The University ofPeradeniya located 110km from Colombo was established in Colombo on 1st July1942,  moved to Peradeniya in 1952. Thehistory of its evolution as the oldest and the largest university in thecountry passed through the following stages: University ofCeylon (1942 – 1952), University of Ceylon, Peradeniya (1952 – 1972), Universityof Sri Lanka, Peradeniya Campus (1972 -1978) , University of Peradeniya (Since1978).

The University currentlycomprises of  nine faculties; namely facultiesof Agriculture, Allied Health Sciences, Arts, Dental Sciences, Engineering,Management, Medicine, Science and Veterinary Medicine & Animal Sciences, andfour postgraduate institutes; namely Postgraduate Institutes of, Agriculture(PGIA), Humanities and Social Sciences (PGIHS) and Science (PGIS) and PostgraduateSchool of Medicine (PGSM).  We have over12,500 undergraduates and around 8,500 postgraduate students (around 1150 in respectivefaculties and around 7350 in postgraduate institutes). At this moment we have21 residential halls for undergraduates with four more coming up at the end ofthe year with a view to provide 100% accommodation to undergraduates.

The University has awell-equipped library network to support teaching, learning and research, witha central library and seven satellite libraries, with  over 850,000 books and other readingmaterials.