Oxbridge Guide: Cambridge Colleges
The University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge are the most famous universities in the UK; they are both extremely prestigious and notoriously difficult to gain admittance to, resulting in driven, competitive, and aspirational students and graduates.
To support students applying to these universities, we are publishing a series of articles on the admissions and applications process required, the courses available, and the universities themselves. In this article, we discuss the Colleges open to undergraduate students at Cambridge University.
Colleges at Cambridge
Cambridge University consists of 31 different Colleges. 26 of these Colleges are open to undergraduate students whereas 5 of these Colleges (Clare Hall, Darwin, Hughes Hall, St Edmund’s and Wolfson) admit only mature undergraduate students (21 or older) or postgraduate students.
Each College is an academic community, where students will ordinarily have their tutorials. Each College will typically have its own dining hall, bar, common room and library, as well as other facilities. Each College will also have its own groups and societies for students to join.
Each College is an independent institution; each College will select their own staff and are responsible for selecting students, in accordance with University regulations. The teaching of students is shared between the Colleges and University departments while the degrees are awarded by the University.
Key considerations for which College to apply to involve general accommodation considerations as well as the atmosphere each College provides. Some Colleges are more traditional in construction and outlook whereas others are more modern. Taking some time to research each College and identify which intrigue you most is highly recommended. If you have the opportunity, then visiting the College or at least viewing it online is a must. A virtual tour of Cambridge including details regarding courses is available here.
A Cambridge College breakdown to support students in their consideration of which Cambridge College to apply to can be accessed here.
Below is an alphabetical list of the 26 Colleges at Cambridge which are open to all undergraduate students with a link to each College’s web page.
For more advice or for a free personalised application plan, contact our team at info@libraeducation.co.uk.
We hope that this article will provide you with greater preparation for your application to study at the University of Cambridge. We wish you success in the next stage of your academic career.