The college didn't award degrees under its own name but prepared students to sit the University of London's external examination.

The Ceylon University Association was formed in 1906 by a group of the country's elite including Ponnambalam Arunachalam, James Peiris and Marcus Fernando.

[8][5][9] The Macleod Committee finished its work in 1912 and amongst its recommendations were that a university college be established to centralise the country's fragmented higher education system.

[7] McCallum accepted the committee's recommendations and submitted the proposals to the Secretary of State for the Colonies and the Board of Education.

[8] It would be affiliated to an English university, preferably the University of Oxford, and would offer general higher education including courses in arts and sciences for trainee teachers and preliminary courses in chemistry, physics and biology for medical students.

[10] However, work was slow and in May 1920 the government purchased Regina Walauwa, a private house on Thurstan Road, for use by the college.

[10] All classes were held at College House except science which was taught at Government Technical Schools.

[10][13][14] Robert Marrs succeeded the director of education as principal at the beginning of the 1921/22 academic year.

[20] Others, including P. Arunachalam, D. B. Jayatilaka, D. R. Wijewardena and S. C. Paul, favoured Peradeniya or Kandy because of their climate and they had ample cheap land.

In 1937 the State Council approved a motion by George E. de Silva for the university to be located at Aruppola near Kandy.

[20] However, Paul and Andreas Nell argued that the site should be in Peradeniya not Aruppola, and they were now supported by Marrs.