TEACHING
QUALITY
University of Cambridge
1
st=
NATIONAL
RANK
RANK
88.6%
FIRSTS
2:1s
2:1s
98.9%
COMPLETION
RATE
RATE
Key Stats
n/a
10th
STUDENT
EXPERIENCE
EXPERIENCE
1st
RESEARCH
QUALITY
QUALITY
2nd
GRADUATE
PROSPECTS
PROSPECTS
Contact details
ADDRESS
The Old Schools,
Trinity Lane, Cambridge, CB2 1TN View on map >
Telephone
Email
Website
Open days
July 2 and 3, 2015
University Profile
Cambridge and Oxford have recorded the first dead heat at the head of our league table in 20 years, despite Cambridge topping 33 of the 66 subject tables (26 more than Oxford). Cambridge leads four of our institutional performance indicators covering entry standards, research quality, student satisfaction and graduate prospects — and rises one place to 2= in the new QS World University rankings.
Cambridge has a much better graduate employment rate than Oxford six months after graduation and slightly higher levels of student satisfaction. It has the highest entry standards of any UK university, demanding at least A*AA at A-level, although candidates may be made a lower offer if their school or personal circumstances are thought to disadvantage them.
For most degrees, the top grade can come in any subject, but for some courses there will be additional tests, such as Cambridge’s own STEP (sixth-term examination papers) tests. With fewer than five applicants for each place – fewer still if you choose your subject carefully – the competition for places appears less intense than at the popular civic universities, but the real difference is that nine out
That competition shows no sign of easing, since the university has not increased the size of its intake with the relaxation of recruitment restrictions covering the brightest students by the Government.
The university produced the best results in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, when nearly a third of its research was considered world-leading and over 70% was rated in the top two categories. John Gurdon, Emeritus Professor in Cell Biology, became the latest of 90 Nobel laureates when he won the prize for medicine in 2012.
Research facilities are constantly upgraded. In 2012, for example, a new building opened to support integrated research activity in the humanities and social sciences. The following year, the Queen opened a new building for molecular biology which cost more than £200m and houses 600 scientists, PhD students and research staff. Cambridge is involved in numerous national and international research networks. For example, it was chosen to host one of five Academic Health Science Centres to lead biomedical innovation.
Efforts to diversify the student intake appear to be bearing fruit with 63% of students now recruited from state schools, according to the latest figures – putting clear water between Cambridge and Oxford (where just 57.4% of entrants are state educated). However, the proportion of working-class undergraduates remains low, at less than 12%. Summer schools, student visits and, in some colleges, sympathetic selection procedures are helping to attract more applications from comprehensive schools and further education colleges.
Although Cambridge is charging the full £9,000 undergraduate fee, there are £6,000 fee waivers for the poorest students and additional bursaries according to parental income.
The application system has been simplified slightly, with candidates no longer required to complete an initial Cambridge form, as well as their UCAS form. However, they are still sent the Supplementary Application Questionnaire, after they have submitted their UCAS form, covering the applicant’s academic experience in more detail.
The tripos system was a forerunner of the currently fashionable modular degree, allowing students to change subjects (within limits) midway through their courses. Students receive a classification for each of the two parts of their degree.
Choosing a college is an additional complication for those not familiar with Cambridge. Making the right choice is crucial, both to maximise the chances of winning a place and to ensure an enjoyable three years if you are successful. The atmosphere and subject mix varies considerably between colleges.
Applicants can take pot luck with an open application if they prefer not to opt for a particular college, but only a minority take this route and it offers no greater chance of gaining a place.
Most teaching is now university-based, especially in the sciences, and a shift of emphasis towards the centre has been taking place more generally.
A £1bn funding appeal to mark the university’s 800th anniversary, in 2009, reached its target two years early, making Cambridge the first university outside the USA to raise such a sum. The money has gone into bursaries and scholarships, professorships and teaching posts, and new buildings for research, teaching and student accommodation.
A £16m sports centre opened in 2013, featuring a large sports hall and a strength and conditioning wing. In the longer term, the university now has planning permission for its first out-of-town site, which will cost £1bn to develop and will include housing for staff, students and local people in its first phase.
Cambridge is not for everyone, however bright. The amount of high-quality work to be crammed into eight-week terms can prove a strain, although the projected dropout rate of 1.1% is the lowest at any university. Most students relish the experience and reap the rewards in their careers. If you are up for the challenge, applications must be in by October 15.
Cambridge has a much better graduate employment rate than Oxford six months after graduation and slightly higher levels of student satisfaction. It has the highest entry standards of any UK university, demanding at least A*AA at A-level, although candidates may be made a lower offer if their school or personal circumstances are thought to disadvantage them.
For most degrees, the top grade can come in any subject, but for some courses there will be additional tests, such as Cambridge’s own STEP (sixth-term examination papers) tests. With fewer than five applicants for each place – fewer still if you choose your subject carefully – the competition for places appears less intense than at the popular civic universities, but the real difference is that nine out
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of 10 entrants have at least three A grades at A-level.That competition shows no sign of easing, since the university has not increased the size of its intake with the relaxation of recruitment restrictions covering the brightest students by the Government.
The university produced the best results in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, when nearly a third of its research was considered world-leading and over 70% was rated in the top two categories. John Gurdon, Emeritus Professor in Cell Biology, became the latest of 90 Nobel laureates when he won the prize for medicine in 2012.
Research facilities are constantly upgraded. In 2012, for example, a new building opened to support integrated research activity in the humanities and social sciences. The following year, the Queen opened a new building for molecular biology which cost more than £200m and houses 600 scientists, PhD students and research staff. Cambridge is involved in numerous national and international research networks. For example, it was chosen to host one of five Academic Health Science Centres to lead biomedical innovation.
Efforts to diversify the student intake appear to be bearing fruit with 63% of students now recruited from state schools, according to the latest figures – putting clear water between Cambridge and Oxford (where just 57.4% of entrants are state educated). However, the proportion of working-class undergraduates remains low, at less than 12%. Summer schools, student visits and, in some colleges, sympathetic selection procedures are helping to attract more applications from comprehensive schools and further education colleges.
Although Cambridge is charging the full £9,000 undergraduate fee, there are £6,000 fee waivers for the poorest students and additional bursaries according to parental income.
The application system has been simplified slightly, with candidates no longer required to complete an initial Cambridge form, as well as their UCAS form. However, they are still sent the Supplementary Application Questionnaire, after they have submitted their UCAS form, covering the applicant’s academic experience in more detail.
The tripos system was a forerunner of the currently fashionable modular degree, allowing students to change subjects (within limits) midway through their courses. Students receive a classification for each of the two parts of their degree.
Choosing a college is an additional complication for those not familiar with Cambridge. Making the right choice is crucial, both to maximise the chances of winning a place and to ensure an enjoyable three years if you are successful. The atmosphere and subject mix varies considerably between colleges.
Applicants can take pot luck with an open application if they prefer not to opt for a particular college, but only a minority take this route and it offers no greater chance of gaining a place.
Most teaching is now university-based, especially in the sciences, and a shift of emphasis towards the centre has been taking place more generally.
A £1bn funding appeal to mark the university’s 800th anniversary, in 2009, reached its target two years early, making Cambridge the first university outside the USA to raise such a sum. The money has gone into bursaries and scholarships, professorships and teaching posts, and new buildings for research, teaching and student accommodation.
A £16m sports centre opened in 2013, featuring a large sports hall and a strength and conditioning wing. In the longer term, the university now has planning permission for its first out-of-town site, which will cost £1bn to develop and will include housing for staff, students and local people in its first phase.
Cambridge is not for everyone, however bright. The amount of high-quality work to be crammed into eight-week terms can prove a strain, although the projected dropout rate of 1.1% is the lowest at any university. Most students relish the experience and reap the rewards in their careers. If you are up for the challenge, applications must be in by October 15.
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Detailed Statistics
PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE
CATEGORY
SCORE
RANK
Ranking
-
1= (1)
Student experience
85.6
10th
Research quality
45
1st
Ucas entry points
616
1st
Graduate prospects
88.7
2nd
Firsts and 2:1s
88.6
2nd
Completion rate
98.9
1st=
Student-staff ratio
11.6:1
6th=
Services/facilities spend (£)
3,246
2nd
World ranking
-
2= (3)
VITAL STATISTICS
Undergraduates
(Full-time)
11,900
Undergraduates
(Part-time)
245
Postgraduates
(Full-time)
6,365
Postgraduates
(Part-time)
880
Applications/places
16,355/3,355
Applications/places ratio
4.9:1
STUDENT CITIES
Flick Osborn, students’ union president
A beautiful city, loads of societies offering welcome events, and college life means you become part of the community very quickly.
The workload is pretty heavy, but tutors are on hand and each college has its own students’ union to offer support.
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Cost of living
Nightlife
Transport
Culture
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation contact
FEES
UK/EU fees
£9,000
Fees (placement year)
£1,800
Fees (overseas year)
£1,350
Fees (international)
£15,063-£22,923
Fees (international, medical)
£36,459
Finance website
Graduate salaries
£26,572
BURSARIES/SCHOLARSHIPS
>
Household income below £25K, bursary of £3,500 a year (£5,650 for some mature students); household income £25K–£42.6K, bursary of up to £3,500 a year.
>
College fees (£5,500–£6,500) for those paying full international fees. Many college scholarships and bursaries.
SPORT
Sports points/rank
1843, 14th
Sport website
Student satisfaction
91.6%
91.6%
91.6%
91.6%
91.2%
91.0%
91.0%
89.1%
87.9%
87.9%
87.9%
87.4%
87.4%
87.4%
87.4%
87.4%
85.6%
85.6%
85.6%
85.1%
84.8%
83.5%
83.2%
83.1%
82.6%
81.9%
80.8%
80.8%
79.2%
78.3%
75.3%