The Open University is the UK’s largest academic institution and a world pioneer in distance learning. To date, we’ve taught more than two million students worldwide.
- #601 Ranking
- 2 PhDs
- 1,955 Academic Staff
- 63,446 Students
- 5,076 Students (int'l)
- 40,605 Students (female)
- Public Institution Type
Top reasons to study here
- Studying with The Open University has always been inherently flexible: it’s one of the reasons why so many people choose to study with us.
- The support we offer is extensive, and we pride ourselves on it. In fact, it’s one of the reasons why we’re regularly rated in the top of the UK’s National Stud
- Our unique combination of flexible study, world-class teaching and individually tailored support provides the best possible experience of higher education.
PhD Programmes
Education & Training (2)
- EdD Education
Applied Sciences & Professions (1)
Medicine & Health (1)
About
History
The OU was founded to open up higher education to all, regardless of background or circumstances. Our mission is to be open to people, places, methods and ideas—and as such, equality and diversity are at the heart of everything we do.
Education
Our qualifications range from certificates, diplomas and short courses to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
- Whatever you want to study, we’re sure to have the right course for you.
Research
- Choose the research degree area closest to your field of interest to find out about the department, its research priorities and philosophy, the research environment, and facilities available.
- Within each research area is a list of topics which tell you more about specific areas of research, current and prospective projects, entry requirements, available supervisors and contact details for advice.
Career
- An Open University qualification is attractive to employers.
- Employers know that many of our students study while working. Therefore, they’re aware that Open University study can be challenging, and that it requires you to develop a variety of valuable skills and qualities – all of which will be assets to any workplace.
- You’ll also be attractive to employers because, being an Open University graduate, you’ll stand out from the crowd of conventional campus-based university graduates.
University Ranking
World University Rankings by Times Higher Education
2023
601
2022
601
2021
601
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2022
601 200
2021
801 -100
2020
701
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report
2023
770 -52
2022
718 -12
2021
706
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
Services
The Open University has its headquarters at Walton Hall in Milton Keynes, which is 80km north of Central London, midway between Oxford and Cambridge, and just off the M1 motorway, linking it to Birmingham and the north of England.
Academics at Milton KeynesAround 1,200 full-time academics are based at the Milton Keynes campus, along with some 250 of our 1,400 full-time and part-time postgraduate research students.
Research at Milton Keynes
The University has invested significantly in its infrastructure for research, increasing laboratory space at Milton Keynes headquarters by nearly 50 percent in the last seven years. Our newest facility is the Jennie Lee Building, which houses dedicated laboratories for pervasive computing and deployment of ambient and ubiquitous technologies.
Services at Milton KeynesOur students and academics are supported by around 4,000 administrative, technical, secretarial and student services staff. Among the administrative and service units with a public-facing role who are based at Walton Hall are:
- Development Office (alumni relations)
- Library
- Media Relations
- Open University Students' Association
- Open University Validation Services
- Open University Worldwide
- Student Services
The OU plays an active role in Milton Keynes life. Among the local networks in which it is a partner, member or sponsor are:
- Milton Keynes Technology Network
- Milton Keynes Enterprise Hub
- University Centre Milton Keynes
- Milton Keynes and North Bucks Chamber of Commerce
- Milton Keynes Community Foundation
- Bletchley Park
The campus is open to students, alumni supporters and local residents at Open Days held every two to three years. In 2009 the OU celebrated its 40th anniversary by opening up the campus at the Open Unlimited event.
Other programmes from this organisation
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