Based on CLAT 2025 and 2026 trends, NLU Jodhpur is expected to close around AIR 340–390 for the General category in CLAT 2027, while NLIU Bhopal is expected to close around AIR 450–540 for the General category.
CLAT 2027, expected to be conducted in December 2026 by the Consortium of National Law Universities, will determine admission to five-year BA LLB (Hons.) programs at 24 NLUs across India. NLU Jodhpur (National Law University, Jodhpur) and NLIU Bhopal (National Law Institute University, Bhopal) attract a large number of applicants each year. Knowing the expected cutoff helps students set target scores and manage expectations during CLAT 2027 counselling.
- CLAT 2027 is a 120-mark offline exam with 0.25 negative marking per wrong answer.
- NLU Jodhpur’s General category closing rank has stayed below AIR 400 in each of the past three cycles.
- NLIU Bhopal reserves 50% of every category’s seats for Madhya Pradesh domicile students, making All India seats more competitive.
- All cutoff figures below are expected estimates based on 2025–2026 trends and will be confirmed after CLAT 2027 counselling concludes.
| Direct Link — CLAT 2027 Official Website | consortiumofnlus.ac.in |
CLAT 2027 Exam at a Glance
CLAT (Common Law Admission Test) 2027 is the single national entrance test for admission to UG and PG law programs at 24 NLUs. The Consortium of NLUs conducts it in offline (pen-and-paper) mode, typically in December. Rank-based counselling follows in January, with multiple allotment rounds. The UG paper has 120 passage-based multiple-choice questions worth 120 marks in total.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Conducting Body | Consortium of National Law Universities (NLUs) |
| Mode | Offline — pen-and-paper |
| Total Questions | 120 |
| Total Marks | 120 |
| Negative Marking | –0.25 marks per wrong answer |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Sections | English, Current Affairs and GK, Legal Reasoning, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Techniques |
| Expected Exam Date | December 2026 |
| Expected Counselling Start | January 2027 |
CLAT 2027 Expected Cutoff for NLU Jodhpur — Category-Wise
NLU Jodhpur is consistently ranked among the top ten NLUs in India, drawing intense competition each year. The General category closing rank has stayed in the AIR 340–390 band across recent cycles. NLU Jodhpur offers 120 seats in BA LLB (Hons.) spread across General, EWS, OBC, SC, ST, and PwD categories under the All India Quota. The expected CLAT 2027 cutoff for NLU Jodhpur based on 2025 and 2026 trends is as follows:
| Category | Expected Closing Rank (AIR) | Expected Marks (out of 120) |
|---|---|---|
| General | 340–390 | 90–93 |
| EWS | 880–1,080 | 84–87 |
| OBC | 1,550–1,950 | 80–84 |
| SC | 4,800–5,900 | 68–73 |
| ST | 5,400–6,400 | 66–71 |
| PwD (General) | 1,200–1,800 | 78–83 |
These figures are expected estimates based on 2025–2026 trends. The actual CLAT 2027 closing ranks will be announced by the Consortium of NLUs after each counselling round. Students targeting NLU Jodhpur in the General category should aim for at least 92–93 marks out of 120 to stay within the safe zone.
NLU Jodhpur also offers an LLM program through CLAT PG. The LLM General category closing rank in CLAT 2025 was AIR 657, and a similar range is expected for CLAT 2027.
CLAT 2027 Expected Cutoff for NLIU Bhopal — Category-Wise
NLIU Bhopal is a state NLU established under Madhya Pradesh legislation. It offers both BA LLB (Hons.) and BSc LLB (Hons.) programs through CLAT. A key feature of NLIU Bhopal’s seat matrix is that 50% of seats in every category are reserved for students domiciled in Madhya Pradesh. The remaining 50% are filled from the All India merit list, making the All India pool more competitive. The expected CLAT 2027 cutoff for NLIU Bhopal BA LLB (Hons.) based on 2025 and 2026 trends is:
| Category | Expected Closing Rank — All India (AIR) | Expected Marks (out of 120) |
|---|---|---|
| General | 450–540 | 87–91 |
| EWS | 700–1,050 | 83–87 |
| OBC | 830–1,700 | 80–86 |
| SC | 4,700–7,300 | 69–74 |
| ST | 7,500–13,000 | 58–68 |
MP domicile students in each category typically see closing ranks 300–500 positions higher (meaning less competitive) than the All India figures above. For the BSc LLB (Hons.) program, the General category All India closing rank is expected around AIR 850–1,100 — less competitive than the BA LLB program. Students targeting NLIU Bhopal on the All India merit list in the General category should aim for at least 88–90 marks out of 120.
Previous Year CLAT Cutoff Trends for NLU Jodhpur and NLIU Bhopal (2024–2026)
Reviewing historical cutoff data is one of the most reliable ways to project CLAT 2027 closing ranks. The table below shows the General category closing rank for BA LLB (Hons.) at both institutions over the past three admission cycles:
| Admission Year | NLU Jodhpur — General (AIR) | NLIU Bhopal — General (AIR) |
|---|---|---|
| CLAT 2024 | ~350 | ~480 |
| CLAT 2025 | 367 | 480 |
| CLAT 2026 | ~360–380 | ~480–500 |
| CLAT 2027 (Expected) | 340–390 | 450–540 |
The General category cutoff at NLU Jodhpur has been remarkably stable, staying within the AIR 340–390 range across three cycles. NLIU Bhopal shows similar stability around AIR 480. Minor shifts year on year are driven by exam difficulty and changes in applicant volume. The slight widening of the expected range for CLAT 2027 reflects the uncertainty before exam results are declared.
For reserved categories at NLU Jodhpur, the OBC closing rank moved from approximately AIR 1,424 (CLAT 2025 Round 1) to a final figure around AIR 1,766 after all rounds, and the SC closing rank settled near AIR 5,445. At NLIU Bhopal, OBC closing ranks ranged from AIR 879 to AIR 1,562 in 2025.
Factors That Affect CLAT 2027 Cutoff
Understanding what drives cutoff movement helps students set more accurate targets:
- Total applicants: A larger applicant pool raises overall competition, pushing General category cutoffs higher.
- Exam difficulty: A tougher paper compresses raw scores and can shift closing ranks significantly.
- Seat matrix changes: Any increase in seat intake directly relaxes the cutoff for that category at a given NLU.
- Multi-round counselling dynamics: Students who upgrade to a higher-ranked NLU in later rounds free up seats, lowering the closing rank in the final round.
- State domicile quota: At NLIU Bhopal, the 50% MP domicile reservation splits competition into two pools, making All India seats more contested.
- Score normalisation: The Consortium of NLUs normalises scores across test venues, which can affect rank distribution near the cutoff boundary.
CLAT 2027 Cutoff FAQs
Ques. What is the expected CLAT 2027 cutoff for NLU Jodhpur General category?
Ans. Based on 2025 and 2026 trends, the expected closing rank for the General category at NLU Jodhpur BA LLB (Hons.) is AIR 340–390, corresponding to approximately 90–93 marks out of 120 in CLAT 2027.
Ques. What is the expected CLAT 2027 cutoff for NLIU Bhopal?
Ans. For the All India General category, NLIU Bhopal BA LLB (Hons.) is expected to close at AIR 450–540, equivalent to approximately 87–91 marks out of 120. MP domicile students in the same category typically see closing ranks 300–500 positions less competitive than the All India figure.
Ques. Is CLAT 2027 out of 120 marks?
Ans. Yes. CLAT 2027 UG carries 120 questions worth 120 marks in total. Each correct answer earns 1 mark and each wrong answer results in a deduction of 0.25 marks. Unanswered questions carry no penalty.
Ques. Why does NLIU Bhopal have separate All India and MP domicile cutoffs?
Ans. NLIU Bhopal is a state NLU established under Madhya Pradesh law. The state government mandates that 50% of seats in every category are reserved for students domiciled in Madhya Pradesh. The remaining 50% are filled through the All India CLAT merit list, which is more competitive because it draws from the entire country.
Ques. When will the official CLAT 2027 cutoff be released?
Ans. The official CLAT 2027 cutoff will be released by the Consortium of NLUs during the counselling process. CLAT 2027 is expected to be conducted in December 2026, with Round 1 counselling allotments likely in January 2027. The Consortium publishes round-wise allotment lists carrying the closing rank for each NLU and category.
Ques. Which is better for General category students — NLU Jodhpur or NLIU Bhopal?
Ans. NLU Jodhpur is more competitive (expected General closing rank AIR 340–390) compared to NLIU Bhopal (AIR 450–540 All India). NLU Jodhpur also ranks higher in most national law school rankings. However, students domiciled in Madhya Pradesh may find NLIU Bhopal accessible at a lower rank through the state quota, making location, faculty, and personal preference important factors alongside rank.



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