27 Best Public Universities in Sri Lanka

Of the 27 Public universities in Sri Lanka, University of Peradeniya ranks highest on research impact (684,192 citations). University of Colombo (#2 in Sri Lanka) and University of Sri Jayawardenapura (#3 in Sri Lanka) complete the top three. Across the whole list there are 214 courses to choose from.

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Universities 27 Programs 214 Scholarships 1

27 universities · ranked best first

how we rank

1Best overall

#1 in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka

University of Peradeniya

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#1 in Sri Lanka · by research impact

684,192 citations · h-index 237

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2Top pick

#2 in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka

University of Colombo

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#2 in Sri Lanka · by research impact

445,330 citations · h-index 213

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3Top pick

#3 in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka

University of Sri Jayawardenapura

Public University · 29 courses

All 29 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#3 in Sri Lanka · by research impact

231,593 citations · h-index 164

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4Ranked

#4 in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka

University of Kelaniya

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#4 in Sri Lanka · by research impact

219,511 citations · h-index 178

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5Ranked

#5 in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka

University of Moratuwa

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#5 in Sri Lanka · by research impact

192,533 citations · h-index 128

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6Ranked

#6 in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka

University of Ruhuna

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#6 in Sri Lanka · by research impact

152,685 citations · h-index 126

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7Ranked

#7 in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka

University of Jaffna

Public University · 8 courses

All 8 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#7 in Sri Lanka · by research impact

87,265 citations · h-index 104

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8Ranked

#8 in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka

Rajarata University of Sri Lanka

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)

1996Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#8 in Sri Lanka · by research impact

76,242 citations · h-index 100

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9Ranked

#9 in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIT)

Public University · 29 courses

All 29 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#9 in Sri Lanka · by research impact

71,093 citations · h-index 75

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10Ranked

#10 in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka

Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#10 in Sri Lanka · by research impact

40,279 citations · h-index 75

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11Ranked

#11 in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka

Public University · 2 courses

—Tuition (indicative)

1990Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#17 in Sri Lanka · by research impact

5,995 citations · h-index 29

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18Ranked

#18 in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka

University of the Visual & Performing Arts

Public University · 13 courses

All 13 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#18 in Sri Lanka · by research impact

3,492 citations · h-index 28

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19Ranked

#19 in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka

National School of Business Management

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#19 in Sri Lanka · by research impact

2,011 citations · h-index 21

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20Ranked

#20 in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka

Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka

Public University · 55 courses

All 55 courses →

—Tuition (indicative)

1981Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

#20 in Sri Lanka · by research impact

271 citations · h-index 6

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21Ranked

Sri Lanka

Buddhasravaka Bhikshu University

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

Not yet ranked No QS position or research record found

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22Ranked

Sri Lanka

Arthur C Clarke Institute of Modern Technologies

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

Not yet ranked No QS position or research record found

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23Ranked

Sri Lanka

Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture (PGIA)

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

Not yet ranked No QS position or research record found

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24Ranked

Sri Lanka

South Asian Institute of Technology And Medicine (SAITM)

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

—Tuition (indicative)

—Founded

—Students

—International

Admissions open

Not yet ranked No QS position or research record found

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How these universities are ranked

Below them, universities follow their research output: University of Peradeniya is cited most (684,192 citations). 7 universities have neither a QS position nor a research record yet and appear at the end, marked "Not yet ranked".

Public, private and where they are

27 are public and 0 private (100% public). The oldest is National Institute of Business Management, founded in 1968. Open University of Sri Lanka is the largest, with 40,000 students.

What the courses look like

By level: 120 bachelor's, 57 diploma, 32 master's and 5 phd / doctorate. The most common subjects are Business & Management (33), Engineering (19), Education (15) and Computer Science & IT (10). The usual length is 3 Years and One (1) Year. 100% are full-time. Start dates lean to Fall (54% of courses with a stated intake) and Spring (46% of courses with a stated intake). Open University of Sri Lanka offers the widest choice, with 76 of these courses.

Frequently asked questions

What are the top universities for Public in Sri Lanka?

University of Peradeniya (#1 in Sri Lanka), University of Colombo (#2 in Sri Lanka) and University of Sri Jayawardenapura (#3 in Sri Lanka) lead this list. QS World positions come first; the rest are ranked by research impact.

How many public universities offer Public in Sri Lanka?

27 public and 0 private universities are on this list.

How long does a Public course take in Sri Lanka?

Most listed courses run 3 Years, with One (1) Year the next most common.

When do Public courses start in Sri Lanka?

Fall is the main intake — 54% of courses with a stated start date begin then, and Spring is the second.

Which university has the most Public courses in Sri Lanka?

Open University of Sri Lanka, with 76, ahead of Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka (55).

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