In 1969 one ambition changed the world, giving anyone, anywhere the power to learn. Established by the Royal Charter (pdf 235kb) and globally recognised, The Open University has pioneered distance learning for over 50 years, delivering exceptional teaching and outstanding support to students across the UK and the world.
Our qualifications range from certificates, diplomas and short courses to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
The OU has offices throughout the UK where your student support teams are based.
et in touch with our student ambassadors who can tell you more about what you can expect from studying with The Open University
The University doesn't own student housing, but can offer some help on finding private accommodation off campus.
OU Researchers and research students have access to a world class collection of online resources, a document delivery service, and guidance on skills development.
Using a computer is a regular part of your OU study, so here's information on a range of computing topics.
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
By U.S. News & World Report
Dropped 165 places compared to 2026
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 888 | 891 | 1056 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By Times Higher Education
This university doesn’t have a ranking for 2027 yet. Rankings are updated yearly, so check back later for the latest info.
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 801 | 801 | - |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By Shanghai Jiao Tong University
This university doesn’t have a ranking for 2026 yet. Rankings are updated yearly, so check back later for the latest info.
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| - | 901 | - |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Based on 100 reviews
As an individual who couldn't have attended an in person university and instead applied to the Open University right after finishing sixth form, I found that it is an excellent option to provide freedom for selecting ones study areas, as well as boasting incredible tutors and resources that put the tools wholly in the students' hands. The nature of a university that relies on the students to manage themselves can pose as a challenge, and did for me for a long time, however I found that over time it pushed me to develop better a work ethic and mentality surrounding productivity. Also, I have found that during my courses, my tutors have been incredibly supportive at any point in which I've sought out assistance.
Having studied distance learning alongside working, I have found that the Open University mad eit easy for me to meet my family and work commitments whilst supporting me through my degree. Highly recommend.
I have completed my first year and now into my second and I would say I have had a good experience so far with tutors and materials provided. The tutors tend to be very engaging in my experience and knowledgable.
The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2025. Universities with a score above 4.0 (out of 5) in any of the 7 award categories, receive Badges of Excellence. Congratulations!
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