Top Law Colleges
National Law Universities
In India, National Law Universities (NLUs) are specialized institutions established following the reforms in legal education introduced by the Bar Council of India. These universities offer integrated honors and law degree programs and are recognized as state-level law colleges by the University Grants Commission (UGC) while being regulated by the Bar Council of India and the Ministry of Law and Justice.
NLUs are among the most prestigious law schools in India. The first NLU, the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), was founded in 1986 in Bangalore and is now considered a benchmark for legal education. Since then, every state in India has established an NLU, resulting in a total of 23 institutions that consistently rank among the best law schools in the country.
List of National Law Universities in India
Here is a list of National Law Universities in India organized by their year of establishment:
- National Law School of India University, Bangalore
- National Academy of Legal Study & Research (NALSAR) University of Law, Hyderabad
- The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata
- National Law Institute University, Bhopal
- National Law University, Jodhpur
- Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar
- Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur
- Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow
- Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala
- National Law University & Judicial Academy, Assam
- National Law University Odisha, Cuttack
- National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi
- Chanakya National Law University, Patna
- National Law University, Delhi
- Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU), Visakhapatnam
- National University of Study & Research in Law, Ranchi
- The Tamil Nadu National Law School, Tiruchirapalli
- Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai
- Maharashtra National Law University, Nagpur
- Maharashtra National Law University, Aurangabad
- Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla
- Dharmashastra National Law University, Jabalpur
- Dr. B R Ambedkar National Law University, Sonipat, Haryana
Admission Process
Admission to 22 National Law Universities is conducted through the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), a national-level entrance exam for undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) law programs across the country. The exam is organized by the Consortium of National Law Universities.
However, the National Law University in Delhi admits students through the All India Law Entrance Test (AILET), not based on CLAT scores.
Other Universities (Private/Government)
Law courses are highly sought after in India, and many private and government colleges offer a variety of lucrative law programs. Students can pursue degrees such as LL.B (Bachelor of Legislative Law), integrated LL.B, LL.M (Master of Legislative Law), and doctoral courses.
List of Other Law Colleges
Here’s a selection of law colleges that students can consider, apart from National Law Universities:
- Jindal Global Law School, Sonipat
- Army Institute of Law, Mohali
- Symbiosis Law School (Pune/Noida/Hyderabad)
- Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
- School of Law, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun
- Amity University, Delhi
- Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
- Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology School of Law, Bhubaneswar
- Christ University (Bangalore/Pune/Delhi NCR)
- Institute of Law, Nirma University, Ahmedabad
- IFIM Law School, Bangalore
- Indian Law Society, Law College, Pune
- Government Law College, Mumbai
- Bharati Vidyapeeth, New Law College, Pune
- Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
- Panjab University, Chandigarh
- KLE Society’s Law College, Bangalore
- MS Ramaiah College of Law, Bangalore
- ICFAI Law School (Jaipur/Dehradun/Hyderabad)
Admission Process
The admission procedures for these universities vary and can include different methods, such as:
- Admission Test: Many non-NLU universities conduct their own entrance exams that candidates must clear to secure admission, such as AIL, UPES, Christ University, and Symbiosis.
- CLAT/LSAT/MHCET Scores: Some universities like UPES and Nirma consider CLAT UG scores as eligibility criteria for admission. Jindal University considers LSAT scores (conducted by LSAC India). Additionally, candidates can take the MHCET exam for admission to colleges in Maharashtra, such as ILS, GLC, and BVP.