Sri Lanka has a high adult literacy rate and a long-standing public commitment to free education from primary school through the first degree level for citizens. Public university undergraduate admissions and fees for students with foreign qualifications are handled through Sri Lanka’s University Grants Commission (UGC). For the 2024/2025 foreign admissions handbook, UGC-listed annual combined tuition and examination fees start at US$3,000 for humanities and social sciences programs, US$4,000 for many management and commerce programs, US$5,000 for law, US$6,000 for many science, technology, computing, and related programs, US$7,500 for para-medical and veterinary science programs, US$8,000 for engineering, architecture, design, and several related professional programs, and US$15,000 for medicine and dental surgery. As a result, Sri Lankan public universities can still be relatively affordable for international students compared with many destinations, although the total cost depends on the program. Let’s find out more below about these affordable universities in Sri Lanka.
Affordable Schools in Sri Lanka for International Students
1. University of Peradeniya
- Admissions | Tuition Fees
- Tuition Fees: from US$3,000 per year for UGC-listed undergraduate programs; higher fees apply by field
What was founded in 1942 as the University of Ceylon is known today as the University of Peradeniya (UoP). Its suburban campus covers more than 1,700 acres in Peradeniya, roughly five miles west of downtown Kandy. UoP is organized into nine faculties and three postgraduate institutes. It is also one of the internationally ranked public universities in Sri Lanka.
This affordable university in Sri Lanka maintains international partnerships through its International Relations Office, whose partner list includes universities in several countries, including Cornell University in the United States.
2. University of Colombo
- Admissions | Tuition Fees
- Tuition Fees: from US$3,000 per year for UGC-listed undergraduate programs; higher fees apply by field
The University of Colombo (UoC) traces its roots to 1921 and is Sri Lanka’s oldest higher education institution. It became an autonomous university in 1978. Today, UoC is organized across 10 faculties and 77 academic departments, along with six institutes, a campus, a school, and more than 20 centers and units. It is primarily located in the heart of Colombo on a 50-acre main campus, and it also has Sri Palee Campus in Horana.
UoC’s International Office supports collaborative research, study abroad programs, postgraduate opportunities, institutional links, and faculty exchange with partner universities. Recent international ranking tables also place Colombo ahead of other Sri Lankan universities included in the QS World University Rankings 2027.
3. University of Moratuwa
Although its lineage goes back to 1893, the University of Moratuwa (UoM) has operated as an independent state university since 1978. Its campus is in Katubedda, Moratuwa, overlooking Bolgoda Lake, about 11 miles from downtown Colombo. According to the university’s current facts and statistics, UoM has six faculties: Architecture, Business, Engineering, Information Technology, Graduate Studies, and Medicine. It lists 36 academic departments, 14 bachelor’s degree programs selected through the UGC, and 57 postgraduate programs, including MSc, MPhil, and PhD research-based degrees.
4. University of Sri Jayewardenepura
The University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJ), also known as Japura, is located in Gangodawila, Nugegoda. Its origins can be traced to Vidyodaya Pirivena, founded in 1873, and the Vidyodaya Campus was designated as the University of Sri Jayewardenepura in 1978. Today, USJ is one of Sri Lanka’s largest public universities by student population. Its current official profile lists 11 faculties, including Humanities and Social Sciences, Applied Sciences, Management Studies and Commerce, Medical Sciences, Graduate Studies, Engineering, Technology, Allied Health Sciences, Dental Science, Urban and Aquatic Bioresources, and Computing.
5. Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
- Admissions | Tuition Fees
- Tuition Fees: from US$3,000 per year for UGC-listed undergraduate programs; higher fees apply by field
Beginning as Sabaragamuwa Affiliated University College in 1991, the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka (SUSL) became a national university in 1995. It is situated in Belihuloya, Balangoda. Today, the university operates multiple faculties, including Agricultural Sciences, Applied Sciences, Geomatics, Management Studies, Social Sciences and Languages, Technology, Medicine, Computing, and Graduate Studies. Students should check the relevant faculty and UGC admissions information for current program availability and fees.
6. University of Kelaniya
- Admissions | Tuition Fees
- Tuition Fees: from US$3,000 per year for UGC-listed undergraduate programs; higher fees apply by field
What was founded as Vidyalankara Pirivena in 1875 went through several renamings and structural reorganizations before becoming the University of Kelaniya (UoK). It is located in Kelaniya, near Colombo. UoK currently has seven faculties and 55 departments that offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs. Its Faculty of Graduate Studies offers postgraduate diploma, master’s, MPhil, and doctoral-level study options.
7. South Eastern University of Sri Lanka
South Eastern University of Sri Lanka (SEUSL) is a state university located in Oluvil. It was established as South Eastern University College in 1995 and became a fully fledged national university in 1996. The university has six faculties: Management and Commerce, Arts and Culture, Applied Sciences, Islamic Studies and Arabic Language, Engineering, and Technology. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate study opportunities across these academic areas.
8. University of Ruhuna
- Admissions | Tuition Fees
- Tuition Fees: from US$3,000 per year for UGC-listed undergraduate programs; higher fees apply by field
Our last university on this list of cheap universities in Sri Lanka is the University of Ruhuna. It was established by a Special Presidential Decree in 1978 and elevated to a full-fledged university in 1984. The university has 10 faculties spread across three main locations, with its central campus at Wellamadama, Matara. Its Faculty of Graduate Studies coordinates higher-degree programs with the other faculties, including postgraduate programs leading to PhD, MPhil, MA, and other qualifications.
We hope that this article on cheap universities in Sri Lanka was helpful. If you are interested in studying abroad, check out the Available Programs for International Students!
