IGNOU: Cutoff 2026, Fees, Courses, Placement, Admission and Ranking

Yes, all IGNOU degrees are valid for any purpose, whether you are appearing for any entrance exams or employment exams. It has recognition at the national as well as international levels. IGNOU is a recognized university under the UGC and a government university. Adding further, an IGNOU degree is approved by the Distance Education Bureau (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) as well. Additionally, IGNOU provides free UPSC CSE coaching to scheduled caste candidates at no cost. Every year, IGNOU invites applications from scheduled caste students for free coaching of UPSC IAS (prelims and mains).

IGNOU is a trusted and accredited distance education university. This central university was established by an ACT of parliament in 1985. IGNOU degree is equivalent to a degree granted by any recognised university in India. It is acceptable and valid overseas and in foreign countries with ease. This is because, IGNOU is a recognised university under UGC and is a governmental university too. An IGNOU degree is approved by DEC and AICTE.

Indira Gandhi National Open University (popularly known as IGNOU) is one of the top names for distance/ part-time education in India. IGNOU is UGC approved & is accredited by the NAAC with Grade 'A+.'

IGNOU online courses make it easy for working professionals to upgrade their academic stature with the flexibility of learning from their preferred location, time & study mode.

As per the latest IGNOU NIRF report, the overall median package received during IGNOU placements 2025 was between INR 2.45 LPA and 2.85 LPA.

IGNOU and DU SOL, both are government-approved reputed distance learning universities in India. They have dedicated career placement cell that connects potential recruiters with students. In terms of regional reach, IGNOU has more centres spread across the country as compared with DU SOL. IGNOU has a larger set of courses as compared to DU SOL that has courses primarily related to Humanities and Commerce. According to unofficial sources, the starting salary of IGNOU students start from 3.5 LPA. The top recruiters of IGNOU in recent past included leading companies such as HCL, Wipro and Parle. It will depend upon students’ priority in terms of location, study centre and course-selection to choose between IGNOU and DU SOL.

IGNOU BA application window is open. Students apply through the official website. The BA course at IGNOU application mentioned below:

• Visit the website. Click on 'Apply Online'.
• Select the 'Click here for New Registration' option.
• Register online with required details.
• Log in, fill out the form, pay the application fee, and submit the form.

According to unofficial sources, Business Development sector has placed the most no. of IGNOU students. The sector-wise IGNOU alumni placement statistics are presented below:

Note: The above-mentioned alumni placement data is gathered from unofficial sources and hence may vary.

The eligibility criteria for all MSc courses are as follows:

MSc specialisations	Eligibility
Food Nutrition	BSc (Home Science) specialisation in Food and Nutrition, Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition or PG Diploma in Dietetics and Public Health Nutrition or Graduate (BSc Hons) or equivalent (MBBS, BHHS, etc.) from the following background – Home Science/ Food Science and Technology, Life Science, Microbiology, Pharmaceutical, Catering along with the DNHE or CNCC or CFN offered by IGNOU (simultaneous admission for CFN/ CNCC is also permitted)
Counselling and Family Therapy	Bachelor’s degree in any subject from a recognised university
Environmental Science	Bachelor’s degree in any discipline Science/ Engineering/ Agricultural Science/ Forestry/ Veterinary Science from a recognised university
Mathematics with Application in Computer Science	- Graduate with a major or Hons in Mathematics with at least 50% aggregate - If the seats at a centre remain vacant then: Graduate with a BA/ BSc degree with Mathematics as one of the three main subjects with equal weightage, with at least 50% aggregate and 55% aggregate in the Mathematics

For more details on MSc fee, eligibility & selection,  click here. 

Application form for B.Ed can be obtained online from the official website of IGNOU. At least, 50% marks either in the Bachelor's degree and/or in the Master's degree in sciences/social sciences/commerce/humanity.

Candidates, who are trained in-service teachers in elementary education, will be eligible to apply for the entrance exam and further for admission or who have completed a NCTE recognised teacher education programme through face-to-face mode.

In Central University of Himachal Pradesh the Total fees for MA which has total 14 different courses is about 4000 to 5400. And eligibility criteria is graduation with minimum 50% and entrance exam CUET- PG. Different courses such as MA in Political Science, Hindi, English Language and Literature, Economics, Sociology, History, Journalism, Punjabi, New media and Communication and many more such courses. And all these courses has 33 seats. And course fees of 4k . With average package of 2.5 Lakh. 

The total tuition fees for MA is INR 14,000-INR 27,000 at IGNOU. The fees is the highest for MA in Education. For most of language programmes, the fees is at lower end. 

Yes, candidates do not require passing any entrance exam for admission in MA at IGNOU. Aspirants are selected based on their scores in the qualifying exam. Selected candidates have to pay course fees to confirm their seat. 

IGNOU BA (Hons) English course curriculum include core courses, ability enhancement compulsory courses, and generic electives. The generic electives in the UG course are:

• Gender Sensitization: Society and Culture
• Indian Society: Images and Realities
• Psychology and Media
• Rethinking Development

IGNOU BA course is of three-year duration and is six semesters. The first semester syllabus include topics related to English in Daily Life, Individual and Society. Some of the subjects that the students study in the first semester are:

• Social Small Talk
• Money Matters
• Social Injustice
• Mountaineering in India
• Drug of Abuse, etc.

IGNOU BA (Hons) English course fee is INR 15,900. It is the total fees for three-year UG course. The given fee is as per the official website or sanctioning body. It is still subject to revision and hence, is indicative.

IGNOU offers fee waiver for SC and ST students applying for UG courses. Candidates wanting to avail this benefit need to meet the prescribed eligibility criteria. The requirements to get a fee waiver are mentioned below:

• Applicant should be from SC or ST category.
• The family annual income should be below INR 2.5 lakh as per GOI norms.
• Candidate should have applied for a UG course of IGNOU.
• No similar fee waiver or scholarship should have been taken from other sources.

IGNOU offers admission based on merit of the aspirants in the last qualifying exam to most of the programmes. However, candidates need to appear for entrance exam for a few courses. Below are the courses accepting IGNOU entrance exam scores for admission:

• B.Ed
• Post Basic BSc Nursing
• PhD 

IGNOU admission cycle opens twice in a year i.e. January and July. The registrations for January session usually begins in December and close by March. The July session for ODL/ Online programmes begin in May and continue till July. The mode of application is online for all the courses.

In case a candidate misses the deadline for IGNOU registration, he or she can write mail or contact the admission office for assistance. In case nothing can be done, he or she then needs to register in the next cycle. IGNOU conducts admission in two cycles-January and June. Admission to most of the courses is based on merit of the aspirants in the last qualifying exam. In case of courses such as B.Ed, PhD and PB BSc Nursing, admissions are offered based on entrance exam scores.

The Open University provides PhD programmes in different areas of specialisation. IGNOU PhD course admission is done based on accepted exam scores, followed by an interview round. Interested candidates should go through the eligibility and selection requirements before proceeding with the application formalities.

Yes IGNOU offers an MA in History. course can be completed in 2 years and it is offered in Hindi as well as English medium. online application form for course is released twice a year, in January and July. Candidates can pursue this course without qualifying for an entrance exam. average course fee for MA History in IGNOU is INR 9,000. course is open to all graduates and there is no minimum or maximum age limit. Once admission is granted, IGNOU study materials are sent by post to students.