The University of Cambridge is a public research university founded in 1209 in Cambridge, England, UK—an institution that is more than 815 years old.

The university boasts over 150 academic departments, of which Cambridge University Press and Assessment is the largest one, generating revenue worth £1 billion every year.

Cambridge University is packed with more than 24,000 students, of whom about 9,000 are international students hailing from 140 different countries. The institute manages eight museums, and its 116 libraries hold more than 16 million books.

The university boasts 125 Nobel Prize winners among its alumni, faculty, and associates and offers 30 undergraduate courses, 300 postgraduate courses and a great number of scholarships for international students.

Some of the famous people who have studied at the University of Cambridge are Stephen Hawking, Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Charles III (King of the UK), Rajiv Gandhi, Sacha Baron Cohen, David Attenborough, Rachel Weisz, Tom Hiddleston, Eddie Redmayne, and more.

The university states that “The mission of the University of Cambridge is to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence.”

Their core values in education include:

1. the encouragement of a questioning spirit
2. an extensive range of academic subjects in all major subject groups
3. quality and depth of provision across all subjects
4. the close inter-relationship between teaching, scholarship, and research
5. strong support for individual researchers as well as research groups
6. residence in Cambridge as central to most courses
7. education which enhances the ability of students to learn throughout life

The establishment of the University of Cambridge dates back to 1209, with an incident behind it. Three Oxford scholars were involved in the administration of justice in the demise of a local Oxford woman.

The three of them were hanged to death by town officials without consulting the Church authorities. The Church officials usually show mercy in such cases.

During that time, Oxford’s local town authorities were in dispute with King John. Fearing more violence would attract, many scholars from the University of Oxford left Oxford and moved to Paris, Reading, and Cambridge.

Cambridge became home to enough scholars, both newcomers and those already there, to serve as the seed for the creation of the University of Oxford.

The University of Cambridge holds accreditation from many prestigious professional bodies. Some of them are:

1. British Psychological Society (BPS)
2. Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT)
3. European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE)
4. European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD-EQUIS)
5. General Medical Council (GMC)
6. Geological Society
7. Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE)
8. Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3)
9. Institute of Measurement and Control (InstMC)
10. Institute of Physics (IOP)
11. Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM)
12. Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE)
13. Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
14. Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
15. Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
16. Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE)
17. Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS)
18. Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS)
19. Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
20. Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)

The University of Cambridge is filled with history and tonnes of facilities. These include:

1. More than 100 libraries
2. The university library has over 9 million resources
3. 9 specialist museums
4. Charles Darwin’s microscope
5. A 21-metre fin whale skeleton
6. Rembrandt, Titian, and Monet artworks
7. Modern and contemporary art at Kettle’s Yard
8. Car parking
9. ADC Theatre
10. Bioinformatics training
11. Boat Clubs
12. Botanic Garden
13. Cambridge University Radio
14. Counselling Service for students
15. Media Studio
16. Multi-Faith Chaplaincy Centre

Undergraduate

1. Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic, BA (Hons)
2. Archaeology, BA (Hons)
3. Architecture, BA (Hons)
4. Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, BA (Hons)
5. Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, BA (Hons) and MEng
6. Classics, BA (Hons)
7. Computer Science, BA (Hons) and MEng
8. Design, BA (Hons) and MDes
9. Economics, BA (Hons)
10. Education, BA (Hons)
11. Engineering, BA (Hons) and MEng
12. English, BA (Hons)
13. Foundation Year, Pre-degree course
14. Geography, BA (Hons)
15. History and Modern Languages, BA (Hons)
16. History and Politics, BA (Hons)
17. History of Art, BA (Hons)
18. History, BA (Hons)
19. Human, Social, and Political Sciences, BA (Hons)
20. Land Economy, BA (Hons)
21. Law, BA (Hons)
22. Linguistics, BA (Hons)
23. Mathematics, BA (Hons) and MMath
24. Medicine (Graduate course), MB and BChir
25. Medicine, MB and BChir
26. Modern and Medieval Languages, BA (Hons)
27. Music, BA (Hons)
28. Natural Sciences, BA (Hons) and MSci
29. Philosophy, BA (Hons)
30. Psychological and Behavioural Sciences, BA (Hons)
31. Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion, BA (Hons)
32. Veterinary Medicine, VetMB

Postgraduate

1. (flexible) Genomic Medicine
2. (flexible, intensive) Genomic Medicine
3. Advanced Chemical Engineering
4. Advanced Materials for the Energy Transition
5. AI Ethics and Society
6. American History
7. Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic
8. Applied Criminology and Police Management
9. Applied Criminology, Penology and Management
10. Archaeological Research
11. Archaeological Science
12. Archaeology
13. Asian and Middle Eastern Studies by Research (Chinese Studies)
14. Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Chinese Studies)
15. Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Classical Islamic History and Culture)
16. Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Hebrew and Pre-Modern Jewish History and Culture)
17. Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Hebrew and Semitic Studies)
18. Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Japanese Studies)
19. Asian and Middle Eastern Studies by Research (Japanese Studies)
20. Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Korean Studies)
21. Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Modern Middle Eastern Studies)
22. Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Muslim-Jewish Relations)
23. Asian and Middle Eastern Studies by Research (South Asian Studies)
24. Asian and Middle Eastern Studies by Research (Korean Studies)
25. Asian and Middle Eastern Studies by Research (Middle Eastern Studies)
26. Astronomy
27. Biological Anthropological Science
28. Biological Science (Biochemistry) by thesis
29. Biological Science (Genetics) by thesis
30. Biological Science (MRC Toxicology Unit) by thesis
31. Biological Science (Pathology) by thesis
32. Biological Science (Pharmacology) by thesis
33. Biological Science (Physiology, Development and Neuroscience) by thesis
34. Biological Science (Plant Sciences) by thesis
35. Biological Science (Sanger Institute) by thesis
36. Biological Science (Stem Cell Biology) by thesis
37. Biological Science (Veterinary Medicine) by thesis
38. Biological Science (Zoology) by thesis
39. Biological Sciences (Biomolecular Science) by advanced study
40. Biological Sciences (Cell Science) by advanced study
41. Biological Sciences (Crop Science) by advanced study
42. Biological Sciences (Developmental Biology) by advanced study
43. Biological Sciences (Infection Biology and Molecular Immunology) by advanced study
44. Biological Sciences (Reproduction and Embryogenesis) by advanced study
45. Biotechnology
46. Building History
47. Business Administration, Executive
48. Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
49. Classics
50. Climate, Environmental and Urban Policy
51. Clinical Medicine
52. Coaching
53. Construction Engineering
54. Creative Writing
55. Data Intensive Science
56. Early Modern History
57. Earth Sciences
58. Education (Critical Approaches to Children's Literature) PGCE entry only
59. Education (Mathematics Education) PGCE entry only
60. Education (Mathematics Education)
61. Education (Primary Education) PGCE entry only
62. Education (Primary Education)
63. Education (Psychology and Education) part time
64. Education (Transforming Practice) PACES entry only
65. Education (Transforming Practice) PGCE entry only
66. Egyptology
67. Energy Technologies
68. Engineering
69. Engineering for Sustainable Development
70. Executive MBA (Global)
71. Film and Screen Studies by Advanced Study
72. Film and Screen Studies by thesis
73. Finance
74. Genomic Medicine
75. Genomic Medicine
76. Genomic Medicine
77. Global Risk and Resilience
78. Healthcare Data Science
79. Healthcare Data Science (edX)
80. Heritage Studies
81. History
82. History (edX)
83. History of Art and Architecture
84. History of Art and Visual Culture
85. History of Art and Visual Culture (edX)
86. Human Evolutionary Studies
87. Industrial Systems, Manufacture, and Management
88. International Relations
89. Latin American Studies (by thesis only)
90. Linguistics and Language Sciences (Research)
91. Linguistics and Language Sciences (Taught)
92. Literature, Culture and Thought (Research)
93. Literature, Culture and Thought (Taught)
94. Master of Accounting
95. Master of Education (Mathematics Education) PACES entry only
96. Master of Education (Primary Education) PACES entry only
97. Master of Studies (MSt) in Architecture (Degree Apprenticeship)
98. Materials Science and Metallurgy
99. Medical Education
100. Medical Science (CIMR)
101. Medical Science (Clinical Biochemistry)
102. Medical Science (Clinical Neurosciences)
103. Medical Science (CRUK CI)
104. Medical Science (Haematology)
105. Medical Science (Medical Genetics)
106. Medical Science (MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit)
107. Medical Science (Obstetrics and Gynaecology)
108. Medical Science (Oncology)
109. Medical Science (Paediatrics)
110. Medical Science (Psychiatry)
111. Medical Science (Radiology)
112. Medical Science (Surgery)
113. Medieval History
114. Micro and Nanotechnology Enterprise
115. Modern British History
116. Modern European History
117. Molecular Mechanisms of Human Disease
118. MSt in English Language Assessment
119. MSt in Entrepreneurship
120. Music
121. Nuclear Energy
122. Philosophy
123. Photonic and Electronic Systems
124. Physics
125. Planetary Science and Life in the Universe
126. Real Estate
127. Scientific Computing
128. Social Anthropological Research
129. Social Anthropology
130. Social Innovation
131. Surgery
132. Sustainability Leadership
133. Sustainability Leadership Flexible
134. Sustainability Leadership for the Built Environment
135. Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion
136. Veterinary Science
137. Veterinary Science (Physiology, Development and Neuroscience) by thesis
138. Writing for Performance
139. Writing for Performance (EdX)

Research

1. 2D Materials of Tomorrow
2. Aerosol Science
3. Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic
4. Antarctic Studies
5. Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics
6. Archaeology
7. Architecture
8. Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
9. Biochemistry
10. Biological Anthropology
11. Biological Science (Babraham Institute)
12. Biological Science (EBI)
13. Biological Science (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology)
14. Biological Science (MRC Toxicology Unit)
15. Biological Science (Sanger Institute)
16. Biological Sciences at the Department of Veterinary Medicine
17. Biostatistics
18. Biotechnology
19. Chemical Engineering
20. Chemistry
21. Classics
22. Clinical Biochemistry
23. Clinical Neurosciences
24. Computation, Cognition and Language
25. Computational Methods for Materials Science
26. Computer Science
27. Criminology
28. Developing National Capability for Materials 4.0
29. Earth Sciences
30. Engineering
31. Film and Screen Studies
32. French
33. Future Infrastructure and Built Environment
34. Future Infrastructure and Built Environment (part time)
35. Genetics
36. German
37. Haematology
38. History
39. History and Philosophy of Science
40. History of Art
41. Interdisciplinary Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
42. Italian
43. Land Economy
44. Latin American Studies
45. Linguistics: Theoretical and Applied Linguistics
46. Materials Science and Metallurgy
47. Medical Genetics
48. Medical Science (CIMR)
49. Medical Science (CRUK CI)
50. Medical Science (MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit)
51. Medical Science (MRC Epidemiology Unit)
52. Medical Science (MRC Epidemiology Unit)
53. Medicine
54. Music
55. National Institutes of Health Oxford/Cambridge Programme
56. Obstetrics and Gynaecology
57. Oncology
58. Paediatrics
59. Pharmacology
60. Photonic and Electronic Systems
61. Physics
62. Physiology, Development and Neuroscience
63. Plant Sciences
64. Portuguese
65. Psychiatry
66. Public Health and Primary Care
67. Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics
68. Radiology
69. Sensor Technologies and Applications
70. Slavonic Studies
71. Social Anthropology
72. Sociology
73. Spanish
74. Stem Cell Biology
75. Surgery
76. Sustainable Energy Materials Innovation
77. Theology and Religious Studies
78. Veterinary Medicine
79. Veterinary Medicine
80. Zoology

The University of Cambridge has 7 academic schools. These include:

1. School of Arts and Humanities
2. School of the Humanities and Social Sciences
3. School of the Biological Sciences
4. School of the Physical Sciences
5. School of Clinical Medicine
6. School of Technology
7. Institutions independent of any School

The University of Cambridge accommodates a prestigious staff body. These include:

1. Lord Sainsbury of Turville (Chancellor)
2. Professor Deborah Prentice (Vice-Chancellor)
3. Professor Bhaskar Vira FAcSS (Pro-Vice-Chancellor)
4. Professor Kamal Munir (Pro-Vice-Chancellor)
5. Dr Diarmuid O’Brien (Pro-Vice-Chancellor)
6. Professor Sir John Aston FRS (Pro-Vice-Chancellor)
7. Professor Anna Philpott (Pro-Vice-Chancellor)

A place packed with more than 24,000 students, life will be nothing less than an adventure at the University of Cambridge!

1. The city of Cambridge is steeped in great history. Every wall speaks for an experience of its own.
2. The city is full of theatres, cinemas and entertainment venues.
3. Life here is filled with music—from the melodies of street performers and lively pub sets to classical concerts and major music events.
4. The Corn Exchange and the Junction are some of the city’s main music attractions.
5. Folk, jazz, rock, ska, UK urban and dance—you just name it.
6. The Folk Festival—one of the most famous festivals.
7. Cambridge Music Festival runs events throughout the year.
8. Cambridge is a Purple Flag city, which means you can roam around in town at night without any hesitation.
9. The city has a great number of pubs, bars and cafés.
10. There are tonnes of clubs to join and explore, including more than 75 sports clubs.
11. You’ll always bump into your university mates while exploring the city, as the students alone make up about a fifth of the city’s overall population.
12. The city boasts three shopping centres, and you’ll find many independent shops and boutiques on the city’s central streets.
13. Every year, the Mill Road Winter Fair takes place on the first Saturday of December.
14. Mill Road—a place that has many shops, cafés and restaurants
15. The most famous activity in Cambridge is punting, and you can take a ‘punting pic’ from the River Cam.
16. Almost every museum is free, so you can visit them any time.

1. Undergraduate: 61%
2. Postgraduate: 39%
3. Full-time students: 90%
4. Part-time students: 10%
5. UK students: 53%
6. EU students: 10%
7. International students: 37%
8. Female: 49%
9. Male: 51%

Getting around in Cambridge is pretty easy and convenient due to its flexible road connections.

1. The city of Cambridge is pleasantly small, which makes getting around on foot or by bicycle pretty simple.
2. It takes about 15 minutes to travel from the city's outskirts to the centre by bicycle.
3. The Citi Bus Network offers great service throughout the city, with night buses available on Friday and Saturday nights.
4. National Express coaches usually make their stop on Parkside, near Parker’s Piece in the city centre.
5. You’ll find many buses from the railway station to the city centre.
6. The 'U' / Universal bus service operates daily from Girton and Eddington, near the Madingley Road Park and Ride, to the Biomedical Campus.
7. The main train station is just about 1 mile away from the city centre.
8. Cambridge North is another train station located about 2 miles north of the city.
9. Cambridge has direct train connections from both Stansted and Gatwick airports, and Heathrow is also easily reachable by rail.
10. Stansted (30 miles) and Luton (40 miles) are the closest airports to Cambridge.

Self-catered accommodation costs £99 to £261 per week

There's no need to apply for accommodation separately—if you're offered a place at the University of Cambridge, you'll automatically be guaranteed college housing for your first year. The cost of accommodation varies from college to college, as there are a total of 31 colleges.

The accommodation services provided by the colleges are mentioned below:

1. Christ's College
2. Churchill College
3. Clare College
4. Corpus Christi College
5. Downing College
6. Emmanuel College
7. Fitzwilliam College
8. Girton College
9. Gonville & Caius College
10. Homerton College
11. Hughes Hall
12. Jesus College
13. King's College
14. Lucy Cavendish College
15. Magdalene College
16. Murray Edwards College
17. Newnham College
18. Pembroke College
19. Peterhouse
20. Queens' College
21. Robinson College
22. Selwyn College
23. Sidney Sussex College
24. St Catharine's College
25. St Edmund's College
26. St John's College
27. Trinity College
28. Trinity Hall
29. Wolfson College

The University of Cambridge offers a wide range of extracurricular activities. These include:

1. Aikido
2. Amateur Boxing
3. American Football
4. Athletics
5. Australian Rules Football
6. Automobile
7. Badminton
8. Baseball & Softball
9. Basketball
10. Rowing
11. Archery
12. Canoeing
13. Caving
14. Cheerleading
15. Clay Pigeon Shooting
16. Cricket
17. Croquet
18. Cruising
19. Cycling
20. Dance
21. Dancesport
22. Eton Fives
23. Fencing
24. Football
25. Gliding
26. Golf
27. Gymnastics
28. Handball
29. Running/Cross-Country
30. Hillwalking
31. Hockey
32. Ice Hockey
33. Jiu Jitsu
34. Judo
35. Kabaddi
36. Karate
37. Kendo
38. Kickboxing
39. Korfball
40. Lacrosse (Men)
41. Lacrosse (Mixed)
42. Lacrosse (Women)
43. Lawn Tennis
44. Mixed Martial Arts
45. Modern Pentathlon
46. Mountaineering
47. Netball
48. Orienteering
49. Polo
50. Pool and Snooker
51. Powerlifting
52. Rackets
53. Rambling
54. Real Tennis
55. Revolver and Pistol
56. Riding
57. Rifle
58. Rugby Fives
59. Rugby League
60. Rugby Union
61. Ski and Snowboard
62. Small Bore
63. Squash
64. Surfing
65. Swimming and Waterpolo
66. Table Tennis
67. Taekwondo
68. Touch Rugby
69. Trampoline
70. Triathlon
71. Ultimate

The University of Cambridge has partnerships with some of the most esteemed professional bodies. Some of them are:

1. The International Association of Research Universities (IARU)
2. The League of European Research Universities (LERU)
3. U7+ Alliance of world universities
4. The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU)
5. Global University Leaders Forum (GULF)
6. Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education (EAUC)
7. UK Universities Climate Network (UUCN)
8. Global Alliance of Universities on Climate (GAUC)
9. University of Western Australia
10. Australian National University
11. Mitsubishi
12. Hitachi
13. Toyota

The University of Cambridge’s research is on the next level. They are shaping AI for everyone, and according to the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF), 93% of Cambridge’s overall submissions were rated as world-leading or internationally excellent.

The research centres are mentioned below:

1. Cambridge Centre for Data-Driven Discovery
2. Cancer
3. Cardiovascular Disease
4. Cambridge Academy of Therapeutic Sciences
5. Conservation
6. Energy
7. Engineering Biology
8. Global Challenges
9. Global Food Security
10. Infectious Diseases
11. Language Sciences
12. Neuroscience
13. Public Health
14. Reproduction
15. Stem Cells

Fee range for international students: £27,024 – £70,554 per year

The University of Cambridge provides a great range of generous scholarships for international students to make their costs more affordable. Take a glance here to explore all the postgraduate scholarships.

Here are some other scholarships to look at:

1. Cambridge Trust
2. College awards
3. International Disabled Students' Fund
4. Prince Philip Scholarship for applicants from Hong Kong
5. International Disabled Students Fund
6. Medical Support Fund (Crane's Charity)
7. Snehal Sidhu-Patrick Memorial Fund
8. Charlie Bayne Travel Trust
9. Fund for Students with Disabilities
10. University and Colleges hardship funds
11. Snowdon Trust
12. Student Enablement Fund
13. Charitable trusts listed by Disability Rights UK
14. Stormzy Scholarship
15. Formula 1® Engineering Scholarship
16. Geography Scholarship
17. Clare College Area Links Scholarships

The notable alumni list of the University of Cambridge is packed with some of the most famous people in the world. These include:

1. Stephen Hawking
2. George VI
3. Robert Oppenheimer
4. Isaac Newton
5. Charles Darwin
6. Charles III of the United Kingdom
7. Rachel Weisz
8. Sacha Baron Cohen
9. Tom Hiddleston
10. Eddie Redmayne
11. Emma Thompson
12. Freddie Highmore
13. Ian McKellen
14. Jawaharlal Nehru
15. David Attenborough
16. Hugh Laurie
17. Lord Byron
18. Rebecca Hall
19. Naomie Harris
20. Rahul Gandhi
21. John Maynard Keynes
22. Rajiv Gandhi
23. Sonia Gandhi
24. Tom Hollander
25. Manmohan Singh
26. Charles Babbage
27. Emma Corrin
28. Muhammad Iqbal
29. Derek Jacobi
30. Olivia Williams
31. Ben Miller
32. Hannah Murray

The University of Cambridge’s Careers Service is here to support your future plans. No matter if you're an undergraduate, master's student, PhD candidate, or postdoc, their experienced and unbiased career advisors are ready to help—both during your time at Cambridge and beyond.

Their services include:

1. Who are you?
2. How ready are you?
3. Which career?
4. How we can help?
5. Quick links

1. A member of the prestigious Russell Group
2. Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
3. 125 Nobel Laureates affiliated with the university—more than any other institution in the world
4. Several alumni have received the prestigious Turing Award, the highest distinction in computer science
5. Numerous recipients of the Fields Medal (the highest honor in mathematics) have studied or taught at Cambridge
6. Contribution to the creation of over 5,000 companies through the “Cambridge Cluster” or “Silicon Fen”
7. Partnered in the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, with strong contributions from its biomedical research teams

4th in the Times Good University Guide 2025

3rd in the Guardian University Guide 2025

5th in the QS World University Rankings 2025

1st in the Complete University Guide 2025

The University of Cambridge lies in the historical city of Cambridge, England, UK. The city is widely known for being home to the prestigious University of Cambridge.

Whether you're travelling by rail, road, or bus, Cambridge is easy to reach, with direct train connections to central London stations like King’s Cross and Liverpool Street.

The city is situated along the banks of the River Cam and is well known for its beautiful college architecture, cobbled streets, green open spaces, and breathtaking riverside views.