University of Cambridge is regarded as the second best university in the world as per QS World University Rankings in 2022. Established in 1209, Cambridge University is the fourth oldest university and has marked its excellence over many decades. University of Cambridge is a known name to every other student in India. It holds a special place in the heart of Indian students as the university has housed some renowned Indian figures like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, Rajib Gandhi, Amartya Sen and many more. International students from over 150 nations across the world take admission in Cambridge University every year.
The overall acceptance rate of University of Cambridge is 23%, substantiating a highly selective admission policy. Students will need an average academic score of 60-70% for admission to the graduate programs in Cambridge University. International applicants are advised to achieve exceptional scores in the exams to study in UK to secure their chance in admission. Also Check: Cambridge University Student Profiles!
The university has recorded an enrollment of more than 20,000 students. Among them, over 5,000 students in the university are international, representing 25% of the total student population.
Estimating the annual expenses at the university is tough, as the cost of attendance is course specific and can go up to 61,000 GBP (59.12 lakhs). As for the living cost to study in U.K. one can expect an expense of 11 lakhs per year on average.
University of Cambridge ensures placements of its students across globally leading companies like AstraZeneca, NHS, Illumina, tesco and many others. Cambridge MBA is the highest paying degree offered by the university with an average annual salary of 99,000 GBP. Also Check: MBA Jobs in UK
University of Cambridge Rankings
University of Cambridge ranked #2 in QS Global World University Rankings, 2023. It also ranked #5 in World universities by THE World University Rankings, 2022. Some other global rankings of University of Cambridge are -
- #8 in Graduate Employability Ranking, 2022.
- #8 in Best Global Universities by US News and World Report, 2022.
- #2 in Best Global Universities in Europe, by US News and World Report, 2022.
- #2 in Best Global Universities in the UK, by US News and World Report, 2022.
A subject wise comparison between University of Cambridge, University College London and Imperial College London is shown below -
| Study Areas | University of Cambridge | University College London | Imperial College London |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering & Technology | #2 | #37 | #8 |
| Biological Sciences | #3 | #11 | #11 |
| Law & Legal Studies | #3 | #13 | - |
| Medicine | #4 | #7 | #8 |
| Business & Management Studies | #8 | #99 | #25 |
University of Cambridge Campus
Student life at the campus of Cambridge University is energetic. The university provides numerous opportunities to the residing students for personal and professional progress. The students will always find something to get engaged to, like societies, clubs, festivals, museums and much more. Students can also explore the restaurants and shopping centres.
The university provides intramural sports opportunities through different sports centres. International students can join 52 sports clubs and other sporting societies on the campus. The Cambridge University Libraries are a desired place for the students and are currently providing zero-contact service, online. The university exhibits several other departmental and faculty libraries.
Check Out: University of Cambridge (Spanish)
University of Cambridge Accommodations
The accommodation offices of the University of Cambridge are providing 100% online services through email. Generally, all the undergraduate students receive accommodation in the university student housing in UK. Most of the graduate program students are also offered with on-campus residence facilities. The annual on-campus living cost varies around 11,000 GBP (~11,35,000 INR).
For off-campus accommodations, the university has a rule for the full-time students to reside within a certain distance around the university in case they are not living on-campus. Off-campus accommodation costs tends to be around 13,233 GBP (~12,84,000 INR).
| Location of Off-campus Housing | Costs per Week (in INR) |
|---|---|
| Milton Road | 20,453 - 32,764 |
| Newmarket Road | 16,576 - 28,984 |
| Station Road | 18,030 - 27,529 |
| Castle Park | 21,907 - 27,142 |
University of Cambridge Programs
University of Cambridge offers 30 undergraduate courses and 300 postgraduate programs to international students across 31 disciplines. Ranked #3 in the QS Global World University Rankings, 2022, students get a soaring opportunity of research and doctoral programs at University of Cambridge. The Cambridge University courses are offered through 31 autonomous colleges and six schools. Following are some of the top programs offered by the university:
University of Cambridge Admission
As per university facts 2022, a total of 5,098 international students are currently studying at the University of Cambridge. That is 25.2% of the total student body.
Students planning to apply in University of Cambridge may follow the below mentioned steps to go through the application process. Know more: Cambridge University 2022 Admission Deadlines
University of Cambridge Application Process
The University of Cambridge admission process comprises six consecutive steps.
- Step 1 - Select a course and submit an application via UCAS.
- Step 2 - Pay an application fee of 60 GBP (5,850 INR) for UG and 75 GBP (7,312 INR) for PG.
- Step 2 - Submit a written admission assessment and required documents.
- Step 3 - Receive the admission decision, if selected for interview.
University of Cambridge Application Deadlines
The UCAS deadline for undergraduate students at the University of Cambridge is October 15. The admission deadlines for graduate programs are program specific. The application deadlines for the undergraduate programs at University of Cambridge based on the seasons are listed below:
| Seasons | Application Deadlines for 2022-23 |
|---|---|
| Michaelmas | October 4-December 2, 2022 |
| Lent | January 17-March 17, 2022 |
| Easter | April 25-June 16, 2022 |
University of Cambridge Admission Requirements
The admission requirements for international students at University of Cambridge are country-specific. Following are the prerequisites for admission of Indian students to the undergraduate programs at University of Cambridge:
- Class XII results with any of the following additional qualifications:
- College Board Advanced Placements Tests grade 5 or above
- IIT-JEE (Advanced) rank of <2000
- STEP
- Excellent grades according to the following education boards:
- CISCE and NIOS- 90% or higher in five or more subjects.
- CBSE- A1 grades in 5 or more subjects.
- State Boards: Case-by-case sorting, 95% and above in five or more relevant subjects.
- English language proficiency
- Admission assessments
- Interviews are the final round of the selection process.
The admission requirements for the doctoral and master’s programs at University of Cambridge are as follows:
- Minimum 2:1 honours degree or equivalent (60-70%)
- Evidence of financial availability
- College membership
- Proof of proficiency in English.
Below are the additional admission requirements for the part-time research degrees:
- Suitability of the proposed topic of research for a part-time program.
- Residence proof for attending regularly.
- A consent letter from the employer, if any, for providing leaves in educational requirements
- A departmental interview.
English Proficiency Test Requirements
The non-EU students and students with a primary language other than English are required to demonstrate proficiency in English for admission to University of Cambridge. The English proficiency requirements for graduate programs are course-specific.
Cambridge University accepts two years old English proficiency test scores and it should be valid until the first day of program commencement. The required scores in the English proficiency tests for undergraduate programs are tabulated below:
University of Cambridge Cost of Attendance
The three major expenses of the international students at the University of Cambridge are the tuition fees, college fees and living expenses. The tuition fees for the international students are variable based on the course types. Following is a list of the average expenses of the international students:
| Expenses | Amount per year (in INR) |
|---|---|
| Tuition fees | 21.57 - 56.31 lakhs |
| College fee | 9.02 - 9.90 lakhs |
| Living Costs | 11.10 lakhs |
| Total | 41.69 - 77.31 lakhs |
University of Cambridge Scholarships
The university manifests a profusion of scholarships for international students. Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust is the highest funding provider for international students providing 500 annual scholarships. The trust also supports around 1100-1400 resident students every year. The financial support for international undergraduate students is limited. Following are some of the best University of Cambridge scholarships for the international undergraduate students:
| Scholarships | Eligibility Criteria | Award Details |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust | Overseas students and affiliated students accepted by a Cambridge College | Part Costs |
| College awards | Eligible students enrolled to specific colleges | Partial financial support |
| International Disabled Students' Fund | Ineligibility proof for Disabled Students’ Allowances, documentation of a diagnosed disability, agreement to undergo independent need assessment | Independent need assessment, Specialist equipment required for studying, Non-medical help, Extra travel cost required for disability |
University of Cambridge spends 100 million GBP per year on postgraduate scholarships. A number of generous colleges, universities and the government research council funds contribute to the postgraduate scholarships of the university. The university puts no bar on the external scholarships. The renowned postgraduate scholarships at University of Cambridge are listed below:
- Gates Cambridge Scholarships: It bears the full cost of the postgraduate degree.
- Cambridge Trust Scholarships: The trust offers co-funding to MBA or MFin programs and full cost scholarships for other programs.
- Cambridge Snowdon Scholarships: The scholarship program offers graduate program students up to 30,000 GBP.
Still worried about cost of studying at University of Cambridge? Click below and know about scholarships to study in UK for indian students
University of Cambridge Alumni
Cambridge University has more than 400 alumni groups around the world. All the alumni of the university have a CAMCard, the official alumni card which is available for free and the university provides a wide range of opportunities to the alumni like -
- Access to digital resources
- Alumni Book Club
- Access to University library
- Lifelong learning opportunities
The alumni organization schedules Cambridge Conversations on various topics with social importance. The alumni community is also pragmatically involved with travel and other recreation activities. Some of the notable alumni of the University of Cambridge are as follows:
- Jagadish Chandra Bose - Scientist.
- Jawaharlal Nehru - 1st Prime Minister of India.
- Rajiv Gandhi - 6th Prime Minister of India.
- Amartya Sen - Indian Economist and philosopher.
- Charles Darwin - Scientist.
- Sir Isaac Newton - Scientists and mathematicians.
- Stephen Hawking - Physicist, cosmologist and author.
- William Wordsworth - English poet.
University of Cambridge Placements
The University of Cambridge offers excellent career opportunities to international students. MBA of Cambridge University is the best paying degree with the alumni earning an average salary of 99,000 GBP per year. The following graph indicates the average annual salary of the University of Cambridge graduates according to their professions:
Top paying degree of University of Cambridge is MBA with a whooping average salary of 82 lakhs approximately per annum. Here are some top paying degrees of University of Cambridge -
| Degrees | Average Annual Salary (INR) |
|---|---|
| MBA | 81.86 lakhs |
| Masters of Finance | 75 lakhs |
| LLM | 73.92 lakhs |
| Masters of Arts | 78.04 lakhs |
| Doctorate | 73.33 lakhs |
| Executive MBA | 68.33 lakhs |
University of Cambridge is one of the highly coveted institutions to study in UK. Cambridge is recognized for providing a series of extensive scholarships to the international students. Students at Cambridge get the opportunity to study across a large variety of postgraduate programs. Although the university maintains a highly selective admission policy, selected candidates have proven career opportunities across the globe after graduating from the institution.
FAQ
Ques. What is the acceptance rate of the University of Cambridge?
Ans: University of Cambridge demonstrates a highly selective admission policy with an acceptance rate of 27% overall. For undergraduate programs the acceptance rate is 23% and for postgraduates programs it is around 31%
Ques. What is the cost of attendance at the University of Cambridge?
Ans: The average cost of studying in the University of Cambridge under graduate programs varies around 35,000 GBP (33.92 lakhs) per year. For postgraduate courses the yearly fees can go up to 61,000 GBP (59.12 lakhs).
Ques. Does the University of Cambridge offer scholarships to international students?
Ans: Yes, the university is generous and offers a number of scholarships to the international students including full cost of studying. Besides, the university allows the international students to apply for external scholarships and other financial aid.
Ques. What is the last day for submission of applications to the University of Cambridge?
Ans: University of Cambridge offers admission to the undergraduate students in three academic terms. The deadline for Michaelmas session is December 3, for Lent is March 18, and for Easter is June 17 for the 2021-22 academic cycle. The graduate programs have program specific deadlines.
Ques. What is the required score of Indian students for admission to the University of Cambridge?
Ans: The state board students require around 90-95% scores in the XII standard for admission to the undergraduate programs at University of Cambridge. The students aspiring to apply to the graduate programs need a minimum score of 60-70% in their previous academic programs.
Ques. How many programs does the University of Cambridge offer to international students?
Ans: International students can pursue 30 undergraduate courses and 300 postgraduate programs across different study areas at the University of Cambridge.
