AILET Cutoff 2026 | NLU Delhi Category-Wise & Round-Wise Closing Ranks

The AILET cutoff is the minimum All India Rank (AIR) a candidate must achieve to secure admission to the National Law University, Delhi (NLU Delhi) through the All India Law Entrance Test (AILET). Unlike CLAT, which serves 25+ NLUs, AILET is conducted exclusively for NLU Delhi | making it the most concentrated, high-stakes law entrance in India.

NLU Delhi offers just 110 seats for BA LLB (Hons) and 81 seats for LLM through AILET 2026. With 25,319 candidates appearing for the December 14, 2025 exam, the seat-to-applicant ratio for BA LLB is approximately 1 seat for every 230 candidates | among the most competitive ratios of any law entrance in India.

The AILET cutoff is released by NLU Delhi in the form of merit lists before each counselling round. The last rank in the merit list for a given category in a given round becomes the closing rank for that round. NLU Delhi typically conducts 3–4 rounds of counselling. The cutoff for Round 3 (final round in 2026) is considered the definitive cutoff for the academic year.

NLU Delhi released three rounds of AILET 2026 merit lists. The table below shows the opening and closing All India Ranks for each category in all three rounds. The closing rank is the cutoff | the AIR of the last candidate admitted in that category during that round.

NLU Delhi's LLM programme through AILET 2026 has a separate cutoff from BA LLB. The LLM exam is conducted on the same day as the BA LLB exam but with a separate question paper. The LLM programme has 81 seats total (General: 32, OBC: 15, SC: 10, ST: 5, EWS: 11, PwD: 4).

The LLM General closing rank of AIR 45 (Round 3, 2026) is nearly identical to the 2025 figure of AIR 42, suggesting the LLM cutoff has remained very stable at NLU Delhi over the past three years (AIR 36–58 range for General). LLM aspirants should target a rank within AIR 35 in General category to have a comfortable buffer.

AILET is conducted for 150 marks. The official cutoff is expressed in AIR, not marks. However, candidates preparing for AILET 2027 need to know what score corresponds to what rank. The table below is derived from the official AILET 2026 rank distribution.

Understanding the seat matrix is critical for cutoff analysis. With only 110 BA LLB seats (104 effective after PwD horizontal reservation), a single rank difference can determine admission or rejection in competitive categories. The seat matrix below reflects the official NLU Delhi 2026–27 admissions data.

Comparing AILET cutoffs across years is essential for trend analysis. The following table presents the official Round 1 closing ranks for the BA LLB programme from 2024 and 2025, alongside the corresponding AILET marks that approximate those ranks.

Analysing three years of AILET data reveals important patterns that candidates preparing for AILET 2027 must understand:

The 2026 General closing rank of AIR 71 (Round 3) is looser than 2025's AIR 60 (Round 3). The Careers360 data confirms the Round 2 cutoff jumped 15 ranks compared to last year, signalling a less intense competition in 2026 relative to 2025. This is attributed to increased candidate count (22,532 in 2026 vs approximately 20,500 in 2025), meaning score compression at the top | more candidates bunched at high scores | which paradoxically allows a slightly higher AIR to make the cut.

OBC trend: The OBC closing rank tightened slightly from AIR 358 (2025 Round 1) to AIR 330 (2026 Round 1), suggesting OBC competition for the 24 seats grew marginally. However, the Round 3 OBC closing rank (AIR 373) remains within the historical range of AIR 330–500 seen over 2021–2026.

SC/ST trend: The SC closing rank showed significant movement | AIR 1,480 in Round 1 (2026) vs AIR 1,288 (2025). For ST, the Round 1 cutoff was AIR 1,372 in 2026 vs AIR 2,018 in 2025, showing considerable fluctuation that is typical for small-cohort categories (only 8 ST seats).

Key insight for AILET 2027: The General category cutoff has fluctuated between AIR 53 and AIR 71 over 2024–2026. A safe preparation target should aim for an AIR within 50 | which requires approximately 122+ marks out of 150.

NLU Delhi (AILET) is India's most competitive law school for a pure rank-to-seat ratio. Here is the complete category-wise guide for what score you need to secure admission:

It is important to note that NLU Delhi admits candidates strictly based on AILET rank | there is no consideration of Class XII marks or other factors (except for tie-breaking). A single mark's difference in the AILET exam can shift a candidate by 5–30 ranks in the General zone (AIR 50–80), which can be the difference between admission and waitlist.

AILET uses Logical Reasoning marks as the first tiebreaker. If two candidates score identically, the one with higher LR marks gets the better AIR. This makes Logical Reasoning the most high-stakes section in the AILET exam | a fact that top rankers consistently emphasise in interviews.

Multiple factors determine the AILET cutoff each year. Understanding them helps you predict the likely range for AILET 2027:

• Total number of candidates: In 2026, 22,532 candidates appeared for BA LLB | a rise from 2025. More candidates at the top end of scores creates score compression, making the rank distribution tighter at high scores. With more candidates scoring 120+, the AIR for a given score becomes higher (worse) than in a year with fewer test-takers.
• Exam difficulty: A harder AILET paper lowers scores across the board, causing the General closing score (in marks) to drop, but the AIR range stays similar. A very easy paper (like 2026, where the topper scored 142.5/150) bunches candidates in a narrow score range, making small score differences matter enormously for rank.
• Seat intake: NLU Delhi has kept the BA LLB intake at 110 seats for the past several years. Any increase or decrease directly affects cutoffs. Even 5 additional seats would ease the General closing rank by approximately 5–8 AIR positions.
• Category-wise competition: OBC and EWS categories have grown more competitive over 2022–2026 as awareness increases. SC/ST cutoffs fluctuate more because the absolute seat count is smaller (8–17 seats), so individual candidates' choices create larger swings.
• Tiebreaking cascades: AILET uses a multi-step tiebreaker (LR marks → overall marks → Class XII aggregate). In highly competitive years, tiebreaking can push candidates one rank lower even without affecting their score.

Based on three-year trend data (2024–2026), the following expected cutoffs are projected for AILET 2027 (likely conducted in December 2026):

Unlike CLAT counselling (which covers 25 NLUs), AILET counselling is exclusive to NLU Delhi. This single-institution counselling model has a distinct impact on how cutoffs behave across rounds:

• No upgrade mechanism: Candidates allotted in Round 1 can only confirm or reject their seat | they cannot upgrade to a different college (since there is only one). This means almost all Round 1 allottees accept their seats.
• Minimal round-to-round movement: Unlike CLAT where cutoffs for lower-tier NLUs drop significantly in later rounds as top-rank candidates vacate seats, AILET sees very minimal movement. In 2026, the General closing rank moved only from AIR 60 (Round 1) to AIR 71 (Round 3) | a change of just 11 positions over three rounds.
• Waitlist dynamics: Candidates ranked AIR 61–110 in General category were essentially on a waitlist. The waitlist movement in 2026 released only about 11 additional General seats by Round 3 | meaning being at AIR 62 did not automatically guarantee admission.
• AILET 2026 Merit List Timeline: Round 1 merit list → January 2026; Round 2 merit list → late January 2026; Round 3 (Third Merit List) → February 4, 2026. Fourth merit list was expected May 5, 2026 for any remaining vacancies.

Counselling process steps for AILET: After results are declared, NLU Delhi releases an Invite List (3× the number of seats). Invited candidates register for counselling online, upload documents, and pay a counselling fee. Seat allotment is released round-wise. Allotted candidates must pay the first-year fee to confirm the seat. NLU Delhi does not offer a "float" or "freeze" mechanism like CLAT | once you accept and pay, the seat is locked.