The University of Cambridge (often called Cambridge University), located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world. Academically, Cambridge is consistently ranked in the world's top 5 universities.
The University of Cambridge currently has 31 colleges, of which three admit only women (Murray Edwards, Newnham and Lucy Cavendish). In addition, the University is made up of over 150 Departments, Faculties, Schools, Syndicates and other institutions.
Cambridge Admissions Office
Admission information :
Choosing a course
If think you would like to apply to Cambridge, the first thing to do is to choose the course you want to study. Details of what’s involved in each course can be found in our courses section. You’ll need to check that you are studying the right subjects and have, or are likely to achieve, the right grades for your chosen subject.
See entrance requirements for general guidance and details of course specific requirements.
Choosing a College
Once you've decided we offer a course that you would like to study, you need to consider College choice. You can choose a College yourself or you can make an 'open' application and accept the allocation made by a computer. In either case, your UCAS application will be sent to a College, and that College will assess it.
See choosing a College in the Colleges section for further advice on choosing a College or making an open application.
How to apply
To apply to Cambridge, you will need to submit an application to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Once received, your application will be forwarded to a Cambridge College for consideration.
What happens next?
Shortly after submitting your UCAS application, you will be asked to provide additional information through the online Supplementary Application Questionnaire (SAQ). See the SAQ section for details and guidance on completing the SAQ.
Open applications are allocated to Colleges as soon as possible after the closing date. If you sumbitted an Open application you will shortly hear from the College that you have been allocated to.
You may asked to provide examples of your academic work before interview. If you have taken the BMAT or the LNAT, the results will be available to interviewers. Other applicants may be asked to take the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) or a short subject-based test when they come for interview.
Invitation to interview
Interviews form an important part of our selection procedure. We will review the gathered field and consider each applicant's individual circumstances before deciding who to invite to interview.
Tuition and Fees :
Tuition fees
The tuition fee at the University of Cambridge for 2009–10 is £3,225 per year for all courses, as outlined in our Access Agreement, which has been approved by the Office for Fair Access (OFFA). A small inflationary rise determined by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) will be applied to the fee for 2010–11.
No student has to pay their tuition fees while they are studying at university. You can choose to do so if you wish, but you can also take out a student loan for fees, and defer payment until you have graduated. The student loan for fees is paid back in instalments once you have left university and are earning a minimum salary determined by the DIUS (currently £15,000 per year).
Unlike overseas-fee-status students (and students from the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man), UK or EU students who have been judged eligible for public support do not have to pay an additional College fee, unless they are studying for a second degree.
Financial Aid Information:
Cambridge has one of the most extensive bursary schemes in the UK. Therefore, don't let the costs put you off from applying and missing out on some great opportunities!
Financial support
- Government student loan for living costs (for UK students only)
- Government maintenance grants (for UK students only)
- Cambridge Bursary Scheme (for UK students only)
- College awards
- Access to Learning Fund
- Sports grants and bursaries
- Music awards
- Support for students with a disability
- Support for students with dependent children
