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Anupama Mehra
Assistant Manager – Content
Updated on Mar 6, 2026 13:38 IST
Did not score well in CLAT? Do not worry! A low CLAT score does not mean the end of your law career. With smart counselling choices, alternative entrance exams, and private university options, you can still pursue BA LLB or BBA LLB from a good institute. Read further to know more.
Did not score well in CLAT? Do not worry! With smart counselling choices, alternative entrance exams, and private university options, you can still pursue BA LLB or BBA LLB from a good institute. Read further to know more.
Law colleges for low CLAT rank

Law colleges for low CLAT rank

Scored low in CLAT? You are not alone. Every year, many aspirants score below the expected NLU CLAT cut-off but still secure admission in reputed law colleges across India. A low CLAT score does not mean the end of your law career. With smart counselling choices, alternative entrance exams, and private university options, you can still pursue BA LLB or BBA LLB from a good institute.

Get list of private universities accepting CLAT scores

The list of affiliate colleges or Universities that will offer admission based on score in CLAT 2027 includes well-known names like Nirma University, UPES Dehradun, and GK Goenka University. Candidates must also consider appearing for other law entrance exams so that even if they have a low CLAT score 2027, they still have their chances of admission to some of the top law colleges in India. Read further to know more about the law colleges' admission through CLAT Score.

Table of contents
  • What is Considered a Low CLAT Score in 2027?
  • NLUs Accepting Low CLAT Scores (Expected Rank Range)
  • Top law colleges accepting low CLAT Score
  • Top Law Entrance Exams 2026-2027
  • Should You Take a Drop for CLAT?
  • Factors to Consider While Choosing Law College After Low CLAT Score

What is Considered a Low CLAT Score in 2027?

For CLAT UG (120 questions format), the expected safe scores usually vary each year depending on paper difficulty and competition. It is important to understand how much score is required to get admission in NLUs or other law colleges. Check the same below

  • 95+ marks: Top 5 NLUs
  • 85–95 marks: Mid-tier NLUs
  • 70–85 marks: Lower-ranked NLUs
  • Below 70 marks: Considered low for the General category

Note: Candidates from reserved categories may secure admission at comparatively lower scores.

Also Read: Top 10 Private Law Colleges in India 2026: NIRF Rank 2025

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   How many times I can appear for CLAT Exam?
A: 

There is no restriction as such for the CLAT exam. Thus, one can give CLAT any number of times they want to. Candidates should not feel bad if they are not able to clear the CLAT exam in first time. 

Q:   Can I appear for CLAT Counselling if I failed to clear the exam?
A: 

No, you can not appear for counselling if you have not cleared CLAT Exam. 

Q:   What does CLAT cutoff mean?
A: 

The CLAT cutoff means the minimum rank or score required to get admission into a National Law University (NLU). Candidates must get the cutoff to participate in the counselling process.

NLUs Accepting Low CLAT Scores (Expected Rank Range)

While during the CLAT Counselling the admission to top NLUs close early, newer and regional NLUs may offer seats at higher ranks. Check the list here

NLU Name  Expected Closing Rank (General)  Fees (in INR)
National Law University & Judicial Academy, Assam 1400-2000 2.2–2.5 lakh
Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU) Visakhapatnam 1500-2200 2.5–3 lakh  
Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla 1600-2500 2.3–2.8 lakh  
Dr B R Ambedkar National Law University Sonipat, Haryana 2500-3500 2–2.3 lakh  
The Tamil Nadu National Law School, Tiruchirapalli 3500+ 2.4-2.6 lakh

Note: Cut-offs vary every year and may drop in later counselling rounds.

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 Top law colleges accepting low CLAT Score 

Many reputed private universities accept CLAT scores but do not have very high cut-offs. They also offer admission through their own entrance exams or direct merit basis. 

Name of college Courses  Fees
Amity Law School

BA LLB

BBA LLB

INR 2 to 3 Lakh 
Alliance School of Law

BA LLB Hons

BBA LLB Hons

LLB

LLM

PhD in Law

INR 2 to 3 Lakh
Presidency University, Bangalore

BBA LLB Hons

BA LLB Hons

B.Com LLB Hons

LLM (Intellectual Property Rights)

LLM (Technology Law)

INR 5 to 7 lakh 
Nirma University

BA LLB (Hons.)

B.Com LLB (Hons.) LLM

INR 3 to 5 lakh
UPES Dehradun

BA LLB

B.Com LLB Hons

BBA LLB Hons

LLB

LLM

PhD

INR 2 to 3 lakh
GD Goenka University

BA LLB Hons

BBA LLB Hons

B.Com LLB Hons

LLB Hons LLM

INR 1 to 2 lakh
BML Munjal University

BA LLB Hons

BBA LLB Hons

LLB

PhD

INR 2 to 3 lakh
Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   How many NLUs participate in CLAT Exam?
A: 

As of 2026, 26 National Law Universities (NLUs) participate in the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). These universities offer undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) law programs, with over 5,600 seats available in total. NLU Delhi is the only exception, conducting its own entrance exam (AILET) rather than participating in CLAT

Q:   What if I exit the CLAT counselling process in first round, Am I allowed to appear in pending rounds?
A: 

You should understand that once you opt to get out of the counselling process you can not go back. You will get option to either freeze your seat or choose to let it go and participate in next round. You can anytime exit the whole process too. 

Q:   What is expected CLAT 2027 Cutoff?
A: 

The expected cutoff for top 5 NLUs based on previous year is 90+.

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Top Law Entrance Exams 2026-2027

Apart from appearing for CLAT, candidates can also opt for sitting in some of the law entrance exams across the country. Most of the law entrance exams in India are held once a year and this year, the exam authorities will be conducting the upcoming exams as per the schedule below:

Law Entrance Exams

Exam Dates

AILET

To be announced

KIITEE Law

18-Jan-2026

UPES Law School Admission Test

To be announced

MHCET Law

01-Apr-2026 and 02-Apr-2026 (For 3-year LLB)

08-May-2026 (5-year LLB)

Allahabad University LAT

To be announced

ILICAT

To be announced

SLAT

To be announced

AMU Law Entrance Exam

26-Apr-2026

PU UG Law 

26-Apr-2026

PU LLB Entrance Exam

28-Jun-2026

AIL LET

To be announced

ILSAT

05-Apr-2026

AP LAWCET

To be announced

TS LAWCET

18-May-2026

AP PGLCET

To be announced

TS PGLCET

18-May-2026

GLAT

To be announced

KLEE 

To be announced

ULSAT LLM 

To be announced

Also Read: 

NLU vs Non-NLU: Which one is better?

Should You Take a Drop for CLAT?

Candidates must not get disheartened in case they have not scored well. However, there are certain factors that a candidate should consider before taking a drop. Some of them are

  • If your score is below 60
  • If you are aiming only for top NLUs like

NLSIU Bengaluru
NALSAR Hyderabad

  • You are confident of improving by 15–20+ marks

Otherwise, joining a decent Tier-2 college and building your CV through internships may be more practical.

Explore more Law exams with upcoming dates

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Factors to Consider While Choosing Law College After Low CLAT Score

Before deciding on pursuing the law courses from any university or college in the country, it is important to consider the following factors

1. Location advantage (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore preferred for internships)

2. Internship opportunities

3. Alumni network

4. Faculty profile

5. Fee vs ROI

6. Hostel and campus facilities

After 5 years, your internships, moots, research papers, and networking matter more than just the college tag.

Read More:

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About the Author
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Anupama Mehra
Assistant Manager – Content

She has over 10 years of experience in the education and publishing sectors. She specialises in exam coverage and content creation. At Shiksha, she writes, analyses, and presents information for students preparing f

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Student Forum

chatAnything you would want to ask experts?
Write here...

Answered a week ago

Yes, you can join the BBA LLB programme in Amrita International School of Law without CLAT exam. If you have a valid AILET score, you can submit it for admission. Else you can appear for Amrita Law Admission Test (AmLAT).

S

Saumya Gairola

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

Yes, you can join Amrita International School of Law without CLAT exam. If you have a valid AILET score, you can submit it for BA LLB admission. Otherwise, you can appear for Amrita Law Admission Test (AmLAT).

S

Saumya Gairola

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

Both the Andhra Pradesh LAWCET and CLAT entrance exam are conducted for admission to the Law schools in India, however, the syllabus for these exams are different on many parameters and candidates should strategise differently for both the exams. Andhra Pradesh LAWCET exam has sections including Cur

...Read more

R

Rakshit Prabhakar

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

No, CLAT is not compulsory to take admission in Ishaan Institute of Law. The institute offers admission into the courses such as LLB, BA LLB and LLM based on the merit achieved by the candidates in their last qualifying exam. Application process is compulsory and it can be conducted online/offline.

R

Raj Priya

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 weeks ago

You can find it on many platforms, such as Lawprep Tutorial and Shiksha itself, but I'm a Law Prep student, and I found their format of solutions better.

P

Praveen Chopra

Beginner-Level 1

Answered 3 weeks ago

The charges for CLAT registration are 4000 Rs. for General/OBC/PWD/NRI/PIO/OCI candidates. While its Rs. 3,500 for SC/ST/BPL candidates. Candidates have options like UPI, Credit Card, Debit Card & Net Banking when it comes to paying for the same.

Read more

Law course 

D

Diya Nihalani

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

Based on recent CLAT analyses, the English Language and General Knowledge & Current Affairs sections were rated as the easiest. English is more about reading comprehension with direct questions. GK is highly scoring for those with consistent, up-to-date daily news preparation. 

M

Mukul Singh

Contributor-Level 8

Answered a month ago

The CLAT exam for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses will be held for 2 hours. There will be 120 MCQs. The total number of sections in the question paper will be five. 

D

Divya Surbhi

Contributor-Level 8

Answered a month ago

Whether SLS Pune is better than an NLU really depends on what you want. SLS Pune gives a strong private college aura, with a good campus, nice location, and a good brand name. Many people think it's ahead of some low-tier NLUs (Tier 2 or Tier 3). But the top NLUs like NLSIU Bengaluru or NLU Delhi st

...Read more

A

Aishwarya Pathak

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a month ago

Yes, you can join quite a few law colleges in Kolkata without sitting for CLAT. 

Note: All info. is from official sources and can change. 

S

Syed Aquib Ur Rahman

Contributor-Level 10