The Uttarakhand Open University is one of the leading and prominent institutions in Uttarakhand and slowly grasping its place among the top-ranked universities in which students opt for further studies. The university has a major thought towards the open and distance learning system and to promote it the university is pushing hard for its resources. To give opportunities to students across the nation the Uttarakhand Open University Distance Education was established in 2005 by an Act of Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly.

The main objective behind establishing distance education at Uttarakhand Open University was to support independent learning through open and distance learning through flexible, affordable, and innovative methods. The education offered at the university is top-notch and the university offers its education throughout the country with its various study centers which are located at Dehradun, Roorkee, Pauri, Uttar Kashi, Haldwani, Ranikhet, Pithoragarh, and Bageshwar respectively. 

Uttarakhand University offers a plethora of courses with various specializations with world-class education quality and regularly updated and revised study materials, whose main focus and objective is to upskill the students' skills and enhance their personality for better future aspects. The various courses offered at the university include undergraduate, postgraduate, and diploma courses. The Uttarakhand Open University is a valid and approved university by the University Grants Commission, National Council for Teacher Education, and Distance Education Bureau.