 Athulathmudali received his primary education at St. John's College Panadura and Royal Primary School; before moving to Royal College Colombo from 1948 to 1955 for his secondary educated, where he won the Steward Prize and excelled in athletics.He then went on to read jurisprudence at Jesus College, Oxford from 1955 to 1958.He graduated with a BA in 1958 and continued his post-graduate studies at Oxford.