List of the oldest schools in Sri Lanka

The following is a list of the oldest schools in Sri Lanka that are still functioning.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Current name	Foundation name	Foundation date	Founders	Province	District	Education zone	Location	Current type	Refs.
Richmond College, Galle	The Galle High School	25 July 1814[a]	Wesleyan Methodist Mission	Southern	Galle	Galle	Galle	National	[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Methodist Central College		29 July 1814	Wesleyan Methodist Mission	Eastern	Batticaloa	Batticaloa	Batticaloa	Provincial	[7][8][9][10]
Newstead Girls College	Wesley Girl's High School	31 July 1816	Wesleyan Methodist Mission	Western	Gampaha	Negombo	Negombo	National	[10][11]
Union College, Tellippalai	Common Free School	9 December 1816	American Ceylon Mission	Northern	Jaffna	Valikamam	Tellippalai	Provincial	[12][13]
Weera Puran Appu Model School - Moratuwa	Wesleyan Missionary School - Idama, then Suduwella Methodist College	10 June 1817	Methodist Council of England	Western	Colombo	Piliyandala	Moratuwa	Model school
Jaffna Central College	Jaffna Wesleyan English School	1817[b]	Wesleyan Methodist Mission, North Ceylon	Northern	Jaffna	Jaffna	Jaffna	National	[10][14][15][16]
Christ Church Boys' School	Baddegama Seminary	March 1819	Church Mission Society of the Anglican Church	Southern	Galle	Baddegama	Baddegama	National	[17][18]
Methodist Girls' College, Trincomalee		1819	Wesleyan Methodist Mission	Eastern	Trincomalee	Trincomalee	Trincomalee	Provincial	[19]
Vincent Girls' High School		1820	Wesleyan Methodist Mission	Eastern	Batticaloa	Batticaloa	Batticaloa	National	[10][20]
Sri Jayawardenepura Maha Vidyalaya	Cotta Institute	1822	Church Mission Society of the Anglican Church	Western	Colombo	Sri Jayawardenepura	Sri Jayawardenapura		[21][22][23]
St. John's College, Jaffna	Nallur English Seminary	March 1823	Church Mission Society of the Anglican Church	Northern	Jaffna	Jaffna	Jaffna	Private	[15][21][24][25][26]
Methodist Girls' High School, Point Pedro	Wesleyan Mission Central School	1823	Wesleyan Methodist Mission, North Ceylon	Northern	Jaffna	Vadamarachchi	Point Pedro	Provincial	[27]
Vigneshwara Maha Vidyalaya		1823	Wesleyan Methodist Mission	Eastern	Trincomalee	Trincomalee	Trincomalee		[28]
Uduvil Girls' College	Missionary Seminary and Female Central School	1824	American Ceylon Mission	Northern	Jaffna	Valikamam	Uduvil	Private	[15][29][30]
Vembadi Girls' High School		1834	Wesleyan Methodist Mission, North Ceylon	Northern	Jaffna	Jaffna	Jaffna	National	[10][31]
Royal College, Colombo	Hill Street Academy	1835		Western	Colombo	Colombo	Colombo	National	[15][32][33]
Manipay Memorial English School		1836	American Ceylon Mission	Northern	Jaffna	Valikamam	Manipay	Provincial	[34]
Hartley College	Wesleyan Mission Central School	1838[c]	Wesleyan Methodist Mission, North Ceylon	Northern	Jaffna	Vadamarachchi	Point Pedro	Provincial (APS)	[10][37]
St. Thomas' College, Matara		10 March 1844	Christian Missionary Society of England	Southern	Matara	Matara	Matara	National	[38][39][40]
Holy Family Convent, Jaffna		1845		Northern	Jaffna	Jaffna	Jaffna	Provincial	[41]
St. Matthew's College, Colombo	St. Matthews College, Colombo 09/ Christian College Dematagoda	1847	Church Mission Society of the Anglican Church	Western	Colombo	Colombo	Colombo	Provincial	[42][43][44]
Kopay Christian College		1850		Northern	Jaffna	Jaffna	Kopay	Provincial	[45]
St. Patrick's College, Jaffna	Jaffna Catholic English School	1850	Roman Catholic Church	Northern	Jaffna	Jaffna	Jaffna	Private	[46][47][48][49]
S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia	College of St. Thomas the Apostle	3 February 1851	Church of Ceylon	Western	Colombo		Mount Lavinia	Private	[15][50][51][52][53][54]
Udupiddy American Mission College		4 January 1852	American Ceylon Mission	Northern	Jaffna	Vadamarachchi	Udupiddy	Provincial	[55]
St. Anthony's College, Kandy		1854	Roman Catholic Church	Central	Kandy	Kandy	Kandy	Private	[56][57][58][59]
St. Sebastian's College, Moratuwa		1854	Roman Catholic Church	Western	Colombo		Moratuwa	Private	[60][61][62][63]
St. Xavier's College, Nuwara Eliya		1859	Roman Catholic Church	Central	Nuwara Eliya				[64][65][66]
St. Mary's College, Trincomalee		1864		Eastern	Trincomalee	Trincomalee	Trincomalee	National	[67][68]
St. Benedict's College, Colombo		1865	Benedictine monks	Western	Colombo	Colombo	Colombo	Private	[15][69][70][71][72]
Methodist College, Colombo	Kollupitiya Girls' English School	7 November 1866	Wesleyan Methodist Mission	Western	Colombo	Colombo	Colombo	Private	[10][73][74]
St. Mary's College, Kegalle		1 March 1867	Rev. Fr. Domenico Pingulani	Sabaragamuwa	Kegalle	Kegalle	Kegalle	National	[75]
Uva College, Badulla		1867	Diocesan mission of Ceylon	Uva	Badulla	Badulla	Badulla	National	[76][77][78][79][80]
St. Joseph's College, Trincomalee		27 July 1867	Oblates of Mary Immaculate	Eastern	Trincomalee	Trincomalee	Trincomalee	National	[81][82][83]
All Saints College, Galle		1867	Anglicans	Southern	Galle		Galle		[84]
Jaffna College		1871	American Ceylon Mission	Northern	Jaffna	Valikamam	Vaddukoddai	Private	[85][86]
St. Anne's College, Kurunegala		1867	Roman Catholic church	North Western	Kurunegala	Kurunegala	Kurunegala
Good Shepherd Convent, Colombo		1 May 1869	Good Shepherd Order	Western	Colombo	Colombo	Colombo	Private	[87]
Sri Dhammasara Piyaratana Maha Vidyalaya,Dodanduwa	Jinalabdhi Vishodaka	1869	Sri Piyaratana Tissa Mahanayake Thero	Southern	Galle	Ambalangoda	Dodanduwa	Provincial	[88]
Rippon College	Whitfield Road Girls' School	1871	Wesleyan Methodist Mission	Southern	Galle	Galle	Galle	National	[2][10]
St. Mary's College, Negombo		1871	Roman Catholic Church	Western	Gampaha	Negombo	Negombo		[89]
Trinity College, Kandy	Kandy Collegiate School	17 January 1872	Church Mission Society of the Anglican Church	Central	Kandy	Kandy	Kandy	Private	[90][91][92][93][94]
St. Anthony's College, Kayts		1872		Northern	Jaffna	Islands	Kayts	Provincial	[95]
St. Michael's College National School	St. Mary's English School	1873	Roman Catholic Church	Eastern	Batticaloa	Batticaloa	Batticaloa	National	[96][97]
St. Thomas' College, Matale		1873		Central	Matale	Matale	Matale	National	[98]
Wesley College, Colombo		2 March 1874	Wesleyan Methodist Mission	Western	Colombo	Colombo	Colombo	Private	[10][15][99][100][101]
Bishop's College, Colombo		February 1875	Church Mission Society of the Anglican Church	Western	Colombo	Colombo	Colombo	Private	[15][102][103]
Drieberg College	Drieberg English School	1875	American Ceylon Mission	Northern	Jaffna	Thenmarachchi	Chavakachcheri	Provincial	[104]
Methodist Central College, Hakmana		1875	Wesleyan Methodist Mission	Southern	Matara	Mulatiyana	Hakmana	Provincial	[10]
Prince of Wales' College, Moratuwa		14 September 1876		Western	Colombo	Piliyandala	Moratuwa	National	[105]
St. John's College, Panadura		1876		Western	Kalutara		Panadura		[106][107]
Victoria College, Chulipuram	Chulipuram Hindu English School	1876		Northern	Jaffna	Valikamam	Chulipuram	Provincial	[108]
Don Pedrick Maha Vidyalaya, Horana	Horana Maha Vidyalaya	1878		Western	Kalutara	Horana	Horana
Girls' High School, Kandy		May 1879[d]	Wesleyan Methodist Mission	Central	Kandy	Kandy	Kandy	National	[10][110][111][112]
Hameed Al Husseinie College	First Muslim Boys' School in Sri Lanka	15 November 1884	Sri Lanka Muslim Society	Western	Colombo	Colombo	Colombo	National
Kiriella Central College		1885		Sabaragamuwa	Ratnapura	Ratnapura	Kiriella	National
Southlands College, Galle	Girls' High School	1885[e]	Wesleyan Methodist Mission	Southern	Galle	Galle	Galle	National	[10][115][116][117]
St. Andrew's National College		1885		North Western	Puttalam	Puttalam	Puttalam	National
Our Lady of Victories Convent Moratuwa	Our Lady of Victories Convent Moratuwa	9 March 1886	Roman Catholic Church	Western	Colombo		Moratuwa	Private
Ananda College	English Buddhist School	1 November 1886	Buddhist Theosophical Society	Western	Colombo	Colombo	Colombo	National	[118][119][120][121]
Dharmaraja College	Kandy Buddhist High School	30 June 1887	Buddhist Theosophical Society	Central	Kandy	Kandy	Kandy	National	[122][123]
St. Paul’s Girls School, Milagiriya	Parish School attached to the St. Paul’s Church of Milagiriya	14 January 1887	Anglican Church of Ceylon	Central	Colombo	Colombo	Milagiriya	National
Jaffna Hindu College	The Native Town High School	1887		Northern	Jaffna	Jaffna	Jaffna	National	[124]
Piliyandala Central College	Mampe Piyarathanasara Buddhist Mix School	1887	Rev. Mampe Saranapala Thero	Western	Colombo	Piliyandala	Piliyandala	National	[125]
Karandana Sri Jinarathana National College	Karandana Boys School	1888		Sabaragamuwa	Ratnapura	Eheliyagoda	Karandana	National
Christ Church Girls' College	The Girls' Boarding School	1 June 1888	Church Mission Society of the Anglican Church	Southern	Galle	Baddegama	Baddegama	National	[126]
Maliyadeva College	Kurunegala Buddhist Institution	30 September 1888	Buddhist Theosophical Society	North Western	Kurunegala	Kurunegala	Kurunegala	National	[127][128][129]
Nelukkulam Kalaimagal Maha Vidyalayam		1888		Northern	Vavuniya	Vavuniya South	Nelukkulam	Provincial
Walasmulla National School		1889		Southern Province	Hambanthota	walasmulla	walasmulla	national
Ananda Sastralaya, Kotte	Kotte Bauddha (Buddhist) Mixed School	1 January 1890[f]		Western	Colombo	Sri Jayawardenapura	Kotte	National	[130]
Aluthgama Maha Vidyalaya	Aluthgama Boys English School	1890	Nathaniel Henry Lorenzo Brohier	Western	Kalutara	Kalutara	Aluthgama	National
Holy Cross College, Kalutara		1890		Western	Kalutara	Kalutara South	Kalutara	Private	[131]
Rambaikulam Girls' Maha Vidyalayam		1890		Northern	Vavuniya	Vavuniya South	Vavuniya	National	[132]
Hillwood College, Kandy		1890		Central	Kandy	Kandy Central	Kandy	Private	[133]
Sri Rahula College, Kandy	Kandy High School	1890	Buddhist Theosophical Society	Central	Kandy	Kandy	Katugastota	National
Kingswood College, Kandy	The Boys' High School	4 May 1891	Wesleyan Methodist Mission	Central	Kandy	Kandy	Kandy	National	[10][134][135][136][137]
Musaeus College	Musaeus Buddhist Girls' School	1891	Buddhist Theosophical Society	Western	Colombo	Colombo	Colombo	Private	[138][139][140][141]
Dharmadutha College		21 August 1891	Buddhist Theosophical Society	Uva	Badulla	Badulla	Badulla	National	https://dharmaduthacollege.lk/history[142]
Mahinda College		1 March 1892	Buddhist Theosophical Society	Southern	Galle	Galle	Galle	National	[143][144][145][146]
Zahira College, Colombo	Al-Madrasathul Zahira	22 August 1892	Colombo Muslim Educational Society	Western	Colombo	Colombo	Colombo	Private	[147][148][149][150]
St. Aloysius' College, Galle		1895	Jesuits	Southern	Galle	Galle	Galle	National	[151]
K/L Al-Hambra Maha Vidyalaya, Dharga Town		1896		Western	Kalutara	Kalutara	Dharga Town	Provincial
Chundikuli Girls' College		14 January 1896	Church Mission Society of the Anglican Church	Northern	Jaffna	Jaffna	Jaffna	Private	[15][152]
St. Joseph's College, Colombo		2 March 1896	French Roman Catholic missionaries	Western	Colombo	Colombo	Colombo	Private	[15][153][154][155][156]
Sacred Heart Convent, Galle		30 November 1896	Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary	Southern	Galle	Galle	Galle		[157]
St. Servatius' College	St. Servatius' School	2 November 1897	Roman Catholic Belgian Jesuit	Southern	Matara	Matara	Kotuwegoda	National	[158]
R. K. M. Sri Koneswara Hindu College		1897		Eastern	Trincomalee	Trincomalee	Trincomalee	National	[159]
St. Aloysius College, Ratnapura	Peter & Paul's Mixed School	1898	Jesuits	Sabaragamuwa	Ratnapura	Ratnapura	Ratnapura	National	[160]

See also

• List of the oldest schools in the world
• List of schools in Sri Lanka

Footnotes

1. Richmond College claims its foundation to be 1 May 1876 which is when the former 'The Galle School school by then known as Richmond Hill Boys' School was upgraded to a superior school and renamed The Galle High School.
2. Jaffna Central College claims its foundation to be 1 August 1816 which is when the missionaries purchased the land/property.
3. Other sources claim that Hartley College is a successor to the Point Pedro Native School founded in 1818.^[35][36]
4. Other sources claim that Girls' High School, Kandy was founded in 1871 but re-organized in 1879.^[109]
5. Other sources claim that Southlands College, Galle is a successor to the Wesleyan English Girls' School founded in 1842 and renamed Girls' High School, Galle.^[113][114]
6. Few sources claims its foundation to be 4 November 1890.