Nalanda Open University BSc Courses & Fees 2025: Admission Dates, Fee, Placements, Eligibility

Nalanda Open University is recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Ministry of HRD, the Government of India and the Distance Education Bureau (DEB). NOU is also a member of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), the International Council of Open and Distance Education (ICDE) and the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU). Additionally, Nalanda Open University was established in 1987 under the ACT of Bihar Government, Nalanda Open University (NOU).

Nalanda Open University (NOU) offers placement assistance to students seeking challenging jobs in the industry. Along with that, the University also provides training and career guidance services to shape the careers of students by developing their personalities. As per the Shiksha students' reviews, the the highest package and average package offered in recent Nalanda Open University placements were INR 10 LPA and INR 5 LPA, respectively. 

Note: The stats mentioned above is the overall placement data. Hence, it is not course-specific.

No, the university does not required CUET score for BSc admission. The candidate can enroll for the course as per the latest course requirement. To know the detail common eligibility, students can check the table presented below:

According to unofficial online sources, a large share of Nalanda Open University alumni is placed in the Education sector with a 23% share. The other top sectors that involve the majority of alumni are Sales and Business Development. The detailed sector-wise distribution of alumni is depicted below:

NOTE: The sectors involved in the 'Others' category are Administrative, Finance, and Engineering.

For all the undergraduate programmes offered by Nalanda Open University, the admissions are merit-based. For some of the postgraduate programmes the NOU admissions are entrance-based. Moreover, the mode of application is online. Candidates need to visit the official website for applying online. Also, candidates can visit the campus and apply offline.

Nalanda Open University offers several BSc (Hons) courses across multiple specialisations. The eligibility is same across all of the offered specialisations. Students seeking to apply for the course need to pass Class 12 or equivalent with relevant subjects. Find below the list of NOU BSc courses:

• Botany
• Zoology
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Home Science
• Geography

In order to get admission to B.Ed at Nalanda Open University, candidates need to get a UG degree with 50% aggregate for General and 45% aggregate for reserved category candidates in any discipline from a recognised board as per the minimum eligibility criteria. Apart from that, students also need to have a proven teaching experience of two years. Admission to BEd is done through a valid score of the BEd CET entrance exam, which is a state-level entrance exam conducted for the candidates of Bihar. 

NOU Patna provides multiple UG & PG courses in Open & Distance Learning Mode. These courses allows people to access education widely and remotely. ODL courses can be pursued in either online or offline mode. Candidates can choose an institute that provides their desired course in their preferred mode. Other institutes that offer such courses are listed below:

• IGNOU, Delhi
• TimesPro, Mumbai
• IIMTS
• SOL, Univeristy of Delhi
• Imarticus Learning
• Parul University
• Amity University Online
• Online Manipal
• Veranda HigherED
• Hike Education.

Students who are looking for admission at NOU can purchase the prospectus by two medium. First by post, the same can obtained by post by sending a demand draft of INR 500. The amount to be paid in favor of Nalanda Open University, Patna. This is note that, no cash medium would be accepted to paid the amount. Second from Study Centre, all counselling cum-study centre have also been permitted to sale the prospectus on payment of INR 500. 

Students have to submit some documents for verification during Nalanda Open University admissions and applications. The list of documents is as below:

• Class 10 marksheet & Certificate
• Class 12 marksheet & Certificate
• UG degree marksheet & Certificate - for PG admissions
• Leaving certificate
• Transfer Certificate
• Migration Certificate
• Aadhaar card/ Valid Identity Proof
• Passport-size photo
• Scanned Signature

Students can go to the official site of Nalanda Open University to start the application. The form can be submitted by logging into the NOU Bihar admission portal. Follow the steps below to apply:

1. Register and using the registered details, login to your dashboard.
2. Fill the form with personal and academic info.
3. Upload documents. Then select the course.
4. Pay fees and submit the form.

Check below the list of top companies who participated in Nalanda Open University placements in recent years:

No, Nalanda Open University is not hard to get as the admission process is based on merit scores. Additionally, open universities are easier to get in comparison to regular colleges/universities. This is one of the reasons that makes open universities accessible to all the students around India. However, for specific programmes such as BEd or PhD, students would be required to appear for the entrance exams. The fee for all the courses is affordable. Interested students must visit the official website of NOU and apply for the desired course.

Nalanda Open University has several pros and cons of studying for various students. The good and bad sides are given below:

Good side of studying at NOU:

• In comparison to other regular universities, NOU is affordable in terms of everything. The tuition fee, along with other fee components is lower.
• The system of distance learning is flexible for students living in different parts of the nation.
• NOU offers UG, PG, Diploma and Certificate courses across various specialisations. All these courses are recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and Distance Education Council (DEC). 

Bad sides of studying at NOU:

• Due to the distance learning mode, students lack interaction with the faculty. This can impact the learning experience of students. 
• Open universities such as NOU Bihar and Patna IGNOU often lack placement opportunities, practical training and exposure.
• Students miss out on extra-curricular activities, vibrant college life, fests, events, internships and seminars.