Overview
Chanakya National Law University (CNLU), Patna, is Bihar's flagship National Law University and one of the fastest-rising NLUs in the country. Established in 2006 under Bihar Act No. 24, it admits students through CLAT and has climbed sharply in the NIRF law ranking, reaching 17th in 2025 with a score of 62.4, up from 31st in 2024. CNLU is known for a judiciary-focused curriculum that includes regular Patna High Court visits, a low fee, and steadily improving placements. This profile covers its ranking, courses, eligibility, admission, seats, cutoff, fees, hostel, scholarships and placements.
Why CNLU Patna is rising
CNLU jumped from 31st to 17th in the NIRF law ranking in a single cycle, one of the biggest gains among the NLUs, and was placed 12th by India Today in 2025. That momentum reflects genuine improvement in placements and outcomes rather than a one-off. Its curriculum leans toward litigation and judicial services, with hands-on court exposure, and it has signed international MoUs with partner universities in Poland and the United States, giving students study-abroad and exchange opportunities that are unusual for a mid-tier NLU.
Courses offered at CNLU Patna
CNLU offers two five-year integrated undergraduate law degrees, both admitted through CLAT: the flagship BA LLB (Hons) and a BBA LLB (Hons) aimed at students interested in corporate and business law. At the postgraduate level it offers a one-year LLM through CLAT PG, along with PG Diploma, PhD and other research programmes. Most CLAT aspirants target the BA LLB, which is the focus of the sections below unless stated otherwise.
CNLU Patna eligibility criteria
For the BA LLB (Hons) and BBA LLB (Hons), you must have passed class 12 or an equivalent examination with at least 45 percent marks, or 40 percent for candidates in the SC and ST categories. Candidates awaiting their class 12 results may apply and appear for CLAT, subject to meeting the requirement at admission, and there is no upper age limit. For the LLM, you need an LLB degree with at least 50 percent marks, or 45 percent for SC and ST candidates.
CNLU Patna admission process and how to apply
CNLU admits students to the BA LLB, BBA LLB and LLM only through CLAT, run by the Consortium of National Law Universities. Register for CLAT on the Consortium website during the application window, appear for the exam, and after results take part in the centralised CLAT counselling, placing CNLU high in your preference order. If a seat is allotted, you report to the Patna campus for document verification and fee payment. Admission is purely on CLAT merit. PhD admissions are handled separately through the university's own entrance process.
CNLU Patna seats and reservation
CNLU offers 120 seats in the BA LLB (Hons) and 60 seats in the BBA LLB (Hons), giving 180 undergraduate seats in total, plus 60 seats in the one-year LLM. A significant share of seats, reported at around half or more, is reserved for Bihar home-state candidates, including special reserved categories, and seats are further reserved vertically for the SC, ST, OBC and EWS categories, with horizontal reservation for persons with disabilities. The heavy home-state quota makes Bihar domicile seats considerably more accessible than the all-India list.
CNLU Patna CLAT cutoff
CNLU is a mid-tier NLU by cutoff. In the general all-India category, its BA LLB (Hons) has closed within roughly the top 1140 to 1400 CLAT ranks across recent counselling rounds, with the round one general rank around 1141 in 2026 and a final round near 1398 in 2025. The BBA LLB closes at higher ranks, and Bihar home-state seats close far lower than the all-India list. The category-wise all-India closing ranks for the BA LLB are below.
| Category | BA LLB all-India closing rank |
|---|---|
| General | Around 1172 |
| EWS | Around 1950 |
| OBC | Around 7359 |
| SC | Around 12662 |
To check whether your expected rank is in range, use the CLAT college predictor, and see the NLU cut-offs page for round by round closing ranks.
CNLU Patna fees
CNLU is one of the most affordable NLUs. The total fee for the five-year BA LLB (Hons) is only about 6.3 lakh rupees, and the BBA LLB is similar, while the one-year LLM costs about 1.15 lakh rupees. That low cost, set against a median placement well above many peers, gives CNLU some of the strongest value for money among the NLUs.
| Programme | Approximate fee |
|---|---|
| BA LLB (Hons), five-year total | About 6.3 lakh rupees |
| BBA LLB (Hons), five-year total | About 6.3 lakh rupees |
| LLM, one-year | About 1.15 lakh rupees |
To compare CNLU against the other NLUs on total cost, see the NLU fees comparison.
CNLU Patna hostel and campus
CNLU has a calm, academically focused campus in Patna with well-planned academic blocks, separate hostels for men and women, sports and medical facilities, and open spaces. Hostel accommodation is available to undergraduates subject to availability. The campus is built with accessibility in mind, with ramps and lifts and an emphasis on equity and inclusion, and its integration with the Patna High Court gives students strong practical exposure for litigation and judicial services.
Scholarships at CNLU Patna
CNLU offers merit-based and need-based financial support, and SC and ST students can access government scholarships and fee reimbursements. Read each year's official notification for the current eligibility bands and amounts.
CNLU Patna placements: packages and recruiters
CNLU has a strong and improving placement record for its tier. In the NIRF 2025 data its median undergraduate package was about 10.8 lakh rupees a year, higher than several peer NLUs, with about 81 percent of undergraduates placed and a highest package of about 22 lakh rupees. Its judiciary focus also shows in a steady flow of judicial placements each year. Regular recruiters include J Sagar Associates, ICICI Bank, Ernst and Young and Tuli and Co, and many graduates head into litigation, the judiciary and higher studies. For how CNLU compares with the other NLUs, see the NLU placements comparison.
| Placement metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Median UG package, NIRF 2025 | About 10.8 LPA |
| UG placement rate | About 81 percent |
| Highest package, recent | About 22 LPA |
Related NLUs
Comparing your options is the smart way to build a CLAT preference list. See the profiles of the premier NLUs: NLSIU Bengaluru, NLU Delhi, NALSAR Hyderabad, WBNUJS Kolkata and GNLU Gandhinagar, or return to the NLU profiles hub for the full list.
How to get into CNLU Patna
Because CNLU closes within roughly the top 1150 to 1400 general-category ranks for the BA LLB, it is a realistic target for a solid CLAT score, and the Bihar home-state quota helps local candidates considerably. Aim for high accuracy across the comprehension-heavy English, current affairs, legal reasoning, logical reasoning and quantitative sections, with enough mock-test practice to hold a strong rank. Law Prep Tutorial Delhi trains aspirants for these NLU cutoffs. Explore the college predictor to see your realistic NLU options, then return to the NLU profiles hub to build your full preference list.