University of Colombo: Statistics
Updated:
| Position | Category |
|---|---|
| #1634 of 14,131 | In the World |
| #425 of 5,830 | In Asia |
| #1 of 16 | In Sri Lanka |
| #1 of 2 | In Colombo |
| #81 of 2,908 | For Classics and Ancient History |
| Top50% | For 92 other topics |
Quick Review
- Type
- Non-profit
- Funding
- Public-private
partnership - Highest Degree
- Doctorate
- Website
- cmb.ac.lk
- Languages
- Sinhala;Tamil;English
- Acceptance rate
- 32%*
* The University of Colombo is among the institutions that don't provide data on acceptance rates. This might happen because the university has programs where applicants only need to meet admission requirements to enroll and don't necessarily compete with others.
We estimate the above acceptance rate based on admission statistics of closely ranked nearby universities with similar research profiles that do publish such data.
Acceptance rate & Admissions
| Admissions Requirements | General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced ('A') level in 3 approved subjects with a minimum mark of 40% in the Common General Paper and a higher aggregate mark |
|---|---|
| Academic Calendar | October to September |
Research profile
University of Colombo has published 12,427 scientific papers with 172,714 citations received. The research profile covers a range of fields, including Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, Medicine, Environmental Science, Biology, Geography and Cartography, Sociology, History, Computer Science, Chemistry, and Pathology.
University of Colombo majors
by publication & citation count
Annual publication & citation counts
| Year | Publications | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 38 | 199 |
| 1994 | 36 | 253 |
| 1995 | 42 | 235 |
| 1996 | 43 | 239 |
| 1997 | 45 | 270 |
| 1998 | 57 | 283 |
| 1999 | 69 | 333 |
| 2000 | 62 | 413 |
| 2001 | 59 | 433 |
| 2002 | 66 | 537 |
| 2003 | 85 | 687 |
| 2004 | 77 | 753 |
| 2005 | 98 | 950 |
| 2006 | 94 | 1118 |
| 2007 | 106 | 1245 |
| 2008 | 199 | 1723 |
| 2009 | 295 | 1761 |
| 2010 | 296 | 2178 |
| 2011 | 409 | 2556 |
| 2012 | 368 | 3106 |
| 2013 | 357 | 3777 |
| 2014 | 516 | 4557 |
| 2015 | 504 | 4924 |
| 2016 | 539 | 5232 |
| 2017 | 627 | 6075 |
| 2018 | 654 | 7183 |
| 2019 | 706 | 8517 |
| 2020 | 989 | 12541 |
| 2021 | 1179 | 17590 |
| 2022 | 991 | 19707 |
| 2023 | 999 | 22079 |
| 2024 | 838 | 21488 |
| 2025 | 544 | 19650 |
Tuition
The tuition table for University of Colombo gives an overview of costs but prices are approximate and subject to change and don't include accommodation, textbooks, or living expenses. The costs of programs might differ significantly for local and international students. The only source of truth for current numbers is the university's official website.
| Faculty | Program | Tuition Cost (LKR) |
|---|---|---|
| Arts | Bachelor of Arts | 150,000 |
| Arts | Master of Arts | 200,000 |
| Law | Bachelor of Laws | 250,000 |
| Law | Master of Laws | 300,000 |
| Management & Finance | Bachelor of Commerce | 200,000 |
| Management & Finance | Master of Business Administration | 400,000 |
The currency used is Sri Lankan Rupees (LKR).
The University of Colombo has financial aid programs and on-campus housing.
Programs and Degrees
The table below displays academic fields with programs and courses that lead to Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate degrees offered by University of Colombo.
Note that the table provides a general overview and might not cover all the specific majors available at the university. Always visit the university's website for the most up-to-date information on the programs offered.
| Programs | Bachelor | Master | Doctoral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art & Design | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Biology | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Business | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Chemistry | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Computer Science | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Economics | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Engineering | No | No | No |
| Environmental Science | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Liberal Arts & Social Sciences | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mathematics | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Medicine | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Physics | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Psychology | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bachelor's Degree | Accountancy, Ayurvedic Medicine, Biotechnology, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, Finance, Fine Arts, Hotel Management, Human Resources, International Business, Law, Management, Marketing, Medicine, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree (by coursework) | American Studies, Analytical Chemistry, Applied Chemistry, Art Education, Ayurvedic Medicine, Biochemistry, Business Administration, Business and Commerce, Clinical Psychology, Computer Science, Development Studies, Developmental Psychology, Educational Administration, Educational Psychology, Environmental Management, Fine Arts, Foreign Languages Education, Genetics, Human Resources, Human Rights, Information Management, Information Technology, Law, Management, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Nuclear Physics, Peace and Disarmament, Philosophy, Plant Pathology, Science Education, Women's Studies |
| Postgraduate Certificate / Diploma | Analytical Chemistry, Applied Chemistry, Art Education, Ayurvedic Medicine, Banking, Educational and Student Counselling, Foreign Languages Education, Health Administration, Meteorology, Microbiology, Physics, Science Education, Toxicology |
| Master of Philosophy | Clinical Psychology, Education, Law, Medicine, Organic Chemistry, Statistics |
| Doctorate | Education, Law, Management, Medicine |
University of Colombo alumni
-
Kumar Sangakkara
- Occupations
- cricketer
- Biography
-
Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara is a Sri Lankan former professional cricketer who represented Sri Lanka from 2000 to 2015. A former captain for Sri Lanka in all formats. Born in Matale, Central Province, Sangakkara played first-class cricket for Nondescripts Cricket Club from 1997–98 to 2013–14 and for Surrey County Cricket Club from 2015 to 2017. He was a key part of the Sri Lankan squads which won the 2001-02 Asian Test Championship, 2002 ICC Champions Trophy and 2014 T20 World Cup.
-
Ranil Wickremesinghe
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
-
Ranil Wickremesinghe is a Sri Lankan politician who served as the ninth president of Sri Lanka from 2022 to 2024. He has also served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 1993–1994, 2001–2004, 2015–2018, 2018-2019 and in 2022. Wickremesinghe has held several ministerial roles, including Minister of Finance, Minister of Defence, Minister of Technology and Minister of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment. Wickremesinghe has led the United National Party (UNP) since 1994. He is also the eighth executive president of Sri Lanka, a role established by the 1977 constitutional amendment that expanded presidential powers.
-
Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala
- Occupations
- women's rights activistmountaineer
- Biography
-
Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala is a Sri Lankan women’s rights activist with 20 years of experience and a rock climber / mountaineer for nearly as long. She has worked at national, regional, and global levels as a technical advisor, advocate, trainer, researcher, and program manager on issues relating to gender, gender-based violence, sexuality, masculinity, women’s human rights, and more recently, women in sports. In 2016, she became the first Sri Lankan to summit Mount Everest. In recognition of this achievement, from 2016-2019 she was appointed the Goodwill Ambassador for Women's Rights by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Women's Affairs. In 2017, she was also included in the BBC’s list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world. In 2023, she was the recipient of the International Olympic Committee’s Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champions Award for Asia (Olympic Council of Asia) (The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOC SL)). Since returning from Everest, she has delivered over 500 motivational speeches, to schools, universities, clubs, professional sports teams, corporate entities, government, and non-governmental organizations, as well as the military and police. She is currently the Gender and Human Rights Advisor at the Family Planning Association in Sri Lanka, working to address stigma and discrimination faced by people seeking HIV services, and is a co-creator of ‘Delete Nothing’ – a local web-based initiative aimed at addressing online gender-based violence in Sri Lanka. Jayanthi serves on several boards and is the current Chairperson of the Women and Media Collective and the International Centre for Ethnic Studies. She is also a trustee of the ‘Women of the World Foundation’, a UK-based charity. Jayanthi holds an MA in Gender Studies from the University of Sussex (UK) and a post graduate diploma in Women’s Studies from the University of Colombo. For more details, find her on LinkedIn.
-
Lasantha Wickrematunge
- Occupations
- lawyerpoliticianjournalist
- Biography
-
Lasantha Manilal Wickrematunge was a high-profile Sri Lankan journalist, politician, broadcaster, and human rights activist who was assassinated in January 2009.
University of Colombo faculties and divisions
| Campus : Sripalee | Dance, Design, Fine Arts, Mass Communication, Media Studies, Music, Performing Arts, Radio and Television Broadcasting, Theatre |
|---|---|
| Centre : Contemporary Indian Studies | South Asian Studies |
| Centre : Education and Research Evaluation | Education |
| Centre : Human Rights | Human Rights |
| Centre : Social Policy Analysis and Research | Social Policy |
| Faculty : Arts | Asian Religious Studies, Demography and Population, Economics, English, Geography, History, International Relations and Diplomacy, Journalism, Media Studies, Native Language, Political Sciences, Sociology |
| Faculty : Education | Art Education, Developmental Psychology, Education, Educational Administration, Educational and Student Counselling, Foreign Languages Education, Science Education |
| Faculty : Graduate Studies | Business and Commerce, Clinical Psychology, Development Studies, East Asian Studies, Environmental Management, Gender Studies, Human Resources, Human Rights, Information Management, Peace and Disarmament, Psychology, Public Administration, Regional Planning, Women's Studies |
| Faculty : Law | Law |
| Faculty : Management and Finance | Accountancy, Business and Commerce, Economics, Finance, Hotel Management, Human Resources, International Business, Management, Marketing |
| Faculty : Medicine | Biochemistry, Health Administration, Medicine, Molecular Biology, Physical Therapy, Toxicology |
| Faculty : Science | Botany, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Molecular Biology, Natural Sciences, Pharmacy, Physics, Zoology |
| Faculty : Technology | Agriculture, Biotechnology, Environmental Studies, Information Technology, Measurement and Precision Engineering |
| Institute : Agro-technology and Rural Sciences | Agriculture, Rural Studies |
| Institute : Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology | Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Molecular Biology |
| Institute : Human Resource Advancement | Human Resources |
| Institute : Indigenous Medicine | Ayurvedic Medicine, Traditional Eastern Medicine |
| Institute : Library and Information Sciences | Information Sciences, Library Science |
| Institute : Postgraduate Medicine | Anaesthesiology, Cardiology, Community Health, Dentistry, Dermatology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Health Administration, Medicine, Microbiology, Nephrology, Neurology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Oncology, Ophthalmology, Oral Pathology, Otorhinolaryngology, Paediatrics, Pathology, Pneumology, Psychiatry and Mental Health, Radiology, Rehabilitation and Therapy, Rheumatology, Surgery, Venereology |
| School : Computing | Communication Studies, Computer Science, Information Sciences, Information Technology, Media Studies |
General information
| Alternative names | කොළඹ විශ්ව විද්යාලය |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1921 |
| Motto | Wisdom Enlightens |
Location and contacts
| Address | Cumaratunge Munidasa Mawatha PO Box 1490 Colombo, Western Province, 3 Sri Lanka |
|---|---|
| City population | 648,000 |