Overview
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University (RMLNLU), Lucknow, also known as NLU Lucknow, is Uttar Pradesh's flagship National Law University and one of the better-established NLUs, ranked 21st in the NIRF 2025 law list and eighth by India Today in 2024. It began in 2005 as the Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law Institute and gained university status in 2006, under an Act of the Uttar Pradesh legislature. RMLNLU admits students through CLAT and is well regarded for producing strong litigators and judicial services aspirants, backed by an affordable fee. This profile covers its ranking, courses, eligibility, admission, seats, cutoff, fees, hostel, scholarships and placements.
Why RMLNLU Lucknow stands out
RMLNLU holds 21st place in the NIRF 2025 law ranking and eighth in the India Today 2024 list, placing it firmly among the established NLUs below the premier tier. Its strength lies less in the highest corporate packages and more in outcomes: a large share of its graduates go into litigation, the judiciary and higher studies, and the university has a strong record in judicial services examinations. Combined with a low fee, that makes it a high-value option for aspirants oriented toward courtroom and public-law careers.
Courses offered at RMLNLU Lucknow
RMLNLU's flagship programme is the five-year integrated BA LLB (Hons), admitted through CLAT. At the postgraduate level it offers a one-year LLM through CLAT PG, along with PhD and PG Diploma programmes for which the university runs its own admission process. Most CLAT aspirants target the BA LLB, which is the focus of the sections below unless stated otherwise.
RMLNLU Lucknow eligibility criteria
For the BA 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.
RMLNLU Lucknow admission process and how to apply
RMLNLU admits students to the BA 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 RMLNLU high in your preference order. If a seat is allotted, you report to the Lucknow campus for document verification and fee payment. Admission is purely on CLAT merit. PhD admissions are handled separately through the university's own entrance test and interview.
RMLNLU Lucknow seats and reservation
RMLNLU offers about 160 seats in the BA LLB (Hons), plus supernumerary seats that take the total to around 178, and roughly 40 seats in the one-year LLM. A share of seats is reserved for Uttar Pradesh domicile candidates, and seats are further reserved vertically for the SC, ST, OBC and EWS categories, with horizontal reservation for persons with disabilities. The Uttar Pradesh domicile quota makes home-state seats more accessible than the all-India list.
RMLNLU Lucknow CLAT cutoff
RMLNLU is a competitive NLU to enter. In the general all-India category, its BA LLB (Hons) has closed within roughly the top 720 to 780 CLAT ranks in recent years, with the round one general rank around 721 in 2025 and around 747 in 2026. Reserved categories close at more relaxed ranks, and Uttar Pradesh domicile seats are more accessible than the all-India list. The exact closing rank moves each year with the applicant pool and counselling movement, so treat any single figure as indicative. 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.
RMLNLU Lucknow fees
RMLNLU is one of the more affordable NLUs. Tuition for the BA LLB (Hons) is about 1.68 lakh rupees a year, bringing the five-year total to about 8.4 lakh rupees, while the one-year LLM costs about 1.10 lakh rupees in total. Because the fee is modest and the university is government-funded, RMLNLU offers strong value for money, especially for students headed toward litigation and the judiciary.
| Programme | Approximate fee |
|---|---|
| BA LLB (Hons), tuition per year | About 1.68 lakh rupees |
| BA LLB (Hons), five-year total | About 8.4 lakh rupees |
| LLM, total | About 1.10 lakh rupees |
To compare RMLNLU against the other NLUs on total cost, see the NLU fees comparison.
RMLNLU Lucknow hostel and campus
RMLNLU has a residential campus in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, with hostels, a law library, moot court and conference halls, a swimming pool and sports facilities. The campus supports an active academic and mooting culture, and its location in a major administrative and judicial centre gives students good access to courts, chambers and internships, which suits its strong litigation and judiciary orientation.
Scholarships at RMLNLU Lucknow
RMLNLU 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.
RMLNLU Lucknow placements: packages and recruiters
RMLNLU has a steady placement record, coordinated by its Internship and Placement Committee. In the NIRF 2025 data its median undergraduate package was about 7 lakh rupees a year, with 158 of 171 BA LLB graduates placed, and recent cycles have reported a highest package of about 22 lakh rupees. A defining feature of RMLNLU, however, is that a large share of its students choose litigation, the judiciary and higher studies over corporate placements, so raw placement figures understate the true career outcomes. Regular recruiters include AZB and Partners, Khaitan and Co, Trilegal, IndusLaw, J Sagar Associates and DSK Legal, along with corporates such as Wipro, EY, PwC and ICICI Bank. For how RMLNLU compares with the other NLUs, see the NLU placements comparison.
| Placement metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Median UG package, NIRF 2025 | About 7 LPA |
| Highest package, recent | About 22 LPA |
| Career note | Many graduates enter litigation, judiciary and higher studies |
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 RMLNLU Lucknow
Because RMLNLU closes within roughly the top 750 general-category ranks for the BA LLB, a seat here is a realistic target for a strong CLAT score, and the Uttar Pradesh domicile quota helps home-state candidates. 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.