State university admissions for the 2025/26 academic year will commence in the first week of September 2026, Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education Harini Amarasuriya told Parliament on Tuesday.
She said registration lists will be forwarded to all universities by 31 August following the release of cut-off marks, with each university then setting its own course start dates from the first week of September.
Of the 281,810 students who sat the 2025 GCE Advanced Level Examination, 176,538 qualified for university admission. The government plans to admit 42,937 students to state universities — broadly in line with intake levels in previous years. Two new degree programmes have been introduced for the upcoming academic year.
Amarasuriya said efforts are underway to expand facilities for university students and to ensure programmes are delivered in a structured and efficient manner. A special committee, working for around six months, is preparing a policy framework for higher education reforms aligned with broader reforms in general education the government has been rolling out.
The September timeline confirms what the University Grants Commission’s admissions handbook released last month had projected, after applications opened on April 27. Future changes to the higher-education sector will be planned based on the committee’s recommendations following further consultation, the Prime Minister said.
