Starting in 2020, Indian Universities are able to offer fully online degrees.
Though this might be seen as a response to the pandemic (which has increased interest in online education and Class Central, as you can see below), India’s online degrees were made possible by regulations approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC) back in 2018.
In the last 30 days, Class Central received more traffic than we did in 2019. These users were also more engaged.
One number in particular stands out to me – clicks to the provider (Go To Class button clicks on our course pages). They increased significantly, 4.4m vs 2.5m. pic.twitter.com/UGvcaBcEFj
— Dhawal Shah (@dhawalhshah) April 20, 2020
In India, the UGC is charged with “determining and maintaining standards of teaching, examination and research in universities”.
According to the UGC (Online Courses) Regulations, 2018, to be eligible to offer online degrees, a university must:
- Have existed for at least five years.
- Be accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
- Be a top-100 university in India, according to the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for at least two of the last three years.
SWAYAM
Before these regulations were introduced, students in India could complete up to 20% of their degree online via SWAYAM, India’s official MOOC platform. SWAYAM’s academic credit system is detailed in the framework introduced by UGC in mid-2016.
In December 2018, 3,800 students flocked to exam centers across India to sit their exams for courses they’d taken on SWAYAM. To learn more about SWAYAM and its credit system, check out Class Central’s comprehensive report.
India’s Online Degrees
Early this year, UGC published a list of 37 programs from 7 Indian universities that have been approved for online delivery. And just this month, IIT Madras, India’s top technical institute, announced an online BSc in Programming and Data Science.
The new programs range from certificates to master’s degrees. We researched each one to find details such as cost, duration, credits, and website.
Here’s a quick summary of the different type of programs:
| Program | Duration | Mean Price |
| Certificate | 6 months | ₹28,000 (~$375) |
| Diploma | 1 year | ₹120,000 (~$1600) |
| Bachelor’s degree | 3 years | ₹165,000 (~$2200) |
| Master’s degree | 2 years | ₹160,000 (~$2150) |
The duration specified is the minimum time to complete the program.
At Class Central, we are big fans of low-cost online degrees like Georgia Tech’s Online Master’s in Computer Science (OMSCS), which cost $7000.
But India’s new online degrees are priced lower than that. The most expensive ones, like IIT Madras’ BSc or Amity University’s MBA, cost half as much as Georgia Tech’s online degree. And the cheapest one, IGNOU’s Bachelor of Tourism, costs ₹10,200 or about $135.
Some of these prices are still unaffordable to a large segment of the Indian population, but on a global scale where many online degrees cost tens of thousands of dollars, these are extremely affordable.
Certain Indian universities like IITs and IIMs are also well known around the world. This makes me wonder if in the longer term, can India become an exporter of Higher Education?
You can find the list of all the online degrees available below categorized by the program: Certificate, Diploma, Bachelor’s degree, and Master’s degree.
We will keep updating this article as new ones are announced. If you find something missing, let us know in the comments section.
Master’s Online Degrees (2 years)
| Name | Institution | Price (INR) | Credits |
| Master of Arts (Journalism & Mass Communication) | Amity University | 165,000 | 96 |
| Master Of Business Administration | Amity University | 250,000 | 97 |
| Master of Commerce (Financial Management) | Amity University | 125,000 | 97 |
| Master of Computer Applications | Amity University | 165,000 | 170 |
| MBA in Hospital Administration | JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research | 200,000 | 88 |
| Master of Business Administration | Bharati Vidyapeeth | 85,000 | 102 |
| Master of Business Administration | Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth | 106,400 | 102 |
| M.A. in Translation Studies | IGNOU | 9,600 | 64 |
| Master of Arts (Hindi) | IGNOU | 12,000 | 64 |
| M.A. in Gandhi and Peace Studies | IGNOU | 9,000 | 64 |
Bachelor’s Online Degrees (3 years)
| Name | Institution | Price (INR) | Credits |
| BSc Degree in Programming and Data Science | IIT Madras | 242,000 | 116 |
| Bachelor of Arts (Journalism & Mass Communication) | Amity University | 165,000 | 124 |
| Bachelor Of Business Administration | Amity University | 165,000 | 125 |
| Bachelor of Arts | Amity University | 120,000 | 124 |
| Bachelor of Arts (Hindi Medium) | Amity University | 30,000 | 126 |
| Bachelor of Commerce | Amity University | 120,000 | 124 |
| Bachelor of Commerce (Hindi Medium) | Amity University | 30,000 | 126 |
| Bachelor of Arts (Tourism Administration) | Amity University | 165,000 | 124 |
| Bachelor of Computer Applications | Amity University | 165,000 | 148 |
| Bachelor of Business Administration | Bharati Vidyapeeth | 75,000 | 128 |
| Bachelor of Computer Applications | Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy |
114,920 | 120 |
| Bachelor of Tourism | IGNOU | 10,200 | 96 |
Online Diploma (1 year)
Online Certificate (6 months)
| Name | Institution | Price (INR) | Credits |
| Certificate Program in Digital Marketing | Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth | 28,000 | 20 |
| Certificate Program in Hospital and Healthcare Management | Dr. D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth | 28,000 | 20 |
| Post Graduate Certificate in Agriculture Policy | IGNOU | 3,600 | 16 |
| Certificate in Tribal Studies | IGNOU | 900 | 16 |
| Post Graduate Certificate in Gandhi and Peace Studies | IGNOU | 2,200 | 16 |
| Certificate Programme In Peace Studies and Conflict Management | IGNOU | 3,500 | 16 |
| Certificate Programme in Library and Information Science | IGNOU | 3,000 | 16 |
| Certificate in Information Technology | IGNOU | 6,000 | 16 |
| Certificate in Tourism Studies | IGNOU | 1,800 | 20 |
| Certificate in Arabic Language | IGNOU | 1,800 | 20 |
| Certificate in Russian Language | IGNOU | 2,500 | 20 |
AVIJIT SINHA
What are the UCG recognised online uiversity and courses as on date ie July 2020 ?
Prasad
As of now, UGC approved HEI’s ranked with in top 100 according to the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) and those with NAAC “A” Grade or with a valid minimum score of 3.26 on a 4-point scale. But most of these universities are not yet ready with IT infrastructure required for this offering. IGNOU, JSS Academy of Higher Education, Bharati Vidya Peeth, D Y Patil Vidya Peeth are few universties from the list launched online courses.
bharath
Can i with b.com from amity university online get a MNC job / pursue professional courses ACCA,CFA /post graduation and can u point negatives of pursing this online degree. In my case i want backup option for CA.
Prasad
Amity University is private University. It was established in 2005 by an Act of the State Legislature of Uttar Pradesh. The university is recognized by UGC under Section 22 of the UGC Act and accredited by the NAAC with grade ‘A+’.
However the laws and regulation aorund the university establishments and course approvals are subject to change and there are lot of other options for B.Com from Public State Universities to consider which are much better and safer in long term.
JOSEPH
Are these programmes available to students outside India?
Vidit Gupta
Which is the best option if I want to pursue an MCA this year via online or distance mode.
Saima Afzal
Are the exams of all online degrees conducted online?
anmol
hey hello, i did my engineering and want to pursue master in arts in english so to be a english teacher in govt school. so should i go further or pgt requires graduation in same subject? please assist.
nmesoma
are these fees to be paid monthly or yearly?
Monika
What is the best option to complete graduation if one fails in the last semester. Can the credits be transferred after 5 years? Can one restart the degree course?