University of Cambridge
The Old Schools, Trinity Ln, Cambridge CB2 1TN, United Kingdom
3200 International Students

QS Rank
2
Languages
English
Acceptance rate
21.8
Dorm on Campus
Available
Mode of Degree
offline
About the University
The University of Cambridge was established in the year 1209 which makes it one of the oldest universities in the world. Technically, it is a public collegiate research university in England. The University has been accredited at number 2 by the QS World University Rankings 2024.
Presently, the University of Cambridge is the home to 24,720 students with 9000 international students from 140 countries. The acceptance rate of the university ranges between 18 to 21% which makes it a fairly difficult institution in the world to get admission.
University of Cambridge Key highlights
The University of Cambridge is the 4th oldest university in the world. It is considered one of the top five universities in the United Kingdom. The college has 22 affiliated colleges offering Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Doctoral courses. Cambridge University boasts of a 95% placement rate.
It also offers 500 scholarships via the Cambridge Trust supporting 1200 students annually. Presently, the university has a male-female ratio of 49:51. Whereas, the university is considered best with its student-faculty ratio of 11:1.
University of Cambridge Overview |
|
Particulars |
Details |
Application Fee |
£50 (5,245 INR) |
Establishment Year |
1209 |
World Ranking |
3 |
QS Rank |
2 |
Scholarship |
30% off tuition fees |
No. Of International Students |
9000 |
Website |
www.cam.ac.uk |
Placement% |
95% |
English Language Tests are accepted. |
IELTS / TOEFL |
University of Cambridge Acceptance Rate |
19% |
University of Cambridge Ranking
The University of Cambridge is one of the most prestigious universities in the world and has consistently ranked highly in both national and global rankings. In the most recent national rankings, the university ranked first in the Complete University Guide for 2024, while ranking third in both the Guardian and Times / Sunday Times rankings.
In terms of global rankings, the university ranked fourth in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) for 2023, second in the QS rankings for 2024, and fifth in the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings for 2024.
University of Cambridge Ranking |
|||||||
Ranked By |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
ARWU (Shanghai Ranking) - Universities Rankings |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
NA |
NA |
QS - World University Ranking |
NA |
NA |
7 |
7 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
THE (Times Higher Education) - University Ranking |
NA |
2 |
3 |
6 |
5 |
3 |
NA |
The Complete University Guide - University Ranking UK |
NA |
NA |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
The Guardian - University Rankings |
NA |
1 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
US News & World Report - Global Universities |
NA |
9 |
9 |
9 |
8 |
8 |
NA |
University of Cambridge Scholarships
The University of Cambridge offers around 500 scholarships on an annual basis thus supporting at least 1400 students annually. These scholarships are offered based on the course opted by them, qualifications, and eligibility. Other than this, IELTS and GMAT scores are also considered for the scholarship process.
Award/Fellowship |
Amount in Pound |
Eligibility |
Cambridge Trust Scholarship (undergraduate)- BA (Hons) Economics |
23,340 |
The candidates scoring 90% or higher marks in ICSE, NIOS or CBSE board exam will be eligible for this scholarship. Subject required: Mathematics IELTS: 7.5 with 7.0 or above in each element |
Cambridge Trust Scholarship (undergraduate)- BA (Hons) Computer Science |
37,293 |
The candidates scoring 90% or higher marks in ICSE, NIOS or CBSE board exam will be eligible for this scholarship. Subject required: Mathematics IELTS: 7.5 with 7.0 or above in each element |
The Oxford and Cambridge Society of India Scholarships- University of Cambridge |
1900 |
A Graduate or Post Graduate candidate must be a citizen of India with an age not more than 30 years of age as of 01 September. |
Cambridge Trust Scholarship (undergraduate)- Bachelors of Architecture |
30,537 |
Only International applicants who are offered a place by Cambridge College will get the Cambridge Trust Scholarships |
The Oxford and Cambridge Society of India Scholarships- University of Cambridge |
1901 |
The candidate must be a citizen of India with an age of not more than 30 years on 01 September A Graduate of an Indian University or a Post Graduate course. Candidate must have applied for and secured admission to study a full-time course at the University of Cambridge. |
St John’s College Khattar Harrison Scholarship |
5,000 |
Applicable for only women candidates pursuing undergraduate studies at St John's College. |
Gates Cambridge Scholarship- MBA |
82,906 |
Bachelor of Arts (3 years) (From University of Delhi and Mumbai) with a grade of 70% or Masters with a passing marks IELTS: 7.5 with min score of 7.0 in each section GMAT/ GRE: test score is required Work Experience Interview |
Gates Cambridge Scholarship- MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development |
6,500 |
IELTS: 7.5 with min score of 7.0 in each section GMAT/ GRE: test score is required Work Experience Interview LOR SOP |
Irene Hallinan Scholarship |
6,172 |
Graduation in any subject with First Class from a recognised university English Language Proficiency- IELTS: overall 7.5 with 7 in each component |
University of Cambridge Top courses
The University of Cambridge offers a range of UG courses across five categories namely, Science, Social Science, Technology, Medicine, and Humanities. The students can choose from 30 UG courses across 65 subject areas. They can choose courses based on their qualification and area of interest.
The cost of attendance at the University of Cambridge depends on the course chosen by the student along with their status. The status of the fee is based on the nationality and residence. Those who have been a resident of the UK for the last three years will have a home fee status or they will be likely to have an international status.
Other than the fees, miscellaneous expenses like food, accommodation, personal items and study costs also determine the University of Cambridge cost of attendance.
Note:-The fee structure mentioned below is subject to change in accordance with the university's policies. The university reserves the right to modify the fees at any time without prior notice
Course |
Annual Cost (£) |
Annual Cost (INR) |
Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic; Archaeology; Asian and Middle Eastern Studies; Classics; Economics; Education; English; History; History and Modern Languages; History and Politics; History of Art; Human, Social, and Political Sciences; Land Economy; Law; Linguistics; Modern and Mediaeval Languages; Philosophy; Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion (Group 1) |
25,734 |
2,613,030 |
Mathematics (Group 2) |
28,704 |
2,914,604 |
Architecture; Design; Geography; Music (Group 3) |
33,672 |
3,419,055 |
Chemical Engineering; Computer Science; Engineering; Management Studies; Manufacturing Engineering; Natural Sciences; Psychological and Behavioural Sciences (Group 4) |
39,162 |
3,976,509 |
Medical and Veterinary Science (including for this purpose the Second M.B. and Second Vet.M.B. Examinations) (Group 5) |
67,194 |
6,822,879 |
University of Cambridge Campus
The University of Cambridge has a sprawling campus spreading across 617 hectares (1,520 acres) across the historic city centre of Cambridge, England. The University offers a vibrant campus life to 24,000+ students enrolled in different courses under 150 departments.
Cambridge University Press & Assessment is the largest department of the university with a whopping £1 billion of annual revenue. The university has a total of 116 libraries that consist of 16 million books.University of Cambridge Major Intakes
The University of Cambridge has three intakes namely, Michaelmas, Lent and Easter. The application deadline for each of these intakes has been prescribed in the table below.
University of Cambridge Major Intakes |
|
---|---|
Intake |
Admission Timelines |
Michaelmas |
October – December |
Lent |
Jan – March |
Easter |
April – June |
University of Cambridge Work-Study Programs
The University of Cambridge offers work-study programmes for students offering them the opportunity to gain work experience while pursuing their course. However, they have to adhere to the work restrictions and policies. The following are the major rules that students have to abide by when pursuing a UG or PG course.
-
UG students are not expected to work during term time
-
Advanced Diploma students are expected not to work during term time.
-
Masters students undertaking less than twelve months are expected not to work during term time.
Job Hours Allowed
-
If you're a postgraduate research student pursuing over twelve months, the University advises you to limit your work hours to 6-10 per week. It's essential to keep in mind that the academic year for postgraduate research students runs continuously from 1st October to 30th September. It's strictly recommended that students should not exceed a maximum of 20 hours of work each week, which includes both paid and unpaid work
-
The students who are not studying on a Tier 4/student visa can continue to work full-time unless the visa result is revised and resubmitted for a total period of 20 hours a week
University of Cambridge Notable Alumni
The University of Cambridge is one of the oldest public research universities and has been home to some exemplary students who have made significant contributions in the fields of Art, Science and Humanities. Till date, 121 Cambridge alumni have won the prestigious Nobel Prize for their iconic work.
Jawaharlal Nehru (First Indian Prime Minister)
Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Indian PM was a notable alumni of the University of Cambridge. He graduated from Trinity College with honours in Natural Science in 1910.
King Charles III (England)
King Charles III, the reigning monarch of England pursued his degree in History from Trinity College, Cambridge University. Then he went on to serve in the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. He ascended to the throne on 08 September 2022.
Emma Thompson (British Actor)
Emma Thompson a prominent British actress, screenwriter and author has also completed her degree in English at Newnham College, University of Cambridge. Apart from being an actor, she is also an extraordinary screenwriter and has won an Oscar for both acting and screenwriting.
Stephen Hawking (Physicist)
Known for his exemplary contribution to Astro Physics for his discovery of Black Holes, Stephen Hawking was a renowned Physicist and cosmologist. He completed his PhD degree in applied mathematics and theoretical physics, specialising in general relativity and cosmology.
Cost of living in United Kingdom
The cost of living in UK depends on international students on several expenses from the locality and the type of lifestyle. The international students can expect to spend around (£) 750 to 800 every month.
Some of the major factors that decide the cost of living in the UK are books and materials, food, transport, phone, and interest. While yearly, the students have to spend (£) 2000 to 2250. The following table can be checked to get the cost breakup for all the expenses.
Cost of Living in UK |
||
Expense |
in Pound (£) |
in INR |
Books and Material (yearly) |
Up to 800 |
84,000 |
Health Insurance (monthly) |
800-915 |
84,000 - 95,775 |
Food (monthly) |
300-330 |
31,500- 34,650 |
Transport (monthly) |
40-55 |
4,200- 5,775 |
Entertainment (monthly) |
85-100 |
8,925- 10,500 |
Phone & Internet (monthly) |
40-45 |
4,200- 4,725 |
Requirements for Study
Undergraduate Admissions:
- Academic Excellence:
Cambridge seeks students with a strong academic background. You should have excellent high school grades, particularly in subjects relevant to your chosen course. - Admissions Tests:
Many undergraduate courses require applicants to take subject-specific admissions tests, such as the Cambridge Law Test or the Mathematics Admissions Test (MAT). Check the specific course requirements for details. - A-levels or Equivalent:
If you're applying from the UK, you'll usually need to have completed A-levels or the International Baccalaureate (IB). International students should have equivalent qualifications. - Personal Statement:
You'll need to submit a personal statement that explains your interest in the chosen course and why you're a suitable candidate. - Interview:
Shortlisted candidates are often invited for an interview as part of the selection process. Interviews assess your academic abilities and suitability for the course. Graduate Admissions: - Bachelor's Degree:
You must hold a bachelor's degree from a recognized institution. For some courses, a relevant bachelor's degree is required. - Academic Transcripts:
Submit official transcripts of your academic records from all post-secondary institutions attended. - Letters of Recommendation:
Provide academic references or letters of recommendation from professors who can speak to your academic abilities and potential. - Research Proposal (Ph.D.):
For research-based graduate programs, you'll need to submit a research proposal outlining your intended research project. - English Language Proficiency:
International applicants may need to demonstrate English language proficiency through tests like IELTS or TOEFL. - Entrance Exams:
Some graduate programs may require specific entrance exams, such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Admissions Test (GAT). - Interview:
Depending on the course, you may be invited for an interview as part of the admission process.