Distance Learning Centre

What Distance Learning Centre does

DistanceLearningCentre.com Ltd, founded in 1993 and headquartered in Todmorden, United Kingdom, operates as an online distance learning college specialising in regulated qualifications that provide adults with pathways into UK higher education. The company's core offering is the Access to Higher Education Diploma (equivalent to 3 A-levels, regulated by the Quality Assurance Agency and accredited by Ascentis), which is delivered entirely online through tutor-assessed coursework with no timed exams. The product portfolio extends across Advanced British International Diplomas (ABID) for international students, GCSE/IGCSE courses, Functional Skills qualifications (English and Maths Level 2, awarded by Open Awards), and shorter Personal & Professional Development courses, supported by full UCAS application assistance and a 2000+ member private student community on Facebook.

The technical platform consists of an online learning management system with student accounts for accessing learning materials, uploading assessments, receiving tutor feedback, tracking progress, and managing deadlines. Course materials are written in-house for each unit and qualification and include Self-Assessment Questions with model answers. Delivery channels include video podcasts, scheduled webinars, group tutorials, and one-to-one tutor communication via phone, email, video calls, and WhatsApp. Turnitin is integrated for plagiarism detection on assessed work. The platform runs tuition for 49 weeks per year plus bank holidays.

Revenue is generated through course fees across five product bands: Access to HE Diplomas at £1,511.66, ABID at £3,000, GCSE/IGCSE from £363, Functional Skills from £363, and Personal & Professional Development from £299. Customers can either pay in full (with up to 10% discounts) or subscribe via monthly instalments under a "Pay as You Go" model that requires no credit checks and offers payment breaks aligned to study breaks. The business model is direct-to-consumer, relying on a website with self-service enrolment, phone-based inside sales (enquiry line 0333 224 9451), a private Facebook community for peer-led referrals (40% of students join via word-of-mouth), university partnerships that drive top-of-funnel recommendations, and government/military funding channels (ELCAS). The company enables over 1,000 students per year to secure places at 170+ UK universities and reports a 94% student satisfaction rating.

Name

Distance Learning Centre

Legal name

DistanceLearningCentre.com Ltd

Website

https://distancelearningcentre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DistanceLearningCentre.com is a UK-based online distance learning college founded in 1993 that delivers Access to Higher Education Diplomas, ABID international qualifications, GCSE/IGCSE, Functional Skills, and short professional development courses to adult learners seeking flexible, tutor-supported pathways into UK universities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Distance Learning & Adult Education

NAICS

Junior Colleges (61121), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Junior Colleges (611210)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Diploma-to-Degree / Articulation & Credit-Transfer Pathways (EDAIAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG), Online Community Colleges (2-Year, Degree/Transfer) (EDAHALAC)

Keywords

• Distance learning courses
• Online education programs
• Access to higher education
• GCSE online courses
• Functional skills training

Headquarters

HQ city

Todmorden

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Course Fees - Access to HE Diplomas: Primary revenue stream from Access to Higher Education Diplomas priced at £1511.66 (or £1360.50 pay in full). Approximately 9-12 months duration. Revenue recognized over course duration with installment payment plans.
2. Course Fees - ABID Diplomas: Revenue from Advanced British International Diplomas for international students priced at £3000.00 (or £226.83/month). Course takes 9-12 months to complete.
3. Course Fees - GCSE/IGCSE and Functional Skills: Shorter qualification courses priced from £363.00 for GCSE/IGCSE and Functional Skills. Offered with monthly installment plans starting from £39.22/month.
4. Course Fees - Personal & Professional Development: Short course offerings priced at £299.00 with installment options starting from £96.33/month.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Distance Learning Centre is an online college that delivers accredited distance-learning qualifications — primarily Access to Higher Education Diplomas equivalent to 3 A-levels — enabling adult learners without traditional qualifications to gain entry to UK universities. Courses are delivered 100% online through a custom learning platform with one-to-one tutor support, interactive PDF materials, video podcasts, scheduled webinars, and integrated UCAS application assistance. The portfolio is rounded out by Advanced British International Diplomas (ABID) for international students, GCSE/IGCSE Courses, Functional Skills Courses (English and Maths Level 2), and Personal & Professional Development short courses, all priced via flexible monthly installment or upfront discounted payment plans with no credit checks.

Product overview

Distance Learning Centre is an online education provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of distance learning courses for access to UK universities. The company provides five main product categories: (1) Access to Higher Education Diplomas (equivalent to 3 A-levels) for UK residents without traditional qualifications, (2) Advanced British International Diplomas (ABID) for international students, (3) GCSE/IGCSE Courses, (4) Functional Skills Courses, and (5) Personal & Professional Development short courses. All courses are delivered entirely online with one-to-one tutor support, flexible payment options (Pay as You Go or Pay in Full), and include UCAS application assistance. The platform integrates with Turnitin for plagiarism checking, WhatsApp for tutor communication, and maintains an active Facebook community for peer support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Access to Higher Education Diplomas Online diploma equivalent to 3 A-levels for UK adult learners without traditional qualifications seeking entry to UK universities; 100% online, tutor-assessed coursework with no exams, 9-12 month duration, with specializations including Nursing, Medicine, Law, Psychology, Science, Business, Teaching, Social Work, Policing, and others.
• Advanced British International Diplomas (ABID) Online diploma for international students residing outside the UK to gain entry to UK universities; benchmarked by ECCTIS as comparable to RQF Level 3, 9-12 month duration, with specializations including Nursing/Midwifery/Medical Professions, Business, Science, Engineering, Psychology, Law, and others.
• GCSE/IGCSE Courses Online GCSE and IGCSE qualifications in subjects including Mathematics, English Language, Biology, and Science Double Award; standard UK Level 2 qualification, exams arranged as private candidates through approved exam centres.
• Functional Skills Courses Online OFQUAL-approved Level 2 qualifications in English and Maths awarded by Open Awards, providing a recognized alternative route to GCSEs that meets degree entry and Advanced Level Apprenticeship requirements; Functional Skills Maths Level 2 is a fast-track 15-week course with 55 hours guided learning.
• Personal & Professional Development Short Courses Wide range of short online courses designed for professional development and personal growth, delivered fully online with tutor support and flexible payment options.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of students rated their studies as very good or excellent
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• University of West England (UWE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial ABID Partner University. University actively collaborates with Distance Learning Centre on the Advanced British International Diploma program, accepting ABID graduates for undergraduate degree programs.
• University of PlymouthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial ABID Partner University and collaborator in QAA Subject Descriptor for Medicine development. University works with DLC on curriculum development and accepts ABID graduates for degree programs.
• University of ChichestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial ABID Partner University. Collaborates with Distance Learning Centre on the ABID program and accepts ABID graduates for undergraduate degree programs.
• AscentiscoreTechnology or IntegrationAwarding Organisation providing accreditation and certification for Access to HE Diplomas and Advanced British International Diplomas. External moderation of assessments three times per year.
• Open AwardscoreTechnology or IntegrationOFQUAL approved Awarding Body for Functional Skills qualifications. Provides external assessment and certification for English and Maths Level 2 qualifications.
• Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)Technology or IntegrationRegulatory body for Access to Higher Education Diplomas. Validates and regulates all Access to HE Diplomas ensuring national quality standards.
• ECCTIScoreTechnology or IntegrationUK national agency for education benchmarking. Independently evaluates and benchmarks ABID qualifications against RQF Level 3 standards for UK university recognition.
• UCAScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial UCAS registered centre enabling students to apply to UK universities through the UCAS system with DLC's full application support.
• ELCAS (Ministry of Defence)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMoD Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme approved training provider. Enables armed forces personnel to use ELC funding for DLC courses.
• Tutors & ExamssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLearning partner for private candidates. UK-wide network helping DLC students arrange and sit GCSE/IGCSE exams as external candidates.
• IntuitionsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExam centre partner in North-West England for private candidate GCSE/IGCSE exam arrangements.
• TurnitinsupportingTechnology or IntegrationPlagiarism detection software used to check student work for academic integrity.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Distance-Learning-Centre/141480372580286
• Instagraminstagram.com/distancelearningcentre
• Xx.com/tweetdlc

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Distance Learning Centre