IGNOU Admission 2026

Indira Gandhi National Open University

New Delhi, Delhi · IGNOU · Estd. 1985

UG Open PG Open PhD Open

IGNOU July 2026 session admissions open from 10 May 2026; last date to apply for fresh admission is 31 July 2026 at ignouadmission.samarth.edu.in. Updated: 2026-05-09

About Indira Gandhi National Open University

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is a central open university headquartered in New Delhi and named after the late prime minister Indira Gandhi. Established by an Act of Parliament in 1985, IGNOU is the largest open and distance learning institution in India and one of the largest in the world by enrolment, with regional centres and study centres spread across India and select international locations.

IGNOU offers more than 300 academic programmes spanning Bachelor's, Master's, diplomas, certificates and PhD across disciplines — humanities, sciences, social sciences, computer applications, education, management, agriculture, health and law. Most programmes use a combination of self-instructional study material, audio-video resources, online platforms (eGyanKosh, Swayam) and contact sessions at study centres.

Admission to most IGNOU UG and PG programmes is on a direct/merit basis with no entrance examination. Select programmes — including the MBA (OPENMAT), B.Ed., B.Sc. Nursing (Post-Basic) and the IGNOU PhD programme — require national-level entrance tests. The university follows a twice-yearly admission cycle: a January session and a July session.

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Application fee: ₹200 (General) / ₹200 (Reserved) · Official site ↗

Entrance Exams

Class 12 merit-based admission

OPENMAT (MBA) / IGNOU PhD Entrance

Conducted by IGNOU

Most IGNOU programmes are offered on a direct merit basis with no entrance test. OPENMAT is conducted twice a year for MBA admissions; IGNOU also conducts a separate PhD Entrance Test for research programmes.

Other accepted exams

OPENMAT
IGNOU PhD Entrance

Eligibility

Bachelor's programmes (BA, BCom, BSc, BBA, BCA): Class 12 / 10+2 from a recognised board with relevant subject. Some programmes have an open eligibility — for example, BA, BCom and BPP have no minimum marks requirement. Master's programmes (MA, MCom, MSc, MBA, MCA): a Bachelor's degree from a UGC-recognised university with the minimum aggregate specified by each programme (typically 50%, with 5% relaxation for reserved categories). PhD: Master's with at least 55% (50% relaxation for SC/ST/OBC-NCL/PwBD) and a qualifying score in the IGNOU PhD Entrance Test.

Important Dates

Event	Date	Stage	Portal	Status
IGNOU July 2026 session — registration begins	10 May 2026	Application	ignouadmission.samarth.edu.in	Open
IGNOU July 2026 session — last date to apply (UG/PG fresh admission)	TBA – 31 Jul 2026	Application	ignouadmission.samarth.edu.in	Upcoming
IGNOU July 2026 session — re-registration window for continuing learners	01 May 2026 – 31 Jul 2026	Re-registration	onlinerr.ignou.ac.in	Ongoing
OPENMAT 2026 — twice-yearly entrance for MBA (announcement on official site)	TBA	Entrance	ignou.ac.in	Upcoming

How to Apply

Previous Year Cutoffs

Cutoffs will be published here once last year's data is verified.

Scholarships

Scholarships are available for eligible candidates at this university.

IGNOU offers fee waivers and concessions for SC/ST students under government schemes, scholarships for jail inmates, and reimbursement-style support for women candidates in select programmes. State-government scholarship schemes (e.g. Post-Matric for SC/ST) are accepted via the National Scholarship Portal.

Reservations

Reservation as per Government of India norms — SC 15%, ST 7.5%, OBC-NCL 27%, EWS 10%, PwBD 5% horizontal — applied to seat allocation in programmes that operate on a fixed-intake basis. Most IGNOU UG/PG programmes are open-intake without category-wise seat allocation.

Results & Merit Lists

No result links published yet for this academic year. Subscribe below to be notified.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the admission process at Indira Gandhi National Open University?

Indira Gandhi National Open University admits students primarily through OPENMAT (MBA) / IGNOU PhD Entrance. After the entrance exam result, candidates register on the university's CSAS (or equivalent) portal, fill college and programme preferences, and accept seats round-by-round.

What is the application fee at Indira Gandhi National Open University?

For 2026, the application fee is ₹200 for General/OBC/EWS candidates and ₹200 for SC/ST/PwBD candidates.

When does Indira Gandhi National Open University declare its cutoff?

Cutoffs at Indira Gandhi National Open University are released after each round of seat allotment. CSAS/portal-based universities typically publish round-wise allocation lists; merit-based universities release a single merit list. Watch the Important Dates section above for exact dates.

Does Indira Gandhi National Open University accept OPENMAT (MBA) / IGNOU PhD Entrance scores?

OPENMAT (MBA) / IGNOU PhD Entrance is the primary basis for admission at Indira Gandhi National Open University. See the Entrance Exams section for details on accepted exams.