Nalanda Open University (NOU) Admission 2026: UG, PG, Fees, Start Dates, Courses

Nalanda Open University Admission 2026: NOU is a popular university in India which offers various UG, PG, Diploma, and Certificate programs in Distance Education. This year, the university will offer programs in many fields, which will provide flexible and affordable fees to the students, such as Arts, Science, Commerce, Management, Education, and more. The registration process will soon commence on the official portal at https://www.nou.ac.in/.

If you are searching for Nalanda Open University Admission 2026-27 and want to know about the university, then you have landed on the right page. Here you will get complete information such as start dates, procedure, eligibility, fees structure and course list.

About Nalanda Open University (NOU)

The Bihar government, by an ordinance, established Nalanda Open University in March 1987, the only institution in the state dedicated exclusively to distance education. It is named after the ancient Nalanda University, a famous 5th-century learning centre that taught a large number of students for over 800 years. Its autonomy was formalised under the law of Bihar in 1995 under the Nalanda Open University Act, and it is recognised by the UGC, DEC and the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

It is recognised as the fourth-oldest open university in India. Nalanda Open University is located in Patna, India. NOU emphasises professional and traditional courses which are very helpful for the career of the student, ranging from certificate and intermediate to UG, PG and diploma in fields like arts, science, management, education, and commerce.

NOU Admission 2026 – Highlight Table

Nalanda Open University Admission 2026-27

NOU provides admission in distance education mode all over India with very affordable fees and a flexible learning mode for everyone. Admission to the university is given once a year in the July session, whose registration link will be announced very soon on the official site. The admission is mainly merit-based, except for MCA programs. NOU Admission offers UG, PG, Diploma and Certificate programmes under various streams like Arts, Science, Commerce, Education, Management etc.

The last date to submit the application form for Nalanda Open University Admission 2026-27 will be 15 June 2026 for MCA or BEd, or 30 June 2026 for admission in other programmes. The application fee for NOU ranges between INR 450 to INR 750.

NOU Eligibility Criteria

Like every year, the university will conduct admissions based on basic eligibility criteria, but will also conduct entrance exams for some programmes. 

• UG Admission: The applicant must have passed the 12th class or equivalent from a recognised board.
• PG admission: The candidates should have a bachelor’s degree(12+3) in any field with a minimum of 50% marks.
• There is no age limit.
• The university will conduct entrance exams for MCA and B.Ed programmes. 

Read more

Nalanda Open University Admission: Important Dates

NOU Fees Structure 2026

Nalanda Open University UG Admission 2026

NOU UG admission 2026 will soon be open for various programs such as BA, BSc, BBA, BCA, BEd and more. Nalanda Open University Admission will be conducted based on merit list at UG programs, for which students must have passed class 12th or equivalent subject with a minimum of 45% marks. It is a 3 to 4-year open learning mode, which is divided into six to eight semesters. Interested candidates can apply for the admission form on the official website at Nalanda Open University.

NOU UG Courses & Fees Structure

NOU BLIS admission 

National Open University offers admission to undergraduate programs such as the Bachelor of Library and Information Science (BLIS). This program is one year long, and the fee is INR 7200 for male students and INR 5400 for female students. In this program, students gain knowledge in the fields of library science, information management, and information services. To be eligible for admission to the NOU BLIS program, students must have passed their 12th grade from a recognised board.

NOU B.Ed. Admission 2026

Nalanda Open University (NOU) B.Ed. Admissions for 2026 are conducted through the Bihar State Level B.Ed. Entrance Examination (CET-B.Ed.). NOU is an open university that offers programs through distance learning, but the B.Ed. program is conducted according to NCTE guidelines, and therefore, admission is granted solely on the basis of the entrance examination. To be eligible for admission to this program, students must possess a Bachelor’s degree in any subject with a minimum of 50% marks.

Nalanda Open University PG Admission 2026

Nalanda Open University admission link will be released on 01 May 2026 (Tentative) for the various postgraduate degrees. Every year, thousands of candidates take admission in NOU PG programmes like MA, MSc, MCom, MJMC, MCA and others. One of its advantages is that the university provides flexible learning, affordable fees and study material to the students. 

PG Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility requires a bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject with at least 50% marks (45% for reserved categories). PG admission requires qualifying exam scores, and for most courses, no entrance exam is held; admission is based on the final exam scores.​

NOU PG Courses & Fees Structure

Nalanda Open University Admission for PG Diploma

Nalanda Open University Admission for Certificate programs

Nalanda Open University Admission Process 2026

For the admission process, it is necessary for the student to have an ABC ID, which the student must first become an ABC ID.

Step 1: Interested candidates can visit the official site of NOU at https://www.nou.ac.in/.

Step 2: Students should register themselves using their email and phone no.

Step 3: Open the application form and fill it up with basic details.

Step 4: Upload Required Documents like Photo, ID proof, Signature and more.

Step 5: Pay the application fee of INR 450 to INR 750 for NOU programmes and complete the application process.

Step 6: Download your pay slip and keep it with you.

Required Documents for NOU Admission 2026

• Passport-size photo
• Signature
• 10th & 12th mark sheet
• Graduation certificate (for PG)
• ID proof (Aadhar Card/PAN card/voter ID/Passport)
• Cast certificate (SC/ST/OBC/BC/PwD)
• Migration certificate (if required)

Other university admission 2026