The MPhil in Advanced Computer Science is Cambridge's flagship one-year taught master's for students who already hold a strong computer science (or closely related quantitative) undergraduate degree and want intensive, research-adjacent training before a PhD or a highly technical industry role. It's run out of the Department of Computer Science and Technology — home to foundational work from Alan Turing's era onward, and a department that continues to sit at the centre of Cambridge's reputation for computing research. For an applicant choosing between Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, and a handful of other elite computing master's programmes, Cambridge's combination of research depth and the Cambridge name is the central appeal. This guide covers what the MPhil actually costs, what Cambridge asks for, and how selective it realistically is — including a genuinely important, current change: Cambridge is phasing out TOEFL.
Acceptance Rate: What We Actually Know
Cambridge, like Oxford, does not publish a programme-specific acceptance rate for the MPhil in Advanced Computer Science. Here's what is actually published:
| Level | Published Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridge undergraduate (all courses, university-wide) | 16% (3,669 admitted from 22,513 applications, 2025 cycle) | Cambridge's own published admissions statistics |
| Cambridge international-applicant success rate (undergraduate) | ~11% (separately reported) | Cambridge admissions data |
| Cambridge graduate/postgraduate (all courses, university-wide) | Not published | Cambridge does not release an aggregate postgraduate figure |
| MPhil in Advanced Computer Science specifically | Not published | No departmental figure is released |
Cambridge's own admissions commentary notes that, at undergraduate level, Computer Science "runs considerably more selective" than the 16% university-wide average — one of the clearest published signals that computing courses at Cambridge sit toward the more competitive end of an already highly selective university. There is no equivalent published figure at the graduate level, and the MPhil in Advanced Computer Science, run as a compact, technically demanding one-year cohort, is widely understood in admissions circles to be very competitive, but no verified Cambridge-published percentage exists for it. Treat any specific MPhil acceptance-rate figure you see elsewhere with real skepticism — it isn't sourced from Cambridge itself.
Tuition & Living Costs
Cambridge does not publish one flat postgraduate tuition figure — the University Composition Fee varies by course, and Cambridge's own dataset uses a representative one-year taught master's course (not Computer Science-specific) as its baseline. Computer science-adjacent courses, being computing- and lab-resource-intensive, commonly sit above the university's representative mid-range figure — confirm the exact current fee directly on the Department of Computer Science and Technology's course page.
| Item | Amount (USD, representative graduate figure) |
|---|---|
| Tuition (international, representative) | ~$58,017/year |
| Tuition (Home/UK, representative) | ~$21,001/year |
| Living expenses | ~$21,387/year |
| Estimated total cost of attendance | ~$79,404/year |
| Application fee | ~$114 (GBP 85 standard taught-postgraduate fee) |
Figures are converted from GBP at roughly 1 GBP = 1.34 USD, and some Cambridge postgraduate courses also charge a separate College fee on top of the University Composition Fee — check whether this applies to the MPhil specifically. On funding, the Gates Cambridge Scholarship (a fully funded award for non-UK citizens, covering full fees, a maintenance allowance, and travel costs, open to any full-time postgraduate course) is the standout option for a strong international applicant, alongside the wider Cambridge Trust International Scholarships.
Admission Requirements
Cambridge does not use a GPA scale — it evaluates prior degree performance course-by-course. For the MPhil in Advanced Computer Science specifically:
- Academic background: At least a UK upper-second-class (2:1) honours degree or recognised international equivalent, typically in Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, or a closely related quantitative subject; Cambridge notes that several highly competitive courses expect a first-class (1st) degree or a high 2:1 in practice, and Advanced Computer Science is realistically one of them given how oversubscribed computing courses are at Cambridge.
- Documents required:
- Statement of purpose
- Two or three academic and/or professional references, depending on course
- Official transcripts from all previously attended institutions
- CV/résumé
- English language proficiency scores (unless exempt — see below)
- GRE/GMAT: not universally required. Cambridge accepts, but does not require, a GMAT or GRE score for a small number of Cambridge Judge Business School and quantitative Economics-related courses; the MPhil in Advanced Computer Science does not require either.
- Application fee: GBP 85 (~USD 114) for standard taught-postgraduate courses; GBP 20 per academic year of entry for doctoral applications.
- Deadlines: Cambridge's graduate admissions run on staged, department-specific deadlines through the cycle. Funding deadlines are typically earlier than the final application deadline, and competitive computing courses often fill ahead of their advertised closing date.
How to Get In
- Apply as early as possible in the cycle. Cambridge is explicit that competitive courses "often fill ahead of their advertised closing date" — for a course as oversubscribed as Advanced Computer Science, this matters more than for most other Cambridge master's programmes.
- Demonstrate depth in core computer science theory and mathematics, not just applied programming experience. The MPhil is designed for students ready to engage with research-level material immediately, so transcripts strong in algorithms, theoretical foundations, and mathematical methods carry real weight.
- Write a statement of purpose tied to specific research groups within the Department of Computer Science and Technology — Cambridge's computing research spans systems, AI/ML, theory, security, and more, and naming a specific area (and ideally, potential supervisors) signals genuine fit.
- Secure references that speak to research or technical project capability, ideally from someone who supervised a dissertation, research project, or substantial technical undertaking, rather than references focused solely on lecture-course performance.
- Prior research exposure, competitive programming achievements, or substantial open-source/technical project work meaningfully strengthens an application for a course this selective, even though none of it is formally required.
- If you're relying on TOEFL, plan your test timing carefully — see the English proficiency section below, since Cambridge's TOEFL policy is changing in a way that affects application timing directly.
Cambridge's own graduate prep guidance flags Writing as the toughest section overall for graduate applicants, since the statement of purpose has to carry genuine technical and intellectual weight rather than read as a generic cover letter.
English Proficiency Requirement (IELTS/TOEFL)
This is the single most important, time-sensitive fact for anyone targeting Cambridge right now: Cambridge is phasing out TOEFL. TOEFL iBT (including Home Edition) scores are accepted for graduate applications only if the test was taken on or before 21 January 2026 — scores from tests taken after that date require an additional online assessment through the Cambridge Language Centre, and Cambridge has already stopped accepting TOEFL altogether for undergraduate admissions. If you're planning your test timeline now, IELTS Academic is the safer, future-proof choice.
| Requirement | IELTS Academic | TOEFL iBT |
|---|---|---|
| Typical graduate/MPhil threshold | 7.5 overall, minimum 7.0 in each of Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking (most competitive courses cluster here — confirm on the course page, since a minority set a lower threshold) | Accepted only if taken on/before 21 Jan 2026, without an official published minimum in this dataset given the transition |
| Format note | Cambridge English C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency also accepted for select courses | Tests after 21 Jan 2026 require an extra Cambridge Language Centre assessment |
Cambridge does not offer conditional admission tied to English test scores the way Oxford does, so make sure you meet the threshold before applying rather than planning to close a gap post-offer. For the complete breakdown by course and the latest on the TOEFL transition, see Gabble's dedicated guides: Cambridge IELTS requirements and Cambridge TOEFL requirements.
Career Outcomes
Cambridge does not publish an isolated graduation rate, employment rate, or average starting salary specifically for MPhil Advanced Computer Science graduates. What Cambridge does publish is its list of top graduate recruiters, several of which are directly relevant to a computing master's graduate:
- McKinsey & Company
- Boston Consulting Group
- Bain & Company
- Goldman Sachs
- Amazon
- UK Civil Service
In practice, Advanced Computer Science graduates typically move into software engineering and machine learning roles at major tech companies (Amazon among Cambridge's own listed recruiters is a representative example, alongside the wider FAANG-adjacent tech sector), quantitative and technology-focused finance roles, strategy/technology consulting, and a meaningful share progressing into PhD study, either at Cambridge or elsewhere, given the course's research-oriented design. Cambridge's computing department has a long track record of Silicon Fen (the Cambridge tech cluster) startup activity too, which is a less quantifiable but genuinely present outcome for graduates who stay locally.
FAQ
Is there a published acceptance rate for Cambridge's MPhil in Advanced Computer Science? No. Cambridge does not publish a departmental or aggregate postgraduate acceptance rate. The best available signal is that Computer Science runs considerably more selective than Cambridge's 16% undergraduate average, but no reliable MPhil-specific percentage exists.
Does Cambridge still accept TOEFL for the MPhil in Advanced Computer Science? Only if your TOEFL iBT test was taken on or before 21 January 2026. Scores from tests after that date require an additional Cambridge Language Centre assessment. IELTS Academic is the more future-proof option if you're preparing now.
Do I need the GRE or GMAT for this programme? No. GRE/GMAT is accepted but not required for a small number of Cambridge Judge Business School and quantitative Economics-related courses; the MPhil in Advanced Computer Science does not require either test.
What IELTS score do I need? Most competitive Cambridge graduate courses, including Advanced Computer Science, cluster around 7.5 overall with at least 7.0 in each component, though you should confirm the exact figure on the current course page since a minority of Cambridge courses set a lower threshold.
Can I get conditional admission if my English score is slightly below the requirement? No. Unlike Oxford, Cambridge does not offer a conditional-admission pathway tied to a pre-sessional English course for the standard graduate application process — you need to meet the required score before applying.
How competitive is Cambridge computing generally compared to other courses? Very. Cambridge's own data flags Computer Science as running considerably more selective than its already-selective 16% undergraduate average, and the MPhil in Advanced Computer Science, as a small, research-adjacent cohort, is understood to sit at a similar or higher level of competitiveness, even without a published figure to confirm it precisely.