The 2025 NIRF rankings, released by the Ministry of Education, illustrate the best possible Open and Distance Learning (ODL) Universities in India for students who want a higher education path that is learner-centered and flexible. Open universities embrace students who need the flexibility to balance their studies with job or other obligations, as well as being a more budget-friendly way of pursuing educational opportunities in many subjects.
Here are the India top three Open Universities according to NIRF:
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1. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in Delhi is recognized as India's leading open university. Moreover, IGNOU has over 300 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes; around 30 lakh enrolled students; and study centres in almost every country in the world.
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2. Karnataka State Open University
Karnataka State Open University ranked second after IGNOU, and is located in Mysuru. Students choosing to take further (or post-) studies who want to manage other personal and / or professional obligations can find this method very advantageous.
3. U.P. Rajarshi Tandon Open University
U.P. Rajarshi Tandon Open University is located in Allahabad. U.P. Rajarshi Tandon Open University is the 3rd on the list of India's universities that offer distance education. U.P. Rajarshi Tandon Open University provides many programs such as: BA. B.Com, B.Voc, B.Sc, BBA, B.Ed, BCA, MBA, M.Com, MCA, MA, M.Sc, PGDCA, PhD, and many more!
To find institutions' NIRF rankings, many components factor into the rankings, such as research output, resource pool, teaching and learning, and employer reputation.
Last year's open universities in India, according to the 2024 NIRF:
| Name of University | City | State | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) | New Delhi | Delhi | 1 |
| Netaji Subhash Open University | Kolkata | West Bengal | 2 |
| Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University | Ahmedabad | Gujarat | 3 |
The list of open universities above as of 2025 according to NIRF rankings serves to reinforce the importance of accommodating all learners from all backgrounds by providing flexible learning opportunities in a fast-paced world in which students seek practical knowledge from Jobs and theoretical knowledge from academia.
Overall, established open universities GNOU, KSOU and UPRTOU are ranked highly on top of 2025 NIRF rankings based on their commitment to delivering quality education. Furthermore, as institutions, these universities ensure a continued, growing demand for distance education in a country where access to distance education, and affordability," is becoming an increasingly committable challenge.