When you start serious CLAT prep, one question hits harder than any tricky question paper: How many seats are actually available? Because no matter how good you are, if you don’t know how many spots you’re competing for, you’re playing blind.
CLAT isn’t one big, equal battleground. It’s a cluster of NLUs — each with its own seat count, reservation rules, and surprises. Knowing the real numbers and how seats are divided can make or break your strategy.
We’ll also cover the reservation policies briefly to help you understand your chances better. No vague guesses. Just facts and what you really need to know.
Also Read: Is CLAT 2026 Going to Be Tougher?
Think about it: You hear “4000 seats,” but what if 50% are reserved, or some NLUs have very few seats? Or what if some NLUs have super high cutoffs while others are easier to get into? Without knowing seat distribution, you risk wasting precious attempts chasing the wrong colleges.
Knowing seats NLU-wise helps you:
Plan your target NLUs realistically
Understand cutoffs and competition per university
Balance your preference list during counseling
Avoid last-minute surprises and disappointment
Also Read: Overcoming Math Anxiety for CLAT 2026
CLAT 2026 will offer UG admissions across 24 NLUs, with a total of 3,400+ seats for 5-year LLB programs. These are divided among categories like General, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, EWS, and PwD, and further split into All India and Domicile quotas (state-wise seats).
Note: Exact numbers vary slightly every year as new NLUs join and matrices are revised. Additionally, not all NLUs offer both UG and postgraduate ( PG programs; some are UG-only, and their seat matrices reflect that.
Quick Example: How the Reservation Works:
Say NLU Patna has 120 seats, and you’re an OBC-NCL girl from Bihar. Here’s how your competition pool looks:
1. Of 120 seats, 60 might be for Bihar domicile students.
2. Of those 60, say 16 are for OBC-NCL.
3. Of those 16, 1–2 may be for OBC-NCL PwD, and around 7–8 might go to girls (due to horizontal reservation).
So even though NLU Patna says 120 seats — in reality, you’re competing for just 7–8 based on your category, domicile, and gender.
That’s why knowing the split matters. You’re not fighting for 120 — you’re fighting for your slice of it.
Also Read: CLAT 2026 Syllabus: Subject-Wise Tips & Tricks to Ace It
Note: All NLUs have a 33% horizontal reservation for women across all categories and seats.
1. NLSIU Bengaluru
Total UG Seats: 310
Karnataka Domicile: 25% (≈78 seats)
SC: 15%, ST: 7.5%, OBC-NCL: 27%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5% (within AIQ seats)
2. NALSAR Hyderabad
Total UG Seats: 132
Telangana Domicile: 25% (≈33 seats)
SC: 15%, ST: 7.5%, OBC-NCL: 27%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
3. NLIU Bhopal
Total UG Seats: 202 (BA LLB: 134, BSc LLB: 68)
Madhya Pradesh Domicile: 40% (≈81 seats)
SC: 16%, ST: 20%, OBC-NCL: 14%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
4. WBNUJS Kolkata
Total UG Seats: 158 (BA LLB: 108, BSc LLB: 50)
West Bengal Domicile: 31% (≈49 seats)
SC: 22%, ST: 6%, OBC-NCL: 27%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
5. NLU Jodhpur
Total UG Seats: 120
Rajasthan Domicile: 27.5% (≈33 seats)
SC: 16%, ST: 12%, OBC-NCL: 21%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
6. HNLU Raipur
Total UG Seats: 170
Chhattisgarh Domicile: 50% (85 seats)
SC: 21%, ST: 16%, OBC-NCL: 14%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
7. GNLU Gandhinagar
Total UG Seats: 172
Gujarat Domicile: 25% (≈43 seats)
SC: 7%, ST: 15%, OBC-NCL: 27%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
8. RMLNLU Lucknow
Total UG Seats: 169
Uttar Pradesh Domicile: 45% (≈76 seats)
SC: 21%, ST: 2%, OBC-NCL: 27%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
9. RGNUL Patiala
Total UG Seats: 180
Punjab Domicile: 10% (18 seats)
SC: 32%, ST: N/A, OBC-NCL: 20%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
10. CNLU Patna
Total UG Seats: 138 (69 BA LLB + 69 BBA LLB)
Bihar Domicile: 50% (69 seats)
SC: 16%, ST: 1%, OBC-NCL: 27%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
11. NUALS Kochi
Total UG Seats: 60
Kerala Domicile: 51% (31 seats)
SC: 8%, ST: 2%, OBC-NCL: 27%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
12. NLU Odisha
Total UG Seats: 180 (120 BA LLB + 60 BBA LLB)
Odisha Domicile: 25% (45 seats)
SC: 16%, ST: 22%, OBC-NCL: 27%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
13. NUSRL Ranchi
Total UG Seats: 180
Jharkhand Domicile: 50% (90 seats)
SC: 21%, ST: 12%, OBC-NCL: 27%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
14. NLUJA Assam
Total UG Seats: 60
Assam Domicile: 50% (30 seats)
SC: 7%, ST: 15%, OBC-NCL: 27%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
15. DSNLU Visakhapatnam
Total UG Seats: 120
Andhra Pradesh Domicile: 40% (48 seats)
SC: 15%, ST: 7.5%, OBC-NCL: 27%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
16. TNNLU Tiruchirappalli
Total UG Seats: 120 (60 BA LLB + 60 BCom LLB)
Tamil Nadu Domicile: 50% (60 seats)
SC: 20%, ST: 1%, OBC-NCL: 30%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
17. MNLU Mumbai
Total UG Seats: 100
Maharashtra Domicile: 63% (63 seats)
SC: 13%, ST: 7%, OBC-NCL: 27%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
18. MNLU Nagpur
Total UG Seats: 180 (60 BA LLB + 60 BBA LLB + 60 BA LLB Adjudication)
Maharashtra Domicile: 62% (112 seats)
SC: 13%, ST: 7%, OBC-NCL: 27%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
19. MNLU Aurangabad
Total UG Seats: 120 (60 BA LLB + 60 BBA LLB)
Maharashtra Domicile: 62% (74 seats)
SC: 13%, ST: 7%, OBC-NCL: 27%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
20. HPNLU Shimla
Total UG Seats: 180 (120 BA LLB + 60 BBA LLB)
Himachal Pradesh Domicile: 25% (45 seats)
SC: 15%, ST: 7.5%, OBC-NCL: 27%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
21. DNLU Jabalpur
Total UG Seats: 120
Madhya Pradesh Domicile: 40% (48 seats)
SC: 16%, ST: 20%, OBC-NCL: 14%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
22. DBRANLU Sonipat
Total UG Seats: 120
Haryana Domicile: 25% (30 seats)
SC: 20%, ST: N/A, OBC-NCL: 27%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
23. NLU Tripura
Total UG Seats: 60
Tripura Domicile: 30% (18 seats)
SC: 31%, ST: 10%, OBC-NCL: 27%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
24. GNLU Silvassa Campus
Total UG Seats: 66
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Domicile: 25% (16 seats)
SC: 15%, ST: 20%, OBC-NCL: 27%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
25. IIULER Goa
Total UG Seats: 60
Goa Domicile: ~25% (15 seats)
SC: 2%, ST: 10%, OBC-NCL: 27%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
26. RPNLU Prayagraj
Total UG Seats: 120
Uttar Pradesh Domicile: ~40% (48 seats)
SC: 21%, ST: 2%, OBC-NCL: 27%, EWS: 10%, PwD: 5%
When you know exactly how many seats you compete for, you stop wasting time chasing unrealistic targets.
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NLTI mentors break down these numbers clearly and show you which colleges fit your rank and category. They help you analyze your mocks, identify your weak spots, and build a prep plan so you can’t just dream about your dream college but land there.
Because getting into the right NLU is about knowing the system and playing it right.
