National Law Universities in India: An Overview

What the NLUs are

The National Law Universities (NLUs) are a group of public law schools set up by different states to offer specialised legal education. The first, the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru, was established in 1987, and the model has since expanded across the country.

Most NLUs admit undergraduate students through CLAT; National Law University, Delhi admits through its own test, AILET.

Some of the NLUs

Widely known NLUs include those listed below, among others. Because new NLUs have been added over the years, the most reliable way to see the complete, current set — along with their seats and programmes — is the official Consortium list.

• NLSIU, Bengaluru
• NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
• National Law University, Delhi (admits via AILET)
• The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS), Kolkata
• National Law University, Jodhpur
• Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar

How admission works

For most NLUs, undergraduate and postgraduate admission is based on the CLAT score through the Consortium's common process; NLU Delhi uses AILET. Seats, categories, and counselling steps are set officially each year, so check the Consortium and the individual university websites for current details.

Choosing without rankings

Rather than relying on unofficial "best NLU" lists, compare universities on factors you can verify officially — location, programmes offered, seat numbers, and fees published on each university's own site. What suits one student may not suit another.