The Open University was conceived by the Labour Government of the 1960s as a way of ensuring education for all, regardless of background. The University took its first students in the early 1970s, with twenty five thousand students enrolling in the first year - representing about 20% of the entire University population in the UK. The Open University is famous for its late night programming, which was traditionally the main method of delivering lectures to students; the intention being that these could be recorded for later viewing. However, since then, the Open University has adopted the latest technology to enable it to deliver teaching materials in the most beneficial ways to students. This meant that TV broadcasts on the BBC actually ceased in 2006, and since then, DVDs, CDs and online material have been the main material delivery methods for all courses. The OU does, however, still collaborate with the BBC for some documentary programming, such as Coast, however, this are not aligned with any particular course.

Because of the aims of the Open University, the vast majority of its courses do not have any entry requirements, although the University does give guidance as to the appropriate level of prior knowledge you may need for certain technical subjects. This allows somebody with no existing formal qualifications to undertake a recognised BA or BSc degree at their own pace. Open University degrees are module based, which means that you may choose from prescribed courses the OU offers to make up your overall degree. One of the benefits of this is that you can choose how long you want study to last for (an undergraduate degree usually takes six years of part time study), and you can 'cash in' the modules that you've passed along the way if they are part of a lower qualification (e.g. if you stop after two years, you may have enough credits for an undergraduate certificate). In addition, most OU degrees have the provision for you to choose some modules from any field you choose, rather than just from a prescribed 'relevant' list, meaning you can explore your interest in other fields. If you are not looking for a qualification in one particular area, it is also possible to undertake an 'Open' degree, which does not have a set subject, and is awarded on the basis of having enough passed modules in a variety of fields. This can be a good option if, for example, you want to study for an IT qualification, and at a later time study for an accounting qualification - you may be able to use the credits from both towards an 'Open' degree, giving you BA or BSc status.

Studying by distance learning has become a popular option for people wanting to avoid debt, as modules are paid for individually as you go along (although payment options are available), thus avoiding the huge student loan many undergraduates face. They are also very popular with people who are studying whilst working, and a large number of courses are offered that are tailored to the workplace - for example, the Open University is the UK's biggest provider of MBA business degrees, and business short courses.