Distance Education School

What Distance Education School does

Distance Education School, legally SODE Counseling Services LLP, is a New Delhi-based education counseling and referral platform founded in 2015 that connects Indian students and working professionals with online and distance degree programs offered by UGC-DEB approved universities. The company operates a web-based aggregator at distanceeducationschool.com, supplemented by per-university subdomains (e.g., periyar.distanceeducationschool.com, ignou.distanceeducationschool.com), with integrated course filtering, comparison tools, and WhatsApp-first counseling workflows that route prospective students to a curated network of roughly 30 partner institutions, including LPU, Jain, Manipal, Amity, Chandigarh University, UPES, Vignan, DY Patil, Galgotias, Dr. MGR, and IGNOU, alongside international partners such as Rushford University, Golden Gate University, and ESGCI University. Product surface spans online degrees (MBA, MCA, BBA, BCA, BCom, BA, BSc, MA, MSc, LLM), distance-mode equivalents, 9-10 month Post Graduate Programs co-developed with IIT Kanpur, IBM, and KPMG, and one-year executive programs.

The company earns revenue exclusively through referral and affiliate fees paid by partner universities on successful enrollments; students are not charged for counseling. Go-to-market is sales-led and inside-sales driven, with organic search, content marketing across the blog and social channels (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest), earned media coverage in major Indian outlets (Hindustan Times, The Print, ANI News, Mid-Day, LatestLY), and WhatsApp/callback funnels handling inbound inquiries. The counseling team comprises 7+ named experts with 4-14 years of domain experience in marketing, economics, HR, fintech, law, and analytics. Customer segments are primarily working professionals pursuing flexible management degrees and post-secondary students seeking affordable UG/PG options, with secondary segments in career changers and skill upskillers. The company holds no disclosed funding, operates without a mobile app or proprietary technology IP, and relies on its brand, SEO footprint, and named-counselor advisory layer as its primary differentiation in a fragmented category.

Name

Distance Education School

Legal name

SODE Counseling Services LLP

Website

https://distanceeducationschool.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Distance Education School is a New Delhi-based online education counseling and referral platform that connects Indian students and working professionals with UGC-DEB approved universities offering online and distance degree programs, earning revenue through affiliate fees from its 30+ partner universities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Counseling Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

College & Career Transition Services (Bridge Programs, Dual Enrollment Pathways) (EDAAABAK)

Keywords

• Online education counseling
• Distance learning programs
• Education referral services
• University admission guidance
• Online degree programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Connaught Place

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. University Referral / Affiliate Fees: Distance Education School earns referral fees or commissions from partner universities for each student enrolled through their counseling and recommendation platform. The company connects prospective students with UGC-DEB approved institutions and earns a fee upon successful enrollment.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Distance Education School operates as a counseling and referral platform that connects prospective students and working professionals with UGC-DEB approved Indian universities offering online and distance education programs. The platform provides free expert counseling via WhatsApp, phone, and video consultations, and aggregates offerings from 30+ partner universities across MBA, MCA, BBA, BCA, BCom, BA, BSc, and other degree programs. The company earns referral/affiliate commissions from partner universities upon successful student enrollment, with tuition set by individual universities.

Product overview

Distance Education School is an online education aggregator platform that connects students with UGC-DEB approved universities offering online and distance learning programs. The platform provides a portfolio of products including: (1) an Online Courses Platform offering degree programs across management, computer applications, commerce, arts, and sciences; (2) Distance Education Programs through partner universities; (3) PGP (Post Graduate Programs) - short-term professional certifications in specialized fields like Data Science, AI/ML, Power Management, and Oil & Gas; (4) Executive Programs for working professionals; and (5) Career Counseling Services to guide students in course and university selection. The company partners with universities including UPES, Vignan University, Galgotias University, and Dr. MGR University to deliver accredited online degrees with features like AI-powered learning, proctored examinations, EMI payment options, and scholarship programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Degree Programs Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• 1030+ Google reviews with 4.7 star rating
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lovely Professional University (LPU)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistance Education School serves as a referral and counseling partner for LPU Online programs, recommending the university to prospective students. LPU holds NIRF rank 38, NAAC A accreditation, and offers online MBA, BBA, BCA programs with fees around 50,000/semester for online MBA.
• Jain UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJain University is featured as a top online university partner on the Distance Education School platform. Jain holds NIRF rank 68 (2025 update: 62), NAAC A accreditation, and is highlighted for its LinkedIn Courses Access advantage.
• Manipal University (Online)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManipal University (Jaipur) is featured as a partner with NAAC A+ and NIRF 58 ranking, offering online MBA at 45,000/semester with strong brand credibility. Distance Education School recommends Manipal to prospective students seeking quality online education.
• Amity UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmity University is featured as a partner with NIRF rank 22 and NAAC A+ accreditation. Online MBA at Amity costs 56,300/semester, positioned for global recognition network. Distance Education School serves as an admission counselor for Amity Online.
• Chandigarh UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChandigarh University is listed with NIRF rank 19 (online) / 27 (distance) and NAAC A+ accreditation. Online MBA at 41,250/semester (up to 25% scholarship) or 16,340/semester (distance) with Harvard certifications advantage. Distance Education School serves as counseling partner.
• UPES (University of Petroleum and Energy Studies)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUPES is featured prominently with NIRF rank 45 (Management), NAAC A grade, and QS World University Rankings recognition. UPES Online offers BBA at 25,000/semester, MBA at 47,500/semester, BCA at 25,000/semester. Distance Education School is a counseling partner.
• Vignan UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVignan University is partnered with NAAC A+ accreditation and NIRF 70 ranking. Vignan Online offers BBA/BCA at 18,000/semester, MBA/MCA at 22,500/semester. Featured as a top partner for strong technical foundation and advance certification.
• DY Patil UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDY Patil University is partnered with NIRF rank 41 and NAAC A++ accreditation. Distance Education School recommends DY Patil for NYU certifications advantage and healthcare excellence positioning.
• Galgotias UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGalgotias University is featured as a partner with NAAC A+ (score 3.37/4), established 2011. Offers online MA at 15,000/year, MCom at 20,000/year, MCA at 37,000/year, MBA at 35,000/year. Distance Education School provides counseling for Galgotias Online programs.
• Dr. MGR UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDr. MGR University is partnered with NAAC A+ accreditation and UGC-DEB approval, established 1988. Offers online MBA at 40,000/semester and MSc at 30,000/semester. Distance Education School provides admission counseling for MGR Online programs.
• IIM Kozhikode (HR and Analytics Program)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistance Education School mentions IIM Kozhikode HR and Analytics as a top executive program option with certificate, targeting working professionals seeking prestigious management education at a fraction of on-campus cost.
• IIT Kanpur (PGP Data Analytics and AIML Programs)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPGP programs co-developed with IIT Kanpur include Data Analytics and AIML (Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning), positioned as premium technical programs with IIT branding and certification.
• IBM (PGP AIML and Data Science Programs)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPGP programs in AIML and Data Science developed in association with IBM, offering industry-recognized certifications alongside academic credentials.
• KPMG (PGP Technology Management)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPGP in Technology Management offered in association with KPMG, providing industry-aligned curriculum and professional credentials.
• Shoolini UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShoolini University is partnered with NIRF 69 and NAAC A+ accreditation. Online MBA at 35,500/semester with placement assistance advantage. Distance Education School serves as counseling partner for Shoolini's online programs.
• Sharda UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSharda University is featured with NIRF 87 and NAAC A+ accreditation. Online MBA at 35,000/semester with global curriculum advantage. Distance Education School provides admission counseling for Sharda Online programs.
• Amrita UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmrita University is partnered with NIRF 8 and NAAC A++ accreditation. Distance Education School features Amrita for certification training and high-quality education positioning.
• Bharathidasan UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBharathidasan University is featured with NIRF 36 and NAAC A+ accreditation. Online MBA at 23,500/semester with strong academic value positioning.
• Rushford UniversityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational university partner accredited by IACBE and AACSB, offering online DBA and other programs with global recognition. Distance Education School serves as referral partner for Rushford's online degree programs.
• Golden Gate UniversityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational university partner accredited by WASC and AACSB, offering online programs with global recognition. Featured as a global universities option on the Distance Education School platform.
• ESGCI University (Paris)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational university partner from France accredited by French Ministry of Higher Education and IACBE. Distance Education School features ESGCI for students seeking European education credentials.
• IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIGNOU is featured with UGC-DEB and NAAC A++ accreditation. Distance MBA at 16,000/semester with trusted government degree positioning. Distance Education School provides counseling for IGNOU's distance education programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Careers360: Careers360 is an Indian education platform offering college predictions, course comparisons, and admissions guidance for online and distance programs. It serves the same prospective-student audience with similar free counseling and paid lead-generation monetization.
• GetMyUni: GetMyUni is an Indian education platform aggregating college, course, and exam information, with a strong focus on admissions counseling for online and distance programs. It targets the same working-professional and prospective-student segments via content and lead-gen.
• Shiksha.com: Shiksha.com (by Infoedge/Naukri) is one of India's largest education discovery and admissions platforms covering online MBA, distance learning, and university comparisons. It competes head-on with Distance Education School for SEO traffic and student inquiries in the same online/distance MBA segment.
• CollegeDekho: CollegeDekho is an Indian college-discovery and admissions-counseling platform offering comparison tools and free expert counseling for UG/PG programs including distance and online degrees. It mirrors Distance Education School's affiliate/referral model and counselor-led GTM.
• CollegeDunia: CollegeDunia is a leading Indian education aggregator and comparison platform for colleges, universities, online MBA, and distance programs. It directly overlaps with Distance Education School's content, comparison, and lead-generation model across online and distance education in India.

Emerging players

• Sunstone: Sunstone is an Indian higher-education platform that partners with universities to deliver industry-aligned programs with career services. While it is more program-operator than aggregator, it competes for the same working-professional online-degree learner.
• College Vidya: College Vidya is an India-focused online and distance education comparison and admissions platform covering UGC-DEB-approved universities, MBA, and online degrees. It is an emerging player in the same niche aggregator space with a similar affiliate/counseling model.

Regional players

• Leverage Edu: Leverage Edu is an India-based study-abroad and higher-education counseling platform with strong content and counselor funnels. While primarily focused on international admissions, it increasingly covers Indian online/distance programs, partially overlapping with Distance Education School.

Broad incumbents

• upGrad: upGrad is a leading funded Indian edtech company offering online degree and certificate programs in partnership with universities, plus career services. It is a broader incumbent that overlaps with Distance Education School's referral/admissions role while also operating its own direct programs.

Others

• Yocket: Yocket is an Indian higher-education platform centered on study-abroad admissions, test prep, and loans. It is a thematically related education-services peer rather than a direct competitor, given its international focus, but addresses similar student-acquisition funnels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/distance_school
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCw9KLsERm_EzL2js_s7GbLQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/officialdistanceeducationschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/distanceeducationschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/onlinedistanceeducationschool
• Pinterestin.pinterest.com/deducationschool

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Education School