CLAT 2026 counselling concluded with 5 rounds of seat allotment, with NLSIU Bangalore closing at All India Rank 112 in the General category — corresponding to approximately 104–106 marks out of 120.

The Consortium of NLUs released the Round 5 (final) allotment list on May 20, 2026, marking the end of seat allocation across 22 participating NLUs. Closing marks dropped by 2–5 marks from Round 1 to Round 5 at top NLUs as withdrawals freed seats for students ranked lower on the merit list. This round-wise breakdown covers final closing ranks and approximate marks for all 22 NLUs, including category-wise data for the top institutions.

  • CLAT 2026 total marks: 120 (120 questions × 1 mark each; 0.25 negative marking per wrong answer).
  • NLSIU Bangalore Round 5 closing rank: 112 (General) — approximately 104–106 marks out of 120.
  • NALSAR Hyderabad Round 5 closing rank: 167 (General) — approximately 102–104 marks.
  • WBNUJS Kolkata Round 5 closing rank range: 140–277 (General category).
  • SC closing marks at top NLUs are approximately 18–22 marks below the General category closing marks.
  • Round 5 saw only 492 fresh allotments across all NLUs, reflecting large-scale seat withdrawals by students upgrading to higher-preference colleges.
Direct Link — CLAT 2026 5th Round Seat Allotment and Cutoff (OUT)

Table of Contents

  1. CLAT 2026 Cutoff — Key Highlights
  2. College-Wise Closing Marks and Ranks — All 5 Rounds
  3. Category-Wise Cutoff Analysis
  4. Round-Wise Cutoff Movement
  5. What These Cutoffs Mean for CLAT 2027 Preparation
  6. FAQs

CLAT 2026 Cutoff — Key Highlights

The table below summarises the CLAT 2026 counselling structure and the closing rank data from the final allotment round.

Parameter Detail
Exam Total Marks 120
Number of Counselling Rounds 5
Round 5 Allotment Release Date May 20, 2026
Participating NLUs 22
NLSIU Bangalore R5 Closing Rank (Gen) 112
NALSAR Hyderabad R5 Closing Rank (Gen) 167
Fresh Allotments in Round 5 492
Lowest Cutoff NLU — General (R5) DBRANLU Sonepat (≈ Rank 8,600)
Official Consortium Portal consortiumofnlus.ac.in

College-Wise Closing Marks and Ranks — All 5 Rounds

The table below presents closing ranks and approximate closing marks (out of 120) for the General category across all 22 NLUs, from Round 1 through Round 5 of CLAT 2026. Closing ranks for NLSIU, NALSAR, WBNUJS, and NLUT Agartala are based on official 2026 allotment data; all other NLU figures are based on 2025 trends and 2026 early-round patterns.

NLU R1 Closing Rank R3 Closing Rank R5 Closing Rank Approx. R5 Closing Marks (/120)
NLSIU Bangalore 71 95 112 104–106
NALSAR Hyderabad 104 138 167 102–104
WBNUJS Kolkata 140 210 277 100–102
NLIU Bhopal 192 270 345 98–100
NLU Jodhpur 248 340 430 95–97
GNLU Gandhinagar 385 510 650 92–94
HNLU Raipur 520 700 860 90–92
RMLNLU Lucknow 720 940 1,120 87–89
MNLU Mumbai 850 1,080 1,300 85–87
RGNUL Patiala 1,040 1,320 1,580 83–85
CNLU Patna 1,250 1,600 1,920 80–82
NUALS Kochi 1,450 1,830 2,180 78–80
NLUO Cuttack 1,750 2,200 2,600 75–77
NUSRL Ranchi 2,100 2,600 3,050 73–75
NLUT Agartala 2,200 2,650 3,063 72–74
NLUJA Guwahati 2,500 3,100 3,650 70–72
MNLU Nagpur 2,900 3,600 4,300 67–69
DSNLU Visakhapatnam 3,400 4,200 5,000 65–67
TNNLS Tiruchirappalli 3,800 4,700 5,600 62–64
HPNLU Shimla 4,400 5,400 6,300 60–62
MNLU Aurangabad 5,000 6,200 7,300 57–59
DBRANLU Sonepat 5,800 7,200 8,600 54–56

Category-Wise Cutoff Analysis

Reserved category students benefit from separate seat pools — SC and ST closing marks at top NLUs run 18–30 marks below the General cutoff, giving students with scores in the 73–86 range access to premier institutions like NLSIU and NALSAR. The table shows approximate Round 5 closing marks for the top 6 NLUs across all major categories.

NLU General OBC-NCL EWS SC ST
NLSIU Bangalore 104–106 95–98 101–103 83–86 74–78
NALSAR Hyderabad 102–104 93–96 99–101 81–84 72–76
WBNUJS Kolkata 100–102 91–94 97–99 79–82 70–74
NLIU Bhopal 98–100 89–92 95–97 77–80 68–72
NLU Jodhpur 95–97 86–89 92–94 74–77 65–69
GNLU Gandhinagar 92–94 83–86 89–91 71–74 62–66

Category-wise marks are approximate, derived from official CLAT 2026 allotment data for top NLUs and 2025 trend analysis. Download NLU-specific PDFs from the Consortium portal for exact figures.

Round-Wise Cutoff Movement — How Marks Shifted from Round 1 to Round 5

Cutoff ranks rise (meaning the corresponding score threshold falls) with each successive round as students with earlier allotments withdraw to join preferred NLUs. Top NLUs moved by only 40–200 ranks across 5 rounds; lower-tier NLUs saw movements of 2,000–3,000 ranks, reflecting far greater vacancy volumes.

  • Round 1 is the most competitive. Only the highest-ranked students receive allotments at NLSIU, NALSAR, and WBNUJS.
  • Rounds 2 and 3 show moderate rank drops as students who accept top NLUs release lower preferences, opening seats for ranks just below the Round 1 cutoff.
  • Rounds 4 and 5 produce the biggest movements at newer NLUs — NLUT Agartala, HPNLU Shimla, MNLU Aurangabad, and DBRANLU Sonepat — where mass withdrawals generate the largest batches of fresh allotments.
  • Students who choose the Float option are automatically considered for upgrades in subsequent rounds without losing their current allotment.
  • Do not freeze your preference if you are waiting for an upgrade — keep Float active through all 5 rounds to maximise your chances.

What These Cutoffs Mean for CLAT 2027 Preparation

CLAT 2026 round-wise data is the most reliable benchmark for setting a score target in the next cycle. Use it as follows.

  1. Set a target with a buffer: If your goal is GNLU Gandhinagar, aim for 95–97 marks (General) instead of the bare Round 5 closing of 92–94. A 3-mark buffer puts you safely above the Round 1 cutoff, securing a first-round allotment.
  2. Check your category closing marks: SC and ST students should compare their expected score against the category-specific column — you can often access NLUs 15–25 marks above your General-category equivalent score.
  3. Account for difficulty variation: If CLAT 2027 is harder than 2026, raw cutoff marks will fall. Always cross-reference the expected marks with the rank — rank-based targets are more stable year over year.
  4. Mid and lower-tier NLU targets: Scores in the 60–80 mark range can still secure admission at institutions such as HPNLU Shimla, TNNLS Tiruchirappalli, DSNLU Visakhapatnam, and NLUA Guwahati by Round 5.

CLAT 2026 Cutoff FAQs

Ques. What is the CLAT 2026 closing rank for NLSIU Bangalore in the General category?

Ans. NLSIU Bangalore closed at All India Rank 112 in the General category in Round 5 of CLAT 2026 counselling, which corresponds to approximately 104–106 marks out of 120.

Ques. How many counselling rounds did CLAT 2026 have?

Ans. CLAT 2026 counselling had 5 rounds. The final Round 5 allotment list was released on May 20, 2026, with fee payment closing on May 30, 2026.

Ques. What is the total marks for CLAT 2026?

Ans. CLAT 2026 had 120 total marks — 120 MCQ questions worth 1 mark each, with a 0.25 mark deducted per incorrect answer.

Ques. What are the SC category closing marks at top NLUs in CLAT 2026?

Ans. Based on CLAT 2026 allotment data, SC closing marks (Round 5) at top NLUs are approximately: NLSIU Bangalore 83–86, NALSAR Hyderabad 81–84, WBNUJS Kolkata 79–82, and NLIU Bhopal 77–80, out of 120.

Ques. Why does the closing rank number increase from Round 1 to Round 5?

Ans. As higher-ranked students accept seats at preferred NLUs, they release lower-preference options. These freed seats go to students with higher rank numbers (lower scores), so the closing rank number increases — meaning a lower score becomes sufficient — with each successive round.

Ques. Where can I download official CLAT 2026 round-wise cutoff PDFs?

Ans. Official round-wise allotment lists and cutoff PDFs are published on the Consortium of NLUs website at consortiumofnlus.ac.in under the CLAT 2026 section.