The expected CLAT 2026 cutoff for ST category ranges from approximately 83 marks at NLSIU Bangalore to around 56 marks at newer NLUs, based on CLAT 2025 closing trends across all counselling rounds.
CLAT 2026 is conducted by the Consortium of NLUs for admission to the 5-year integrated BA LLB programme across 25 participating National Law Universities. ST (Scheduled Tribe) students compete within a reserved pool at every NLU, and their closing marks are considerably lower than those in the General category. The NLU-wise and round-wise ST cutoff projections below help you identify which colleges fall within your score range.
- CLAT 2026 is scored out of 120 marks (120 questions, 1 mark each, −0.25 negative marking per wrong answer).
- ST students are allotted seats from a separate ST rank list — the closing marks here apply to the ST pool only.
- Cutoffs ease by 1–3 marks each subsequent round as students confirm seats at higher-preference NLUs.
- All figures below are expected, based on CLAT 2025 trends; official closing marks are published on the Consortium portal after each round concludes.
| Direct Link to CLAT 2026 Counselling and Cutoff Portal (Active) — consortiumofnlus.ac.in/clat-2026/ |
CLAT 2026 ST Category — Key Details
Under central reservation norms, 7.5% of seats at each NLU are reserved for ST students. State NLUs may apply their respective state reservation percentages. Seat allotment in each counselling round is based on a student’s CLAT 2026 score and the NLU preference order submitted at registration.
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam | CLAT 2026 (Common Law Admission Test) |
| Conducted by | Consortium of National Law Universities |
| Total Marks | 120 marks |
| Category | ST (Scheduled Tribe) |
| ST Reservation | 7.5% of seats at central NLUs; state NLUs apply state reservation norms |
| Counselling Rounds | 4–5 rounds including stray vacancy / waitlist round |
| Allotment Basis | CLAT 2026 score + NLU preference order within the ST merit list |
| Official Portal | consortiumofnlus.ac.in/clat-2026/ |
NLU-Wise Expected CLAT 2026 Cutoff for ST Category (All Rounds)
The table below lists expected CLAT 2026 closing marks for ST students at each participating NLU across three main counselling rounds. All figures are projected from CLAT 2025 closing mark trends and are not official. The Consortium publishes official round-by-round closing marks on its portal after each round.
| NLU | Round 1 — Expected Closing Marks (out of 120) | Round 2 — Expected Closing Marks | Round 3 — Expected Closing Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| NLSIU Bangalore | 83.00 | 81.25 | 79.50 |
| NALSAR Hyderabad | 80.25 | 78.50 | 76.75 |
| NUJS Kolkata | 77.50 | 75.75 | 73.75 |
| MNLU Mumbai | 74.00 | 72.25 | 70.50 |
| GNLU Gandhinagar | 72.50 | 70.75 | 69.00 |
| NLIU Bhopal | 71.75 | 70.00 | 68.25 |
| RMLNLU Lucknow | 70.00 | 68.25 | 66.50 |
| NLUJ Jodhpur | 68.75 | 67.00 | 65.25 |
| RGNUL Patiala | 67.25 | 65.50 | 63.75 |
| NLUO Cuttack | 66.50 | 64.75 | 63.00 |
| HNLU Raipur | 65.25 | 63.50 | 61.75 |
| MNLU Aurangabad | 64.75 | 63.00 | 61.25 |
| MNLU Nagpur | 64.50 | 62.75 | 61.00 |
| CNLU Patna | 64.00 | 62.25 | 60.50 |
| NUALS Kochi | 63.50 | 61.75 | 60.00 |
| HPNLU Shimla | 62.75 | 61.00 | 59.25 |
| DBRANLU Sonepat | 62.25 | 60.50 | 58.75 |
| NUSRL Ranchi | 61.75 | 60.00 | 58.25 |
| TNNLU Tiruchirappalli | 61.25 | 59.50 | 57.75 |
| NLUJA Guwahati | 60.75 | 59.00 | 57.25 |
| DSNLU Visakhapatnam | 60.25 | 58.50 | 56.75 |
All figures above are expected estimates based on CLAT 2025 closing mark trends. These are not official figures. Actual closing marks depend on the CLAT 2026 score distribution and student upgrade behaviour across rounds.
Round-Wise ST Category Cutoff Trend in CLAT 2026
CLAT 2026 counselling runs across four to five rounds. Understanding the round-wise shift helps you decide when to lock in a seat versus waiting to upgrade.
| Round | Expected ST Closing Marks — Tier-1 NLUs | Expected ST Closing Marks — Mid-Tier NLUs |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | 79 – 83 | 62 – 72 |
| Round 2 | 77 – 81 | 60 – 70 |
| Round 3 | 75 – 80 | 57 – 69 |
| Round 4 / Stray Vacancy | 73 – 78 | 55 – 67 |
- Round 1: Most competitive round. ST students with 80+ marks have a strong chance at NLSIU or NALSAR in Round 1 itself.
- Rounds 2 and 3: Best windows to upgrade to a Tier-1 or Tier-2 NLU if you secured a lower-preference seat in Round 1. Closing marks drop by 1.5–2.5 marks at most NLUs.
- Stray vacancy round: Fills seats that remain after the main rounds. ST students on the waitlist frequently receive their first allotment in this round at mid-tier NLUs.
Factors Affecting the CLAT 2026 ST Category Cutoff
The ST cutoff shifts from year to year based on several variables. Knowing these helps you gauge whether the 2026 cutoffs will be tighter or more relaxed than 2025.
- ST applicant pool and score distribution: A larger number of high-scoring ST students in 2026 pushes closing marks upward at all NLUs. The overall CLAT 2026 registration figures directly affect this.
- Paper difficulty: An easier paper raises average scores across all categories and lifts the cutoff; a tougher paper depresses it.
- Seat intake at NLUs: Any increase in ST seat count at a particular NLU in 2026 can ease its closing marks slightly, since more seats compete for the same applicant pool.
- State domicile reservation: NLUs such as HPNLU Shimla and CNLU Patna reserve a portion of seats for state-domicile ST students. These students face a separate — often lower — state-domicile cutoff that does not apply to out-of-state ST applicants.
- Upgrade decisions between rounds: The pace at which ST allottees upgrade from lower-preference to higher-preference NLUs determines how quickly and how far the cutoff eases round by round.
CLAT 2026 ST Category Cutoff FAQs
Ques. What is the expected CLAT 2026 cutoff for ST category at NLSIU Bangalore?
Ans. Based on CLAT 2025 trends, the expected ST category closing marks at NLSIU Bangalore for CLAT 2026 range from 79.50 to 83 marks depending on the counselling round. Round 1 records the highest cutoff; it eases with each subsequent round.
Ques. Is the CLAT ST category cutoff the same across all NLUs?
Ans. No. Each NLU has its own ST closing marks based on its intake and applicant pool. NLSIU Bangalore and NALSAR Hyderabad carry the highest ST cutoffs, while newer NLUs like DSNLU Visakhapatnam and NLUJA Guwahati have the lowest closing marks.
Ques. Does the CLAT 2026 ST cutoff change between rounds?
Ans. Yes. The ST closing marks typically drop by 1–3 marks between consecutive rounds as higher-scoring students confirm seats at top NLUs, freeing allotments for students with slightly lower scores in the next round.
Ques. What is the maximum score in CLAT 2026?
Ans. CLAT 2026 carries a maximum of 120 marks — 120 questions worth 1 mark each, with a penalty of 0.25 marks for every incorrect answer.
Ques. How does CLAT 2026 ST seat allotment work across rounds?
Ans. ST students are ranked within a separate ST merit list based on their CLAT 2026 score. In each round, the Consortium allots seats college-wise based on your position in the ST merit list and the NLU preference order you submitted at counselling registration. Allottees who upgrade in a later round release their current seat back into the pool.
Ques. Where can I check the official CLAT 2026 round-wise ST cutoff?
Ans. The Consortium of NLUs publishes official round-by-round closing marks on its portal at consortiumofnlus.ac.in/clat-2026/ after every counselling round concludes.
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