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IGNOU MA fees range from INR 12,000 to INR 27,000 for the overall two-year course. Additionally, a non-refundable registration fee of INR 300, development fees of INR 400 and exam fees per theory/practical course are charged separately. IGNOU MA fees vary by specialisations and are subject to differ, depending on your chosen course. Furthermore, you can apply for a refund of fees at IGNOU if you cancel your admissions before admission confirmation or within 60 days of the admission closing date.
Moreover, IGNOU MA fees for SC students are generally exempted, depending on their financial backgrounds. This blog discusses the IGNOU MA fees structure 2026 in detail. It covers IGNOU MA fees specialisation-wise, refund policies, fee support scheme for SC/ST students, scholarships, and more.
IGNOU MA fees structure 2026 is available in the common prospectus of IGNOU 2026. The brochure contains fees semester/year-wise for each MA specialisation offered at IGNOU. You can download the prospectus from the official website of IGNOU: ignou.ac.in. IGNOU MA fees are available at page number 29 and onwards for various specialisations. Here is the direct link to download IGNOU MA courses list with fee structure PDF:
Indira Gandhi National Open University offers a distance MA programme of two years. This is a postgraduate course that includes four semesters. The IGNOU MA course is offered through both open and distance learning (ODL) and online learning (OL) modes. It focuses on the different areas of arts, humanities, social sciences, and education. Distance MA from IGNOU is offered in forty-three major specialisations. It also includes several foreign languages, allowing you to build your expertise for global opportunities. Furthermore, an MA from IGNOU is recognised widely among employers, offering you multiple job opportunities across sectors. It is approved by UGC-DEB; valid for higher education and employment. You may take a look at the crucial details of the IGNOU MA course:
IGNOU fees for MA 1st year are INR 6,000 - INR 13,500. The total cost of the IGNOU MA course ranges between INR 12,000 and INR 27,000. This cost varies by specialisations offered in a distance MA course at IGNOU. Apart from this, the university charges registration fees, university development fees, and exam fees separately. Here is a detailed look at IGNOU MA fees 2026:
*Note that most of the IGNOU MA courses follow a year-wise fee pattern, where semester-wise fee may not be applicable.
Indira Gandhi National Open University offers 43 specialisations in its distance MA course. The fee structure varies for each specialisation and generally follows a yearly fee payment pattern for most. The total tuition fees for IGNOU MA differ from INR 12,000 to INR 27,000. Additionally, you need to deposit registration fees and university development fees at the time of admission. While exam fees need to be paid during term-end examinations, as we discussed above. Moreover, IGNOU MA in journalism and mass communication is the most expensive specialisation here, which costs INR 27,000. We have listed the total fees for each IGNOU MA course, based on specialisations below. You may take a look:
Indira Gandhi National Open University supports financially weak SC/ST candidates as per its policy. IGNOU allows exemption of fees for SC/ST students depending on its norms. This scheme is reviewed for every academic cycle. Thus, you are advised to check out the fee support scheme for SC/ST students at the nearby IGNOU regional centre or the latest updates on the official website of IGNOU. Furthermore, the exemption of fees is allowed for one course per student only. Here are several crucial eligibility and other requirements for IGNOU fee support for SC ST students:
✅ You need to submit a valid SC/ST income certificate during admission, authorised by a government agency or body.
✅ The exemption of fees is exclusively applicable to the mentioned programme fees (tuition fees) of the course.
✅ You still have to pay late fee (if applicable), term-end examination fee, convocation fee, registration fee, development fee and any other non-exempted charges.
For more details about the scheme, you are required to refer to the notification Annexure V.
IGNOU follows strict guidelines for the refund of fee applications. The university refunds fees for students if they cancel admissions within 60 days of the admission closing date, depending on its policy. The registration fees are highly non-refundable in any circumstance for any IGNOU course. Check out the guidelines for IGNOU refund of fees policies:
📝 Re-registration fee is non-refundable in any situation.
📝 The non-refundable registration fee is subject to being charged along with the first semester/year fee of your chosen course at the time of admission.
📝 The overall fees of the course are refunded if a cancellation request is submitted prior to admission confirmation.
📝 15% of the programme fee shall be deducted if cancellation of admission is requested after confirmation. (Maximum deduction is capped at INR 2,000 only).
📝 If anyone has opted for the soft copy of SLM, the fees would be refunded after subtracting the registration fee only.
📝 Any student who has availed the exemption of fees and has paid only the registration and development fees would be refunded with the development fee only.
📝 No fees shall be refunded if the cancellation of admission is requested after 60 days of the closing date of IGNOU admissions.
Students enrolled in IGNOU courses can apply for central government or the Government of India scholarships. These scholarships are available on the Government of India National Scholarship Portal (NSP). You can visit scholarships.gov.in and apply for any scheme that matches your eligibility. You can further contact the Student Service Centre at IGNOU headquarters to learn about IGNOU scholarships in detail. Candidates belonging to the SC/ST category may apply for financial support under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Post Matric Scholarship.
IGNOU MA is among the most popular courses among learners across the nation. The course is one of the most affordable distance MA courses in India. Depending on your chosen specialisation, IGNOU MA costs between INR 12,000 and INR 27,000. Moreover, you could apply for scholarships offered by the government of India through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP). Further, SC/ST students with economically weaker backgrounds can benefit from fee support schemes. If you wish to apply for admission, IGNOU admission drives are organised in January and July every year.
The cost of the IGNOU MA course ranges between INR 12,000 and INR 27,000, depending on specialisations. The university charges a one-time registration fee, a development fee, and exam fees separately from the tuition fees.
Yes, Indira Gandhi National Open University offers an MA course of two years from open and distance learning (ODL) and online learning (OL) modes.
MA in history, MA in economics, MA in public administration, MA in political science, MA in sociology, MA in English, MA in journalism and mass communication, and MA in education are several popular MA course specialisations at IGNOU.
The IGNOU MA course has a minimum duration of 2 years and a maximum duration of 4 years.
Yes, a distance MA from IGNOU is approved by the UGC-DEB, AICTE, and NCTE, making the IGNOU MA degree valid for higher education and employment in private and government sectors.
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