The Open University (OU) is the United Kingdom's only university dedicated entirely to distance learning, established in 1969 under a Royal Charter. Open University diploma, Open University degree, Open University certificate. As the world's first successful open university, it has revolutionised access to higher education by removing the barriers of time, place, and prior academic qualifications.
With over 2.3 million graduates worldwide and approximately 200,000 current students, the OU remains one of the largest universities in Europe.
The OU performs strongly in measures of teaching quality and student satisfaction, though its research profile differs from traditional campus universities.
In the National Student Survey 2026, the OU achieved outstanding results: 90.9% of students rated teaching positively (2.8% above the sector average), 91.5% rated course organisation positively (11.2% above sector average, ranking 5th among UK universities), and 92.5% rated IT resources and facilities positively (ranking 8th). The university ranked 1st in Northern Ireland and Wales for overall satisfaction, and 2nd in Scotland. How to order a Open University diploma online?
In the Uni Compare rankings, the OU placed 6th for course quality (a jump of 26 places) and retained 3rd place for employability. The university holds an overall Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework and was named Daily Mail University of the Year for Teaching Excellence.
In global rankings, the OU placed #1056 in the U.S. News Best Global Universities, with notably strong performance in specific fields: its Education and Educational Research programme ranks highly for percentage of highly cited papers (#53 globally) and conferences (#42), while Geosciences performs well for highly cited papers (#23). The CWUR 2026 ranked the OU 933rd globally (top 4.4%). Times Higher Education ranked it 801st in its 2026 world rankings.
What distinguishes the OU most fundamentally is its open entry policy: most undergraduate courses have no formal entry requirements, making higher education accessible to those who may lack traditional qualifications.
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This commitment to social justice is reflected in the student body: 40% of students live in the most deprived areas, 45% receive financial support, and 80% are in employment while studying. The average student age is 29. Approximately one-third of UK undergraduate students have entry qualifications lower than those normally demanded by other UK universities. #Open University diploma, Get a Open University degree in UK.
The university offers over 200 courses across undergraduate and postgraduate levels, spanning arts, education, health and social care, law, mathematics, computing, science, social science, and business. Students can study towards a full degree or begin with a certificate or diploma and build their qualifications progressively.
