The Old Schools
Trinity Lane
Cambridge
CB2 1TN
Tel 01223 333 308
admissions@cam.ac.uk
www.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate
Open days: contact the university

PERFORMANCE

Sunday Times ranking 2 (1)

Student satisfaction 82.9%
Head teacher ranking 1 (3)
Peer ranking 1 (5)
Research quality 74.4%
A-level/Higher points 535
Unemployment 7.5%
Firsts and 2:1s 85.6%
Student/staff ratio 11.6:1
Dropout rate 1.3% (4.2%)
World ranking 3

VITAL STATISTICS

Undergraduates 11,758 (3,926)
Postgraduates 5,697 (1,363)
Teaching staff 1,561
Applications/places 14,704/3,523; 4.2:1 (+8.2%)
Clearing entry 0%
Live in 100% (100%) £70-£100
Bursaries 25%: £50-£3,250
Scholarships Various

SOCIAL MIX

EU/overseas 7.1%/10.3%
Mature 5.1%
State school 57%
Lowest social classes 11%
Low-participation areas 3.3%

Displaced from the head of our league table for the first time in our 12th year of publication by Oxford, this is unlikely to put too much of a dampener on celebrations to mark Cambridge’s 800th anniversary. The landmark date inspired a campaign to raise £1 billion, in part to help endow student bursaries, and saw significant developments take flight. Late next year, the £82m Sainsbury laboratory for plant science research is due to be completed, and a biomedical campus is taking shape with a £200m Laboratory of Molecular Biology at its heart.

The issue of admissions has dogged Cambridge rather less in recent years than its arch-rival Oxford. Despite vice-chancellor Alison Richard’s assertion in 2007 that universities are not agents of social engineering, Cambridge has made valiant attempts to broaden its intake to the point where 57% of students are now drawn from state schools. The Cambridge Special Access Scheme allows for special representations to be made covering absence from school due to family circumstances or disability, and also difficulties faced by the school or college itself.

Aided by the success of its appeal, Cambridge offers some of the most generous bursaries in the UK, with up to £3,250 paid annually to students drawn from households with less than £25,000 income. This drops to £381 for those from homes with £40,001 to £45,000, and to zero above £50,020. About a quarter of all the intake benefits. A donation of £30m last year from Ros Edwards, an alumni of New Hall College, was earmarked for widening access and led to the renaming of the college as Murray Edwards College to honour its first president and chief benefactor, Rosemary Murray.

The 29 undergraduate colleges provide much more than a social/ residential base. They also host supervisions — teaching sessions for small groups — with an expert in the field of study. The preparation of essays for these sessions provides the drumbeat to student life.

Sport is strong, notably rowing, rugby and cricket. Most play for college pride but the university ranks ninth in inter-university competitions overall.

If you want to apply, you have until October 15.

STUDENT VIEW

Thomas Chigbo, students’ union president:

First impressions I was overwhelmed by the whole place and all the fancy buildings. The colleges run freshers’ events, so there’s lots of socialising.
Worst feature There isn’t a central students’ union building.
Facilities Because there are 31 different colleges [which includes two postgraduate ones], there’s a wide variety of facilities.
Deal clincher One-to-one teaching makes it pretty special.

Rated excellent (36)
Anatomy and physiology; anthropology; archeology; architecture; Celtic studies; chemical engineering; chemistry; classics and ancient history; computer science; east and south Asian studies; economics; education; English; general engineering; geography; geology; history; history of art, architecture and design; land and property management (land economy); law; materials technology (materials science and metallurgy); maths, statistics and operations research; Middle Eastern and African studies; modern languages; molecular biosciences; music; organismal biosciences; pharmacology and pharmacy; physics and astronomy; politics; psychology (experimental psychology); sociology; teacher training; theology and religious studies; veterinary medicine.

Student satisfaction
Law 88.8; European Languages and Area studies 87.3; Education studies 87.3; Human and Social Geography 87; History and Archaeology 86.6; Sociology, Social Policy and Anthropology 85.2; English-based studies 85.1; Psychology 84.4; Politics 84.4; Other subjects allied to Medicine 83.5; Physical Science 83.5; Biology and related Sciences 83.5; Computer Science 83; Mathematical Sciences 82; Mechanically-based Engineering 81.6; Philosophy, Theology and Religious studies 80.2; Veterinary Sciences 79.9; Medicine and Dentistry 78.9; Performing Arts 77.2

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