CLAT Merit List 2026, NLU Wise Opening & Closing Ranks

The Consortium of NLUs will release the CLAT Merit List 2026 for the first round of seat allotment after the completion of the counselling registration process. The CLAT NLU Merit list is an official document that is released in a round-wise manner for all participating CLAT colleges. The selection list shows which NLU you have been provisionally assigned based on your rank, category, and preference order. It must be remembered that the CLAT 2026 merit list is provisional in nature. Admission will be finalised once shortlisted candidates complete the admission process and pay the university fee to confirm their seat allotment.

CLAT Merit List 2026

The CLAT merit list is essential for individuals seeking admission to National Law Universities (NLUs), through one of the most competitive law entrance tests. The Consortium of NLUs publishes institute-specific merit lists for CLAT 2026 in a total of five rounds, including the names, ranks, and categories of each candidate shortlisted for the final admission process.

CLAT counselling will be conducted online, and the merit list will be issued according to the counselling schedule and criteria. Candidates shortlisted for the CLAT 2026 Invite List counselling may select one of three alternatives — Freeze, Float, or Exit — before the prescribed deadline.

As per the rules. Candidates can secure their seat or wait for a better option in the next round by paying a non-refundable confirmation fee of ₹20,000. Furthermore, they have the option to exit from their assigned seat and abandon the counselling process if they do not choose to participate in further rounds.

NLU CLAT 2026 Merit List Dates

The official information brochure of CLAT 2026 counselling and Merit list announcement dates will be announced by the Consortium soon. The Consortium publishes the CLAT 2026 merit list for each of the five counselling rounds. According to the current timeline, the CLAT UG first selection list is scheduled to be revealed in the first week of January 2026. Take a quick look at the CLAT Merit List dates in the table below.

How to download CLAT Merit List?

The body releases the CLAT Merit List PDF in a round/phase-wise manner on its official website. The merit list of the CLAT counselling will include the shortlisted candidates' All India Rank, admit Card No, vertical reservation and horizontal reservations. Here are the steps to download the CLAT Counselling 2026 Merit List PDF

• At the very first step, visit the official website at https://consortiumofnlus.ac.in/
• On the homepage, click on the CLAT 2026 available in the right-hand corner.
• Upon landing on the current year page, go to the latest notification section.
• From the list, click on the CLAT provisional merit list of the respective round.
• On the next page, you will find a table of participating National Law Schools.
• Click on the preferred NLU and download the CLAT Merit list PDF to your device.

What are details mentioned in CLAT Selection List?

The Sperate merit list for the last 24 NLUs is available in PDF format on the Consortium's official website. After downloading it, you may discover the following information on the Clat selection list PDF.

• Candidates' CLAT 2026 All India rank
• Candidate's CLAT 2026 admit card number
• Vertical Reservation Category
• Horizontal reservation category (if applicable)
• Admission Status

NLU Wise CLAT Merit List PDF Download

The NLU merit list includes opening and closing ranks along with other details. Once the 1st merit list is out, we will share the CLAT 2026 1st Merit List PDF for all participating 24 NLUs in the table below

Difference B/w CLAT Merit List & Toppers List

When you heard about these terminologies, CLAT Merit List and CLAT Topper's list, you might have thought these two are the same thing; actually, they are not. Toppers' list is released along with the publication of the CLAT Results, which includes the names of the top performers, their obtained score and overall ranks (sometimes category-wise rank), such as AIR 1, AIR 2 and so on.

On the other hand, the CLAT merit list is released in a round-wise manner during counselling. This round-wise counselling merit list includes the names of the candidates who have been selected for final admission, on the basis of their preference, category and overall rank. Based on the merit list, students are invited to complete further admission procedures, such as fee payment and document verification.

What happens after Merit list of CLAT 2026 Released?

After the consortium publishes each round of the CLAT 2026 merit list, candidates must fulfil the admission processes to receive their seat allotment. Following the publication of the merit list, candidates should take the following steps:

• After the merit list is announced, candidates must choose between freezing/floating or exiting by logging into their dashboards.
• Candidates who are satisfied with their seat allocation or have received their first choice from their NLU preference list can select the freeze option. Candidates must pay a confirmation fee of Rs. 20,000. Upon confirmation, they will not be considered for additional rounds.
• Candidates who did not receive their first preference may select the float option. They can freeze their allocated seat by paying a Rs. 20000 confirmation fee. If seats become available, these individuals will be evaluated for additional rounds of counselling and may receive a higher NLU preference rating.
• Candidates who select the exit option will not be considered for admission.
• Allotted candidates must complete document verification and pay the university tuition fee. The confirmation fee is deducted from the total university fee to be paid by the candidate.