Universities in Sri Lanka ^New

Explore the uniRank League Table and University Ranking of 20 Universities in Sri Lanka

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is divided into 9 provinces (Sinhala: palata; Tamil: makanam), further subdivided into districts (Sinhala: distrikka; Tamil: mavattam). The majority of higher education institutions meeting the uniRank selection criteria are located in the Western Province, which hosts Colombo, the economic and legislative capital and the largest city of Sri Lanka. The following uniRank sub-rankings and league tables take into account all provinces that include at least one Sri Lankan higher education institution meeting the uniRank selection criteria.

Central Province (1)  
Eastern Province (2)  
North Central Province (2)  
North Western Province (1)  
Northern Province (2)  
Sabaragamuwa (1)  
Southern Province (1)  
Uva Province (1)  
Western Province (9)  

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Overview of Sri Lanka Universities

Sri Lanka's higher education system features 20 universities concentrated in public institutions governed by the University Grants Commission. All universities are non-profit and state-funded, offering comprehensive programs across sciences, humanities and professional disciplines. The system emphasizes undergraduate and postgraduate education with universities strategically located across nine provinces. Academic programs follow the British-influenced model with bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. Keywords: Sri Lanka public universities, higher education Sri Lanka, state universities, UGC Sri Lanka, undergraduate degrees, postgraduate programs.

Top 10 Sri Lanka Universities

1. University of Colombo (කොළඹ විශ්ව විද්‍යාලය) - UoC
   Country Rank: #1 | World Rank: #2555 | Colombo, Western Province | Est. 1921 | Public | Comprehensive programs
2. University of Moratuwa (මොරටුව විශ්ව විද්‍යාලය)
   Country Rank: #2 | World Rank: #2580 | Moratuwa, Western Province | Est. 1978 | Public | Engineering focus
3. University of Peradeniya (පේරාදෙණිය විශ්ව විද්‍යාලය) - UPDN
   Country Rank: #3 | World Rank: #3528 | Peradeniya, Central Province | Est. 1942 | Public | Comprehensive university
4. University of Sri Jayewardenepura (ශ්‍රී ජයවර්ධනපුර විශ්ව විද්‍යාලය) - USJP
   Country Rank: #4 | World Rank: #3858 | Nugegoda, Western Province | Est. 1959 | Public | Management sciences
5. University of Kelaniya (කැළණිය විශ්ව විද්‍යාලය) - UOK
   Country Rank: #5 | World Rank: #3988 | Kelaniya, Western Province | Est. 1959 | Public | Humanities focus
6. University of Ruhuna (රුහුණු විශ්ව විද්‍යාලය)
   Country Rank: #6 | World Rank: #5503 | Matara, Southern Province | Est. 1978 | Public | Agricultural sciences
7. University of Jaffna (යාපනය විශ්ව විද්‍යාලය) - UoJ
   Country Rank: #7 | World Rank: #6669 | Jaffna, Northern Province | Est. 1974 | Public | Comprehensive programs
8. Uva Wellassa University (ඌව වෙල්ලස්ස විශ්ව විද්‍යාලය) - UWU
   Country Rank: #8 | World Rank: #7811 | Badulla, Uva Province | Est. 2005 | Public | Technology focus
9. Rajarata University of Sri Lanka (ශ්‍රී ලංකා රජරට විශ්ව විද්‍යාලය) - RUSL
   Country Rank: #9 | World Rank: #8106 | Anuradhapura, North Central Province | Est. 1996 | Public | Applied sciences
10. Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka (ශ්‍රී ලංකා සබරගමුව විශ්ව විද්‍යාලය) - SUSL
    Country Rank: #10 | World Rank: #8185 | Belihuloya, Sabaragamuwa | Est. 1995 | Public | Agricultural technology

Analysis of University Types

Sri Lanka's university system comprises 20 institutions nationwide. All 20 (100%) are public universities under government administration. There are 0 private universities (0%), reflecting the state-dominated higher education landscape. This distribution highlights the centralized nature of tertiary education in Sri Lanka.

Global Ranking and Standing

No Sri Lankan universities currently rank in the global top 200 (0% of national institutions). Similarly, none appear in the top 1,000 worldwide (0%). While these top-ranked Sri Lanka universities demonstrate regional excellence, the data indicates opportunities for enhanced international competitiveness and research output.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How many public universities are in Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka has 20 public universities governed by the University Grants Commission.

What is the top-ranked university in Sri Lanka?
The University of Colombo holds the #1 position nationally according to uniRank.

Are there private universities in Sri Lanka?
No private universities exist in Sri Lanka's national university system.

Which Sri Lankan university specializes in engineering?
The University of Moratuwa is renowned for its engineering programs.

Where is the University of Ruhuna located?
The University of Ruhuna is located in Matara, Southern Province.

Do Sri Lankan universities appear in global rankings?
Currently no Sri Lankan universities rank within the world's top 1,000 institutions.

Since 2005, UniRank provides original research, valuable information and resources to help you explore and make informed decisions about Sri Lankan universities and their online presence.

• Oldest Universities in Sri Lanka
  Explore the most traditional and long-established Sri Lankan post-secondary institutions according to uniRank's original research.
• A-Z Universities in Sri Lanka
  Search for Sri Lankan higher education institutions listed alphabetically from A to Z.
• Sri Lankan Universities by Town
  Look for tertiary institutions located in a particular Sri Lankan town or city.
• Top Public Universities in Sri Lanka
  Discover Sri Lankan public higher education institutions with potentially lower tuition fees.
• Top Private Universities in Sri Lanka
  Find out about Sri Lankan private higher education institutions.
• Top Non-Profit Universities in Sri Lanka
  Explore Sri Lankan not-for-profit higher education institutions that may offer lower tuition fees.
• Top For-Profit Universities in Sri Lanka
  Look for Sri Lankan for-profit higher education institutions.
• Top Sri Lankan Universities on Facebook
  See which tertiary institutions in Sri Lanka have the most followers on Facebook, according to uniRank's original research.
• Top Sri Lankan Universities on Twitter
  Discover the Universities in Sri Lanka that are most followed on Twitter, based on uniRank's original research.
• Top Sri Lankan Universities on Instagram
  Find out which post-secondary institutions in Sri Lanka are the most followed on Instagram, according to uniRank's original research.
• Top Sri Lankan Universities on YouTube
  Explore the Universities in Sri Lanka with the most subscribed channels on YouTube, based on uniRank's original research.