Aquinas College of Higher Studies

What Aquinas College of Higher Studies does

Aquinas College of Higher Studies is a private, nonprofit higher education institution headquartered in Colombo 08, Sri Lanka, administered by the Catholic Church under the Archdiocese of Colombo. Founded in 1953 by Fr. Peter A. Pillai OMI and approved as a UGC degree-awarding institute in December 2004, the college delivers certificate, diploma, and degree programs across five faculties: Agriculture, Business and Hospitality Management, Education and English, Science and Technology, and Social Sciences and Humanities. Programs are aligned to NVQ qualification frameworks via TVEC registration and include pathways such as NVQ Level 5/6 diplomas in agriculture with university exemption credits toward bachelor's degrees.

The college operates a Moodle-based Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) deployed separately per faculty (VLEFA, VLEFMF, VLEFST, VLE Undergraduate) for course delivery, announcements, and examinations, supported by an online registration portal at reg.aquinas.lk. Physical infrastructure includes the main Colombo campus plus two regional branches in Kalutara and Hanwella (both relocated/upgraded in 2020), with facilities such as ICT laboratories, agriculture labs, a library, auditoriums, and a media studio. Curriculum content is supported by an internal Centre for Quality Assurance aligned to UGC, TVEC, and NVQ standards, and a Research Centre that hosted the inaugural Aquinas Students' Research Symposium in 2023.

The business model is tuition-driven: students pay per-semester course fees via bank transfer across degree, diploma, and certificate programs. Customer segments include Sri Lankan A-Level school leavers, working professionals pursuing CPD (particularly in agriculture), and a niche segment of religious sisters undertaking the Sister Formation Course. No public revenue figures, no funding rounds, and no external investors are indicated; the institution is wholly sustained by tuition income under the governance of the Archdiocese of Colombo, with Very Rev. Dr. Sylvester Ranasinghe serving as Rector/Vice Chancellor.

Name

Aquinas College of Higher Studies

Legal name

Aquinas College of Higher Studies

Website

https://aquinas.lk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Aquinas College of Higher Studies is a private nonprofit Catholic college in Colombo, Sri Lanka, offering UGC-approved degrees, TVEC-registered diplomas, and NVQ-aligned certificates across five faculties to school leavers, working professionals, and religious sisters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce) (EDAHADAE)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Vocational training programs
• Degree programs
• Diploma programs
• Professional certificate courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Colombo

HQ country

Sri Lanka

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Course Fees: Revenue generated from degree, diploma, and certificate programs through semester-based tuition payments. Students make course fee payments per semester as evidenced by announcements regarding semester payment deadlines and bank transfer instructions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Aquinas College of Higher Studies is a nonprofit higher education institution that delivers UGC-approved degree programs (B.Sc. in Agro Industry Management, Bachelor of IT, Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies, Psychology and Counselling, and Humanities), TVEC-registered diploma programs at NVQ levels 5 and 6 (agriculture, business, hospitality, psychology), and short-term certificate courses at NVQ levels 3 and 4 (plant nursery, dairy farming, fruit and vegetable processing). Programs are delivered through five faculties across three physical campuses in Colombo, Kalutara, and Hanwella, and supported by a Moodle-based Virtual Learning Environment for online course delivery and examinations.

Product overview

Aquinas College of Higher Studies is a non-profit educational institution administered by the Catholic Church offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs across five faculties and one school. The core offerings consist of UGC-approved degree programs (B.Sc. in Agro Industry Management, Bachelor of Information Technology, and Bachelor degrees in Religious Studies, Psychology, and Humanities), TVEC-registered diploma programs at NVQ levels 5-6 (including agriculture, business, hospitality, and professional studies), and certificate courses at NVQ levels 3-4. Supporting infrastructure includes a Moodle-based Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) for online course delivery and examinations, a Centre for Quality Assurance ensuring compliance with national standards, and a Research Centre conducting annual symposiums. The institution operates from its main campus in Colombo 08 with branch locations in Kalutara and Hanwella.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Degree Programs UGC-approved undergraduate degree programs including B.Sc. (Hons) in Agro Industry Management, Bachelor of Information Technology, Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies, Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Counselling, and Bachelor of Arts General Degree, aimed at students seeking university-level qualifications.
• Diploma Programs TVEC-registered diploma programs at NVQ levels 5 and 6 including Diploma in Agriculture Production Technology, Diploma in Plantation Management, Diploma in Floriculture and Landscaping, Diploma in Livestock Management, Diploma in Agriculture Engineering, Diploma in Food Science and Technology, and Diploma in Psychology, for school leavers and working professionals.
• Certificate Programs Short-term TVEC-registered certificate courses at NVQ levels 3 and 4 including Certificate in Plant Nursery Assistant, Certificate in Dairy Farming Assistant, and Certificate in Fruit & Vegetable Processor, designed for skill development and quick entry into agricultural vocations.
• Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Moodle-based online learning management system providing course materials, announcements, forums, and examination administration for students across all faculties of Aquinas College.

Quantifiable outcome

• University exemptions granted to NVQ diploma holders - two years exemption for NVQ 6 and one year exemption for NVQ 5
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission (TVEC)coreOthersAquinas College is registered with TVEC of Sri Lanka to conduct professional courses and examinations at the tertiary level. The School of Agriculture programs are NVQ accredited under this partnership.
• University Grants Commission (UGC)coreOthersAquinas College of Higher Studies is a degree-awarding institute approved by UGC on 22nd December 2004 and gazetted by the Minister of Education on 10th October 2005. Quality of degree programs assured under UGC guidelines.
• Foreign Universities and Higher Educational AuthoritiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAquinas College works in close collaboration with foreign universities and higher educational authorities for academic program development and recognition.
• Wayamba University of LankaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Roshan Thotagamuge, Senior Lecturer from Department of Nano Science Technology, Wayamba University participates as chief guest and keynote speaker at Aquinas Students' Research Symposium and conducts research awareness programs.
• International Qualifications Network (IQN), UKminorOthersBusiness Management courses are recognized by IQN, UK alongside UGC and TVEC recognition.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• ANC Education: Sri Lankan private education provider focused on professional and vocational qualifications with international recognition. Comparable to Aquinas's TVEC-registered diploma programs in offering career-oriented credentials.

Direct peers

• SLIIT (Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology): One of Sri Lanka's largest private higher education institutions, offering undergraduate and postgraduate programs with strong IT and business focus. Directly competes with Aquinas for Sri Lankan students seeking private degrees and professional diplomas.
• SAITM (South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine): Private higher education institution in Sri Lanka offering degree and diploma programs across technology, medicine, and business disciplines. Operates in the same private higher education market as Aquinas.
• NSBM Green University: Private university in Sri Lanka offering UGC-recognized degree programs across multiple faculties including business, computing, and engineering. Comparable to Aquinas in its multi-faculty private higher education positioning and Sri Lankan student market.
• Horizon Campus: Sri Lankan private higher education provider offering degrees, diplomas, and professional qualifications across business, IT, and other disciplines. Directly competes with Aquinas for the same school-leaver and working professional segments.
• NIBM (National Institute of Business Management): Established Sri Lankan private institution specializing in business and management education with diploma and degree programs. Comparable to Aquinas's Faculty of Business and Hospitality in target audience and program mix.
• Informatics Institute of Technology (IIT): Sri Lankan private higher education institution with strong IT and computing degree offerings, often in partnership with foreign universities. Comparable to Aquinas in offering private IT degrees to Sri Lankan students.
• APIIT (Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology) Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan private higher education provider focused on IT and computing degrees, often in partnership with Asia Pacific University (Malaysia). Directly comparable to Aquinas's Faculty of Science & Technology IT offerings.

Broad incumbents

• British Council Sri Lanka: Larger established international education body operating in Sri Lanka with English language training and exam preparation. Overlaps with Aquinas's English language education focus at the Kalutara branch and broader language offerings.
• Christ University (India): Large private deemed university in India offering multi-faculty degree and diploma programs with strong professional orientation. Comparable to Aquinas as a private multi-faculty higher education institution in the South Asian region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/AQUINASofficial
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/aquinastelevision
• Facebookfacebook.com/AQUINASofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aquinascollegesl
• Instagraminstagram.com/aquinascollegesl

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Aquinas College of Higher Studies