NLSIU Bengaluru, NLU Delhi, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata, and GNLU Gandhinagar are the top NIRF-ranked law colleges in India 2025. NLSIU Bengaluru holds NIRF Law Rank 1 with a score of 82.97, followed by NLU Delhi at Rank 2 with 80.00 and NALSAR Hyderabad at Rank 3 with 79.50.
Key Summary
- Government Law colleges have fees ranging from INR 60 K at Andhra University Visakhapatnam to INR 19.35 Lakh at NLU Delhi, while private law colleges have fees ranging from INR 9.15 Lakh at SOA Bhubaneswar to INR 23.20 Lakh at UPES Dehradun.
- NLSIU Bengaluru holds NIRF Law Rank 1 (2025) with a NIRF Score of 82.97 and a CD Score of 948 out of 1000, with total fees of INR 15.59 Lakh.
- Andhra University Visakhapatnam (NIRF Rank 16) at INR 60 K, AMU Aligarh (NIRF Rank 9) at INR 76 K, and JMI New Delhi (NIRF Rank 8) at INR 90.75 K are the most affordable colleges in this list.
NIRF Ranked Law Colleges in India 2026
| NIRF Law Rank | College Name | CD Score (out of 1000) | NIRF Score | College Type | Total Course Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NLSIU Bengaluru | 948 | 82.97 | Government | INR 15.59 Lakh |
| 2 | NLU Delhi | 808 | 80.00 | Government | INR 19.35 Lakh |
| 3 | NALSAR Hyderabad | 890 | 79.50 | Government | INR 12.90 Lakh |
| 4 | WBNUJS Kolkata | 889 | 79.39 | Government | INR 16.79 Lakh |
| 5 | GNLU Gandhinagar | 826 | 76.23 | Government | INR 12.22 Lakh |
| 6 | IIT Kharagpur | - | 74.09 | Government | INR 12.63 Lakh |
| 7 | SLS Pune | - | 74.07 | Private | INR 10.39 Lakh |
| 8 | JMI New Delhi | 798 | 66.39 | Government | INR 90.75 K |
| 9 | AMU Aligarh | 727 | 65.82 | Government | INR 76 K |
| 10 | SOA Bhubaneswar | 777 | 65.36 | Private | INR 9.15 Lakh |
| 11 | SASTRA Thanjavur | 708 | 65.29 | Private | INR 7.93 Lakh |
| 12 | BBAU Lucknow | 761 | 65.26 | Government | INR 6.38 Lakh |
| 13 | CUSAT Kochi | - | 65.19 | Government | INR 3.56 Lakh |
| 14 | KIIT Bhubaneswar | 732 | 65.04 | Private | INR 19.95 Lakh |
| 15 | NLUO Cuttack | 657 | 63.66 | Government | INR 7.52 Lakh |
| 16 | Andhra University Visakhapatnam | - | 63.12 | Government | INR 60 K |
| 17 | CNLU Patna | 552 | 62.40 | Government | INR 9.19 Lakh |
| 18 | UPES Dehradun | 453 | 61.45 | Private | INR 23.20 Lakh |
| 19 | SIMATS Chennai | - | 60.90 | Private | INR 17.50 Lakh |
| 20 | Alliance University Bengaluru | - | 60.83 | Private | INR 17.63 Lakh |
Also Read
Ques. What is the NIRF ranking methodology for law colleges?
Ans. NIRF evaluates law colleges on five parameters: Teaching, Learning and Resources (TLR) at 40%, Research and Professional Practice (RP) at 15%, Graduation Outcomes (GO) at 25%, Outreach and Inclusivity (OI) at 10%, and Perception (PR) at 10%.
Ques. Which is the most affordable NIRF-ranked law college in this list?
Ans. Andhra University Visakhapatnam (NIRF Rank 16) charges INR 60 K — the lowest fee among colleges in this list. AMU Aligarh (NIRF Rank 9) charges INR 76 K and JMI New Delhi (NIRF Rank 8) charges INR 90.75 K. CUSAT Kochi (NIRF Rank 13) at INR 3.56 Lakh is the fourth most affordable. All four cheapest colleges are government institutions.
| College Name | NIRF Law Rank (2025) | College Type | Total Course Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andhra University Visakhapatnam | 16 | Government | INR 60 K |
| AMU Aligarh | 9 | Government | INR 76 K |
| JMI New Delhi | 8 | Government | INR 90.75 K |
| CUSAT Kochi | 13 | Government | INR 3.56 Lakh |
| BBAU Lucknow | 12 | Government | INR 6.38 Lakh |
Ques. How does CLAT 2025 cutoff compare across top NIRF ranked NLUs?
Ans. CLAT is the primary admission route for all NLUs in the NIRF Law ranking. CLAT 2024 general category closing ranks: NLSIU Bengaluru (Rank 1) ~67, NLU Delhi (Rank 2) ~80, NALSAR Hyderabad (Rank 3) ~150, WBNUJS Kolkata (Rank 4) ~250, GNLU Gandhinagar (Rank 5) ~450. These figures shift yearly; refer to the official CLAT consortium for current data.
| College Name | NIRF Law Rank | CLAT 2024 Approx. Closing Rank (General) | Total Course Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| NLSIU Bengaluru | 1 | ~67 | INR 15.59 Lakh |
| NLU Delhi | 2 | ~80 | INR 19.35 Lakh |
| NALSAR Hyderabad | 3 | ~150 | INR 12.90 Lakh |
| WBNUJS Kolkata | 4 | ~250 | INR 16.79 Lakh |
| GNLU Gandhinagar | 5 | ~450 | INR 12.22 Lakh |
NIRF Law Ranking Trend: 2023–2025
NLSIU Bengaluru, NLU Delhi, NALSAR Hyderabad, and WBNUJS Kolkata have held Ranks 1–4 consistently across 2023, 2024, and 2025. GNLU Gandhinagar improved from Rank 7 in 2023 to Rank 5 in 2025. IIT Kharagpur moved from Rank 9 in 2023 to Rank 6 in 2025. SLS Pune slipped from Rank 6 in 2023 to Rank 7 in 2025, while AMU Aligarh improved significantly from Rank 14 in 2023 to Rank 9 in 2025.
| College Name | NIRF Rank 2025 | NIRF Rank 2024 | NIRF Rank 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NLSIU Bengaluru | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| NLU Delhi | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| NALSAR Hyderabad | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| WBNUJS Kolkata | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| GNLU Gandhinagar | 5 | 8 | 7 |
| IIT Kharagpur | 6 | 7 | 9 |
| SLS Pune | 7 | 5 | 6 |
| JMI New Delhi | 8 | 6 | 5 |
| AMU Aligarh | 9 | 12 | 14 |
| SOA Bhubaneswar | 10 | 9 | 8 |
NIRF Ranked Government Law Colleges in India 2026
NLSIU Bengaluru, NLU Delhi, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata, and GNLU Gandhinagar are the top five government law colleges by NIRF Score in 2025, with scores between 76.23 and 82.97. All five are National Law Universities (NLUs) admitting through CLAT. Fees at these five colleges range from INR 12.22 Lakh at GNLU Gandhinagar to INR 19.35 Lakh at NLU Delhi.
| NIRF Law Rank | College Name | NIRF Score | Total Course Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NLSIU Bengaluru | 82.97 | INR 15.59 Lakh |
| 2 | NLU Delhi | 80.00 | INR 19.35 Lakh |
| 3 | NALSAR Hyderabad | 79.50 | INR 12.90 Lakh |
| 4 | WBNUJS Kolkata | 79.39 | INR 16.79 Lakh |
| 5 | GNLU Gandhinagar | 76.23 | INR 12.22 Lakh |
NIRF Ranked Private Law Colleges in India 2026
Symbiosis Law School (SLS) Pune (NIRF Rank 7, NIRF Score 74.07) is the highest-ranked private law college in the NIRF Law 2025 list at INR 10.39 Lakh. SOA Bhubaneswar (NIRF Rank 10) and SASTRA Thanjavur (NIRF Rank 11) follow with NIRF Scores of 65.36 and 65.29, respectively. Fees among these five private colleges range from INR 7.93 Lakh at SASTRA Thanjavur to INR 23.20 Lakh at UPES Dehradun.
| NIRF Law Rank | College Name | NIRF Score | Total Course Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | SLS Pune | 74.07 | INR 10.39 Lakh |
| 10 | SOA Bhubaneswar | 65.36 | INR 9.15 Lakh |
| 11 | SASTRA Thanjavur | 65.29 | INR 7.93 Lakh |
| 14 | KIIT Bhubaneswar | 65.04 | INR 19.95 Lakh |
| 18 | UPES Dehradun | 61.45 | INR 23.20 Lakh |
| Check Here: Full List of Top Private Law Colleges in India |
NIRF Ranking Methodology
The NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) is a ranking system in India that evaluates and ranks educational institutions, including universities, law colleges, engineering colleges, management institutes, pharmacy colleges, and overall institutions. The ranking methodology of NIRF considers various parameters to assess the quality and performance of law colleges. Here are the key aspects of the NIRF Law ranking methodology:
- Teaching, Learning, and Resources (TLR)
- Research and Professional Practice (RP)
- Graduation Outcomes (GO)
- Outreach and Inclusivity (OI)
- Perception (PR)
NIRF Law Ranking Parameters & Weightage
The following table highlights the NIRF Ranking Parameters and Weightage for Law Colleges in India.
| S.No. | Parameter | Max Marks | Weightage | Sub-Parameters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Teaching, Learning & Resources (TLR) | 100 | 0.40 | Faculty-student ratio with emphasis on permanent faculty (FSR) Student Strength including Doctoral Students (SS) Financial Resources and their Utilisation (FRU) Combined metric for Faculty with PhD and Experience (FQE) |
| 2. | Research and Professional Practice (RP) | 100 | 0.15 | Combined metric for Publications (PU) Combined metric for Quality of Publications (QP) Footprint of Projects and Professional Practice (FPPP) |
| 3. | Graduation Outcomes (GO) | 100 | 0.25 | Combined metric for Placement and Higher Studies (GPH) Metric for University Examinations (GUE) Median Salary (GMS) Metric for Number of Ph.D. Students Graduated (GPHD) |
| 4. | Outreach and Inclusivity (OI) | 100 | 0.10 | Percentage of Students from Other States/Countries - Region Diversity (RD) Percentage of Women - Women Diversity (WD) Economically and Socially Challenged Students (ESCS) Facilities for Physically Challenged Students (PCS) |
| 5. | Perception (PR) | 100 | 0.10 | Peer Perception: Employers & Academic Peers (PR) |
FAQ's
Ques. Which is the No. 1 law college in India by NIRF Rank 2025?
Ans. National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Bengaluru holds NIRF Law Rank 1 in 2025 with a NIRF Score of 82.97. NLSIU Bengaluru also leads Collegedunia rankings with a CD Score of 948 out of 1000. It offers BA LLB (Hons.) at a total fee of INR 15.59 Lakh and admits students through CLAT.
Ques. Which private law college ranks highest by NIRF in 2025?
Ans. SLS Pune (NIRF Rank 7, Score 74.07) is the top private law college in this list, with BA LLB (Hons.) at INR 10.39 Lakh. SOA Bhubaneswar (Rank 10, CD Score 777), SASTRA Thanjavur (Rank 11, CD Score 708), and KIIT Bhubaneswar (Rank 14, CD Score 732) follow.
Ques. What is the difference between CD Score and NIRF Score for law colleges?
Ans. Both scores rank law colleges but use different methods.
| Parameter | NIRF Score | CD Score |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | Government of India (MoE) | Collegedunia |
| Scale | Out of 100 | Out of 1000 |
| Key Factors | TLR (40%), GO (25%), RP (15%), OI (10%), PR (10%) | Academic reputation, placements, infrastructure, faculty, student reviews |
| Coverage | Only NIRF-participating colleges | All colleges listed on Collegedunia |
The two scores often diverge. IIT Kharagpur (NIRF Rank 6, Score 74.09) and SLS Pune (NIRF Rank 7) have no CD Score on Collegedunia's law page. NLUO Cuttack (NIRF Rank 15, CD Score 657) ranks higher on Collegedunia than several NIRF-ranked colleges that lack a CD Score.
Ques. Which NLUs appear in the NIRF Law Ranking 2025 top 20?
Ans. Six National Law Universities (NLUs) appear in the NIRF Law Ranking 2025 top 20. The table below shows each NLU with its NIRF Rank and total fee.
| NLU Name | NIRF Law Rank (2025) | NIRF Score | Total Course Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| NLSIU Bengaluru | 1 | 82.97 | INR 15.59 Lakh |
| NLU Delhi | 2 | 80.00 | INR 19.35 Lakh |
| NALSAR Hyderabad | 3 | 79.50 | INR 12.90 Lakh |
| WBNUJS Kolkata | 4 | 79.39 | INR 16.79 Lakh |
| GNLU Gandhinagar | 5 | 76.23 | INR 12.22 Lakh |
| NLUO Cuttack | 15 | 63.66 | INR 7.52 Lakh |
Ques. What entrance exams do NIRF ranked law colleges accept?
Ans. Most NIRF ranked law colleges in this list accept CLAT for BA LLB and CLAT PG for LLM admissions. NLU Delhi accepts AILET in addition to CLAT. AMU Aligarh accepts its own AMU Law Entrance Test. CUSAT Kochi accepts CUSAT CAT. IIT Kharagpur conducts its own selection process for its law programme. Private colleges — KIIT Bhubaneswar, SLS Pune, and UPES Dehradun — accept LSAT India or their own entrance tests.
| Entrance Exam | Colleges in This List Accepting | Course |
|---|---|---|
| CLAT | NLSIU, NLU Delhi, NALSAR, WBNUJS, GNLU, NLUO, CNLU, JMI, AMU, BBAU | BA LLB / LLB (Hons.) |
| AILET | NLU Delhi | BA LLB (Hons.) |
| LSAT India | KIIT, SLS Pune, UPES Dehradun, Alliance University | BA LLB / BBA LLB (Hons.) |
| CUSAT CAT | CUSAT Kochi | LLB / BBA LLB |
| AMU Entrance Test | AMU Aligarh | BA LLB |
| University / Direct | IIT Kharagpur, SASTRA, SOA, SIMATS, BBAU, Andhra University | BA LLB / LLB / LLM |
Ques. Which NIRF ranked law colleges are in South India?
Ans. South India has 5 colleges from this list of 20, spread across Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh. NLSIU Bengaluru (NIRF Rank 1) is the top law college nationally and the top in South India. NALSAR Hyderabad (NIRF Rank 3) is the second-highest from the region.
| College Name | State | NIRF Law Rank (2025) | NIRF Score | Total Course Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NLSIU Bengaluru | Karnataka | 1 | 82.97 | INR 15.59 Lakh |
| NALSAR Hyderabad | Telangana | 3 | 79.50 | INR 12.90 Lakh |
| SASTRA Thanjavur | Tamil Nadu | 11 | 65.29 | INR 7.93 Lakh |
| CUSAT Kochi | Kerala | 13 | 65.19 | INR 3.56 Lakh |
| SIMATS Chennai | Tamil Nadu | 19 | 60.90 | INR 17.50 Lakh |
| Andhra University Visakhapatnam | Andhra Pradesh | 16 | 63.12 | INR 60 K |
| Alliance University Bengaluru | Karnataka | 20 | 60.83 | INR 17.63 Lakh |
Ques. Is NIRF ranking important for law college admissions?
Ans. NIRF rank signals institutional quality across teaching, research, placements, outreach, and perception. CLAT rank determines NLU entry, and NIRF is most useful for comparing colleges in the same CLAT rank band. The top 5, NLSIU, NLU Delhi, NALSAR, WBNUJS, GNLU, consistently attract the best law firm placements. Consider NIRF rank alongside CLAT cutoff, CD Score, fees, specialisation, and location before deciding.
Ques. Which NIRF ranked law colleges offer LLM programmes?
Ans. Most colleges in this list offer LLM. NLUs, NLSIU, NLU Delhi, NALSAR, WBNUJS, GNLU, NLUO Cuttack, BBAU Lucknow — admit through CLAT PG. CUSAT Kochi (INR 3.56 Lakh) and CNLU Patna (INR 9.19 Lakh) are affordable options. KIIT Bhubaneswar, UPES Dehradun, and Alliance University admit through their own tests or LSAT India.
Ques. Does IIT Kharagpur offer a law programme and how is it ranked?
Ans. IIT Kharagpur offers a 5-year BA LLB through its Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law (RGSOIPL), with a total fee of INR 12.63 Lakh. It holds NIRF Law Rank 6 (Score 74.09), between GNLU Gandhinagar (Rank 5) and SLS Pune (Rank 7). Admission is through IIT KGP's own selection process, not CLAT. It carries no CD Score on Collegedunia's law listing page.
Ques. How do law colleges benefit from their high NIRF rankings?
Ans. Law colleges with high NIRF rankings gain recognition, attract quality faculty and students, receive grants and funding, and enhance their reputation in the legal community.
Ques. Which law college has consistently maintained its position among the top five in NIRF rankings?
Ans. NLSIU Bengaluru has consistently secured the top position in NIRF Law rankings. NLU Delhi, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata, and GNLU Gandhinagar have also consistently featured among the top five law colleges in India according to the NIRF rankings.
Ques. Is the ranking of law colleges in the NIRF updated annually?
Ans. Yes, the NIRF rankings are updated annually, reflecting the latest evaluations and assessments of law colleges in India.
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