Recognition guide
Students often use this phrase when they want a simple answer, but the real check is more specific. The UGC recognition service refers to foreign-university recognition and recognition of degrees from non-state institutes as published by Gazette notifications.
The safest approach is to verify the exact degree, the exact awarding body, and the current official wording before you apply. This page helps you do that step by step.
| Common wording | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Private university degree in Sri Lanka | Often this means a qualification from a non-state institute, where recognition should be checked through the UGC process and the relevant Gazette-based rules. |
| Foreign degree taught locally | Recognition can depend on the awarding university and the UGC rules that apply to that foreign university. |
| Private campus programme | You still need to verify the exact awarding body, programme title, and supporting recognition documents. |
The official UGC recognition service explicitly says it handles recognition of foreign universities under the Commonwealth Yearbook and International Handbook of Universities, and recognition of degrees of non-state institutes as published by Gazette notifications.
Official sourceSLIIT says on its About page that it is approved by the Ministry of Education and the UGC and describes itself as a non-state degree-awarding institute.
Official sourceIIT says on its Quality and Recognitions page that its partner universities are recognized by the UGC under the rules it cites, and that IIT is also registered with TVEC.
Official sourceA generic approval list can go stale, oversimplify the difference between institutions and qualifications, or mix locally awarded degrees with foreign-partner degrees. That is exactly how students end up with false confidence.
That is why the better method is to use official wording, then check the actual qualification you plan to follow instead of depending on a broad list alone.
After recognition checks, use these pages to compare campuses, Colombo locations, and actual degree routes.
Return to the broader market-level guide once you understand recognition language.
Shift from approval checks to the actual degree pathways students compare.
See which campuses are inside Colombo city and which are in the wider Colombo belt.
Use the tool after verification to build a practical shortlist.
Not safely. The official UGC language is more specific than the search phrase, so students should verify the exact institution and qualification rather than trust a generic list copied from another website.
Check the exact qualification against official UGC recognition processes, then verify the awarding body and programme details on the institution’s own official pages.
Yes. Search language and official language often differ. A campus may describe itself as a non-state degree-awarding institute, a private higher-education institute, or a partner-university provider instead of simply using university as the main label.
Because recognition checks are safer when they are based on the exact degree, the exact awarding body, and the current official wording rather than a generic list copied from elsewhere.
