CLAT Round 2 Cut-Offs: How Closing Rank Shifted in Top 7 NLUs

CLAT 2026 Round 2 Cut-Offs vs CLAT 2025 Final Cutoffs (General Category)

Evaluating Closing Rank Shifts in Top 7 NLUs

The CLAT 2026 closing rank data shows stability in rank shifts among the top 7 NLUs. NLSIU Bengaluru remains the most competitive institution, with its closing rank moving by only 7 positions in round 2. This shift indicates that nearly all top-ranked candidates allotted NLSIU in round 1 have opted to freeze their seats.

A similar pattern can be seen at NALSAR Hyderabad, which saw a shift of only 13 ranks. Notably, NALSAR’s current round 2 closing rank of 161 has already surpassed its 2025 final cutoff of 159. This indicates that the CLAT 2026 cutoff is already higher than that of the previous year.

This shift in cutoffs becomes more noticeable within the remaining tier 1 NLUs. WBNUJS Kolkata (BA LLB) experienced a drop of 43 ranks in the general category. Its CLAT 2026 round 2 closing rank (AIR 327) has already reached the CLAT final closing rank of 2025. This suggests that the chances of shifting in rank in CLAT rounds 3,4 or 5 for the BA LLB program are minimal.

GNLU Gandhinagar and HNLU Raipur, however, show potential for students choosing to float. GNLU Gandhinagar currently stands at a closing rank of 392. Comparing this to the 2025 final cutoff of 444, there is a potential window for further drops in their ranks. Similarly, HNLU Raipur moved by 30 positions in round 2 to reach AIR 766. Given that the 2025 final cutoff was 807, candidates within 40 ranks of the current cutoff can have a realistic chance to get into HNLU Raipur in the upcoming lists.

The most significant rank drop in further rounds is expected to occur in law-specialised programs, such as BSc LLB. WBNUJS Kolkata added 6 new students to its BSc LLB program in round 2. Its current closing rank is 582, but its final rank last year was 711. This gap shows that specialised courses are more flexible than traditional BA LLB seats. Because fewer students choose these programs, the ranks tend to move more freely. With five full rounds of counselling in CLAT 2026, there is a high chance this rank will drop significantly by the final list.

At NLIU Bhopal, the BSc LLB (Cyber Security) program reported no new general category allotments in round 2. Since NLIU Bhopal reintroduced the BSc LLB program in the 2025 cycle, its final closing rank for general category students reached AIR 915. However, this year, it is likely to close well below AIR 900.

It is important to note that these rank drops are not guaranteed. Further movement depends entirely on seat vacation. Ranks only drop when students leave their allotted seats to join other institutions, courses, move to private universities, or fail to complete the NLU admission formalities, such as the counselling fee and university fee.

What to Expect in CLAT 2026 Round 3?

As the CLAT admission cycle moves into round 3, the choice between freeze and float becomes critical. For candidates who have secured a seat in their first-choice NLU, locking the seat is the right option. Freezing indicates that the candidate is satisfied with the allotted college and has to pay the non-refundable confirmation fee and university fee. However, for those still aiming for a higher-ranked institution, the data indicates that securing an upgrade among the top-tier NLUs becomes more difficult from this round.

The float option is best suited for students who are within a realistic range of getting allotted a seat at a higher preferred NLU. The previous year CLAT cutoff trends show that general students whose current rank is within 50 to 80 positions from the closing ranks of top-tier NLUs should consider floating, as these institutions can experience minor rank shifts in further rounds.

Unlike the general category, reserved categories often experience more significant rankfall in later rounds. For instance, the OBC category at NLSIU Bengaluru closed at AIR 1071 in round 2, but the 2025 data shows a final closing rank of 1541. At NALSAR Hyderabad, the EWS closing rank of 713 and the ST rank of 5716 have already surpassed last year’s closing rank of 546 for EWS and 3621 for ST, respectively. This shows that the reserved category at NALSAR is currently less competitive than it was at the end of last year.

By round 3, the rank movement in the top 7 NLUs typically slows down. However, a significant rank shift continues in mid-tier and lower-tier NLUs. Data indicates that mid-tier institutions like NLU Odisha can see an estimated drop of up to 175 ranks by the final rounds. In the lower-tier or newer NLUs, such as HPNLU Shimla or NLUT Agartala, the cutoffs may drop by 300 positions or more.

Candidates must also understand that selecting the float option is not a passive choice. It requires the payment of a mandatory confirmation fee to hold the seat. If the deadline to pay the counselling fee is missed, the system automatically cancels the allotment. In such cases, the student loses their secured seat entirely.