Distance education is catching up fast in India and the number of students opting for this mode of education is increasing. Many students living in remote areas cannot pursue regular courses for their higher education even if they wish to. They can fulfill their desire through this style of education. Even working professionals can advance their careers by improving qualifications and skills. With the advances in open learning, many universities in India that provide this educational model have developed in the past few years. We will have a look at the 10 best distance learning universities in India.
Top 10 open universities
Here is a comprehensive list of the top 10 open universities that offer various courses to candidates through distance education. They are not in any particular order.
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
Administered by the Distance Education Council (DEC), IGNOU is the most popular university among students seeking admission to correspondence or online courses. The courses are categorized under different schools of study.
Dr. BR Ambedkar Open University
There are about 137 centers of this university across the country. The motto of this university is “Education at your doorstep”. Many undergraduate, postgraduate and diploma courses are offered at this university.
Sikkim Manipal
This university is recognized by the United Grant Commission and there are around 725 accredited centers across India.
Annamalai
Annamale University is India’s first distance learning university offering postgraduate courses in subjects like Zoology, Applied Psychology, Bioinformatics, Botany, Law, etc. All courses are approved by the Distance Education Council.
Symbiosis Center for Distance Education
This institute is located in Pune and follows the concept of ‘Blended Learning’. Their programs contain e-learning facilities along with printed study materials and faculty interaction. The structure of the program is such that students get the same knowledge as those of regular courses.
ICFAI
ICFAI University has many centers around the world and is well known for its MBA courses with its open learning mode. With an MBA degree from ICFAI, candidates can greatly improve their job prospects.
Maulana Azad National Urdu University
With 9 regional centres, the university awards 3 undergraduates, 3 postgraduates, 8 PG Diplomas, Certificate and Diploma. B.Ed programs are also offered to interested candidates.
Alagappa University
Alagappa University provides career-oriented and sector-specific programs to its students in this educational milieu. Tamil and Hindi are the language of instruction. Diploma holders are eligible for lateral entry in various degree programmes.
Mumbai University
The University of Mumbai has a separate department for students who wish to take open education courses. The Department of Distance and Open Learning offers different degrees within the different colleges available.
IMT Institute for Distance and Open Education
Cybersecurity and management are the two fields of study where students can register for correspondence or online learning. Graduate programs and doctoral programs are highly recommended.
However, it is necessary to thoroughly examine every aspect of admission before enrolling in any of the best distance learning universities.