NLSIU, NLU Delhi, NALSAR top 2018 NIRF ranking of Indian Law Schools

The 2018 National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) results were announced today at an event held at Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi. Notably, this year’s edition features a separate list for top law schools in the country.

National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore has topped the list, followed by National Law University, Delhi and National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR), Hyderabad.

Indian Institute of Technology (Kharagpur) and NLU Jodhpur have been ranked 4^th and 5^th respectively, completing the top five law schools as per NIRF 2018.

The other law schools which made it to the list (ranking from 6^th to 10^th) are: Jamia Millia Islamia, West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS) Kolkata, Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya Law University (RMLNLU) Lucknow, Symbiosis Law School (Pune) and Dr BR Ambedkar College of Law (Visakhapatnam).

Analysis of NIRF scores

Launched in 2015, the NIRF ranks colleges/institutes in terms of five parameters:

Teaching Learning and Resources (TLR): Numbers and quality of faculty, library and lab resources and general facilities (Rank Weightage – 0.30)

Research and Professional Practice (RPC): Quantity and quality of research (Ranking Weightage – 0.20)

Graduation Outcome (GO): Student graduation rate and success in finding appropriate placements or in taking up higher studies (Rank Weightage – 0.25)

Outreach and Inclusivity (IO): Representation of women and socially challenged persons as well as outreach activities (Rank Weightage – 0.15)

Perception: Perception of institution by its stakeholders as gauged from stakeholder surveys (Rank Weightage – 0.10)

Notably, NLSIU has been accorded a perfect score of 100 in the Perception parameter. It has performed well in all other measured aspects, except perhaps in the parameter of RPC (concerning research output). In this respect, the NIRF has given NLSIU a score of 32.5 out of a possible 100.

However, considering above-average scores in other parameters, NLSIU holds the top spot with an overall score of 75.59.

NLU Delhi follows in a close second, with a score of 74.58. Out of the five NIRF parameters, NLU Delhi outscores NLSIU in three, i.e. TLR, RPC and OI criteria. In terms of perception however, NLUD’s score stands at 64.24, in contrast to NLSIU’s 100. NALSAR, Hyderabad takes the 3^rd spot with an overall score of 70.95.

Eight out of ten colleges have obtained scores above 40 in the Perception criterion, although NLSIU’s perfect score in this regard is exceptional. Interestingly however, there is a steep drop in the Perception score accorded to Dr Ambedkar College of Law i.e. 8.37. IIT Kharagpur, at rank 4, also stands out for its below-average Perception score of 15.33.

The other stand out is 8^th ranked RMNLU, Lucknow’s score of 0 when it comes to RPC. Partly owing to this score, the average RPC score among the NIRF top ten falls at 32.5.

Apart from NLSIU, NALSAR, NLU Jodhpur and NUJS also have scores in the 30s for RPC. NLUD and Jamia have scores in the 50s.

However, Symbiosis and Ambedkar Law College have only been accorded 7.40 and 6.06 for the research quotient. In this regard, IIT Kharagpur has proved exceptional with an RPC score of 76.61.

Salary

As per the data given by these Law Schools, here is the average median salary of placed graduates in 2016 – 2017.