Allama Iqbal Open University

The Allama Iqbal Open University (popularly known as AIOU) is a public research university located in Islamabad, Pakistan. The university is the fourth world's largest institution of higher learning, with an annual enrollment of 1,121,038 students (as of 2010), the majority of them women, and Course Enrollment of 3,305,948 (2011).

Established in 1974, it is also Asia's first open university with a strong emphasis on providing distance education in engineering, law, philosophy, natural and social science. It is considered the most attractive university in the country and has the most applicants per year. The university offers extensive undergraduate, post-graduate, and doctoral programmes in various academic disciplines. After witnessing the success of Open University in the United Kingdom, the university was established as a public university in 1974.

It is regarded as one of the premier institutions of higher learning as well as research in the development of education and it is noted for its cost-effective policy to provide higher education at a minimum cost through a specialized university fund managed by the government.