Indira Gandhi National Open University, commonly referred to as IGNOU or Indira Gandhi Open University, is a distance learning institution based in Delhi, India. Established in 1985, IGNOU is the largest open university in the world with an enrollment of over 4 million students. IGNOU Delhi is the only open university in the country to have been accredited with the highest A++ Grade by NAAC. Also, IGNOU University has been ranked 1st in the country under the Open University category by NIRF in 2025.
Indira Gandhi Open University operates through 21 Schools of Studies, 67 regional centres, about 2,667 learner support centres, and 29 international partner institutions. IGNOU distance education is offered via Open & Distance learning (ODL) and Online programs (OL) modes. At present, IGNOU offers over 300 programs at Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Diploma, Postgraduate Diploma, Certificate, and Doctorate levels. Some of the popular IGNOU courses include BA, MA, B.Ed, BCA, MBA, MCA, B,Com, M.Com, and others.
IGNOU admission is merit-based for most of the courses. For admission to B.Ed, Post Basic BSc Nursing, and PhD programs, IGNOU conducts its entrance test. Admissions at IGNOU take place twice a year, in January and July every year. Annual IGNOU Fees start from as low as INR 4300 for BA courses and go up to INR 30000 for M.Sc courses.
IGNOU Degrees/Diplomas/Certificates are valid and recognised by all the member institutions of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and are at par with the corresponding Degrees/ Diplomas/ Certificates issued by all Indian Universities/ Deemed Universities/ Institutions etc.
Students can find Indira Gandhi Open University highlights in the table below:
| Particulars |
IGNOU Highlights 2026 |
| College Name |
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) |
| Establishment Year | Type |
1985 | Public Open University |
| Campus Size |
120 acres |
| Accredited by |
NAAC (A++ Grade) |
| Recognized by |
UGC, DEB |
| Rankings (2025) |
NIRF Open University: No. 1; Outlook: 1, IIRF: 41 |
| No. of Schools |
21 |
| No. of Regional Centres |
67 |
| No. of Learner Support Centres |
2,667 |
| No. of Programs Offered |
300+ |
| Overseas Partner Institutions |
29 |
| Mode of Study |
Open & Distance Learning (ODL), Online Learning (OL) |
| Total Students |
4 Million+ |
| Total Faculty |
810 |
| Admission Criteria |
Merit-Based / Entrance-Based (OPENMAT, BEd Entrance, PhD Entrance) |
| Official Website |
www.ignou.ac.in |
IGNOU admission 2026 is merit-based for most of the courses, including MBA, BA, MA, BBA, BCA, BCom, B.Sc, M.Sc, MCA, and others. Additionally, IGNOU conducts its own entrance test for admission to a few courses for which admissions take place only once a year, unlike other courses. IGNOU entrance test for admission details are as follows:
- For IGNOU B.Ed admission, students are required to appear for the IGNOU B.Ed entrance exam.
- For IGNOU Post Basic B.Sc Nursing admission, IGNOU conducts OPENNET entrance examination.
- For IGNOU PhD admission, candidates must appear for the IGNOU PhD Entrance Test.
IGNOU admission 2026 is a complete online process for all the programs offered through both Open & Distance learning (ODL) and Online programs (OL) modes. IGNOU admission opens twice a year (except programs based on entrance tests), in January and July. IGNOU online registration starts in May or June for the July Session, and for the January session, registrations begin in November or December, each year. Online registration for IGNOU admission can be done on the following IGNOU Samarth portal for ODL and Online programs:
How to Apply: Register on the IGNOU Samarth portal, complete the application, upload documents, and pay the fee online. Check IGNOU Admission Status or IGNOU registration status via the “Know Your Status” option on the Ignou official website.
IGNOU December 2025 Term End Examination (TEE) is scheduled from December 1, 2025, to January 14, 2026.
Students must visit the IGNOU official website to check the IGNOU admission status of their fresh registration or re-registration for both the January and July sessions. Checking IGNOU registration status or IGNOU admission status is a very crucial step, as application forms are occasionally denied or remain in a "pending" state because of not meeting the eligibility criteria or some discrepancy in documents.
IGNOU admission status can be checked by entering the enrolment number and program code on the official website (isms.ignou.ac.in/changeadmdata/AdmissionStatusNew.ASP). If the admission status shows “Confirmed” or “Approved,” that means your application form has been successfully validated by the regional center. Indira Gandhi National Open University also informs students about their admission status within two months via email or text message.
IGNOU offers more than 300 courses in different subjects and streams. These include undergraduate, and post-graduate courses, diplomas, and certificate courses too. Bachelor courses like BA, B.Com, and B.Sc and master courses such as MA, M.Com, and MBA are offered by the institute.
MA is one of the IGNOU courses with the highest number of specializations offered with a wide range of subjects. Students can opt for topics like psychology, political science, economics, sociology, philosophy, etc. A list of IGNOU courses and fees is given below:
| Courses |
Total Fees |
Eligibility and Selection Criteria |
| B.Ed |
INR 55,000 |
Eligibility: Applicants must have a minimum of 50% marks either in the Bachelor’s Degree and/or in the Master’s Degree in Sciences/Social Sciences/Commerce/Humanity
Selection Criteria: IGNOU B.Ed Entrance Test |
| BCA |
INR 49,800 |
Eligibility: 10+2 or equivalent
Selection Criteria: Merit-Based |
| BBA |
INR 30,900 |
Eligibility: 10+2 or equivalent
Selection Criteria: Merit-Based |
| BA |
INR 12,900 - INR 31,800 |
Eligibility: 10+2 or equivalent
Selection Criteria: Merit-Based |
| MBA |
INR 66,000 |
Eligibility: Graduation in any discipline with 50 % marks for the general category and 45 % for the reserved category
Selection Criteria: Merit-Based |
| MCA |
INR 52,000 |
Eligibility: Any Bachelor’s degree of minimum three-year duration with Mathematics as one of the subjects at 10+2 level or graduation level
Selection Criteria: Merit-Based |
| M.Sc |
INR 13,000 – INR 60,000 |
Eligibility: Bachelor’s degree in the relevant field
Selection Criteria: Merit-Based |
| MA |
INR 12,000 - 40,000 |
Eligibility: Bachelor’s degree from any recognized University or its equivalent
Selection Criteria: Merit-Based |
| M.Com |
INR 19,400 |
Eligibility: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a recognised university
Selection Criteria: Merit-Based |
| PhD |
INR 17,850 First Year Fees (With Course-Work), INR 9,450 First Year Fees (Without Course-Work) |
Eligibility: Master's Degree or M.Phil. Degree in relevant discipline
Selection Criteria: IGNOU PhD Entrance Test |
Notes: Fees include a ₹300 registration fee; IGNOU exam fees are ₹200/course. MA programs, ranging from ₹10,800-26,200 for two years, are more affordable than Madras University’s MA (₹15,000/year) or Nalanda Open University’s (₹12,000/year).
Indira Gandhi National Open University operates 2,667+ learner support centres globally, hosted in higher education institutes. These IGNOU study centres provide weekend counseling, digital resources, and exam facilities, with multilingual support in Hindi, Tamil, and Bengali. Students are assigned centres post-admission, accessible via the Ignou official website.
The IGNOU Student Login portal (http://www.ignou.ac.in) is mandatory for managing IGNOU Admission Status, IGNOU registration status, assignments, admit cards, and grade cards. Students access the IGNOU Login portal with a 10-digit enrollment number. The IGNOU e-content app, available on Google Play Store, offers interactive digital resources with offline access, surpassing platforms like Nalanda Open University’s.
IGNOU Assignment submissions are mandatory, contributing 30% to evaluations. Tasks include tutor-marked, practical, and project-based assignments, requiring at least 40% to qualify for term-end exams. Submit via the IGNOU Samarth portal or study centres by deadlines on the IGNOU website. Check IGNOU Assignment Status and IGNOU Assignment result 2026 via the IGNOU Student Login portal. Study materials with self-assessment exercises aid exam preparation.
The IGNOU Exam Form for December 2025 TEE, or examination form IGNOU, is available on the IGNOU Samarth portal. Students must submit assignments and pay the IGNOU exam fee (₹200/course) online before the deadline, typically one month prior (check www.ignou.ac.in). Non-compliance prevents IGNOU Admit Card issuance. Complete IGNOU exam registration early to avoid delays.
Every year, at the term end, IGNOU conducts term-end examinations for various courses. These are conducted twice a year, in December and June, before the start of a new term. The test centers are placed all over the country to ensure their availability for all students peering for exams. IGNOU Delhi operates 653+ exam centres for June and December TEEs. Students select centres during IGNOU Exam Form submission, with allocations based on availability. Centre changes are allowed within 5 days through the official website: www.ignou.ac.in.
All students taking the midterm or end-of-term exam can find the list of exam locations on IGNOU's official website. Exam locations for all courses will be assigned based on the preferences of the students. Once the forms are submitted with the exam center request, applicants have 5 days to request a change in the exam center through the portal. IGNOU does not entertain any request after the lapse of the buffer period.
IGNOU June 2025 Result for term-end exams, or IGNOU term end result has been released at termendresult.ignou.ac.in. Access Results of IGNOU via the IGNOU Student Login portal, including enrollment number, course codes, and marks for assignments, theory, and practicals. IGNOU Result also covers grade cards and entrance exam outcomes.
How to Check IGNOU Result:
- Visit www.ignou.ac.in.
- Navigate to “Student Support” > “Result” > “Term-End.”
- Enter 9-digit enrollment number and submit.
To help students, IGNOU has made provisions for study material to be in both modes- offline and online. Students will receive their offline IGNOU study material through mail to their registered mailing address. However, online study material is available everywhere and students who opt for this get a 15% discount on their program fee.
Just as assignments, online IGNOU study material is available on eGYANKOSH. The study material is available in different languages for students of different linguistic backgrounds. These are available in different sets and modules. There is also an app for students to download the e-content from.
IGNOU eGyanKosh, the world’s largest educational digital repository, offers free access to IGNOU study materials, question papers, and e-content at http://www.ignou.ac.in. It promotes digital learning with fee concessions, offering a robust platform compared to VMOU’s limited digital resources.
IGNOU Study Material Status Details
- Candidate Name
- Communication Address
- Program and Course Codes
- Regional Centre Code
- Academic Session
- Bar Code
- Expected Delivery Date
- Remarks
In its strive to provide a good education to all, IGNOU scholarships are offered to students of different category of students. Applicants can fill out the form for scholarships at the time of admission. Their validity and authorization are determined by the committee.
The scholarships are valid only for students who do not belong to the creamy layer and the single girl child of the family. In many cases, there is a fee waiver or fee reimbursement for submitting the required documents. More details are given below:
| Scholarship Name |
Eligibility |
Amount |
| Post-Matric Scholarship |
SC/ST/OBC with family income
| Full fee waiver |
| Merit-cum-Means Scholarship |
75%+ marks in qualifying exam |
Up to ₹10,000 |
| Single Girl Child Scholarship |
Single girl child in UG/PG |
₹2,000/month |
| Rural/Urban BPL Scholarship |
Below poverty line students |
50% fee concession |
| Jail Inmate Exemption |
Inmates in Indian prisons |
Full fee waiver (including registration) |
Exemptions: Employed SC/ST candidates and certificate/diploma students are ineligible. Apply via the IGNOU website. Support for groups like jail inmates enhances inclusivity compared to Madras University or VMOU.
In 2024, IGNOU recorded a total enrollment of 135,889 students, out of which 23,688 secured placements. The median salary offered during IGNOU Placements 2024 was INR 3.5 LPA. The details of IGNOU placement 2024 based on NIRF report 2025 are given below:
IGNOU UG Placement Statistics 2024
| Particulars |
UG 1-Year Placement Stats |
UG 3-Year Placement Stats |
| Median Package |
INR 2.85 LPA |
INR 3.5 LPA |
| Total Students |
7,208 |
81,769 |
| Students Placed |
577 |
6,542 |
| Higher Studies |
4,325 |
49,062 |
IGNOU PG Placement Statistics 2024
| Particulars |
PG 1-Year Placement Stats |
PG 2-Year Placement Stats |
| Median Package |
INR 3.5 LPA |
INR 3.5 LPA |
| Total Students |
967 |
15,989 |
| Students Placed |
580 |
NA |
| Higher Studies |
77 |
2,132 |
IGNOU placement drives are organized by a separate cell- Career Placement Cell. This facilitates internships and placement drives for students after the course completion and ensures the right job for the right aptitude. Through on-campus and off-campus IGNOU placement campaigns, it places between 70% and 80% of students annually. In the recent past, IGNOU's top recruiters included industry leaders Globiva, Radical Minds, and Aviva India.
IGNOU has been ranked 1st among open universities in India in 2025 by NIRF. It has also ranked 1st in the overall category by Outlook. All the latest rankings of IGNOU are given below:
| Ranking Agency |
Rank 2025 |
Category |
| NIRF |
1 |
Open University |
| Outlook |
1 |
Overall |
| IIRF |
41 |
Overall |
To better serve a particular learning population and advance the remote learning methodology, IGNOU established the National Centre for Disability Studies and the National Centre for Innovation in Remote Education. IGNOU University also aims to improve educational possibilities and opportunities for its students, therefore, it has partnered with different universities all over the world. Some of these are Bakhtar University, Asia e-University, and Mauritius Institute of Education.
Over the years, IGNOU partnerships with universities and Indian embassies in different countries have gained accolades for excellence, for example from the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Canada.
| Alumni Name |
Designation |
| Deepika Padukone |
Indian Actress |
| Pankaj Tripathi |
Indian Actor |
| General Deepak Kapoor |
Former Chief of Army Staff, Indian Army |
| Sanjeev Kapoor |
Indian Celebrity Chef, Entrepreneur |
| Tessy Thomas |
Scientist, Former Project Director for Agni-IV, DRDO |
| Swapna Patker |
Corporate Trainer, Marathi Film Producer |
- IGNOU vs. Madras University (Distance MPA): IGNOU’s MPA (₹15,400 total) is cost-effective with multilingual resources, unlike Madras University’s ₹15,000/year.
- IGNOU vs. Nalanda Open University: IGNOU’s 2,667 study centres and eGyanKosh outperform Nalanda’s limited digital infrastructure.
- IGNOU vs. VMOU (BA): IGNOU’s BA offers global recognition and diverse specializations, surpassing VMOU’s regional focus.
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