UGC-Approved Online and Distance Universities 2026-27
- Universities
- 210
- Online
- 146
- Distance (ODL)
- 121
- Programmes
- 2,696
Checked 13 October 2026
against UGC-DEB’s 4 official lists
Showing 1–20 of 210 universities
Academy of Maritime Education and TrainingTamil Nadu · Deemed to be UniversityOnline · RecognisedDistance · Recognised6 programmes
Online · Recognised · 3 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of CommerceRecognised until July 2028
- Bachelor of Business Administration
Postgraduate
- Master of Business Administration (Shipping Logistics Management)
Distance · Recognised · 3 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of CommerceRecognised until July 2028
- Bachelor of Business Administration
Postgraduate
- Master of Business Administration (Shipping & Logistics Management)
Acharya Nagarjuna UniversityAndhra Pradesh · State UniversityDistance · Recognised27 programmes
Distance · Recognised · 27 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)- Master of Science (Computer Science)Recognised until January 2029
- Master of Science (Statistics)Recognised until January 2029
- Master of Science (Mathematics)Recognised until January 2029
- Master of Science (Chemistry)Recognised until January 2029
- Master of Science (Physics)Recognised until January 2029
- Master of Science (Zoology)Recognised until January 2029
- Master of Science (Botany)Recognised until January 2029
- Master of Computer ApplicationsRecognised until January 2029
- Master of Arts (Political Science)Recognised until January 2030
- Master of Arts (Sociology)Recognised until January 2030
- Master of Arts (Journalism & Mass Communication)Recognised until January 2030
- Master of Arts (Telugu)Recognised until January 2030
- Master of Arts (Economics)Recognised until January 2030
- Master of Arts (History)Recognised until January 2030
- Master of Arts (Hindi)Recognised until January 2030
- Master of Arts (Sanskrit)Recognised until January 2030
- Master of Arts (English)Recognised until January 2030
- Master of Social WorkRecognised until January 2030
- Master of Commerce (Accountancy)Recognised until January 2030
- Master of Commerce (Banking)Recognised until January 2030
- Master of Arts (Human Resource Management)Recognised until January 2030
- Master of Library & Information SciencesRecognised until January 2030
- Master of Business Administration (General)Recognised until January 2029
- Masters of Business Administration (International Business)Recognised until July 2030
- Master of Business Administration (Travel & Tourism)Recognised until July 2030
- Master of Business Administration (Hospital Administration)Recognised until July 2030
- Master of Business Administration (Human Resource Management)Recognised until July 2030
Adamas UniversityWest Bengal · Private UniversityDistance · Recognised1 programme
Distance · Recognised · 1 programme
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)- Master of Business AdministrationRecognised until January 2031
Adichunchanagiri UniversityKarnataka · Private UniversityOnline · Entitled1 programme
Online · Entitled · 1 programme
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)- Master of Business Administration
Ajeenkya D.Y. Patil UniversityMaharashtra · Private UniversityOnline · Recognised4 programmes
Online · Recognised · 4 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Computer ApplicationsRecognised until January 2031
- Bachelor of Business AdministrationRecognised until January 2031
Postgraduate
- Master of Business AdministrationRecognised until January 2031
- Master of Computer ApplicationsRecognised until January 2031
Alagappa UniversityTamil Nadu · State UniversityOnline · EntitledDistance · Category-I32 programmes
Online · Entitled · 8 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Arts (Tamil)
- Bachelor of Business Administration (Management)
- Bachelor of Commerce
Postgraduate
- Master of Commerce
- Master of Arts (Tamil)
- Master of Arts (English)
- Master of Arts (Journalism and Mass Communication)
- Master of Business Administration
Distance · Category-I · 24 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Education
- Bachelor of Arts (English)
- Bachelor of Arts (Tamil)
- Bachelor of Commerce (Computer Applications)
- Bachelor of Business Administration
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Bachelor of Science (Computer Science)
- Bachelor of Science (Mathematics)
Postgraduate
- Master of Library & Information Sciences
- Master of Commerce
- Master of Science (Zoology)
- Master of Science (Botany)
- Master of Science (Physics)
- Master of Science (Chemistry)
- Master of Science (Computer Science)
- Master of Science (Information Technology)
- Master of Science (Mathematics)
- Master of Arts (English)
- Master of Arts (Tamil)
- Master of Arts (Economics)
- Master of Social Work
- Master of Arts (History)
- Master of Business Administration (General)
- Master of Computer Applications
Aligarh Muslim UniversityUttar Pradesh · Central UniversityOnline · Entitled13 programmes
Online · Entitled · 13 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Bachelor of Arts (Economics, History, Political Science, English, Urdu, Hindi)
- Bachelor of Library & Information Science (Library and Information Science)
Postgraduate
- Master of Arts (Economics)
- Master of Arts (History)
- Master of Arts (Political Science)
- Master of Arts (English)
- Master of Arts (Urdu)
- Master of Arts (Hindi)
- Master of Commerce
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of Library & Information Sciences
- Master of Arts (Public Administration) – 02 Years
Alliance UniversityKarnataka · Private UniversityOnline · Entitled3 programmes
Online · Entitled · 3 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Commerce (HONS) (General) - 4 Years
- Bachelor of Business Administration
Postgraduate
- Master of Business Administration
Amity University (Rajasthan)Rajasthan · Private UniversityOnline · Entitled9 programmes
Online · Entitled · 9 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Commerce (HONS)
- Bachelor of Business Administration
- Bachelor of Computer Application
Postgraduate
- Master of Science (Mathematics)
- Master of Arts (Journalism & Mass Communication)
- Master of Arts (English)
- Master of Science (Data Science)
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of Computer Applications
Amity University (Uttar Pradesh)Uttar Pradesh · Private UniversityOnline · EntitledDistance · Recognised21 programmes
Online · Entitled · 18 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Computer Applications (General)
- Bachelor of Business Administration (General)
- Bachelor of Arts (Political Science, Economics, English, Sociology)
- Bachelor of Social WorkRecognised until January 2027
- Bachelor of Commerce (General)Recognised until January 2027
- Bachelor of Arts (Journalism and Mass CommunicationRecognised until January 2027
Postgraduate
- Master of Arts (Journalism & Mass Communication)
- Master of Commerce (Financial Management/ Financial Technology)
- Master of Arts (Economics)
- Master of Computer Applications
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of Arts Public Policy & GovernanceRecognised until January 2027
- Master of Social WorkRecognised until January 2027
- Master of Arts (English)Recognised until January 2027
Postgraduate diploma
- Post Graduate Diploma (Management)
- Post Graduate Diploma (Logistics)
- Post Graduate Diploma (Data Science)
- Post Graduate Diploma (Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence)
Distance · Recognised · 3 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Science (HONS) (Information Technology)Recognised until January 2027
Postgraduate
- Master of Science (Information Technology)Recognised until January 2027
- Master of Science (Environmental Science)Recognised until January 2027
Amrita Vishwa VidyapeethamTamil Nadu · Deemed to be UniversityOnline · Entitled10 programmes
Online · Entitled · 10 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Bachelor of Business Administration
- Bachelor of Computer Applications
Postgraduate
- Master of Commerce
- Master of Science (Mathematics)
- Master of Arts (Communication)
- Master of Arts (Journalism and Mass Communication)
- Master of Arts (Philosophy)
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of Computer Applications
Andhra UniversityAndhra Pradesh · State UniversityOnline · EntitledDistance · Category-I46 programmes
Online · Entitled · 11 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Arts (Combination of 3 Subjects) (History, Economics, Politics)
- Bachelor of Commerce
Postgraduate
- Master of Arts (Sociology)
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of Computer Applications
- Master of Commerce
- Master of Arts (Political Science)
- Master of Arts (Economics)
- Master of Arts (English)
- Master of Arts (Human Resource Management)
- Master of Arts (Journalism & Mass Communication)
Distance · Category-I · 35 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Arts (Combination of 3 Subjects) (Political Science, Public Administration, Geography)
- Bachelor of Arts (Combination of 3 Subjects) (Political Science, Economics, Geography)
- Bachelor of Arts (Combination of 3 Subjects) (Public Administration, Political Science, Sociology)
- Bachelor of Arts (Combination of 3 Subjects) (History, Political Science, Sociology)
- Bachelor of Arts (Combination of 3 Subjects) (History, Public Administration, Political Science)
- Bachelor of Arts (Combination of 3 Subjects) (History, Economics, Politics)
- Bachelor of Science (Combination of 3 Subjects) (Mathematics, Physics, Geography)
- Bachelor of Science (Combination of 3 Subjects) (Chemistry, Botany, Zoology)
- Bachelor of Science (Combination of 3 Subjects) (Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science)
- Bachelor of Science (Combination of 3 Subjects) (Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science)
- Bachelor of Science (Combination of 3 Subjects) (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry)
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Bachelor of Commerce (Computers)
- Bachelor of Business Administration
Postgraduate
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of Computer Applications
- Master of Arts (Mathematics)
- Master of Arts (Journalism & Mass Communication)
- Master of Arts (Human Resource Management)
- Master of Arts (Philosophy)
- Master of Arts (Sociology)
- Master of Arts (Public Administration)
- Master of Arts (Political Science)
- Master of Arts (History)
- Master of Arts (Economics)
- Master of Arts (Telugu)
- Master of Arts (Hindi)
- Master of Arts (English)
- Master of Science (Physics)
- Master of Science (Organic Chemistry)
- Master of Science (Zoology)
- Master of Science (Botany)
- Master of Commerce
- Master of Science (Mathematics)
- Master of Science (Geography)
Anna UniversityTamil Nadu · State UniversityOnline · EntitledDistance · Recognised5 programmes
Online · Entitled · 2 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)- Master of Business Administration (General Management)
- Master of Business Administration (Business Analytics)
Distance · Recognised · 3 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)- Master of Science (Computer Science)Recognised until January 2028
- Master of Business AdministrationRecognised until January 2028
- Master of Computer ApplicationsRecognised until January 2028
Annamalai UniversityTamil Nadu · State UniversityDistance · Recognised25 programmes
Distance · Recognised · 25 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music- Vocal)Recognised until January 2028
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music- Veena)Recognised until January 2028
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music- Violin)Recognised until January 2028
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music- Mridagam)Recognised until January 2028
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance-Bharathanatyam)Recognised until January 2028
Postgraduate
- Master of Arts (Tamil)Recognised until January 2028
- Master of Arts (Political Science)Recognised until January 2028
- Master of Arts (Economics)Recognised until January 2028
- Master of Arts (English)Recognised until January 2028
- Master of Arts (History)Recognised until January 2028
- Master of Arts (Sociology)Recognised until January 2028
- Master of Social WorkRecognised until January 2028
- Master of Fine Arts (Dance-Bharathanatyam)Recognised until January 2028
- Master of Fine Arts (Music – Vocal)Recognised until January 2028
- Master of Fine Arts (Music – Veena)Recognised until January 2028
- Master of Fine Arts (Music – Violin)Recognised until January 2028
- Master of Commerce (Co-Operative Management)Recognised until January 2028
- Master of Business AdministrationRecognised until January 2028
- Master of Science (Yoga)Recognised until January 2028
- Master of Science (Mathematics)Recognised until January 2028
- Master of Science (Botany)Recognised until January 2028
- Master of Science (Chemistry)Recognised until January 2028
- Master of Science (Physics)Recognised until January 2028
- Master of Science (Zoology)Recognised until January 2028
- Master of Science (Computer Science)Recognised until January 2028
Arka Jain UniversityJharkhand · Private UniversityOnline · RecognisedDistance · Recognised7 programmes
Online · Recognised · 5 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Business AdministrationRecognised until July 2029
- Bachelor of Computer ApplicationsRecognised until January 2030
- Bachelor of Commerce (General)Recognised until January 2030
Postgraduate
- Master of Business Administration (General)Recognised until July 2029
- Master of Computer ApplicationsRecognised until January 2030
Distance · Recognised · 2 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Business AdministrationRecognised until February 2029
Postgraduate
- Master of Business Administration (General)Recognised until February 2029
Assam Don Bosco UniversityAssam · Private UniversityOnline · Recognised5 programmes
Online · Recognised · 5 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Business Administration (General)Recognised until July 2030
- Bachelor of Computer Applications (General)Recognised until July 2030
Postgraduate
- Master of Business AdministrationRecognised until January 2030
- Master of Computer ApplicationsRecognised until January 2030
- Master of Arts (Public Administration)Recognised until July 2030
Assam Down Town UniversityAssam · Private UniversityOnline · Entitled4 programmes
Online · Entitled · 4 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Business Administration
- Bachelor of Computer Applications
Postgraduate
- Master of Computer Applications
- Master of Business Administration
Atlas Skilltech UniversityMaharashtra · Private UniversityOnline · Recognised2 programmes
Online · Recognised · 2 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Business AdministrationRecognised until January 2031
Postgraduate
- Master of Business AdministrationRecognised until January 2031
B.S. Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and TechnologyTamil Nadu · Deemed to be UniversityOnline · EntitledDistance · Recognised8 programmes
Online · Entitled · 3 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Arts (Islamic Studies)
Postgraduate
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of Computer Applications
Distance · Recognised · 5 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Arts (Islamic Studies)Recognised until January 2029
- Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) (English)Recognised until January 2031
Postgraduate
- Master of Business AdministrationRecognised until January 2027
- Master of Computer ApplicationsRecognised until January 2027
- Master of Arts (Islamic Studies)Recognised until January 2031
Banasthali VidyapithRajasthan · Deemed to be UniversityOnline · Entitled11 programmes
Online · Entitled · 11 programmes
UGC’s list(PDF, opens in a new tab)Undergraduate
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Commerce
Postgraduate
- Master of Science (Statistics)
- Master of Commerce
- Master of Science (Mathematics)
- Master of Arts (English)
- Master of Arts (History)
- Master of Arts (Political Science)
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of Arts (Sociology)
- Master of Arts (Economics)
The short answer
UGC’s Distance Education Bureau (UGC-DEB) lists 210 universities for 2026-27: 146 may offer online programmes and 121 may offer distance (ODL) programmes. Approval is for specific programmes, not the whole university, so check that the exact programme you want appears against the university, in the mode you want.
- 1
Search the university above, or open UGC-DEB’s list for the mode you want: online and distance (ODL) are approved separately.
- 2
Find the exact programme. A university approved for an online MBA is not automatically approved for an online BCA.
- 3
For recognised programmes, check the period. Admission taken while a programme is recognised stays valid until you complete it.
Reading the list
What entitled, recognised and Category-I mean
Online
Entitled
The university meets the accreditation or ranking conditions in regulation 3 of the UGC (ODL and Online Programmes) Regulations, 2020, so it may start online programmes without UGC approving each one, for as long as it keeps meeting them.
Distance (ODL)
Category-I
The university is in Category-I under UGC’s graded-autonomy rules, which entitles it to offer distance (ODL) programmes. UGC-DEB lists the programmes it has notified.
Online and distance
Recognised
UGC-DEB has approved these specific programmes for a stated period. The period is listed with each programme.
By programme
Most searched lists
- All UGC-recognised universities1,301 on UGC’s list, regular degrees
- Online MBA Universities124 universities on UGC-DEB’s 2026-27 list
- Online MCA Universities87 universities on UGC-DEB’s 2026-27 list
- Online BBA Universities99 universities on UGC-DEB’s 2026-27 list
- Online BCA Universities72 universities on UGC-DEB’s 2026-27 list
- Distance MBA Universities80 universities on UGC-DEB’s 2026-27 list
Over time
Approved programmes by year
Programme approvals listed in UGC-DEB’s programme database rose from 1,071 in 2020-21 to 2,861 in 2026-27. Online programmes, first listed in 2021-22, now make up 34%.
Change log
What changed on UGC’s lists
We compare UGC-DEB’s lists with our last copy every month and record what was added or removed.
No changes since tracking began on 13 October 2026.
New lists usually appear before each admission session. When UGC-DEB adds or removes a university or programme, it will show here with the date we saw it.
Method
Where this data comes from
Every university and programme here is read from the four lists UGC’s Distance Education Bureau published for 2026-27 on deb.ugc.ac.in(opens in a new tab), then merged so each university appears once. We check each row’s programme count against the number UGC states; where UGC’s own list differs, we show what it lists. Names are tidied for reading; the linked documents are the authority.
- HEIs Entitled for Online Programmes AY 2026-27(opens in a new tab)126 universities · uploaded 22 September 2026
- HEIs Recognized for ODL Programmes AY 2026-27(opens in a new tab)103 universities · uploaded 21 September 2026
- HEIs recognised for Online Programs AY 2026-27(opens in a new tab)22 universities · uploaded 22 September 2026
- Category-I HEIs Entitled for ODL Programmes AY 2026-27(opens in a new tab)30 universities · uploaded 22 September 2026
Validity of online and distance degrees and the rules on admissions follow UGC-DEB’s Important provisions of the UGC (ODL and Online Programmes) Regulations, 2020(opens in a new tab).
Free to reuse with credit to CareerBhavan. Get the data (CSV)
Cite as: CareerBhavan, “UGC-DEB approved online and distance universities and programmes 2026-27”, careerbhavan.com/ugc-approved-universities (checked 13 October 2026)
FAQ
Questions students ask
How do I check if a university is UGC approved for online or distance education?
Search for it in the directory on this page. It lists every university on UGC-DEB’s 2026-27 lists, with the programmes each one may offer. Then confirm the exact programme and mode on the official list we link, because UGC-DEB approves programmes, not whole universities.
Is an online or distance degree from a UGC-approved university valid?
Yes. UGC-DEB’s summary of the 2020 regulations says degrees and postgraduate diplomas awarded through distance or online mode by universities recognised under these regulations are treated as equivalent to the same awards through regular classroom study, provided the degree follows UGC’s Specification of Degrees, 2014.
What is the difference between UGC-entitled and UGC-recognised?
Entitled: The university meets the accreditation or ranking conditions in regulation 3 of the UGC (ODL and Online Programmes) Regulations, 2020, so it may start online programmes without UGC approving each one, for as long as it keeps meeting them. Recognised: UGC-DEB has approved these specific programmes for a stated period. The period is listed with each programme.
My university was approved when I took admission but is not on this year’s list. Is my degree still valid?
According to UGC-DEB’s summary of the regulations, an admission taken in a recognised programme during its recognition period stays recognised until you complete the programme, even if the university is not recognised in later years, provided it follows UGC’s rules, including its territorial jurisdiction.
Can I take a distance or online programme from a university in another state?
For online programmes, yes: the regulations let a learner living in or outside India enrol with a university recognised for online mode. For distance (ODL) programmes you can enrol from anywhere in India, but the university must run admissions, contact classes and exams within its own territorial jurisdiction.
How often is this list updated?
We check UGC-DEB’s published lists every month and update this page when they change. The current data was checked on 13 October 2026, against the four lists for 2026-27 linked under Sources.
Not sure which approved university fits your goals and budget? A counsellor can shortlist the right programmes with you.
A free call with a CareerBhavan counsellor, at a time that suits you.