University of Cambridge
Cambridge, England, United Kingdom · Established 1209
Official website ↗Total Students
24,927
Intl. Students
40%
Student:Faculty
10.7:1
Setting
Urban
Overview
The University of Cambridge traces documented teaching back to 1209, when scholars fleeing conflict with townspeople in Oxford settled in Cambridge, making it the fourth-oldest university in the world in continuous operation and, alongside Oxford, one of the two 'Oxbridge' institutions that anchor UK higher education. Like Oxford, Cambridge is a federal, collegiate university: the central university sets courses, runs examinations, and awards degrees, while 31 constituent colleges (Christ's, Trinity, King's, Girton, and others among them) provide accommodation, meals, pastoral care, and much of the small-group 'supervision' teaching -- Cambridge's equivalent of Oxford's tutorial system -- that undergraduates receive alongside their department-run lectures. Every Cambridge student belongs simultaneously to a college and to the University, and while college choice shapes day-to-day life and supervision group size, the degree course and its content are set centrally by the relevant Faculty or Department. Cambridge organises its teaching across six Schools -- Arts and Humanities, the Humanities and Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, Technology, Biological Sciences, and Clinical Medicine -- spanning subjects from Natural Sciences (Cambridge's largest and most flexible undergraduate course, covering everything from Physics to Genetics) and Mathematics (Cambridge's Mathematical Tripos is one of the most demanding undergraduate maths courses in the world) to Law, Economics, Engineering, and Computer Science. Cambridge Judge Business School runs the university's MBA and a range of specialist master's in finance and management. The university consistently places among the top handful of institutions globally across THE, QS, and US News rankings, and its research output -- from the discovery of DNA's structure to foundational work in computing -- underpins its reputation across nearly every discipline it teaches. For prospective IELTS or TOEFL candidates, one especially important and current change is that Cambridge has been phasing out TOEFL as a standalone accepted English-language test: TOEFL iBT scores taken after 21 January 2026 are no longer accepted for postgraduate applications, and undergraduate admissions has already stopped accepting TOEFL altogether, leaving IELTS Academic (alongside Cambridge English C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency) as the primary route for most applicants going forward. Cambridge's required IELTS band -- 7.5 overall with at least 7.0 in each component for undergraduates, and usually the same for postgraduate courses -- sits at the very top of the UK sector, on par with Oxford's highest tier, and Cambridge applies this consistently rather than through Oxford's named Standard/Higher tier system. Undergraduate applicants also apply through UCAS by the same unusually early mid-October deadline as Oxford, cannot apply to both Oxford and Cambridge in the same admissions cycle (with narrow exceptions), and many courses require a written admissions test (ESAT for Engineering, Natural Sciences, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, and Veterinary Medicine; the Cambridge Law Test for Law; TMUA for Economics and Computer Science; STEP for many Mathematics offer-holders) plus interviews with college Fellows for shortlisted candidates.
Rankings
Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings · Overall (Global)
#3 (2026)
US News Best Global Universities · Overall (Global)
#5 (2026)
Complete University Guide · Overall (UK)
#1 (2026)
Admissions, Requirements & Costs
Requirements, deadlines, and test-score cutoffs differ significantly between undergraduate and graduate/Master's programs — shown separately below.
Undergraduate
Acceptance Rate
16%
Application Fee
$38
Documents required: UCAS application and personal statement, Academic reference from school/college, plus a Cambridge-specific 'My Cambridge Application' (MCA) supplementary form, Predicted or achieved A-Level, IB, or equivalent qualification grades, Course-specific written admissions test where required: ESAT (Engineering, Natural Sciences, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Veterinary Medicine), Cambridge Law Test (Law), TMUA (Economics, Computer Science); STEP is required post-offer for many Mathematics applicants, Two pieces of recent school/college-marked written work for most Arts, Humanities, and some Social Science courses, English language proficiency test scores (IELTS Academic or Cambridge English C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency) for applicants who do not qualify for a waiver -- note that Cambridge no longer accepts TOEFL for undergraduate applications, Shortlisted candidates are invited to one or more subject interviews with college Fellows, usually held in December
| Term | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Fall (October) | UCAS: 6:00pm UK time, 15 October, for all Cambridge undergraduate courses | Regular Decision |
Test Scores
IELTS Minimum
7.5 (Gabble rec. 7.5)
IELTS notes: Normally a minimum overall grade of 7.5, usually with 7.0 or above in each of Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Cambridge does not publish a separate lower tier for undergraduate applicants the way it does at postgraduate level for some courses. To be considered ready for interview, Cambridge recommends applicants hold at least IELTS 6.5 overall with no element below 6.0 at the point of application, with the full 7.5/7.0 requirement to be met before enrolment.
TOEFL notes: Cambridge undergraduate admissions does not accept TOEFL iBT as evidence of English proficiency. IELTS Academic or an accepted Cambridge English qualification (C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency) is required instead.
Accepted tests: IELTS Academic, Cambridge English (C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency), Approved school-leaving qualifications taught and assessed in English (e.g. German Abitur, French Baccalauréat) count toward the requirement for some applicants
Waiver: Applicants who are nationals of, and have been resident for the relevant qualifying period in, a UK Home Office-recognised majority English-speaking country are generally exempt, as are those who have completed (or are completing) a full qualification taught and examined entirely in English in an approved country/curriculum. Exact waiver rules are set by UKVI/Home Office criteria that colleges apply at the visa-sponsorship stage, so applicants should confirm with their college.
Tuition (Intl.)
$56,728
Tuition (Domestic)
$13,119
Living Expenses/yr
$16,040
Total Cost of Attendance
$72,768
Scholarships
Cambridge Trust International Scholarships
Varies considerably by award; from partial tuition contributions up to full tuition and maintenance for the most competitive schemes
A range of Cambridge Trust-administered scholarships and bursaries for international undergraduate applicants, varying by country, subject, and college, from partial fee support to full-cost awards for a small number of exceptional candidates.
Eligibility: Varies by scholarship; most require an offer of admission and a separate scholarship or bursary application, often nationality- or country-specific
College-specific undergraduate bursaries
Varies considerably by college and award; typically a partial contribution rather than a full-fee waiver
Individual Cambridge colleges hold their own rotating set of subject-specific, country-specific, and hardship-related undergraduate bursaries that can partially offset the overseas fee or college fee.
Eligibility: Varies by college; most require an offer of admission from that specific college and a separate application
Popular Programs
Gabble Prep Insights
Where applicants lose points: Writing and Speaking both carry unusual weight for Cambridge undergraduate applicants: the required 7.5/7.0 IELTS band already sits above what most UK universities ask, and it sits alongside Cambridge's own written admissions tests (ESAT, TMUA, the Cambridge Law Test, and post-offer STEP for many Mathematics applicants) and, for shortlisted candidates, live subject interviews with college Fellows that demand fast, structured spoken academic reasoning -- a format most international secondary curricula do not train directly.
Strong secondary-school applicants usually clear Reading and Listening comfortably, since Cambridge coursework assumes near-native comprehension of dense academic text from day one. Writing is the section most likely to sit below 7.0-7.5, particularly for STEM applicants less practised in extended academic essay writing, while Speaking gaps most often surface at the interview stage rather than on the test itself, where Cambridge's supervision-style back-and-forth academic discussion is expected.
Figures above were converted from GBP at approximately 1 GBP = 1.34 USD, matching the conversion rate used elsewhere on this site. The Home (UK-domiciled) undergraduate fee is fixed government-wide at GBP 9,790/year for 2026-27, identical to Oxford's Home rate since it is set by government regulation rather than by the individual university. Overseas fees combine a University tuition fee, which varies by subject band from GBP 29,052 (most Arts, Humanities, and Social Science courses) up to GBP 70,554 (Medicine and Veterinary Medicine), plus a separate, College-specific fee that ranges from roughly GBP 11,500 to GBP 14,950/year depending on college (source: Cambridge's official 'Undergraduate tuition fees 2026-27' document). The figure used here, GBP 42,334 (~USD 56,728), represents the most common Band 1 subject fee (GBP 29,052, covering subjects such as Economics, Law, History, and Human, Social, and Political Sciences) plus the average college fee across all 31 colleges (~GBP 13,282); STEM subjects such as Engineering, Computer Science, and Natural Sciences run considerably higher (Band 4, GBP 44,214 plus college fee), and Medicine/Veterinary Medicine considerably higher still (Band 5, GBP 70,554 plus college fee) -- always check the specific course and college. Living costs were estimated from Cambridge's own official budget guidance of GBP 1,330/month, based on a detailed cost survey with the Cambridge Students' Union, applied over the standard 9-month undergraduate term-time year (GBP 11,970). The 16% overall acceptance rate is derived from Cambridge's own published 2025-cycle figures (3,669 accepted from 22,513 applications) but masks large course-by-course variation -- Computer Science runs considerably more selective, while some Arts and Humanities courses run less so; Cambridge's own international-applicant success rate has separately been reported at closer to 11%. The UCAS application fee (GBP 28.50 for the 2026 cycle, covering up to five course choices) is paid to UCAS, not directly to Cambridge.
Recommended prep timeline: 14 weeks
Graduate (Master's & PhD)
Application Fee
$114
Documents required: Statement of purpose / research proposal (research proposal required for PhD and some research master's applications), Two or three academic and/or professional references, depending on course, Official transcripts from all previously attended institutions, CV/resume, English language proficiency test scores (if applicable) -- IELTS or Cambridge English is required going forward; TOEFL iBT is being phased out and is only accepted if taken on or before 21 January 2026, GMAT or GRE score, accepted (though not universally required) for a small number of Cambridge Judge Business School and quantitative Economics-related courses -- check the specific course page, Relevant professional work experience documentation, required for the Cambridge MBA (typically at least 2-3 years)
| Term | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Fall (September/October) | Rolling and department-specific, published as a series of staged deadlines through the admissions cycle for most taught master's and PhD courses; funding deadlines are typically earlier than the final application deadline, and competitive courses often fill ahead of their advertised closing date | Rolling |
Test Scores
IELTS Minimum
7.5 (Gabble rec. 7.5)
IELTS notes: Cambridge does not publish a single named tier system (e.g. 'Standard'/'Higher') the way Oxford does; instead, each course page sets its own required overall score and component minimums, with most competitive graduate courses clustering around 7.5 overall and at least 7.0 in each of Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Applicants must check their specific course page, since a minority of courses set a lower threshold.
TOEFL notes: TOEFL iBT is being discontinued as a standalone accepted test at Cambridge: scores from tests taken on or before 21 January 2026 are accepted per standard course requirements, but scores from tests taken after that date require applicants to additionally sit an online assessment through the Cambridge Language Centre. Given this transition, this dataset does not publish a specific TOEFL minimum -- confirm current policy directly on the course's English-language requirements page before relying on TOEFL.
Accepted tests: IELTS Academic, IELTS for UKVI Academic / IELTS One Skill Retake / IELTS Online, TOEFL iBT (including Home Edition), but ONLY if taken on or before 21 January 2026 -- scores from tests taken after that date are not accepted without an additional Cambridge Language Centre assessment, Cambridge English (C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency), for select courses
Waiver: Applicants who are nationals of, and have been resident for the relevant qualifying period in, a UK Home Office-recognised majority English-speaking country are generally exempt, as are those who have completed a full qualification taught and examined entirely in English within the recognised validity window. Exact waiver rules are course- and college-specific, so applicants should confirm with their department.
Tuition (Intl.)
$58,017
Tuition (Domestic)
$21,001
Living Expenses/yr
$21,387
Total Cost of Attendance
$79,404
Scholarships
Gates Cambridge Scholarship
Full University Composition Fee and College fee, a maintenance allowance (GBP 22,050/year at the 2025-26 rate, pro-rated for shorter courses), one economy return airfare, and coverage of visa/Immigration Health Surcharge costs
A prestigious, fully funded postgraduate scholarship, established by a donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, awarded to around 80 outstanding applicants each year from countries outside the UK to pursue any full-time postgraduate course at Cambridge.
Eligibility: Open to citizens of any country other than the UK applying for a full-time postgraduate course at Cambridge; assessed through a separate Gates Cambridge application alongside the standard Cambridge graduate application, with department/faculty academic merit as the primary bar
Cambridge Trust International Scholarships (postgraduate)
Varies considerably by award; from partial tuition contributions up to full tuition and maintenance for the most competitive schemes
A wide range of Cambridge Trust-administered postgraduate scholarships, varying by country, subject, and college, from partial fee support to full-cost awards for select country- and subject-specific schemes.
Eligibility: Varies by scholarship; most require an offer of admission and a separate scholarship application, often nationality- or subject-specific
Popular Programs
Gabble Prep Insights
Where applicants lose points: Writing tends to be the toughest section overall for graduate applicants, since a research-focused statement of purpose and, for many Humanities, Law, and Social Sciences master's courses, a full written sample demand sustained, well-organised academic argument well beyond conversational or general-purpose exam English.
Applicants to quantitative Sciences, Engineering, and Mathematics-adjacent courses tend to clear Reading and Listening comfortably but sometimes underprepare Speaking for the discussion-heavy supervision and viva format used throughout Cambridge graduate study, while applicants to Humanities, Law, and Cambridge Judge Business School courses most commonly need extra Writing practice given the dissertation- and case-study-heavy assessment style typical of those programmes.
Figures above were converted from GBP at approximately 1 GBP = 1.34 USD. Cambridge does not publish one university-wide postgraduate tuition figure; the University Composition Fee varies by course. The representative figure used here, GBP 43,296 (~USD 58,017) international / GBP 15,672 (~USD 21,001) Home, is drawn from a published one-year taught master's course (MPhil in Population Health Sciences) as a mid-range example -- Cambridge Judge Business School's MBA and several Master of Finance-style courses are priced considerably higher, and some MPhil courses are priced lower; always check the specific course page. Overseas postgraduate students on some courses (particularly MASt-style continuing courses) may also be charged a separate College fee on top of the University Composition Fee. Living costs were estimated from Cambridge's own official monthly guidance of GBP 1,330, applied over a 12-month graduate year (GBP 15,960) plus an allowance for the longer full-year residence many graduate students require; treat this as an estimate rather than an official Cambridge figure. GMAT/GRE: Cambridge does not require a GRE/GMAT score for the great majority of graduate courses; a small number of Cambridge Judge Business School and quantitative Economics-related courses accept (but do not universally require) a GMAT or GRE score, and Cambridge does not publish one official aggregate average score, so avgScore is left null rather than estimated. Cambridge does not publish one official aggregate postgraduate acceptance rate, so that field is left null rather than estimated from unreliable third-party sources. The standard taught-postgraduate application fee is GBP 85 (~USD 114, used above); the doctoral application fee is lower, at GBP 20 per academic year of entry (covering up to 7 applications).
Recommended prep timeline: 12 weeks
Programs Offered
Natural Sciences
Undergraduate · 3 yr
Mathematics
Undergraduate · 3 yr
Law
Undergraduate · 3 yr
Economics
Undergraduate · 3 yr
Engineering
Undergraduate · 4 yr
Computer Science
Undergraduate · 3 yr
Medicine
Undergraduate · 6 yr
MBA
Masters · 1 yr
MPhil in Economics
Masters · 1 yr
PhD
PhD · 4 yr
Campus Life
Cambridge is not a single-campus university; its 31 colleges and academic departments are spread across the city of Cambridge, and each college functions as a residential and social home base, typically guaranteeing accommodation for at least the first year of undergraduate study, with its own dining hall, library, and common rooms (JCR for undergraduates, MCR for graduates). Beyond college life, the University supports several hundred recognised student societies spanning academic, cultural, political, and hobby interests. The Cambridge Union, founded in 1815, is one of the oldest and most famous student debating societies in the world and regularly hosts high-profile international speakers, separate from the University's own student union. The Cambridge Footlights, the university's celebrated comedy troupe, has launched the careers of numerous well-known comedians and performers. With students from 144 countries, Cambridge also supports a large number of country- and region-specific societies alongside its academic clubs.
Notable clubs: The Cambridge Union (debating society, one of the world's oldest and most prominent student societies), Cambridge University Students' Union (SU) and 31 individual college JCRs/MCRs, Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club (CUADC) and the Cambridge Footlights, Cambridge University Boat Club (organiser of the annual Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race), A large number of University-wide sports clubs plus college-level sports teams
Outcomes
Undergraduate
Graduate
Notable Alumni
Charles Darwin — Naturalist and author of On the Origin of Species; studied at Christ's College, Cambridge
Isaac Newton — Physicist and mathematician who formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation; studied and later worked at Trinity College, Cambridge
Stephen Hawking — Theoretical physicist and cosmologist; completed his PhD at Trinity Hall and spent most of his career at Cambridge
James Watson and Francis Crick — Co-discoverers of the structure of DNA (1953), working at Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory
Alan Turing — Mathematician and computer science pioneer; studied at King's College, Cambridge
Manmohan Singh — Former Prime Minister of India; completed his economics degree at St John's College, Cambridge
Visa Interview Prep
The UK Student visa process differs procedurally from the US F-1 system: there is no SEVP certification or routine embassy interview requirement built into the standard route, and the centrepiece document is the CAS, issued once a firm offer is accepted and all academic and financial conditions are met. Applicants must show they hold the required funds -- broadly the tuition amount shown on the CAS for the first year of the course, plus living-cost funds calculated from UKVI's published monthly rate for the relevant period -- always confirm the current published figure before applying. A CAS is valid for use in a visa application for 6 months from the date it is issued. International students must also budget separately for the visa application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which are paid upfront to UKVI and are not included in Cambridge's living-cost estimates. Cambridge recommends applying for the Student visa as soon as the CAS is issued so that UKVI processing times and any pre-arrival requirements (such as a tuberculosis test for applicants from certain countries) can be built into the timeline before a September/October start. The UK government has at times applied temporary restrictions affecting nationals of specific countries; applicants should check current guidance close to their intended application date.
- UK Student visa applicants typically do NOT attend an in-person visa interview the way US F-1 applicants do -- most applications are decided from the online form, supporting financial and academic documents, and the CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) Cambridge's colleges (for undergraduates) or departments (for graduate students) issue once a firm, unconditional offer is held
- UKVI may conduct a short credibility interview (in person or by video) in specific risk-based cases, focused on genuine intent to study, knowledge of the course, and financial means
FAQs
What IELTS score do I need to apply to Cambridge as an undergraduate?Undergrad
Cambridge undergraduate applicants normally need a minimum overall IELTS Academic score of 7.5, with at least 7.0 in each of Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. To be considered ready for interview, Cambridge recommends applicants hold at least 6.5 overall with no element below 6.0 at the point of application, with the full requirement met before enrolment.
Does Cambridge still accept TOEFL scores?
Not for undergraduate admissions -- Cambridge no longer accepts TOEFL as evidence of English proficiency for undergraduate applicants. For postgraduate applications, TOEFL iBT (including Home Edition) is accepted only if taken on or before 21 January 2026; scores from tests taken after that date require an additional online assessment through the Cambridge Language Centre. IELTS Academic is the safer, more future-proof choice for applicants preparing now.
Can I apply to both Oxford and Cambridge in the same year?Undergrad
No, with narrow exceptions (such as organ scholarship applicants or some graduate-entry and mature-student courses at specific Cambridge colleges). Undergraduate applicants must choose one or the other for a given UCAS application cycle.
What admissions tests does Cambridge require?Undergrad
It depends on the course: ESAT for Engineering, Natural Sciences, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, and Veterinary Medicine; the Cambridge Law Test for Law; TMUA for Economics and Computer Science; and STEP, typically required post-offer, for many Mathematics applicants. Shortlisted candidates across most courses are also invited to one or more interviews with college Fellows.
Will I need to attend a visa interview to study at Cambridge, the way US F-1 applicants do?
Almost certainly not. The UK Student visa route generally does not build in a routine in-person interview; your application is assessed from the online form, financial evidence, and the CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) your Cambridge college or department issues once you hold a firm, unconditional offer. UKVI can request a short credibility interview in specific cases, but this is the exception, unlike the US F-1 visa's standard consular interview.
What exactly is Cambridge's college system, and do I need to pick a college?
Cambridge is a federal, collegiate university: the central university sets the curriculum, runs exams, and awards your degree, while one of Cambridge's 31 colleges is your smaller residential and social home, providing accommodation, meals, and a share of your small-group 'supervision' teaching. Undergraduate applicants either name a preferred college on their UCAS form or apply 'open,' in which case Cambridge allocates them to a college; either way, admission is ultimately decided by the relevant academic department, and your degree subject and content do not change based on which college you attend.
Is the GRE or GMAT required for Cambridge graduate programmes?Grad
Most Cambridge master's and PhD courses do not require a GRE or GMAT score at all. A small number of Cambridge Judge Business School and quantitative Economics-related courses accept, but do not universally require, a GMAT or GRE score -- always check the specific course page for current policy.
Can I get a waiver for the IELTS requirement at Cambridge?
Yes, in certain cases. You're generally exempt if you're a national of, and have been resident for the qualifying period in, a UK Home Office-recognised majority English-speaking country, or if you've completed a full qualification taught and examined entirely in English within the recognised validity window. Exact waiver rules are course- and college-specific, so confirm with your department or college before applying.
How competitive is Cambridge for international applicants?
Very. Cambridge's own published 2025-cycle figures show 3,669 places accepted from 22,513 applications, an overall success rate of around 16%, though this masks large course-by-course variation -- Computer Science runs considerably more selective than average, while some Arts and Humanities courses run less so. Cambridge's international-applicant success rate has separately been reported at closer to 11%. Cambridge does not publish one official aggregate postgraduate acceptance rate.
How many weeks should I spend preparing for IELTS before applying to Cambridge?
Given Cambridge's above-average English-language threshold, a realistic window is 12-14 weeks of focused preparation. Undergraduate applicants typically need the most work on Writing and interview-style Speaking practice given Cambridge's supervision-based teaching, while graduate applicants -- especially to Humanities, Law, and Cambridge Judge Business School courses -- tend to need extra time on Writing for dissertation- and case-study-style assessment.