Distance learning universities and online degree providers
Accredited universities that award full bachelor’s and master’s degrees by distance learning — from the Open University, University of London and WGU to Athabasca, UNISA, IGNOU, FernUniversität Hagen, UOC, UNED and Anadolu — for adults studying around work, family or a career move. Every institution below is listed free by our editors, A–Z — no one pays for a position, and you can request a listing by email.
All distance learning universities
Free listings · A to Z · sponsor yours from $5/dayAllensbach Hochschule
State-recognised German university offering online Bachelor, Master and MBA degrees for working professionals.
Anadolu University — Open Education Faculty
Türkiye’s open education system with millions of enrolled distance students.
Arizona State University Online
300+ fully online degrees from ASU taught by the same faculty as on campus.
Athabasca University
Canada’s open online university with self-paced undergraduate and graduate programs.
Charles Sturt University
Australia’s largest online university provider with business, IT and allied-health degrees.
FernUniversität in Hagen
Germany’s state distance-learning university with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in German.
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
India’s national open university, among the largest in the world by enrolment.
IU International University of Applied Sciences
Germany’s largest private university with English-taught online bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Penn State World Campus
Penn State’s online campus with 175+ degrees and certificates, including business and engineering.
Purdue Global
Purdue University’s online university for working adults with 175+ programs.
Southern New Hampshire University Online
Non-profit US university with 200+ online degrees and eight-week terms.
The Open University (UK)
The UK’s largest distance-learning university with 200+ undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications.
UNED — Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia
Spain’s national distance university with 200+ centres and the largest enrolment in the country.
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)
Barcelona-based fully online university with degrees in Catalan, Spanish and English.
University of Florida Online
Fully online bachelor’s degrees from the University of Florida at reduced tuition.
University of London Worldwide
Distance-learning degrees with academic direction from LSE, UCL, King’s and other member institutions.
University of South Africa (UNISA)
Africa’s largest open distance-learning university with 300,000+ students.
University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ)
Australian university with the majority of students studying online or by distance.
University of the People
Accredited, tuition-free online university with business administration, CS and health degrees.
Western Governors University (WGU)
Competency-based US online university with flat-rate six-month terms in business, IT, health and education.
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What counts as a distance learning university?
The institutions on this page award degrees through study that does not require attendance on a campus. Some were built for it: the Open University in the UK, UNED in Spain, FernUniversität in Hagen, Athabasca in Canada, UNISA in South Africa, IGNOU in India and Anadolu in Türkiye are open or distance universities by charter. Others are conventional universities with an online arm large enough to be a campus in its own right — Arizona State, Penn State World Campus, Purdue Global, the University of London’s worldwide programmes. A third group are online-first private providers such as WGU, SNHU, IU International and University of the People.
All three groups can award recognised degrees. What separates them is accreditation, cost, how much support you get, and how the degree is perceived in the country where you intend to use it.
Accreditation and recognition: the only checks that matter
A degree is only as portable as the body that recognises the institution. Before you compare prices or curricula, verify the institution on the official register of the country that awards the degree:
| Country | What to check | Where |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Institutional accreditation by a recognised accreditor (formerly “regional”) | US Department of Education DAPIP database and CHEA |
| United Kingdom | Recognised body with degree-awarding powers | UK government list of recognised bodies; OfS register |
| European Union | State recognition of the institution; ECTS credits | National ministry registers; ENIC-NARIC for cross-border recognition |
| Canada | Provincial recognition or membership of Universities Canada | Provincial ministry; Universities Canada |
| India, South Africa, Türkiye | UGC-DEB / CHE / YÖK recognition of the distance programme | National regulator websites |
For Turkish readers, YÖK’s recognition of a foreign degree is a separate step from the awarding country’s accreditation, and distance degrees have historically faced stricter denklik rules. Check the current YÖK position before enrolling if you need the degree recognised in Türkiye.
How much does an online degree cost?
| Model | Typical cost | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition-free or near-free | $0 – $5,000 total (fees only) | University of the People, IGNOU, Anadolu, UNISA |
| Public distance universities | $8,000 – $25,000 per degree | Open University, FernUniversität Hagen, UNED, Athabasca, University of London |
| Flat-rate or competency-based | $4,000 – $8,000 per year | WGU, SNHU |
| US public universities online | $15,000 – $60,000 per degree | ASU Online, Penn State World Campus, UF Online, Purdue Global |
| Private international | €10,000 – €25,000 per degree | IU International, UOC |
Compare on total cost to completion, not per-credit price. Competency-based models reward students who already know the material and can pass assessments quickly; credit-based models suit students who need structure and teaching time.
Bachelor’s or master’s by distance: who it suits
Distance bachelor’s degrees are typically taken by adults finishing an interrupted education, career changers, and students in countries with limited university capacity; the Open University, UNISA and IGNOU exist largely for these groups. Distance master’s degrees skew towards working professionals adding a specialist qualification — the University of London’s LSE-directed programmes, Athabasca’s MBA and IU’s English-taught master’s are typical. For business-specific online master’s and MBAs, see the Online Master’s Degrees and Online MBA categories.
What usually goes wrong?
Enrolling with an unaccredited or “accredited” by an unrecognised body provider is the costly error, and the sector attracts such operators; the checks above take twenty minutes and prevent it. The second problem is pacing — signing up for a full-time load while working full time. The third is discovering late that the programme requires proctored exams at physical centres, or residencies, in a country you cannot easily reach.
Frequently asked questions
Are online degrees from distance universities recognised by employers?
Degrees from accredited institutions are, and the diploma normally does not state the delivery mode. Recognition weakens for degrees from institutions without national accreditation, and in some countries for degrees that the national regulator has not recognised for distance delivery.
Which is the largest distance learning university?
By enrolment, IGNOU in India, Anadolu University’s Open Education system in Türkiye and UNISA in South Africa each count students in the hundreds of thousands to millions. In the English-speaking world the Open University and, in the US, WGU and SNHU are the largest.
Can I get a student visa for distance learning?
No — online study does not qualify for study visas in the US, UK, Canada, Australia or the EU. Some providers offer blended or on-campus tracks that do.
How long does a distance bachelor’s degree take?
Three to six years part-time is typical; competency-based models such as WGU allow faster completion for students who already have credits or experience. Most open universities set a maximum completion window, often eight to twelve years.
Is credit transfer possible between distance universities?
Often, within limits. US institutions commonly accept 60–90 transfer credits towards a bachelor’s; European universities use ECTS; the Open University has a credit-transfer scheme. Get the assessment in writing before enrolling.
How this directory is compiled
Every institution on this page was added by our editors from publicly available information: the school or university, the programme it is known for in one line, and a link to its own site. No school paid to be listed in the free section, none was asked for approval, and inclusion here is not a ranking or a recommendation — it is a starting point for a shortlist you should verify against the institution’s accreditation, admissions page and current fees.
No position on this page can be bought: the list is always alphabetical and every entry is free. Advertising on kurums.com appears only in clearly labelled ad units, separate from the listings, and has no influence on our editorial guides or on the Kurums Trust badges, which are earned against published criteria and are never for sale.
Tuition, formats, intake dates and rankings change every year in this sector, so we keep descriptions short and factual. Check the programme’s own page for the current fee, the accreditation body’s register for its status, and treat anything you read in a directory — including this one — as a list of candidates rather than an answer.
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