The Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) conducts the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). It is one of the most challenging law entrance exams in the country and is a gateway to the top 22 NLUs. Candidates who successfully crack the exam will secure a seat in the NLUs and other private law colleges to pursue their LLB degrees. However, most candidates are unaware of the seats offered by these national law universities. It is important for the aspirants to have detailed information about the CLAT seats as this will help them in making an informed decision while enrolling.
The CLAT Exam admission process will be similar to that of prior years. The consortium releases the merit list, followed by three lists of provisionally selected candidates. Candidates provisionally selected will be invited to the counselling session. The shortlisted candidates will be required to pay a counselling fee of Rs. 30,000 in order to secure the seats and attend counselling. Failure to pay the counselling fee will result in the cancellation of the allotment seats of the selected candidate.
The law entrance exams such as SLAT are usually followed by GD (Group Discussion) and PI (Personal Interview) conducted by the university. However, there is no GD and PI round in CLAT 2022, and candidates will be selected based on the rank obtained in the CLAT exam.
After the successful completion of the examination and release of the merit list, the shortlisted candidates will be called to attend counselling. Then, the admission is finalized, and the candidate officially becomes a student of the respective NLU after attending the counselling and paying the counselling fee and other dues within the requisite time slots and submitting required documents like 12th Marksheet, address proof, age proof, etc. to the concerned NLU administrative authorities.
Upcoming CLAT Exams:
CLAT Seat Reservation Categories
The total seats in CLAT is divided based on category reservations. The different categories considered for the reservation of seats are given below.
If you secure a higher rank on the merit list, you will be given priority over other candidates.
- Scheduled Caste (SC)
- Scheduled Tribe (ST)
- Other Backward Classes (OBC)
- State Quota for the applicants in which NLU is located NRI/Foreign National candidates
- Physically Disabled Candidates (PwD)
- Kashmiri Migrants
- Candidates belonging to the North-Eastern States
| National Law University | CLAT Seats | State Quota (Domicile & Category) | All India Seats |
| National Law School of India University, Bangalore | 120 | N/A | 120 |
| National Academy of Legal Studies & Research, Hyderabad | 120 | 20% | 96 |
| WB National University of Judicial Sciences, Kolkata | 105 | 36% | 67 |
| National Law Institute University, Bhopal | 102 | 50% | 51 |
| National Law University, Jodhpur | 104 | N/A | 104 |
| Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar | 174 | 25% | 130 |
| Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow | 169 | 52% | 81 |
| Rajiv Gandhi National Law University, Patiala | 175 | 10% | 157 |
| Chanakya National Law University, Patna | 120 | 66% | 54 |
| Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur | 160 | 50% | 80 |
| National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi | 60 | 49% | 29 |
| National University of Study & Research in Law, Ranchi | 120 | 50% | 60 |
| National Law University Odisha, Cuttack | 159 | 25% | 119 |
| National Law University and Judicial Academy, Guwahati | 60 | 48% | 31 |
| Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University, Visakhapatnam | 120 | 55% | 54 |
| Tamil Nadu National Law School, Trichy | 114 | 50% | 57 |
| Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai | 100 | 63% | 37 |
| Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur | 120 | 62% | 45 |
| Maharashtra National Law University, Aurangabad | 60 | 62% | 23 |
| Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla | 120 | 25% | 90 |
| Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur (MPDNLU) | 120 | 50% | 60 |
| Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Law University | 120 | 25% | 90 |
| Total | 2622 | 1635 |
Free CLAT Study Material for You:
| CLAT Previous Year Papers PDF | CLAT Sample Papers |
| CLAT Syllabus PDF | Free CLAT Coaching |
| CLAT Current Affairs | CLAT Topper Interviews |
| CLAT Videos | CLAT Mock Tests |
Important Points to Know About CLAT 2022 Seats
Total Number of Seats
CLAT offers admission to over 3,000 undergraduate (UG) and around 1,000 postgraduate (PG) seats across 22 participating NLUs. Each NLU has a different number of seats for various categories.
Reservation Policies
NLUs follow specific reservation policies based on state domicile, caste categories (SC, ST, OBC), persons with disabilities (PwD), and economically weaker sections (EWS). Each NLU’s policy may vary, so it is essential to review the reservation criteria for the preferred university.
All India vs. Domicile Seats
Many NLUs allocate a portion of their seats to candidates from their respective states (domicile seats). The remaining are available under the All India category, open to candidates nationwide.
Supernumerary Seats
Some NLUs offer supernumerary seats for specific categories, such as Foreign Nationals, NRIs, and NRI-sponsored candidates. These seats are beyond the regular intake and often have different eligibility criteria.
Category-Wise Cut-offs
Seat allocation depends on the CLAT rank, with varying cut-offs for each category. For example, highly sought-after NLUs like NLSIU, Bangalore, and NALSAR, Hyderabad, have higher cut-offs due to their reputation and limited seats.
Seat Allotment Process
CLAT seat allotment is conducted through a centralized counseling process. Candidates must register, fill preferences, and pay the counseling fee to secure a seat.
Important Resources After CLAT Exam:
Frequently Asked Questions for NLU Seats
Ans. The total seat intake for integrated law programmes offered by the NLUs is 2622.
Ans. The consortium of NLUs makes the decisions regarding CLAT reservations. The decision is made considering the central and state governments’ regulations.
Ans. There are many amazing colleges in India for those willing to study law. But the top 5 (in order of their NIRF rankings) are NLSIU Bangalore – National Law School of India University, Bangalore, NLU Delhi – National Law University, New Delhi, NLU Hyderabad – NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, NUJS Kolkata – The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, and JMI New Delhi – Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
Ans. There is no age bar for those willing to pursue law as a career. Of course, if you wish to pursue a Five-Year LLB, the age limit is 20 years for general-category candidates, and 22 for all the candidates belonging to the reserved categories. On the contrary, Three-Year LLB courses have no age limit whatsoever.
Ans. Yes, there is a negative marking scheme in the CLAT entrance examination. The question paper comprises 120 multiple-choice questions. If you answer correctly, you will get 1 mark, but on marking the wrong answer, 0.25 marks will be reduced for each incorrect answer.
Ans. NLU Delhi does not accept the CLAT scorecard for admissions. They have a separate entrance exam for law aspirants willing to pursue courses like BA LLB, LLM, and Ph. D. programs, i.e., the AILET exam (All India Law Entrance Test).
Read More:
- NIRF NLU Ranking
- AILET 2025 Question Paper
- AILET Answer Key 2025
- AILET Result 2025
- CLAT Kya Hota Hai?
- National Law University (NLU) Delhi
- CLAT Topper Interviews 2025
Must Know for Every CLAT Aspirant:
| CLAT Eligibility Criteria | CLAT Exam Pattern |
| CLAT Age Limit | CLAT Marking Scheme |
| How to Prepare for CLAT? | CLAT Preparation Books |
Law Colleges Information Related to CLAT: