A recent study conducted by Professors Vasantha Athukorala and Lakshman Kumar at the University of Peradeniya has revealed that more than half of the students completing degrees in various disciplines at state universities are leaving Sri Lanka, with many never returning.
Speaking to the media, Professor Athukorala, an economist at the university, highlighted that in certain fields, up to 80–90% of graduates emigrate. He emphasized that considering the public funds spent on providing free education, this represents a significant loss to the nation.
The study also shows that many of those leaving are among the top-performing graduates, often achieving the highest academic results. In some instances, entire cohorts of students from science-based degree programs migrate abroad permanently, without plans to return.
Currently, around 142,000 students are enrolled in state universities. Among them, 25% pursue arts, 20% study management and commerce, 13% engineering, 10% medicine, dentistry, veterinary and allied health sciences, and 11% agriculture and computer science. Each year, approximately 44,000 students are admitted to national universities, with a total of 33,306 degrees awarded in 2023.
In 2023, the government spent Rs. 87 billion on higher education, including Rs. 69.9 billion in recurrent expenses and Rs. 16.7 billion in capital expenditures, in addition to universities’ own revenue spending.
Based on these findings, the study recommends that students who benefit from free higher education and then emigrate should reimburse the state for the cost of their education. Professor Athukorala suggested that if direct repayment to the government is not feasible, graduates should at least contribute a minimum of USD 50,000, which could be sent via family members in the country to ensure some return of value to Sri Lanka.
The research was based on data collected from 19 state universities across the country, highlighting a nationwide trend of brain drain from Sri Lanka’s higher education system.
