUJS Kolkata	94	90	84	80	92	78
NLIU Bhopal	91	88	82	78	89	70
NLU Jodhpur	92	89	81	76	90	76
HNLU Raipur	87	83	74	70	85	65
GNLU Gandhinagar	90	84	76	72	86	60
RMLNLU Lucknow	87	84	76	72	85	55
RGNUL Punjab	89	83	72	68	84	56
CNLU Patna	85	82	70	66	83	52
NLU Odisha	84	81	68	64	82	50
NLUJAA Assam	80	78	65	60	79	48
DSNLU Vizag	79	76	63	59	78	45
TNNLU Trichy	81	79	64	61	80	47

Each NLU has its unique admission criteria and seat reservation policies. Hence, it’s important to match your CLAT score with the respective institute’s cut-off trends to improve your chances of selection.

What’s a Good Score in CLAT 2025? (For Top 5 NLUs)

Based on the difficulty level of the CLAT 2025 question paper, our mentors have analyzed the good attempts and ideal scores required for admission into the top 5 NLUs. This is a helpful benchmark to evaluate your performance and understand your standing.

Section	No. of Questions	Good Attempt	Good Score
English Language	24	20	16–18
GK and Current Affairs	28	25	23–24
Legal Reasoning	32	28	24–26
Logical Reasoning	24	20	16–18
Quantitative Techniques	12	10	6–8
Total	120	100	85–94

Remember, a few extra correct attempts can make a big difference in final allotments. Try to estimate your score based on official and unofficial answer keys.

CLAT Cut-Off Rank 2025 (Rank-Wise Seat Allotment)

Apart from marks, the CLAT Rank 2025 is a critical factor during counseling. Since NLU admissions are offered on the basis of All India Ranks (AIR), even minor differences in rank can shift your seat allocation to a different NLU.

NLU	General	OBC	SC	ST	EWS	PWD
NLSIU Bangalore	140	1001	3000	8000	600	5000
NALSAR Hyderabad	186	1186	3427	6083	564	9185
NLU Bhopal	460	1315	5178	11527	1115	–
NLU Kolkata	277	–	4503	8860	–	11100

Understanding the rank-to-marks conversion will give you clarity on your position in the merit list and what NLUs are realistically within your reach.

CLAT 2025 Cut-Off Rank for Domicile Students

Several National Law Universities in India offer domicile-based reservations, allowing candidates from the respective home states to secure admission at a relatively lower rank compared to All India General category candidates. These cut-off ranks for domicile students are highly significant for aspirants seeking admission to NLUs in their own state.

NLU	General	OBC	SC	ST	EWS	PWD
NLSIU Bangalore	381	3724	8067	14349	4219	4937
NALSAR Hyderabad	871	6410	7804	8843	5595	31179
NLU Bhopal	825	5566	6872	17269	–	–
NLU Kolkata	988	3349	10135	12954	–	30484

It is important to note that domicile cut-off ranks vary widely across universities, depending on the number of reserved seats, state-wise applicant volume, and university preference trends. For example, NLUs like HNLU Raipur, RMLNLU Lucknow, and CNLU Patna are known to reserve a considerable percentage of seats for domicile students, thereby offering more opportunities for in-state candidates.

Factors Affecting CLAT Cut-off Marks 2025

Understanding the factors that shape the CLAT 2025 cut-off marks is crucial for evaluating your chances of admission. These variables not only influence the overall merit list but also determine cut-offs across categories and NLUs.

1. Difficulty Level of the Exam

The complexity of the CLAT question paper significantly impacts the cut-off. A more difficult paper usually results in lower cut-offs, while an easier or moderately challenging paper leads to higher qualifying marks.
For example, CLAT 2023 was considered one of the toughest in recent years, which caused a notable drop in cut-off scores, while CLAT 2021, though lengthy, was moderate and had higher cut-offs.

2. Number of Candidates Appearing

The volume of applicants directly affects competition. A greater number of candidates vying for limited seats leads to a rise in cut-off marks.
It is estimated that approximately 60,000 candidates appeared for CLAT 2025, indicating stiff competition.

3. Number of Seats Available

The total number of seats in participating NLUs, especially for UG and PG law programs, is a defining factor. With around 3700 seats available in CLAT 2025, the seat-to-applicant ratio remains low, naturally pushing the cut-off higher.

4. Performance of the Candidates

The overall quality of performance among candidates influences the cut-off as well. If a large portion of test-takers score high, the cut-off marks rise. If the average performance is low, the cut-off drops accordingly.

5. Reservation Policies

CLAT has well-defined reservation policies for various categories like SC, ST, OBC, EWS, and PwD. These categories have different qualifying marks and separate seat allotments, leading to varying cut-off trends.

6. Domicile Quotas

Many NLUs implement state domicile quotas, offering preferential access to local candidates. This often results in lower cut-off ranks for eligible state residents, improving their chances of securing a seat.

7. NLU Preference

Each NLU attracts a different level of demand. Top-ranked NLUs such as NLSIU Bangalore, NALSAR Hyderabad, and WBNUJS Kolkata witness high cut-offs, while newer or mid-tier NLUs generally have more relaxed cut-offs due to less demand.

Marks of CLAT Toppers

A key indicator of exam difficulty and scoring trends is the performance of CLAT toppers over the years. Reviewing the top scores gives candidates a benchmark for understanding what it takes to lead the merit list.

Year	Topper Score	Total Marks	Insights
CLAT 2020	127.25	150	High score due to a relatively moderate paper.
CLAT 2021	125.5	150	The paper was lengthy, but still moderate in difficulty, leading to a high topper score.
CLAT 2022	121	150	Slightly tougher paper compared to previous years, causing a drop in the top score.
CLAT 2023	116.75	150	The most difficult paper in the last five years, resulting in a significant drop in the topper score.
CLAT 2024	108	120	The pattern changed, making the paper more difficult; Jai Bohara secured AIR 1 with a lower score.
CLAT 2025	103.5	116	CLAT UG topper in 2025 scored 103.5.

In the past five years, a noticeable decline in topper scores has been observed, largely due to increasing complexity and evolving exam patterns.
The CLAT 2023 exam, widely regarded as the most challenging of recent years, saw a significant drop in the highest scores.
The pattern change in CLAT 2024, which reduced the total number of questions from 150 to 120, also resulted in a lower top score, reflecting the more analytical nature of the paper.

CLAT Cut-Off 2024

Here is the category-wise CLAT 2024 cut-off, including both opening and closing ranks for various NLUs. These figures offer valuable reference points for CLAT 2025 aspirants looking to compare trends and set realistic expectations.

NLU	General (Opening – Closing Rank)	OBC (Opening – Closing Rank)	SC (Opening – Closing Rank)	ST (Opening – Closing Rank)
NLSIU Bangalore	1 – 102	107 – 971	372 – 3007	224 – 7487
NALSAR Hyderabad	4 – 167	189 – 1116	319 – 3574	263 – 6083
WBNUJS Kolkata	140 – 279	—	2056 – 4503	2856 – 8860
NLIU Bhopal	159 – 452	879 – 1315	3161 – 5178	8860 – 11527
NLU Jodhpur	112 – 379	487 – 1424	3574 – 5178	4411 – 8960
HNLU Raipur	413 – 791	1858 – 2069	5192 – 6765	9218 – 12035
GNLU Gandhinagar	8 – 464	1284 – 1858	4988 – 6175	7712 – 11580
RMLNLU Lucknow	357 – 764	—	3234 – 10253	—
RGNUL Punjab	220 – 1250	—	3234 – 10253	9562 – 16875
CNLU Patna	790 – 1358	—	Reserved for Domicile	—
NUALS Kochi	231 – 1136	—	Reserved for Domicile	—
NLU Odisha	591 – 1205	—	5997 – 9869	11580 – 16676
NUSRL Ranchi	637 – 1594	1943 – 3005	5972 – 11124	16875 – 19635
TNNLU Tiruchirappalli	806 – 1628	1672 – 3135	10681 – 11289	Reserved for Domicile
DSNLU Vishakhapatnam	656 – 1390	2068 – 2940	8057 – 10568	12009 – 18342
MNLU Mumbai	222 – 590	Reserved for Maharashtra Domicile	Reserved for Maharashtra Domicile	Reserved for Maharashtra Domicile

CLAT Cut-Off 2023

The CLAT 2023 cut-off marks were significantly affected by the difficulty of the paper, leading to noticeable changes in admission trends across all categories and universities.

NLU	General (Open – Close Rank)	EWS (Open – Close Rank)	OBC (Open – Close Rank)	SC (Open – Close Rank)	ST (Open – Close Rank)
NLSIU Bengaluru	1 – 114	129 – 510	171 – 923	181 – 2674	1781 – 2835
NALSAR Hyderabad	25 – 177	365 – 680	931 – 1116	702 – 3388	3375 – 6174
WBNUJS Kolkata	136 – 260	—	1397 – 7119	588 – 4217	6121 – 7792
NLIU Bhopal	186 – 463	796 – 1290	591 – 1268	4505 – 5311	8143 – 10960
NLU Jodhpur	70 – 383	—	—	2360 – 4457	6689 – 8076
HNLU Raipur	481 – 805	—	2031 – 2061	6997 – 7137	10117 – 11277
GNLU Gandhinagar	147 – 462	488 – 1210	1150 – 1878	3680 – 5683	8790 – 10837
RMLNLU Lucknow	432 – 749	1432 – 1845	772 – 3088	6014 – 9582	18980 – 27764
RGNUL Patiala	563 – 1307	—	—	5693 – 8856	10300 – 15585
CNLU Patna	628 – 1541	2002 – 2501	1511 – 5260	7741 – 13369	20004 – —
NUALS Kochi	638 – 1461	5660 – 41647	—	6498 – 26009	27055 – 28147
NLU Odisha	504 – 1207	—	—	6147 – 7957	13445 – 16910
NUSRL Ranchi	939 – 1895	2332 – 2688	2248 – 2756	7695 – 10032	14248 – 18477
TNNLU Tiruchirapalli	704 – 2045	—	2509 – 4119	6192 – 10557	14452 – —
DSNLU Vishakhapatnam	538 – 2080	2477 – 3285	7113 – 16077	9337 – 17282	13295 – —
MNLU Mumbai	325 – 590	2034 – 4878	3078 – 9880	5963 – 8923	17578 – 32870
MNLU Nagpur	878 – 2102	2710 – 14738	7420 – 22745	4921 – 21215	23125 – 39121
MNLU Aurangabad	1824 – 2655	13589 – —	12558 – 24704	21626 – 26769	37995 – —
NLUJA Assam	1375 – 2569	—	4913 – 38136	15318 – 31993	25618 – 42731
HPNLU Shimla	822 – 2816	—	—	8337 – 11982	13021 – 20699
DNLU Jabalpur	1696 – 2698	2969 – 3513	3905 – 4318	10030 – 12073	17883 – 23002
DBRANLU Sonipat	767 – 2713	2584 – 3412	2533 – 4515	9611 – 11010	10923 – 21673
GNLU Silvassa Campus	810 – 1820	1863 – 2984	2435 – 3992	8339 – 10104	13276 – 14846

These figures illustrate how test complexity and seat availability can impact admission prospects, especially for General category students.

CLAT Cut-Off 2022

The CLAT 2022 cut-off ranks were more in line with traditional trends, with only moderate variation observed across categories.

NLU	General (Open – Close Rank)	OBC (Open – Close Rank)	SC (Open – Close Rank)	ST (Open – Close Rank)
NLSIU Bengaluru	1 – 85	88 – 638	431 – 2224	554 – 3428
NALSAR Hyderabad	8 – 162	505 – 7849	1252 – 2761	3818 – 5158
WBNUJS Kolkata	117 – 257	1989 – 11472	2503 – 4933	5084 – 7238
NLIU Bhopal	241 – 451	774 – 1510	3618 – 4793	6076 – 10189
NLU Jodhpur	155 – 378	–	2318 – 5881	1727 – 7620
HNLU Raipur	430 – 756	1721 – 1980	4918 – 8797	11785 – 12027
GNLU Gandhinagar	175 – 430	752 – 1747	3779 – 6527	6155 – 12014
RMLNLU Lucknow	377 – 756	902 – 3568	4565 – 10476	15889 – 19504
RGNUL Patiala	437 – 1184	–	6134 – 9434	6449 – 16179
CNLU Patna	932 – 1498	1882 – 9085	9825 – 18386	29956 – 29956
NUALS Kochi	413 – 1315	2114 – 20999	8411 – 25640	16977 – 16977
NLUO Odisha	470 – 1191	–	5800 – 9726	13361 – 17417
NUSRL Ranchi	933 – 1603	1386 – 2698	3540 – 21084	13311 – 31604
TNNLU Tiruchirapalli	807 – 1816	1770 – 3789	6909 – 12015	15682 – 16880
DSNLU Visakhapatnam	1002 – 1589	8881 – 11160	10847 – 10847	24160 – 24160
MNLU Mumbai	64 – 548	1310 – 8987	4874 – 16251	14752 – 43608
MNLU Nagpur	999 – 1657	6293 – 18196	16251 – 36646	30004 – 30479
MNLU Aurangabad	1390 – 2323	19850 – 34225	20505 – 45669	44623 – 46061
NLUJA Assam	1131 – 1979	5542 – 39724	25357 – 41911	16817 – 40718
HPNLU Shimla	1056 – 2302	–	7229 – 12507	12778 – 22145
DNLU Jabalpur	1314 – 2262	1647 – 3489	10967 – 12925	15638 – 22762
DBRANLU Sonipat	1094 – 2333	1917 – 4018	6448 – 12213	12177 – 23212

This year serves as a good reference point for students looking to understand how much scores have fluctuated over time due to changes in exam patterns and difficulty.

Final Thoughts

The CLAT 2025 cut-off marks and ranks are a vital component of the law school admission process. With increased competition, evolving paper patterns, and changing seat matrices, candidates must stay informed and plan their counseling preferences accordingly.

By analyzing category-wise, NLU-specific, and domicile-based cut-offs, students can make more strategic decisions that enhance their chances of admission to a top-tier National Law University.

It is also crucial to monitor updates from the Consortium of NLUs, participate actively in the counseling rounds, and prepare all necessary documents well in advance to ensure a smooth admission process.

Stay focused, stay updated, and take strategic steps towards your legal career with confidence.

CLAT Cut-Off Marks Category Wise Analysis