Distance learning universities and online degree providers

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:

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?

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

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.

The block at the top of the page is different and is labelled as such. Positions there are paid: a school or programme provider chooses a daily bid and a number of days, pays once, and sits above the free listings for that period, ordered by bid. That is advertising, it is disclosed on every listing, and it has no influence on our editorial course 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.