University of Cambridge
A collegiate university of 31 Colleges where undergraduates are taught in small-group supervisions alongside lectures.
- Offer rate
- 22%
- 2025 admissions cycle (entry autumn 2025)
- Students
- 24,927
- 12,850 undergraduates
- Tuition
- £30,798
- From · 2027-28
- Founded
- 1209
About Cambridge
The University of Cambridge was founded in 1209 and is a confederation of 31 self-governing Colleges and a set of Faculties and Departments grouped into six Schools: Arts and Humanities, Biological Sciences, Clinical Medicine, Humanities and Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Technology. Undergraduates are members of both a College and their department. Departments organise lectures, practicals and exams; Colleges choose their own students, house them and arrange supervisions.
Supervisions are the heart of teaching: roughly hour-long discussions in small groups led by a specialist, for which you prepare an essay or a set of problems. They are not assessed, which makes them a place to test ideas and get regular feedback. Terms are short and busy, and the university expects at least 35 hours a week of study and contact time.
In 2025-26 Cambridge had 12,850 undergraduates and 12,080 postgraduates from 144 countries. Cambridge suits students who want intense, discussion-based teaching and want to live in a College community for their whole degree.
Hinc lucem et pocula sacra
“From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge” — university motto
Why students choose Cambridge
Supervisions give every undergraduate regular small-group teaching with a subject specialist from the first term.
College accommodation is guaranteed for three or four years for students without children, usually on 27-39 week contracts rather than a full year's rent.
Cambridge was ranked 6th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, joint 3rd in the THE World University Rankings 2026 and 4th in ARWU 2026.
The Cambridge technology cluster around the university is home to more than 5,000 knowledge-intensive companies and is the birthplace of 26 businesses valued at more than $1 billion.
Admissions
2025 admissions cycle (entry autumn 2025)
About 1 in 5 applications receives an offer
4,893 offers from 22,513 applications
Offer rate: 22,513 applications and 4,893 offers in the 2025 cycle, with 3,669 acceptances. Cambridge's own 'success rate' (acceptances divided by applications) was 16.3% overall, 19.6% for Home applications and 10.7% for other applications. Computer Science had the lowest success rate among large courses (7.4%: 1,739 applications, 128 acceptances).
Typical entry requirements
| A-levels | Minimum offers of A*AA or A*A*A depending on course; Colleges may set higher offers. In 2025, 94.2% of accepted Home students achieved A*AA or better. |
|---|---|
| IB Diploma | Minimum offer 41-42 points out of 45, with 776 at Higher Level |
| English language | IELTS 7.5 Minimum for admission is normally IELTS Academic 7.5 overall with 7.0 or above in each element (a good CEFR C1 standard). For interview, Cambridge recommends at least IELTS 6.5 with no element below 6.0 at the point of application. The College making the offer sets the exact condition; check the English language requirements page for other accepted tests. |
Deadlines
- UCAS (Cambridge) Non-binding Next deadline · In 9 days15 October 2026, 18:00 UK time
Deadline for all standard 2027-entry applications to Cambridge.
- My Cambridge Application Non-binding In 16 days22 October 2026, 18:00 UK time
Additional Cambridge form; also the deadline to provide a transcript where required.
- UCAS (Foundation Year and some mature routes) Non-binding In ~3 months13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
Only for the Foundation Year and certain courses at mature Colleges.
ESAT and TMUA registration closed on 28 September 2026 and tests run 12-16 October 2026; the LNAT must be taken by 15 October 2026 and the UCAT by 24 September 2026. Applicants interviewed in the main December period receive decisions on 27 January 2027.
How to apply
Apply through UCAS by 15 October 2026, choosing a College or making an open application, then complete the My Cambridge Application form by 22 October 2026. Register for any required pre-interview test (ESAT, TMUA, UCAT or LNAT); shortlisted applicants are interviewed, mostly between 7 and 18 December 2026, and some courses add written work or a College assessment.
What admissions looks for
- Academic ability and potential, shown through grades and predicted grades, which must usually meet at least the minimum offer level for the course.
- Strong performance in any pre-interview test; there is no pass mark, but a strong score is usually needed to reach interview.
- The ability to discuss your subject and think through new problems in an academic interview, which every successful applicant has.
- Suitability for supervision-style learning: preparing work independently and engaging with feedback.
Tips for applying to Cambridge
- 1 Submit My Cambridge Application by 22 October 2026; it is a separate form from UCAS and missing it can end your application.
- 2 Check whether your College interviews online or in person for 2027 entry and keep 7-18 December 2026 free, since interviews are rarely rescheduled.
- 3 For Computer Science at Peterhouse or Trinity, prepare for the CSAT in addition to the TMUA.
- 4 If you are a strong STEM applicant, Cambridge notes that successful candidates usually take Further Mathematics as a fourth A-level.
- 5 Do not worry if you are pooled: in January, Colleges may share strong applications with other Colleges that have places.
Costs & financial aid
2027-28 · figures in GBP
The Cambridge Bursary gives UK students up to £3,500 a year, non-repayable, based on household income and assessed automatically through Student Finance; care leavers can receive £8,350. Named outreach scholarships include the Stormzy Scholarship and the Formula 1 Engineering Scholarship. For international students, few full scholarships exist; most support is partial and means-tested, via Colleges and the Cambridge Trust.
- Up to £3,500 per year
- Cambridge Bursary (UK students)
- £8,350 per year
- Cambridge Bursary for care leavers
- £30,798 (most arts and social sciences) to £70,554 (Medicine and Veterinary Medicine)
- International fee bands, 2027 entry
Academics
Natural Sciences
Cambridge's largest intake: 2,644 applications and 576 acceptances in 2025; applicants sit the ESAT.
Mathematics
2,032 applications and 555 offers in 2025; applicants sit the TMUA.
Computer Science
The most selective large course in 2025, with a 7.4% success rate (1,739 applications, 128 acceptances).
Engineering
3,263 applications in 2025, the most of any Cambridge course; applicants sit the ESAT.
Medicine
1,530 applications and 270 acceptances in 2025; the UCAT is required.
Economics
A 10.0% success rate in 2025 (1,647 applications, 164 acceptances); applicants take the TMUA.
Research
- The university counts 126 Nobel Prize laureates among its alumni and affiliates.
- The Cambridge technology cluster includes more than 5,000 knowledge-intensive companies and has produced 26 businesses valued at over $1 billion.
- Cambridge University Press & Assessment publishes over 400 peer-reviewed journals and runs exam boards used by more than 8 million learners a year.
Schools & faculties
- Arts and Humanities
- Biological Sciences
- Clinical Medicine
- Humanities and Social Sciences
- Physical Sciences
- Technology
92% of working Cambridge graduates are in high-skilled employment (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2023-24).
Student life
Your College is home for the whole degree: Cambridge guarantees College accommodation for three or four years, and each of the 29 undergraduate Colleges has its own dining hall, library and usually a gym and sports grounds. Rent typically covers utilities, cleaning and internet, and contracts run for 27-39 weeks rather than a full year. Formal halls, optional three-course dinners held a few times a week, are a Cambridge tradition. Beyond College, students join university-wide clubs and societies and compete against Oxford in varsity fixtures.
- 29 undergraduate Colleges, each with its own dining hall, library and community.
- Formal halls: optional three-course College dinners, usually held a few times a week.
- Accommodation guaranteed for three or four years in College property.
- Alumni and affiliates include 217 Olympic medallists, according to the university.
Housing. College accommodation is guaranteed for three or four years for students without children, usually on 27-39 week contracts.
Location
Cambridge is a compact university city where Colleges, faculties and departments sit close together, and the Backs, the lawns behind the riverside Colleges such as King's and Clare, are among its most photographed views. Most students live in College for their whole degree, which keeps daily life local. Cambridge estimates student living costs at about £1,330 a month in 2027-28, with accommodation (around £880 a month) the largest share.
Nearest airport: London Stansted (STN)
Notable alumni
- SI Sir Isaac NewtonLaws of motion and universal gravitation; fellow of Trinity College and Lucasian Professor
- CD Charles DarwinTheory of evolution by natural selection (studied at Christ's College)
- AT Alan TuringFather of theoretical computer science (King's College)
- RF Rosalind FranklinX-ray crystallography central to discovering DNA's structure (Natural Sciences, Newnham College)
- SD Sir David AttenboroughNatural history broadcaster (Clare College)
- JN Jawaharlal NehruFirst Prime Minister of India (Trinity College)
- ZS Zadie SmithNovelist, author of White Teeth (English, King's College)
- JG Jane GoodallPrimatologist; PhD in ethology from Cambridge
Frequently asked questions
What is Cambridge's acceptance rate?
Cambridge publishes offer and success rates rather than an acceptance rate: in the 2025 cycle it received 22,513 applications and made 4,893 offers, an offer rate of about 21.7%. Its own success rate, counting acceptances, was 16.3% overall and 10.7% for applicants outside the Home category.
What grades do you need for Cambridge?
Minimum A-level offers are A*AA or A*A*A depending on the course, and the IB minimum is 41-42 points with 776 at Higher Level. Colleges can set higher offers.
What is the Cambridge application deadline for 2027 entry?
Submit your UCAS application by 6pm UK time on 15 October 2026 and My Cambridge Application by 22 October 2026. Pre-registration tests such as the ESAT and TMUA run on 12-16 October 2026.
Does everyone get an interview at Cambridge?
Not everyone, but many applicants are interviewed and everyone who receives an offer has been interviewed. The main interview period for 2027 entry is 7-18 December 2026, online or in person depending on the College, and decisions follow on 27 January 2027.
How much does Cambridge cost for international students?
For 2027 entry, international tuition ranges from £30,798 to £70,554 a year depending on the course, plus an annual College fee. Cambridge estimates living costs of about £11,970 for nine months.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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