The CLAT 2026 is highly competitive and students need to obtain a valid rank in order to get admission to a reputed law institution. Many aspirants wonder “what is a good rank in CLAT 2026” and there is no specific answer to this as this totally depends on the current year’s competition level and exam difficulty level; however, a rank under 200 is considered good.
Students with a CLAT rank range between 100 to 200 can land admission to some reputed institutes like NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS), Kolkata, National Law University, Jodhpur (NLU Jodhpur), Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), Gandhinagar and more.
Students with a rank range under 1000 can get admission to institutions like HNLU Raipur, RMLNLU Lucknow, and RGNUL Patiala. To comprehensively understand the required CLAT rank and factors affecting it, students may read the article below.
Understand CLAT 2026 Scoring Pattern
Before students figure out a good rank of score for CLAT, they must know how the paper is evaluated and on what basis are they given marks. This will help them learn about their performance and estimated rank better. The following table contains complete CLAT marking scheme for the 2026 academic year.
Particulars | Details |
Total number of questions | 120 |
Marks for a correct answer | 1 mark |
Marks for a wrong answer | 0.25 mark deducted |
Marks for unattempted | 0 mark |
Maximum possible score | 120 marks |
What is a Good Score in CLAT?
To learn about what is considered a good score in CLAT for different NLUs and law institutes, aspirants may check out the following.
95+ → Excellent; top NLUs like NLSIU, NALSAR.
85 to 95 → Very good; WBNUJS, NLU Jodhpur, GNLU.
70 to 85 → Good mid-tier NLUs like RMLNLU, HNLU.
55 to 70 → Fair; newer NLUs in counselling rounds.
Below 55 → Low; mainly private law colleges.
Category Wise CLAT Score for Top NLUs 2026
A good CLAT score differs for different category students as per the reservation policy of CNLUs and reserved category students may have better chances of getting a lower CLAT 2026 cutoff in comparison to general category students. The table given below showcases category wise good scores for CLAT paper.
NLU Name | General | EWS | OBC | SC | ST | NRI |
CLAT score for NLSIU Bengaluru | 100+ | 95+ | 90+ | 83+ | 78+ | - |
CLAT score for NALSAR Hyderabad | 100+ | 95+ | 90+ | 82+ | 78+ | - |
CLAT score for WBNUJS Kolkata | 98+ | - | 56+* | 80+ | 74+ | 89+ |
CLAT score for NLU Jodhpur | 95+ | - | 88+ | 79+ | 74+ | 88+ |
CLAT score for GNLU Gandhinagar | 95+ | 90+ | 87+ | 77+ | 70+ | 84+ |
CLAT score for MNLU Mumbai | 93+ | 81+ | 77+* | 71+* | 41+* | 43+ |
CLAT score for RMLNLU Lucknow | 91+ | 85+ | 82+* | 53+* | 41+* | 72+ |
CLAT 2026 Rank Predictor
Aspirants can access the CLAT rank predictor tool by Collegesearch to get the most accurate estimate of their CLAT 2026 rank. This will help them gain a better understanding of the NLUs they can target based on their estimated CLAT score.
Access Tool Below |
What is Considered Good Score for CLAT PG?
A good CLAT PG score is expected to be lesser than UG trends as there is not much competition. A score around 70+ is considered good for CLAT PG aspirants. The CLAT Cutoff for PG indicates that any score above 70 can provide students with a chance of pursuing LLM or other program at highly reputed NLU in India.
While a lower score may seem discouraging, there are options available for newer NLUs or private law college options. Eventually, a good score is simply one that meets the requirements for your desired college and course so that you still have the opportunity to enter.
CLAT Expected Cutoff for Top NLUs
Aspirants may check out the expected cutoff for top NLUs in India.
Full Name of NLU | Location | Expected CLAT 2026 Cutoff (General) |
National Law School of India University (NLSIU) | Bengaluru, Karnataka | 155-160+ |
National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) | Hyderabad, Telangana | 150-155 |
National Law Institute University (NLIU) | Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh | 145-150 |
West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS) | Kolkata, West Bengal | 145-150 |
National Law University, Jodhpur (NLUJ) | Jodhpur, Rajasthan | 140-145 |
Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU) | Raipur, Chhattisgarh | 130-140 |
Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) | Gandhinagar, Gujarat | 130-140 |
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University (RMLNLU) | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh | 125-135 |
Chanakya National Law University (CNLU) | Patna, Bihar | 120-130 |
Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL) | Patiala, Punjab | 120-130 |
Factors Affecting Required CLAT Score 2026
Number of Applicants: A larger applicant pool creates substantial competition, which affects the rank required for admission into top NLUs.
Difficulty Level of the Exam: An exam paper that is easier than in prior years may result in applicants earning higher marks on that exam - resulting in changes to the cutoff scores for each of the NLUs.
Category of the Candidate: Reserved category candidates are required to meet the cutoff and rank requirements for that category versus offers made to general category candidates.
Number of Seats Available: An NLU that has lower demand than other NLUs may influence changes to the cutoffs and fair share for admission.
Performance of Other Candidates: Performance may vary among applicants for admission based on interactivity with a collective cohort of applicants relative to your performance.
Province or NLU: There are differing demands for applicants from different provinces for admission into the same NLU.
→ Also Read About Top 10 NLUs in India Here
