The Indira Gandhi National Open University is a central government university, which offers open & distance learning (ODL). For the January 2026 cycle, they have released the notification for the ODL admission.
Students who wish to pursue any undergraduate, postgraduate, certificate or diploma course, except BEd or MBA, with the IGNOU through the ODL can apply. If you are interested in getting admission for any course, you can apply through the official website.
Here, we have discussed everything you need to know about the IGNOU January 2026 Admission. Read this article thoroughly to check what the important dates are, who can apply, what the application fee is, how to apply, etc.
IGNOU January 2026 Admission Overview
The Indira Gandhi National Open University has disclosed all details about the January 2026 ODL admission with the release of notification. Refer to the table below to check all the details about it.
| University Name | IGNOU |
| Admission Cycle | January 2026 |
| Mode of Learning | Open & Distance Learning (ODL) |
| Courses Offered | UG, PG, Diploma & Certificate |
| Courses Not Included | BEd and MBA |
| Registration Start Date | December 16, 2025 |
| Last Date to Apply | January 31, 2026 |
| Re-Registration Period | December 1, 2025 to January 15, 2026 |
| Application Fee | ₹300 |
| Official Website | ignou.ac.in |
Important Dates
The important dates for the IGNOU ODL January 2026 admission are available in the public domain. Refer to the listed points to check the schedule.
- Registration Start: December 16, 2025
- Deadline to Apply: January 31, 2026
- Re-register Begin: December 1, 2025
- Re-register Deadline: January 15, 2026.
Note that students who are already enrolled for any course under the ODL are also required to re-register.
Eligibility Criteria
In order to apply for the IGNOU January 2026 session ODL admission, it is mandatory to meet the eligibility criteria, which differ from course to course.
- Certificate: Have passed the 10th (Matriculation) Exam from a government-recognised school.
- Diploma & UG: Have passed the 12th Exam in any stream from a government-recognised school.
- PG: Have passed the bachelor’s degree in any subject or stream from a government-recognised university or institution.
There is no cap on the lower or upper age limit for applying for the IGNOU ODL January 2026 cycle admission.
Offered Courses
The IGNOU is offering admission through ODL for the January 2026 cycle for more than a hundred courses. Here, we have shared the list of high-demand courses.
UG Courses:
- BA (Bachelor of Arts)
- BCom (Bachelor of Commerce)
- BSc (Bachelor of Science)
- BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration)
- BSW (Bachelor of Social Work)
- BCA (Bachelor of Computer Applications)
PG Courses:
- MA (Master of Arts)
- MCom (Master of Commerce)
- MSc (Master of Science)
- MSW (Master of Social Work)
- MADE (MA in Distance Education)
Diploma Courses:
- DECE (Early Childhood Care & Education)
- DNHE (Nutrition & Health Education)
- DPLAD (Panchayat Level Administration)
- DWM (Watershed Management)
- Diploma in Creative Writing
- Diploma in Tourism Studies
Certificate Courses:
- CIT (Information Technology)
- CHR (Human Rights)
- COF (Organic Farming)
- CLIS (Library & Information Science)
- CTE (Teaching English)
- CNCC (Nutrition & Child Care)
Application Fee
In order to apply for the IGNOU ODL January 2026 cycle admission, it is mandatory that you deposit the mandatory application fee, which is 300 rupees.
Make sure that you deposit the application fee by the official due date; you can deposit it using a debit card, credit card, NET banking or UPI.
Required Documents
To apply for admission for any UG, PG, diploma or certificate course at IGNOU for the January 2026 cycle, it is mandatory to have the following documents:
- 10th, 12th, Certificate or Graduation Marksheet / Certificate
- Category Certificate (SC / ST / OBC / EWS)
- Identity Proof (Aadhaar Card / Voter ID / Passport)
- APAAR / DEB ID
Admission Process
The admission process for the IGNOU ODL January 2026 cycle consists only of filling out the application form. After applying for it, your admission will be confirmed most probably by mid-February 2026.
Indira Gandhi National Open University confirms the admission only if all the details and documents provided by the students are found accurate; in case of any error, the application is rejected.
After the confirmation page of admission, the university will send the study material via post, which is usually received within a week to 10 days.
How to Apply?
In order to apply for the IGNOU ODL January 2026 session, the step-by-step instructions are as follows:
- Go to the official website of the IGNOU at https://ignou.ac.in/.
- Jump to the Admission section and click on the ‘Apply for ODL Programme’ option.
- Register yourself by providing your name, email address, mobile number and other details.
- Log in with your username and password, and access the dashboard of the application.
- Provide all the details accurately, and then upload the documents in the required size and format.
- Deposit the application fee using the provided payment gateway, and review your application.
- After verifying each and every single detail, you need to click the Submit button to finalise.
After finalising the process, make sure you take a print of the confirmation page. It may be required for further reference.