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NSOU: fees, courses and admission
Netaji Subhas Open UniversityKolkata, West Bengal
Fees and rules checked on 21 October 2026
Admission: 2026-27 admissions (July 2026 session) closed on 25 September 2026, with fees due by 29 September. NSOU admits UG and PG learners in July only, and the July 2027 dates are not out yet.
Overview
NSOU is West Bengal’s state open university, set up by a state Act in 1997, with its head office in Salt Lake, Kolkata. It teaches only by distance (ODL), with printed and online study material and counselling at learner support centres in colleges across the state.
- Type
- State open university, West Bengal
- Modes
- Distance (ODL) only
- Sessions
- July only
- Study centres
- 188 for PG and 146 for UG, all in West Bengal
- Entrance test
- None, except merit lists for three M.Sc. courses
Courses and fees
M.Com
2 years
₹7,600programme fee in total
₹3,800 a year; ₹4,550 due at admission
Get fee detailsMA (Bengali, English, History, Political Science, Public Administration, Education, Economics, ELT)
2 years
₹7,600programme fee in total
₹3,800 a year; ₹4,550 due at admission
Get fee detailsMA Journalism and Mass Communication
2 years
₹26,000programme fee in total
₹13,000 a year; new from July 2026
Get fee detailsM.Sc. Zoology, Geography, Environmental Science
2 years
₹36,000programme fee in total
₹18,000 a year; limited seats, merit list
Get fee detailsB.Com (Hons)
4 years, exit after 3
₹17,200programme fee in total
₹4,300 a year; ₹5,050 due at admission
Get fee detailsBA (Hons)
4 years, exit after 3
₹17,200programme fee in total
₹4,300 a year; eight subjects
Get fee detailsB.Sc. (Hons) Mathematics
4 years, exit after 3
₹23,600programme fee in total
₹5,900 a year; Chemistry and Zoology ₹6,500, Geography and Botany ₹6,300
Get fee detailsFees from NSOU’s UG and PG admission notices for 2026-27 (17 July 2026). NSOU charges half the PG programme fee each year and a quarter of the UG programme fee each year; the totals are our sums of those yearly amounts. Other fees of ₹750 are paid at admission. Studentship and exam fees are notified separately and are not included, nor are bank or gateway charges.
Admission
- 2026-27 admissions (July 2026 session)
Closed on 25 September 2026 after extensions; fees were due by 29 September.
- July 2027 session
Not announced yet (checked 21 October 2026). NSOU has no January intake for UG or PG degrees.
How to apply
UG: the university’s website · PG: the university’s website · An ABC ID and a verified DEB ID are required, or the admission is cancelled. Pay online or by bank challan.
Eligibility
-
BA, B.Com
A Class 12 pass (10+2 or vocational). BA English needs 40% in English; B.Sc. Mathematics needs 50% in Mathematics.
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MA
A three-year bachelor’s degree with the subject studied (300 marks, or a core or elective course under CBCS). MA Public Administration and Journalism take graduates of any subject.
-
M.Com
B.Com, BBA or BBM, or a degree with Commerce or Business as a core or elective course under CBCS.
-
Entrance test
None for UG, MA, M.Com or MSW. M.Sc. Zoology, Geography and Environmental Science go by a merit list on graduation marks.
Exams and study
Term-end exams are held at an NSOU regional centre or a government-affiliated college, as the university decides. UG exams come every semester, PG exams once a year.
Printed material is collected from your learner support centre, and soft copies are online. Assignments count 20% and the term-end exam 80%.
188 centres for PG and 146 for UG, in colleges across West Bengal. Counselling sessions are mostly at weekends and optional for most courses.
UGC recognition. UGC-DEB’s 2026-27 list recognises NSOU for distance (ODL) programmes only: 35 programmes, including the BA, B.Com, MA, M.Sc. and M.Com, in blocks valid up to January 2028, February 2029, January-February 2030 and January 2031.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an entrance test for NSOU?
Not for UG courses, the MA, M.Com or MSW. M.Sc. Zoology, Geography and Environmental Science have limited seats and go by a merit list on graduation marks, then counselling.
How much does an NSOU MA or M.Com cost?
The programme fee is ₹3,800 a year, so ₹7,600 for two years. In the first year you also pay ₹750 in other fees, ₹4,550 in all. Exam and studentship fees are notified separately.
Does NSOU offer an MBA?
Not in 2026-27. NSOU’s 2026-27 admission notices list no MBA, and UGC-DEB’s 2026-27 list has none for NSOU.
Can I join NSOU in January 2027?
No. NSOU admits UG and PG learners in the July session only. The July 2026 session closed on 25 September 2026, and July 2027 dates are not out yet.
Where are NSOU exams held?
At an NSOU regional centre or a government-affiliated college chosen by the university. All its learner support centres are in West Bengal.
If NSOU isn’t the right fit
NSOU has no MBA and no online degree for 2026-27. IGNOU teaches by distance and online across India, and UGC-entitled private online MBAs start at ₹67,000 in total (Mangalayatan University, fee checked 17 October 2026).
Other universities in West BengalPrivate online universities
Sources
- NSOU UG admission notification, AY 2026-27 (Reg/0597, 17 July 2026), pp. 1-4, the university’s website, read 21 Oct 2026.
- NSOU PG and BLIS admission notification, AY 2026-27 (Reg/0598, 17 July 2026), pp. 1-4, read 21 Oct 2026.
- NSOU date extension notices for UG (Reg/0753, 27 Aug 2026) and PG (Reg/0782, 9 Sep 2026), and DEB ID notice (Reg/0928, 9 Oct 2026).
- NSOU PG and BLIS prospectus 2026-27 and UG prospectus 2026-27 (fee structure, sessions, exams, learner support centre lists).
- NAAC Cycle 1 grade sheet (visit April 2021, CGPA 3.05, Grade A), linked from the university’s website.
- UGC-DEB list of HEIs recognised for ODL programmes, 2026-27, August 2026 session (S.No 99).