Updated on Sep 8, 2025 19:09 IST
Muskan Chugh

Muskan ChughContent Writer

Top Open University Colleges in India 2025

There are 3 top-ranked open universities in India where students can pursue their education. All of these colleges are owned by the government. Admission is generally merit-based, but colleges may also accept entrance exams like the Karnataka PGCET. These colleges are IGNOU - Indira Gandhi National Open University, KSOU - Karnataka State Open University, and UPRTOU - U P Rajarshi Tandon Open University.

Best Open Universities in India: Highlights 2025

Students who wish to study the open college course from India can take a look at some details in the table below:

Particulars

Details

Number of Open Universities in India

3 colleges

Annual Fees

Less than INR 1 Lakh: 3 colleges

Top Open Universities in India

IGNOU - Indira Gandhi National Open University, KSOU - Karnataka State Open University, and UPRTOU - U P Rajarshi Tandon Open University

Top Open College Specialisations

Sales & Marketing

Accepted Entrance Exams

Karnataka PGCET

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.

Best Open Universities in India: Admission 2025

The general eligibility criteria at the top open universities in India are provided below. However, colleges may have additional criteria based on the course. Students are advised to visit the official website of the open university before applying.

UG Courses:

  • Students who wish to get admission to the UG courses at open colleges in India should have completed their Class 12 or its equivalent level of education in the respective stream. Admissions are merit-based.

PG Courses:

  • Admission to the PG courses at open universities in India is based on merit. Generally, the students are required to have completed a 3-4 year UG degree in a related subject. This may vary depending on the course the students wish to pursue.

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.

Best Open Universities in India: Exam Schedule 2025

Many open colleges in India grant admission to eligible students on a merit basis or based on their scores in the accepted entrance exams. Some of the top entrance exams have been mentioned in the table below, along with the exam date, schedule, and syllabus.

Exam Name

Exam Schedule

Exam Syllabus

Karnataka PGCET

Karnataka PGCET Schedule

Karnataka PGCET Syllabus

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.

Best Government Open Colleges in India: Admission and Fees 

Some of the best open college government colleges in India have been listed below, along with the selection criteria of the colleges.

College Name

Average Fees

IGNOU Admission

INR 62,000

KSOU Admission

INR 59,400

UPRTOU Admission

INR 32,000

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.

Location-wise Best Open Universities in India

Here is a location-wise bifurcation of the best open colleges in India.

Location

No. of Colleges

Delhi

1 college

Mysore

1 college

Allahabad

1 college

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.

Best Open Colleges in India: Fees vs Salary

The ROI, or the Return on Investment, is used to measure the net profit that the students can earn after completing their degree from an open college in India. The table below provides a side-by-side comparison of the course fees and placement salary at these colleges.

College Name

Average Fees

Average Package

IGNOU Courses

INR 62,000

INR 3.36 LPA

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.

Best Open Colleges in India: Placements and Top Recruiters

Students can take a look at the table below to learn more about the highest average salary and top recruiters for some of the top open colleges in India.

College Name

Average Placement Salary

Top Recruiters

IGNOU Placements

INR 3.36 LPA

ICICI Prudential, Axis Bank, Tech Mahindra, Convergys, etc.

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.

Cost of Studying at the Best Open University in India

It is estimated that pursuing a degree at an open college in India is affordable. Here is a fee-wise breakdown of the open colleges in India:

Average Course Fees Range

No. of Colleges

College Names

Less than INR 1 Lakh

3 colleges

IGNOU - Indira Gandhi National Open University, KSOU - Karnataka State Open University, and UPRTOU - U P Rajarshi Tandon Open University

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from the official website and may vary.

Best Open Universities in India: Comparison

Here is a comparison of the best open universities in India:

Read More

Location

Total Fees

Rating

Ownership

Specialization

Exams Accepted

Choose rank publishers
1
NIRF ' 25
IGNOU - Indira Gandhi National Open University
3.8

Placements

3.3

Infrastructure

3.5

Faculty & Course Curriculum

3.9

Crowd & Campus Life

3.5

Value for Money

4.1

Learning Experience

4.3

Course Support

0.0
(997)
Fees: 62,000
Salary : 3.36 Lakh
2
NIRF ' 25
KSOU - Karnataka State Open University
3.6

Placements

3.0

Infrastructure

3.8

Faculty & Course Curriculum

3.8

Crowd & Campus Life

4.0

Value for Money

3.8

Learning Experience

3.0

Course Support

0.0
(8)
Fees: 59,400
3
NIRF ' 25
UPRTOU - U P Rajarshi Tandon Open University
4.3

Placements

3.8

Infrastructure

4.0

Faculty & Course Curriculum

4.5

Crowd & Campus Life

4.3

Value for Money

4.4

Learning Experience

5.0

Course Support

0.0
(10)
Fees: 32,000

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NIRF 2025