The University Grants Commission (UGC) yesterday released the university entrance cut-off marks (Z score). A total of 20,274 students have qualified to enter universities.

The number of students will increase to 22,000 with the additional and special entrance system, Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake said. One thousand and one hundred and forty seven students have qualified for Medical Science, 1,247 students for Engineering, 1,650 students for Physical Science, 3,287 students for Management and 3,806 students for the Arts faculty have been selected for the academic year 2010/2011. There are 86 courses in universities this year. The highest Z score of 1.9770 for medicine this year is from the Colombo district and second, third and fourth places are from Matara, Galle and Hambantota districts.

The Z score in Matara is 1.9689, Galle 1.9470 and Hambantota 1.9327. The lowest Z score of 0.5950 for medicine is from Mullaitivu. The highest Z score of 1.9464 for Dental science is also reported from the Colombo district. All lowest Z scores for all courses are reported from Mullaitivu district.

Of the 2,33,609 students who sat the GCE (A-L) in 2010, 142,516 students qualified to enter universities. According to Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake, 54,124 students applied to universities and the UGC will enrol 22,000 students while 20,274 have already been selected.

The academic year for universities this year will commence in October, said UGC Chairman Prof. Gamini Samaranayake. UGC additional secretary Dr Priyantha Kumara said the hospitality and management course will start for the first time at the Rajarata and Sabaragamuwa Universities. One hundred students will enrol for the course. Students following arts, commerce, biology and physical science can enter this new stream.

Registering of university students will commence at the end of June, he said.