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Panjab University USOL: fees, courses and admission
Panjab University, Centre for Distance and Online EducationChandigarh
Fees and rules checked on 23 October 2026
Admission: 2026-27 admission closed on 12 October 2026 after two extensions, with printed forms due at the CDOE by 13 October. No January 2027 intake has been announced (checked 23 October 2026).
Overview
Panjab University, which began at Lahore in 1882 and was set up in Chandigarh under a 1947 Act, is a state university with its campus in Sector 14, Chandigarh. Its Centre for Distance and Online Education, formerly the University School of Open Learning (USOL), has taught by distance since 1971 with printed study material, contact classes and assignments.
- Type
- State university, Chandigarh; Category-I under UGC
- Modes
- Distance (ODL) only
- Sessions
- Admission opens in July for semester I; 2026-27 forms ran from 15 July to 12 October 2026
- Study centres
- The CDOE on the PU campus in Chandigarh, with library access at the PU Extension Library, Ludhiana; exams in towns across Punjab and Chandigarh
- Entrance test
- MBA only (PU test held on 19 July 2026); B.Ed on merit, other courses on eligibility
Courses and fees
MBA
2 years
₹1,33,079in total (our sum)
₹40,462 for semester I and ₹27,260 for semester II; entrance test needed
Get fee detailsM.Com
2 years
₹46,360in total (our sum)
₹17,265 and ₹6,565 in the first year, ₹15,765 and ₹6,765 in the second
Get fee detailsMA (Economics, Education, English, Hindi, History, Political Science, Public Administration, Punjabi, Sociology)
2 years
₹46,360in total (our sum)
Same semester fees as the M.Com, for every subject
Get fee detailsBA
3 years
₹55,880in total (our sum)
₹15,900 for semester I and ₹4,425 for semester II; practical fees extra for some subjects
Get fee detailsB.Com (Hons)
4 years
₹17,216semester I
₹5,741 for semester II; the fee table lists the first six semesters only
Get fee detailsB.LIS
1 year
₹24,240in total (our sum)
₹14,870 and ₹9,370 for the two semesters
Get fee detailsB.Ed
2 years
₹87,942in total (our sum)
₹30,661 for semester I; 800 seats filled on merit through counselling
Get fee detailsAdvanced Diploma in Computer Applications
1 year
₹42,954in total (our sum)
₹27,429 and ₹15,525 for the two semesters
Get fee detailsSemester fees are from the CDOE’s 2026-27 admission brochure and prospectus; totals are our sums of the listed semester fees. Students new to Panjab University also pay a ₹1,160 registration fee, everyone pays a ₹300 online admission fee (₹150 for SC/ST/PwD), and some pay migration (₹1,160), eligibility (₹80) or special (₹290) fees. The MBA entrance test cost ₹2,850.
Admission
-
2026-27 session
Semester I forms opened on 15 July 2026, and after extensions to 5 October and then 12 October, admission closed on 12 October 2026.
-
MBA 2026-28
The entrance test was held on 19 July 2026, and the fourth counselling round took place on 5 October 2026.
-
January 2027
No intake announced (checked 23 October 2026). Even-semester classes for enrolled students start on 27 January 2027.
How to apply
Portal: the university’s website. MBA forms go through the university’s website and B.Ed forms through the university’s website. CDOE: 0172-2534301, 0172-2534302, the university’s email.
Eligibility
-
MBA
Pass PU’s entrance test, and hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree with at least 50% aggregate marks, or have passed the CA, ICWA or CS final. SC/ST/BC/PwD candidates get 5% relaxation.
-
M.Com
B.Com or BBA with 45% marks; a graduate with 50% who studied economics, maths, statistics, commerce or computers; or a graduate in any other stream with 60%.
-
MA
BA Honours in the subject, a degree in any faculty with 50% aggregate (not for MA Punjabi), or a BA pass with 45% in the subject.
-
BA, B.Com
BA: 10+2 with at least 33% aggregate and English passed. B.Com: 10+2 with 45% in three commerce subjects, 50% with two, or 55% otherwise.
Exams and study
End-semester exams start in December 2026 and May 2027, on the same date sheet as PU’s colleges. You choose exam cities on the form; MBA centres are Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Moga, Muktsar and Ferozepur City.
Printed material is sent by registered post or collected at the CDOE, and e-SLMs are online. A book bank lends books by post, and the PU Extension Library in Ludhiana is open to CDOE students.
Personal contact programmes run each semester, online or offline, and need 75% attendance (80% for B.Ed). Assignments decide the internal assessment marks.
UGC recognition. UGC-DEB’s 2026-27 ODL list recognises 14 Panjab University programmes, valid up to January 2028: the BA, B.Com, B.LIS, M.Com, MBA and MA in nine subjects. The Category-I entitled list adds the B.Ed and the four-year B.Com (Hons). PU has no programmes on the online list.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Panjab University distance MA?
₹46,360 for four semesters by our sum of the 2026-27 fees: ₹17,265, ₹6,565, ₹15,765 and ₹6,765. The M.Com costs the same.
Does the MBA need an entrance test?
Yes. Admission is through PU’s entrance test, held on 19 July 2026 for the 2026-28 batch, for 500 seats. The four semester fees add up to ₹1,33,079.
Can I still apply for 2026-27?
No. The last date, extended twice, was 12 October 2026. No January 2027 intake has been announced (checked 23 October 2026).
Where are exams held?
At centres in Chandigarh and towns across Punjab, such as Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Moga and Muktsar. You pick exam cities on the admission form.
What is Panjab University’s NAAC grade?
A++, with a CGPA of 3.68, in the fourth cycle. The NAAC certificate is dated 12 August 2023 and valid up to 11 August 2030.
If Panjab University USOL isn’t the right fit
Jagat Guru Nanak Dev Punjab State Open University in Patiala also teaches by distance, and IGNOU admits in January and July. UGC-entitled private online MBAs start at ₹67,000 in total (Mangalayatan University, fee checked 17 October 2026).
Universities in neighbouring PunjabPrivate online universities
Sources
- CDOE site the university’s website: home page, admission notices, prospectus and student notice boards, read 23 Oct 2026.
- CDOE Admission Brochure with Fee, session 2026-27: semester fees for every programme, dual degree rule and dates.
- CDOE Prospectus 2026-27: fee table and extra fees, eligibility, admission steps, study material, PCPs and exam centres; MBA CDOE Prospectus 2026 for the entrance test and seats.
- Admission schedule notices of 7 July, 21 September and 8 October 2026, and the MBA fourth counselling schedule; admission portal the university’s website.
- Panjab University profile page, and NAAC certificate of 12 August 2023 (A++, CGPA 3.68, valid up to 11 August 2030) from the university’s website.
- UGC-DEB lists for 2026-27, session August 2026: HEIs recognised for ODL (S.No 13) and Category-I HEIs entitled to offer ODL (S.No 2).