This is a list of higher education institutions in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan law on publicly financed universities, the University Grants Commission controls 17 Sri Lankan universities and other educational institutions, as higher education institutions.
History The origins of the modern university system in Sri Lanka dates back to 1921 when a University college, the Ceylon University College was established at the former premises of Royal College Colombo, and was affiliated with the University of London. The college provided courses of study in art and humanities, science and medicine prepared undergraduates for examination at the University of London. The beginnings of modern higher education in Ceylon commenced in 1870 with the establishment of the Ceylon Medical School, followed by Colombo Law College (1875), School of Agriculture (1884) and the Government Technical College (1893). In 1942 the first university was established in the country was the University of Ceylon which had several campuses island wide, Colombo (established 1942), Peradeniya (established 1949), Vidyodaya (established 1959), Vidyalankara (established 1959) and Katubedda (established 1972). Vidyodaya and Vidayalankara were established under the Vidyodaya and Vidayalankara University Act No 45 of 1958. The University of Ceylon was modelled on the Oxbridge formula, at its inception the university only accommodated 904 students, which later expanded to cover a number of universities and it remained as an elite-oriented university as stated by Sir Ivor Jennings, catering to a small number of students and exclusively residential. It was dissolved in 1972 to establish the University of Sri Lanka. In 1974 the Jaffna campus was added to the University of Sri Lanka.
The change of the government in July 1977 led to dismantling of the single university apparatus with the plan of establishing independent universities. With the promulgation of the Universities Act. No 16 of 1978, state university status was restored to the six separate campuses. The University Grants Commission (UGC) was also created to plan and coordinate the state university education. After that, a number of state universities were created. All these state universities are registered under the University Grants Commission, but a few come under the auspices of ministries other than the Ministry of Higher Education, in which the UGC is a part of. Most of the state universities depend on funds given by the University Grants Commission, as it is their primary and sometimes only source of funding. Therefore, the UGC has a direct control over these universities and administer the undergraduate intake. The UGC is subordinate to the Ministry of Higher Education.
Legislation for universities Universities in the Sri Lanka have generally been instituted by Special Presidential Decree, University Orders, Acts of Parliament and the Higher Education Act 1978.
Ordinance
20 of 1942 Ceylon University (Repealed in 1966)
Acts of Parliament
Ceylon University (Amendment) Act No. 36 1956 (Repealed in 1966) Vidyodaya University and the Vidyalankara University Act, No. 45 of 1958 (Repealed in 1966) Higher Education Act No. 20 of 1966 University of Ceylon Act No. 01 of 1972 Universities Act No.16 of 1978 (this Act established the University Grant Commission and a University Service Appeals Board provided for the administration of universities with their campuses and outset the six campuses of the single University of Sri Lanka, the set up under the previous Act No.1 of 1972, were converted to six independent universities on 1 January 1979)
Universities There are currently seventeen universities in Sri Lanka, which are established under the authority of the University Grants Commission. All the following universities are recognised bodies with university status (University charter) under Universities Act No.16 of 1978. UniversityMain campusFoundedTypeAuthorityUniversity Status(University charter) City District Province Colombo Colombo Western Public UGC1 July 1942 Vantharumoolai Batticaloa Eastern Public UGC26 September 1986 Jaffna Jaffna Northern Public UGC 1 January 1979 Kelaniya Gampaha Western Public UGC 1959 Moratuwa Colombo Western Public UGC 1 January 1979 Nawala Colombo Western Public UGC 1 January 1979 Peradeniya Kandy Central Public UGC1 July 1942 Mihintale Anuradhapura North Central Public UGC31 January 1996 Matara Matara Southern Public UGC1 February 1984 Belihuloya Ratnapura Sabaragamuwa Public UGC7 November 1995 Oluvil Ampara Eastern Public UGC27 March 1996 Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte Colombo Western Public UGC 1958 Badulla Badulla Uva Public UGC1 July 2005 Colombo Colombo Western Public UGC1 July 2005 Kuliyapitiya Kurunegala North Western Public UGC17 August 1999 Yakkala Gampaha Western Public UGC30 October 2020 Vavuniya Vavuniya Northern Public UGC1 August 2021
Dissolved universities University of Ceylon The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka (earlier Ceylon) from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced it with the University of Sri Lanka which existed from 1973 to 1978.
University of Sri Lanka The University of Sri Lanka was a public university in Sri Lanka. Established in 1972 by amalgamating the four existing universities, it was the only university in Sri Lanka from 1972 until 1978. The university was based at six campuses in Colombo, Peradeniya, Sri Jayewardenepura, Kelaniya, Moratuwa and Jaffna. The university was dissolved in 1978 and its six campuses became independent universities.
Other government universities Other Government Universities which are established by Acts of Parliament of Sri Lanka. These universities are not recognised bodies with university status or university charter under Universities Act No.16 of 1978. UniversityMain campusFoundedTypeAuthority City District Province Anuradhapura Anuradhapura North Central Public Ministry of Higher Education Homagama Colombo Western Public Ministry of Higher Education Ratmalana Colombo Western Public Ministry of Defence Mattakkuliya Colombo Western Public Ministry of Skills Development and Vocational Training Ratmalana Colombo Western Public Ministry of Skills Development and Vocational Training
Degree awarding institutes Under the Section 25 A of the Universities Act No. 16 of 1978, following institutes have been recognised to award degrees.
InstituteMain campusFoundedRecognisedType City District Province Aquinas College of Higher Studies Colombo Colombo Western Private Colombo International Nauticaland Engineering College Malabe Colombo Western Private Horizon Campus Malabe Colombo Western Private Saegis Campus Nugegoda Colombo Western Private Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka Colombo Colombo Western Professional accountancy body Institute of Surveying and Mapping Diyatalawa Badulla Uva Public Institute of Technological Studies Colombo Colombo Western Private KAATSU Battaramulla Colombo Western Private National Institute ofBusiness Management Colombo Colombo Western Private National Institute ofSocial Development Seeduwa Colombo Western Government National School of Business Management Colombo Colombo Western Private SANASA Campus Hettimulla Kegalle Sabaragamuwa Private South Asian Institute ofTechnology and Medicine Malabe Colombo Western Private Sri Lanka Institute ofDevelopment Administration Colombo Colombo Western Public Sri Lanka Institute ofInformation Technology Malabe Colombo Western Private Sri Lanka Institute ofNanotechnology Homagama Colombo Western Private Sri Lanka InternationalBuddhist Academy Pallekele Kandy Central Private Esoft Metro Campus Colombo Colombo Western Private International College of Business and Technology Colombo Colombo Western Private SLTC Research University Padukka Colombo Western Private Business Management School Colombo Colombo Western PrivateRoyal Institute Colombo Colombo Colombo Western PrivateInternational Institute of Health Science Welisara Colombo Western PrivateBenedict XVI Catholic Institute of Higher Education Negombo Colombo Western PrivateInstitute of Chemistry Ceylon Colombo Colombo Western Private
Rankings of universities
Webometrics rankings 2023 Webometrics Ranking of World Universities for Sri Lankan universities are listed below. University2023 (January edition) 2018 (July edition) 2016 (July edition) 2015 (July edition)webometrics.info website. World Ranking of Top Sri Lankan Universities – 2015 July Retrieved 29 October 2016CountryuniversityrankChange in rank from previous yearWorldrankChange from previous year Countryuniversityrank Change in rank from previous year Worldrank Change from previous year Countryuniversityrank Change in rank from previous year Worldrank Change from previous year Countryuniversityrank Change in rank from previous year Worldrank Change from previous yearColombo1 11485 679 2 1 2164 218 1 1946 93 1 2039 107 Peradeniya2 11885 133 1 1 2018 140 2 2158 72 2 2230 249 Sri Jayewardenepura3 31944 1127 6 3071 26 5 1 2476 615 4 2 3091 2878 Moratuwa 42219 502 4 1 2721 306 3 2415 8 3 2407 90 Ruhuna5 22336 329 3 2 2665 31 5 1 2634 1891 6 4525 1042 Kelaniya6 12971 219 5 1 2752 193 4 2559 570 4 1 3129 65 Rajarata 73020 1354 7 6 4374 370 13 3 6137 3570 10 9707 712 Jaffna 83633 751 8 1 4384 380 7 2 4004 2557 9 1 6561 664 Wayamba9 54379 1030 14 4 5409 2731 10 3 5409 358 7 6 5051 6742 Sabaragamuwa10 14590 560 11 5150 -865 = 11 1 6015 4987 12 1 11002 203 Eastern11 14621 90 10 2 4711 1304 = 11 2 6015 5250 13 1 11265 111 Open12 35140 487 9 4653 174 9 1 4479 1091 8 1 5570 419 SLIIT136657 1173 13 5484 KDU14 27267 1858 12 5409 Uva Wellassa15 17311 3140 16 3 10451 10451 15 11664 4050 15 1 15714 989 South Eastern16 17709 1011 15 3 8720 752 14 3 7968 2061 11 2 10029 1705 Visual & Performing Arts 1715491 669 17 9 14822 10701 8 6 4121 9944 14 1 14065 1626 Last Updated according to Webometrics Ranking of World Universities January 2023 Sri Lankan Edition
See also Higher education in Sri Lanka List of research universities in Sri Lanka List of colleges and universities List of colleges and universities by country
Notes
References