University of Cambridge, details of Cambridge university

Cambridge 

University ranking

• 2010  2
• 2009  2
• 2008  1

History

• The university, founded in 1209, will soon be celebrating its 800th anniversary.

Location and Transport

• Cambridge is 88.5 km (55 miles) north of London, off the M11 motorway, a 45-minute journey by train.
• Stansted Airport is 48 km (30 miles) away.

Accommodation

• Cambridge colleges guarantee college-owned accommodation for three years, and most provide for fourth-year students too.
• The college is more than just a hall of residence: it’s for living, studying and socialising.
• The college communities include undergraduate and research students, teachers and lecturers.
• More information is available here.  

Entry standards
League Table

• Most conditional offers made by the Cambridge colleges will require AAA in three A level subjects (or equivalent).
• Applicants may be asked to submit written work or sit a test (i.e. BMAT or a college-based test).
• The university interviews the majority of its undergraduate applicants.

Bursaries and Scholarships

In receipt of partial Maintenance Grant: £50–£2,000
Mature students who are Cambridge residents and are recipients of the full Maintenance Grant will be eligible for an enhanced bursary of £5,400

• Tuition fees (2009): £3,225.
• Year abroad tuition fee will be half the standard tuition fee.
• Mature students who are Cambridge residents and are recipients of the full Maintenance Grant will be eligible for an enhanced bursary of £5,250.
• Students from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland may be eligible for bursaries, subject to assessment.
• 30% of additional fee income (£7 million in 2010–11) will be earmarked for bursaries.
• Also financial support for disabled students and students with dependent children.
• For more information on bursaries and scholarships at Cambridge, click here and here.

Course flexibility

• Courses cover the subject very broadly in the initial years and then become more specialised within a wide range of options in the later years.

Teaching standards
League Table

• Cambridge is at the international forefront of excellence in teaching and research.
• Performance league tables consistently place Cambridge among the world’s top-ranking institutions.
• Supervisions, small group tutorials with a senior member of the university, are one of the unique advantages of the teaching at Cambridge.

Research standards
League Table

• In the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise, 48 of the 51 departments received the top 5 grade, with 30 receiving the ultimate 5* accolade.

Academic strengths

• Cambridge has produced 83 Nobel Prize winners.
• The university has the highest level of graduate employment in the UK.

Student facilities, including Library and Computing
League Table 

• Every college has a computer suite, linked to the university network and available (usually round the clock) for work and email.
• Each college library contains the standard texts needed for an undergraduate course, as well as other materials. The university provides extensive library facilities in every department.
• The university library is a copyright library, meaning it receives by law a copy of every book published in Britain.

Disability service

• The university has a Disability Resource Centre: telephone 01223 332301; textphone 01223 764085; fax 01223 766863,email, or visit the website.

Students’ Union

• The union exists to represent Cambridge students' interests at a university level, and to provide central services and support for all students.
• Visit the website for details.

Sport

• A  wide range of sports are catered for at university and c ollege level. For more information on sport at Cambridge, clickhere. 
• Sports facilities include playing fields, courts, boathouses and often additional facilities such as multi-gyms.

Recent/prospective new builds

• An ongoing estate development programme is currently valued at more than £550 million, with major new faculty, research and accommodation facilities.

Availability of part-time work

• Since the university terms are short and highly demanding on students’ time and intellectual capabilities, the university strongly discourages taking on part-time work.

For further information

• www.cam.ac.uk
• admissions@cam.ac.uk
• Univerity of Cambridge, The Old Schools, Trinity Lane, Cambridge CB2 1TN
• +44 (0) 1223 333308
•  Travel and maps