Nursing cut-off marks 2025/2026, by university and district
Nursing degrees were offered at six universities in 2025/2026, with medians close together: from 1.3889 at the University of Colombo to 1.1371 at the University of Jaffna. That makes your district the bigger factor: the cut-offs ranged from 0.9035 (Gampaha) to 1.5819 (Anuradhapura). 36 of 150 district places had no qualified candidate.
Lowest Z-score that won a place, by district
For each district, the lowest minimum Z-score at which any of the 6 universities selected a Nursing student from that district in 2025/2026, and which university it was. Your own chances also depend on the order of your choices and the university you list.
| District | Lowest Z-score | University |
|---|---|---|
| Colombo | 1.0011 | Eastern University |
| Gampaha | 0.9035 | Eastern University |
| Kalutara | 1.1386 | University of Ruhuna |
| Matale | 1.1132 | University of Ruhuna |
| Kandy | 1.0828 | University of Jaffna |
| Nuwara Eliya | 1.0336 | Eastern University |
| Galle | 1.2141 | University of Ruhuna |
| Matara | 1.2005 | University of Ruhuna |
| Hambantota | 1.1960 | University of Ruhuna |
| Jaffna | 1.2605 | University of Jaffna |
| Kilinochchi | 1.0375 | University of Jaffna |
| Mannar | 1.2575 | University of Jaffna |
| Mullaitivu | 1.1917 | University of Ruhuna |
| Vavuniya | 1.0936 | University of Jaffna |
| Trincomalee | 1.2223 | University of Jaffna |
| Batticaloa | 1.2468 | Eastern University |
| Ampara | 1.1549 | University of Ruhuna |
| Puttalam | 1.1072 | University of Ruhuna |
| Kurunegala | 1.1136 | University of Ruhuna |
| Anuradhapura | 1.0960 | Eastern University |
| Polonnaruwa | 0.9792 | Eastern University |
| Badulla | 1.0104 | Eastern University |
| Monaragala | 1.2061 | University of Ruhuna |
| Kegalle | 1.1093 | University of Jaffna |
| Ratnapura | 1.1493 | University of Ruhuna |
Universities compared
Lowest, median and highest minimum Z-score across the districts with a qualified candidate, and how many districts had none (NQC).
| University | Lowest | Median | Highest | NQC districts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Colombo | 1.3784 | 1.3889 | 1.5488 | 4 | |
| University of Peradeniya | 1.3282 | 1.3427 | 1.5819 | 6 | |
| University of Sri Jayewardenepura | 1.3152 | 1.3173 | 1.3291 | 10 | |
| Eastern University | 0.9035 | 1.1625 | 1.2764 | 10 | |
| University of Ruhuna | 1.1070 | 1.1386 | 1.2794 | 4 | |
| University of Jaffna | 1.0375 | 1.1371 | 1.2809 | 2 |
What the numbers say
- Among districts with a qualified candidate, the lowest selected Z-score for Nursing was 0.9035 (Gampaha, Eastern University) and the highest 1.5819 (Anuradhapura, University of Peradeniya).
- By median across districts, University of Colombo was the hardest to enter (1.3889) and University of Jaffna the most reachable (1.1371).
- The cut-off moved most with the district at Eastern University: from Gampaha at the low end to Mannar at the high end, a spread of 0.3729, wider than the median spread of 0.3319 across every course and university in the table.
- 36 of the 150 district places (24%) had no qualified candidates (NQC), but every district had at least one university that admitted someone.
- By median cut-off, Nursing was harder to enter than 46% of the course names in the 2025/2026 table.
- 16 of the 16 educationally disadvantaged districts (where the 5% EDD quota applies) had a place for this course at one university or more.
Every university, every district
The minimum Z-score selected for Nursing at each university from each district, as the UGC published it. NQC means No Qualified Candidates and is not a Z-score of zero.
| District | University of Colombo | University of Peradeniya | University of Sri Jayewardenepura | Eastern University | University of Ruhuna | University of Jaffna |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colombo | 1.3784 | NQC | 1.3191 | 1.0011 | 1.1110 | 1.0427 |
| Gampaha | 1.3868 | 1.3304 | 1.3173 | 0.9035 | 1.1078 | 1.0478 |
| Kalutara | 1.3827 | 1.3332 | 1.3291 | NQC | 1.1386 | 1.1863 |
| Matale | 1.4022 | 1.3545 | NQC | NQC | 1.1132 | 1.1276 |
| Kandy | 1.4903 | 1.3321 | NQC | 1.0837 | 1.1342 | 1.0828 |
| Nuwara Eliya | NQC | 1.3334 | NQC | 1.0336 | 1.1688 | 1.0488 |
| Galle | 1.3861 | 1.3671 | 1.3186 | 1.2443 | 1.2141 | 1.2429 |
| Matara | 1.3889 | 1.3342 | 1.3159 | 1.2044 | 1.2005 | NQC |
| Hambantota | 1.3962 | 1.3282 | 1.3255 | NQC | 1.1960 | NQC |
| Jaffna | 1.4169 | 1.3717 | 1.3172 | NQC | NQC | 1.2605 |
| Kilinochchi | 1.4158 | NQC | NQC | NQC | NQC | 1.0375 |
| Mannar | NQC | NQC | NQC | 1.2764 | NQC | 1.2575 |
| Mullaitivu | 1.5488 | NQC | NQC | NQC | 1.1917 | 1.2040 |
| Vavuniya | NQC | NQC | NQC | NQC | NQC | 1.0936 |
| Trincomalee | 1.3880 | 1.3463 | 1.3154 | 1.2335 | 1.2770 | 1.2223 |
| Batticaloa | 1.3863 | 1.3351 | 1.3193 | 1.2468 | 1.2794 | 1.2494 |
| Ampara | 1.3866 | 1.3404 | 1.3171 | 1.1625 | 1.1549 | 1.2437 |
| Puttalam | 1.3919 | 1.3717 | 1.3169 | NQC | 1.1072 | 1.1086 |
| Kurunegala | 1.4203 | 1.3479 | 1.3160 | 1.2036 | 1.1136 | 1.1476 |
| Anuradhapura | 1.3820 | 1.5819 | NQC | 1.0960 | 1.1082 | 1.1371 |
| Polonnaruwa | NQC | NQC | NQC | 0.9792 | 1.1070 | 1.0844 |
| Badulla | 1.3803 | 1.3296 | NQC | 1.0104 | 1.1196 | 1.0390 |
| Monaragala | 1.4089 | 1.3594 | 1.3152 | 1.2204 | 1.2061 | 1.2074 |
| Kegalle | 1.4245 | 1.3427 | 1.3210 | NQC | 1.1212 | 1.1093 |
| Ratnapura | 1.3859 | 1.3433 | 1.3205 | NQC | 1.1493 | 1.2809 |
Who can apply
Nursing admits from the Biological Science stream, according to Section 2 of the UGC Admissions Handbook. The handbook adds subject and grade conditions for some courses, so check it before you apply. Most places are filled by district quota; some go on all-island merit, and 5% are set aside for the educationally disadvantaged districts.
Want to check your own Z-score against every course at once? Use the cut-off finder.
Questions
- Which university has the lowest cut-off for Nursing?
- In 2025/2026, University of Jaffna had the lowest median cut-off for Nursing (1.1371) and University of Colombo the highest (1.3889). The figure that applies to you is the one for your district, in the tables on this page.
- What Z-score do I need for Nursing?
- It depends on your district and the university. The lowest Z-score that won a place anywhere was 0.9035 (Gampaha). The district table on this page gives, for each district, the lowest Z-score that won a place at any university. Next year's cut-offs will differ: they come from the next exam's results.
- Which A/L stream can apply for Nursing?
- Nursing admits from the Biological Science stream, according to the UGC Admissions Handbook. The handbook adds subject and grade conditions for some courses, so check it before you apply.
- What does NQC mean?
- No Qualified Candidates: no student from that district was selected for that course at that university. Per the UGC, the district quota may already have been filled, the course may have filled from higher Z-scores in other districts, or nobody from that district met the requirements. It is not a Z-score of zero.
More courses
- Medicine cut-off marks
- Agriculture cut-off marks
- Biological Science cut-off marks
- Engineering cut-off marks
- Computer Science cut-off marks
- Physical Science cut-off marks
- All 2025/2026 cut-offs
Source: University Grants Commission, Sri Lanka, G.C.E. (A/L) 2025, after re-scrutiny. Data last checked 2026-07-31. Spotted an error? Tell us.