Top NLUs in India: Median Salaries, Fees and ROI Compared
Choosing a National Law University involves weighing academic reputation, placement outcomes and the full cost of studying. The latest available NIRF Law rankings are from 2025. The placement figures below are from each university’s NIRF submission for the 2023–24 graduating year; fees are for 2026–27 where official schedules were available.
Important dates: NIRF ranking year: 2025. Placement data year: 2023–24. Fee year: 2026–27. These are reference periods, not upcoming application deadlines.
| NIRF Law rank, 2025 | University | Median salary for placed UG 5-year graduates | Graduates placed | Published fee reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NLSIU Bengaluru | ₹16 lakh | 70 | About ₹4.51 lakh per year, including housing |
| 2 | NLU Delhi | ₹18 lakh | 65 | About ₹3.60 lakh per year for tuition, facilities, residence and mess |
| 3 | NALSAR Hyderabad | ₹17.5 lakh | 108 | First-year payable amount listed at ₹3.17 lakh |
| 4 | WBNUJS Kolkata | ₹20 lakh | 122 | About ₹3.52 lakh for the first year, including hostel and food charges |
| 5 | GNLU Gandhinagar | ₹18 lakh | 175 | ₹2.72 lakh annual fee, including mess; ₹17,000 one-time fee |
WBNUJS reports the highest median among these five in the cited NIRF data. GNLU reports the largest number placed. These figures describe graduates recorded as placed; the median is not a guaranteed offer or the salary of every graduate. NIRF placement reports and university fee schedules also use different reporting categories, so the fee figures are useful estimates rather than a perfectly uniform comparison.
How to assess ROI
For a rough comparison, set the reported median salary beside the published annual cost. GNLU’s listed annual fee is lower than the other figures here, while WBNUJS has the highest cited median. NLSIU’s annual cost is higher, and NLU Delhi’s reported median is ₹18 lakh. This does not establish which university will give an individual student the best return: fees can change, scholarships and living costs vary, and not every graduate is placed through campus recruitment.
Before accepting a seat, check whether the amount includes hostel accommodation and meals, which charges are refundable, whether the fee rises in later years, and what financial aid is available. Ask the university for the complete five-year fee schedule and compare it with your own financing plan. Do not treat a one-year salary median as guaranteed immediate repayment of the full course cost.
Official links
- NIRF 2025 Law rankings: https://www.nirfindia.org/Rankings/2025/LawRanking.html
- NLSIU NIRF report: https://www.nirfindia.org/nirfpdfcdn/2025/pdf/Law/IR-L-U-0238.pdf
- NLU Delhi NIRF report: https://www.nirfindia.org/nirfpdfcdn/2025/pdf/Law/IR-L-U-0111.pdf
- NALSAR NIRF report: https://www.nirfindia.org/nirfpdfcdn/2025/pdf/Law/IR-L-N-18.pdf
- WBNUJS NIRF report: https://www.nirfindia.org/nirfpdfcdn/2025/pdf/Law/IR-L-U-0585.pdf
- GNLU NIRF report: https://www.nirfindia.org/nirfpdfcdn/2025/pdf/Law/IR-L-U-0134.pdf
- NLSIU BA LLB fees: https://www.nls.ac.in/programme/ba-llb-hons/
- NLU Delhi 2026–27 fees: https://2026.nationallawuniversitydelhi.in/ballb/fees.html
- NALSAR undergraduate fees: https://nalsar.ac.in/programmes/undergraduate-study-in-law/
- WBNUJS CLAT 2026 brochure: https://consortiumofnlus.ac.in/clat-2026/nlus/brochure/WBNUJS.pdf
- GNLU College Admissions and 2026–27 brochure: https://www.gnlu.ac.in/gnlu/College Admissions
