University of Cambridge

HISTORY: The first college to be established in Cambridge was Peterhouse, which dates back to 1284. Cambridge is firmly established as one of the world’s elite universities.Cambridge, like Oxford, operates a college system. All students on the same course, regardless of their College, attend the same lectures, seminars and practicals together, and sit the same exams. So it's not the case that some colleges are better for particular courses.However not all Colleges offer all subjects and some are for mature students only and 3 only accept female students. There are 29 undergraduate colleges in total at Cambridge. For some students the College is just where they sleep and eat, for others it can be where their lectures are held and for most it is where students focus their socialising.

LOCATION: Cambridge is a very compact city. College accommodation is close to the city centre and within walking or cycling distance of academic departments.

RANKING: University of Cambridge is currently ranked =5th in the Times Higher Education World University rankings and is ranked 3rd in the Shanghai Jiao Tong rankings. Cambridge is a member of the Russell group of universities.University of Cambridge is not included in the National Student Survey Satisfaction rankings for 2021.

INTERNATIONAL: Approximately 27% of all students at Cambridge are international students, representing more than 120 countries.

SIZE: There are approximately 10,500 undergraduate students at Cambridge and over 7,000 postgraduate students.

EMPLOYMENT: HESA govt statistics show that 93.1% of Cambridge graduates are in employment or in further education 6 months after graduation. However, a breakdown of post-graduation employment by course, showing the split into professional/managerial positions, rather than general employment figures, is available from Unistats an independent source of university data. For more information, please visit the REF Information page.

FACILITIES: Floodlit UK Athletics grade 1 Athletics track, a newly resurfaced, floodlit sand-dressed hockey ground, Fenner's Cricket and Tennis Ground (home to the MCCU Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence), a fitness suite housing £50,000 worth of the latest cardiovascular and strength training equipment.

Construction of the University's new Sports Centre is currently underway too. This major new development and state-of-the-art building includes: a sports hall - providing for archery, badminton, basketball, boxing, five-a-side football, gymnastics, netball and volleyball, a weights rooms and fitness suite, a multi-purpose room to accommodate martial arts, fencing, table tennis, and dance and fitness classes.Further phases are planned, subject to funding, to provide squash courts, a sports medicine and rehabilitation space, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, and a 50-metre swimming pool.Cambridge is also famous for its cultural activities-the university has several hundred registered clubs and societies including Footlights drama. The ADC theatre in Cambridge is a department of the University of Cambridge, and is the oldest University playhouse in the country. The ADC is the centre of University drama in Cambridge, run almost entirely by students with no Faculty involvement.

ACCOMMODATION: Most annual accommodation contracts are for 30-39 weeks, so students don't have to pay rent during the holidays. At Cambridge, you don’t have to choose between ‘catered’ or ‘self-catered’ accommodation as Colleges provide basic self-catering facilities as well as cafeterias/dining halls. Some levy a separate charge towards the running costs of the College kitchens – the kitchen facilities charge – while others include this within their accommodation costs. A small number of Colleges require you to have a certain number of meals in the Buttery or dining hall each term.The lowest price for a single room with shared bathroom and kitchen facilities is £120.00 per week.

COST: International undergraduate tuition fees: Fees for full time undergraduate courses are banded into 6 Groups and start at £23,340 for most Arts, Humanities and Social Science subjects. Engineering subjects and Natural Sciences are £35,517. Medicine - £60,924.

SUBJECT AREAS: REF (Research Excellence Framework) was an independent government review conducted into the quality of research at UK universities and published in December 2014. This information highlights subjects of specialism within each university. We have listed all subject areas where at least 60% of the research conducted in these specific fields has been graded 3 or 4 stars. (4 stars being the highest ranking REF award). For more information, please visit the REF Information page.

ONLINE COURSES: Cambridge does not offer any online undergraduate or postgraduate degree courses, but via Cambridge’s Institute of Continuing Education there are other online, short course options available.

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