The Open University Rankings of The Open University

The Open University was established in 1969 in Milton Keynes, and is the largest university in the UK for undergraduate education. The OU is among the most prestigious distance-learning institutions in the United Kingdom, enjoying numerous awards and accreditations, including Triple Crown status for their Business School.

About The Open University

PROS

  • This university focuses on online education, so it’s an excellent choice for mature or busy students who would have difficulties attending an in -person program.
  • Open University graduates look good to potential employers, because they know that students here are people who have worked hard to balance their commitments with their academic goals.
  • Despite some of the typical concerns that learners have about online programs, many agree that the correspondence from teachers is quick.

CONS

  • As the courses are online, students on the same course generally don’t meet each other. This has a negative impact on the social experience compared to traditional studies.
Latest ranking updates for The Open University
  • 01 Jan, 2023: Publication of Webometrics Ranking Web of Universities. Ranking position #434.
  • 26 Oct, 2022: The Open University ranks 301 in the latest THE World University Rankings by Subject (Business and Economics) from THE Times Higher Education, UK.
  • 24 Oct, 2022: New edition of US News: Best Global Universities. The Open University ranked #770.
  • 12 Oct, 2022: Publication of THE World University Rankings. Ranking position #601.
Admission advice for international students

Historic rankings in TOP global university rankings

Chart Data

Highest subject rankings for The Open University

Public Administration ARWU by subject - Academic Ranking of World Universities - ShanghaiRanking
#51 
Business
Education THE World University Rankings by Subject
#101 
Education
Geography ARWU by subject - Academic Ranking of World Universities - ShanghaiRanking
#101 
Social Studies & Humanities
Arts and Humanities THE World University Rankings by Subject
#301 
Arts Visual & Performing
Computer Science NTU by Subject
#401 
Computer Science
Physical Sciences THE World University Rankings by Subject
#401 
Natural Sciences
Engineering THE World University Rankings by Subject
#601 
Engineering

University rankings

    • #58 
    • #601 
    THE World University Rankings
    [Published 12 October, 2022]
    • #46 
    • #770 
    US News: Best Global Universities
    [Published 24 October, 2022]
    • #38 
    • #601 
    ARWU Academic Ranking of World Universities - ShanghaiRanking
    [Published 15 August, 2022]
    • #45 
    • #1158 
    CWTS Leiden Ranking
    [Published 22 June, 2022]
    • #48 
    • #411 
    Scimago Institutions Rankings
    [Published 04 April, 2022]
    • #39 
    • #817 
    CWUR Center for World University Rankings
    [Published 25 April, 2022]
    • #47 
    • #901 
    NTU Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers
    [Published 02 August, 2022]
    • #22 
    • #123 
    StuDocu World University Ranking - EMEA - Europe, the Middle East and Africa
    [Published 06 September, 2021]
    • #30 
    • #434 
    Webometrics Ranking Web of Universities
    [Published 01 January, 2023]
    • #32 
    • #275 
    THE China Subject Ratings Overall
    [Published 11 May, 2022]

Subject rankings

Arts Visual & Performing

    • #40 
    • #301 
    Arts and Humanities
    THE World University Rankings by Subject
    [Published 26 October, 2022]

Business

    • #58 
    • #501 
    Business and Economics
    THE World University Rankings by Subject
    [Published 26 October, 2022]
    • #8 
    • #51 
    Public Administration
    ARWU by subject - Academic Ranking of World Universities - ShanghaiRanking
    [Published 26 May, 2021]

Computer Science

    • #29 
    • #401 
    Computer Science
    NTU by Subject
    [Published 20 October, 2021]
    • #47 
    • #501 
    Computer Science
    THE World University Rankings by Subject
    [Published 26 October, 2022]
    • #36 
    • #501 
    Computer Science & Information Systems
    QS World University Rankings By Subject
    [Published 20 April, 2022]

Education

    • #15 
    • #101 
    Education
    THE World University Rankings by Subject
    [Published 26 October, 2022]
    • #13 
    • #201 
    Education
    ARWU by subject - Academic Ranking of World Universities - ShanghaiRanking
    [Published 26 May, 2021]

Engineering

    • #49 
    • #601 
    Engineering
    THE World University Rankings by Subject
    [Published 26 October, 2022]

Natural Sciences

    • #41 
    • #401 
    Physical Sciences
    THE World University Rankings by Subject
    [Published 26 October, 2022]

Social Studies & Humanities

    • #25 
    • #101 
    Geography
    ARWU by subject - Academic Ranking of World Universities - ShanghaiRanking
    [Published 26 May, 2021]
    • #61 
    • #401 
    Psychology
    THE World University Rankings by Subject
    [Published 26 October, 2022]
    • #38 
    • #401 
    Psychology
    ARWU by subject - Academic Ranking of World Universities - ShanghaiRanking
    [Published 26 May, 2021]
    • #38 
    • #251 
    Social Sciences
    THE World University Rankings by Subject
    [Published 26 October, 2022]
    • #35 
    • #301 
    Social Sciences
    NTU by Subject
    [Published 20 October, 2021]
    • #31 
    • #151 
    Sociology
    ARWU by subject - Academic Ranking of World Universities - ShanghaiRanking
    [Published 26 May, 2021]
    • #26 
    • #201 
    Sociology
    QS World University Rankings By Subject
    [Published 20 April, 2022]

Student Reviews for The Open University

Student satisfaction:
4.1 (based on 252 student reviews)

“It’s not easy and there will always be those who make unfair comments about the OU not being a real university, but the joke’s on them. I’ve graduated with a First Class degree after 5 years of hard work and dedication, and I’m now in the job I’ve dreamed of for years.”

“Don’t expect much of a social life from this university, because students don’t meet each other in person unless they organise it themselves. If you enrol here it’s because you want to focus on your degree while you continue your usual life. I was initially worried that I wouldn’t receive the support I needed due to it being entirely online, but the teachers were prompt and helpful with their responses to my issues.

“It’s been a journey full of ups and downs but I have finally managed to get the degree I wanted, so I can say it has been worth it. I would definitely recommend the OU for those wanting to get their degree without having to rearrange their life circumstances to be able to study.”

About The Open University

  • The Open University presents Finlay
  • The Open University presents Rehana
  • The International Open Diaries
  • Intl. Open Diaries | Episode 5 | Technology-enhanced learning

TEF Award For Teaching and Student Outcomes

The Open University not available
What does it measure?
TEF stands for "Teaching Excellence and Student Outcome Framework". The award is based on an assessment of undergraduate studies only.
It is primarily based on following criteria:
  • Student satisfaction
    This is based on data of the National Student Survey (NSS). In our section on student reviews you find detailed uptodate NSS survey results of The Open University.
  • Continuation / Dropout rates
    The percentage of students that continue their studies from year to year is based on data of the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
  • Employment outcomes
    The percentage of students who after graduation either proceeded to further studies or are in highly skilled employment.
How does this compare to other universities?
Among all UK universities and colleges:
  • 0 received TEF Gold
  • 0 received TEF Silver
  • 0 received TEF Bronze
  • 0 received a provisional award.
Source: Office for students (last updated May 26, 2021)

StuDocu Student Reviews

StuDocu has published the StuDocu World University Ranking, which is entirely based on student reviews. Over 100.000 students have reviewed over 1500 universities worldwide. The Open University is ranked in position 4 for Europe. Below you can find the 16 sub-ratings of The Open University in comparison to the averages among all universities in England UK. For illustrative purposes we have transferred the original 10 point scale into a 5 star scale.

Studies
Overall score
4.7
Quality of Courses/Teaching
4.3
Employer Recruiting & Career Services
4.1
Financial Aid
4.2
Studying Remotely
4.5
Feeling of Inclusivity
4.3
Leisure
Quality of Life
3.9
Student Clubs/Associations
2.9
Sports Culture
2.3
Dating Scene
1.9
Campus
Common Areas & Sports Facilities
2.1
Safety on Campus
3.1
Location
3.4
Accessibility for Disabled Students
3.7
Food on Campus
1.8
Housing
2
Source: StuDocu World University Ranking 2020

NSS Aggregate Student reviews

Below you see the results of The Open University for each of the survey questions in comparison to the average for all UK universities.

Overall student satisfaction: 86 (5262 respondents)

Chart Data
Source: National Student Survey NSS
The NSS is commissioned by the Office for Students

TOP 10 Best rated degree courses of The Open University

  Course
1 Social Work (Scotland) - BA 100/100 (9 student reviews)
2 English Literature - BA 94/100 (72 student reviews)
3 Economics - BA 94/100 (7 student reviews)
4 International Studies - BA 94/100 (35 student reviews)
5 Chemistry - BSc 93/100 (8 student reviews)
6 Mathematics - BSc 92/100 (142 student reviews)
7 Data Science - BSc 92/100 (22 student reviews)
8 Economics and Mathematical Sciences - BSc 92/100 (20 student reviews)
9 English Language and Literature - BA 91/100 (79 student reviews)
10 Classical Studies - BA 91/100 (103 student reviews)
Source: STUDENT REVIEWS - NSS student review 2020 data

TOP 10 highest earning degree courses of The Open University

  Course Median Salary (15 months after graduation)
1 Computing with Electronic Engineering - BSc £40,000.00
2 Design and Innovation - BA/BSc £40,000.00
3 Computing and IT and a second subject - BSc £35,000.00
4 Social Work (Scotland) - BA £31,000.00
5 Cyber Security - BSc £31,000.00
6 Social Work (Northern Ireland) - BA £31,000.00
7 Computing and IT - BSc £31,000.00
8 Social Work (Wales) - BA £31,000.00
9 Data Science - BSc £31,000.00
10 Social Work (England) - BA £31,000.00
Source: Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO)

Student composition of The Open University

Students by subject
Psychology:
10175
education and teaching:
8025
Business and Management:
7445
English Studies:
5410
engineering (non-specific):
5265
Law:
4990
allied health:
4945
Sociology:
4935
Computing:
4665
Mathematical Sciences:
4005
Social Policy:
3485
languages and area studies :
3040
Biosciences:
2675
Physics and Astronomy:
1970
history of art, architecture and design:
1840
geography, earth and environmental studies:
1600
Sport and Exercise Sciences:
1515
Nursing and Midwifery:
1370
Economics:
1145
Classics:
735
:
425
Philosophy:
415
Politics:
395
Creative Arts and Design:
340
Performing Arts:
340
Chemistry:
295
Theology and Religious Studies:
170
Cultural Studies:
135
Foreign students by nationality
Cyprus (European Union):
50
Germany:
40
USA:
30
United Arab Emirates:
20
Switzerland:
15
Spain:
15
France:
15
Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China):
10
Belgium:
10
South Africa:
10
Saudi Arabia:
10
Canada:
10
Netherlands:
10
Italy:
10
Ireland:
10
Thailand:
5
Qatar:
5
Oman:
5
Brazil:
5
Australia:
5
Cambodia:
5
Singapore:
5
Malaysia:
5
Japan:
5
China:
5
Kenya:
5
Egypt:
5
Sweden:
5
Poland:
5
Greece:
5
Gibraltar:
5
Falkland Islands:
5

Key facts

Institution type:
Other
Address:
Milton Keynes
England UK
Website:
https://www.open.ac.uk/
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Map of The Open University

FAQ

The Open University ranks #100 in England UK in our meta ranking of 133 university rankings. See rankings of all 382 universities in England UK.

The Open University ranks #1 in Milton Keynes in our meta ranking. See rankings of all 3 universities in Milton Keynes.

The Open University is listed in THE World University Rankings, US News: Best Global Universities, ARWU Academic Ranking of World Universities - ShanghaiRanking, CWTS Leiden Ranking, Scimago Institutions Rankings, CWUR Center for World University Rankings and more. See all 15 rankings of The Open University.

The Open University achieved #46 in QS Online MBA Rankings. This is the university’s highest ranking in the 133 rankings tracked on our website. See all rankings for The Open University.

The Open University achieved the highest ranking for Business. It is ranked #51 in ARWU by subject - Academic Ranking of World Universities - ShanghaiRanking (Public Administration). See all subject rankings for The Open University.

A large number of university rankings include surveys among academics on reputation. In our meta ranking of 133 university rankings The Open University ranks #1 among universities in Milton Keynes and #100 among universities in England UK. See all rankings of The Open University.

In our meta ranking The Open University ranks #100 among all universities in England UK and University of Oxford ranks #1. See all rankings of universities in Milton Keynes. Apart from rankings you may also want to see the ratings from students who attended the universities.

The Open University ranks for Business (Public Administration) #1 among universities in Milton Keynes and #8 among universities in England UK. It is ranked in 'ARWU by subject - Academic Ranking of World Universities - ShanghaiRanking'. See all rankings of The Open University.

The Open University ranks for Education (Education) #1 among universities in Milton Keynes and #15 among universities in England UK. It is ranked in 'THE World University Rankings by Subject'. See all rankings of The Open University.

The Open University ranks for Social Studies & Humanities (Geography) #1 among universities in Milton Keynes and #25 among universities in England UK. It is ranked in 'ARWU by subject - Academic Ranking of World Universities - ShanghaiRanking'. See all rankings of The Open University.

The Open University ranks for Engineering (Engineering) #1 among universities in Milton Keynes and #49 among universities in England UK. It is ranked in 'THE World University Rankings by Subject'. See all rankings of The Open University.

The Open University ranks for Arts Visual & Performing (Arts and Humanities) #1 among universities in Milton Keynes and #40 among universities in England UK. It is ranked in 'THE World University Rankings by Subject'. See all rankings of The Open University.

The Open University ranks for Computer Science (Computer Science) #1 among universities in Milton Keynes and #29 among universities in England UK. It is ranked in 'NTU by Subject'. See all rankings of The Open University.

The Open University ranks for Natural Sciences (Physical Sciences) #1 among universities in Milton Keynes and #41 among universities in England UK. It is ranked in 'THE World University Rankings by Subject'. See all rankings of The Open University.