Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is India's National Open University, established by an Act of Parliament in 1985 (Act No. 50 of 1985), and describes itself as the largest open university in the world. It is accredited NAAC A++, a grade it states no other Open University in India currently holds. IGNOU offers distance and online higher education through 21 Schools of Studies, delivered via a network of 67 Regional Centres and Recognised Regional Centres (per its own Common Prospectus), with its homepage citing an even larger reach of over 69 Regional Centres, 2,000+ Learner Support Centres, and 25 Overseas Study Centres across 15 countries.
IGNOU's programmes and degrees are not separately UGC-approved under the standard Open and Distance Learning Regulations; instead, IGNOU has been exempted from those regulations by the University Grants Commission (2019 and 2020 letters), on the basis that its programmes are already at par with UGC-Distance Education Bureau-approved programmes. Its degrees, diplomas, and certificates are recognised by all member institutions of the Association of Indian Universities and are treated as equivalent to degrees from conventional Indian universities.
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Established | 1985 (IGNOU Act, Act No. 50 of 1985) |
| Type | National Open University (central, Ministry of Education) |
| NAAC | A++ |
| NIRF 2025 Open University | Rank 1 |
| NIRF 2025 Overall | Not applicable (open universities ranked in a separate category) |
| Schools of Studies | 21 |
| Regional Centres and Recognised Regional Centres | 67 (per Common Prospectus, July 2026); homepage cites over 69 |
| Programmes | 325 (per official homepage), including Four-Year Undergraduate Programmes |
| Admission cycles | January and July |
| Website | ignou.ac.in |
IGNOU offers programmes across 21 Schools of Studies, spanning Master's Degrees, Bachelor's Degrees and Honours Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas, Diplomas, Postgraduate Certificates, and further certificate and awareness-level courses, alongside its Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) structure introduced under NEP-2020. The homepage states 325 total programmes, including 45 online academic programmes delivered through IGNOU's own learning management system.
Under the FYUP model, one credit equals 30 hours of learner study, and the Multiple Entry and Multiple Exit (MEME) structure (effective the July 2025 session) allows students to exit with a UG Certificate at 44 credits, a UG Diploma at 84 credits, a UG Degree at 120 credits, or a UG Honours Degree at 160 credits, rather than being locked into a single fixed-duration programme.
| Category | Structure |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | Offered across most of the 21 Schools of Studies |
| Bachelor's Degree / Honours | Includes the FYUP structure with MEME exit points (44/84/120/160 credits) |
| Postgraduate Diploma / Diploma | Shorter-duration specialised programmes |
| Postgraduate Certificate and other certificate tiers | Skill and awareness-level short courses |
| Online programmes | 45 programmes delivered through IGNOU's own LMS |
IGNOU runs two standing admission cycles each year, January and July, through dedicated Samarth-based portals: the main ODL admission portal for most programmes, a separate portal for online programmes, and a separate Fixed Learner Intake portal for select programmes. For the July 2026 cycle, the official portal states a last date for application submission of 31 July 2026, a live and current deadline as of this writing; IGNOU has historically extended similar deadlines, so this date should be treated as time-sensitive rather than fixed months in advance. A separate re-registration window for continuing students in the January 2026 session ran from 1 December 2025 to 15 January 2026, per an official regional-centre announcement.
IGNOU ranked 1st in NIRF's Open University category in both 2024 and 2025 (NIRF's own tables do not publish a numeric score for this category). It does not appear in NIRF's Overall ranking table, since open universities are ranked in their own dedicated category rather than against conventional universities. It holds NAAC A++ accreditation.
IGNOU's Common Prospectus (July 2026) states its Learner Support network is coordinated by 67 Regional Centres and Recognised Regional Centres, delivered alongside Work Centres, Programme Learner Support Centres, Skill Development Centres, Special Learner Support Centres, and Technology-Enabled Learner Support for low-enrolment areas. IGNOU's own homepage separately states a reach of over 69 Regional Centres, 2,000+ Learner Support Centres nationwide, and 25 Overseas Study Centres across 15 countries; this page notes both figures rather than presenting a single precise total, since the university's own sources do not fully agree.
IGNOU has been exempted by the UGC from the standard Open and Distance Learning Programme and Online Programme Regulations (per UGC letters dated 9 August 2019 and 17 March 2020), on the basis that its own programmes already meet the standard the UGC-Distance Education Bureau applies elsewhere. Its degrees are recognised by all member institutions of the Association of Indian Universities.
IGNOU also serves as National Coordinator for the Swayam Prabha educational television channels (channels 17-20), the nodal agency for Gyan Darshan (launched 2000) and the Gyan Vani educational FM radio network (launched 2001), and runs eGyanKosh, a digital learning repository.
Ranked 1st in NIRF's Open University category in both 2024 and 2025
Holds the highest NAAC grade among open universities in India, per its own accreditation status
Delivers programmes through 67+ Regional Centres and thousands of Learner Support Centres, plus Overseas Study Centres across 15 countries
Degrees are recognised by all member institutions of the Association of Indian Universities, at par with conventional-mode degrees, under a specific UGC exemption rather than a gap in recognition
Its Four-Year Undergraduate Programme structure allows Multiple Entry and Multiple Exit, with certification available at 44, 84, 120, and 160 credits
| Framework | Category | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| NIRF | Open University | 2025 | #1 |
No independently verifiable, individually sourced notable alumni could be confirmed for this institution at the time of writing. This section is left out rather than populated with unconfirmed names.
11 courses offered. Fees in INR lakhs.
| Course | Specialization | Duration | Total seats | Total fee | Avg package |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B.Com (Bachelor of Commerce) | Hons | 36 months | — | ₹0.9L | — |
| B.Com (Bachelor of Commerce) | — | 36 months | — | ₹0.9L | — |
| B.Ed (Bachelor of Education) | M.Ed | — | 0 | — | — |
| B.Ed (Bachelor of Education) | Distance | — | 200 | — | — |
| BA (Bachelor of Arts) | — | 36 months | — | ₹0.9L | — |
| BA (Bachelor of Arts) | Honours (General) | 36 months | — | ₹0.9L | — |
| BCA (Bachelor of Computer Applications) | — | 36 months | — | ₹0.9L | — |
| ITEP (Integrated Teacher Education Programme) | — | — | 300 | — | — |
| M.Com (Master of Commerce) | — | 24 months | — | ₹1.6L | — |
| MA (Master of Arts) | — | 36 months | — | ₹0.9L | — |
| MCA (Master of Computer Applications) | — | 24 months | — | ₹1.6L | — |
Campus size, faculty strength, hostel facilities, and academic infrastructure.
