University of Cambridge, England

The University of Cambridge is a research university in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Established in 1209, it is the third-oldest functional university in the world.

It shares many common features with the University of Oxford. Cambridge comprises 31 semi-autonomous colleges and more than 150 academic departments, faculties, and other institutes, which are housed in six schools. It also houses the world’s oldest university press, besides eight cultural and scientific museums The university has 116 libraries, which store about 16 million books.

There is no main campus for the university and all its colleges are spread all over the city of Cambridge.

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Students belonging to more than 140 countries are enrolled in the university where there are over 24,000 students. More than 40% of its students are foreign nationals. Getting admission into the university is quite tough, as it has an acceptance rate of about 23%.

International applicants wanting to study at Cambridge must score at least 110 in TOEFL-iBT or 7.5 in IELTS tests to ensure admission to Cambridge University.

Their minimum score on GMAT should be 630. Other than these, students are assessed in various other ways before they are considered for admission.  Of all the colleges of the university, the maximum number of students are enrolled in Trinity College.

Highlights of Cambridge University

• Cambridge is home to 29 undergraduate colleges.
• All applicants must first apply to the university and then pick a college of their choice on their application.
• All applications for PhD are judged on a rolling basis. Aspiring doctorate students can expect their applications to be assessed within eight weeks of their submission at the university.

Certain courses need an assessment before admission. Applicants for those courses must register in advance by getting in touch with the assessment center. 

Admission Deadlines at the University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge offers more than 30 undergraduate and 167 master’s programs.

Requirements for admission at the University of Cambridge for some of its most popular courses are as follows:

The university shortlists students based on various criteria and then invites them for the second round where an interview is held either online or by telephone.

Note: The university’s department of the Cambridge Test of Mathematics for University Admission (CTMUA) conducts tests in late October/early November.

Undergraduate Admission at the University of Cambridge

The university offers 29 full-time degree courses in which a quarter of the students hail from overseas countries. The most popular of these programs are engineering, education, management, medicine, and sciences.

The application process for graduate admission to the University of Cambridge in 2023 is as follows –

• Step 1 – Submission of application through the application portal of UCAS.
• Step 2 – Payment of the application fee of £60
• Step 3 – Submission of the required documentation before October 15.

Quick Fact: The Statement of Purpose (SOP) for the UK is different from those in other countries. The word limit should not exceed 800 words and most of it must be academic. They vary from one subject to the other.

Admission Requirements for UG Programs at the University of Cambridge:

• Educational transcripts
• Required are minimum grades in five relevant subjects –
• Minimum test scores in English proficiency in IELTS Academic or TOEFL iBT
• SOP
• LOR (Letters of Recommendation) provided by teachers/other academicians
• A valid passport.

Indian students need to satisfy the other requirements, besides completing Class XII with eligible grades for admission into the University of Cambridge based on the program for which they are applying:

• A rank above 2000 in IIT- JEE (Advanced) for Engineering and Natural Sciences:
• STEP (minimum grade varies with colleges) for computer science, economics, and mathematics

Students from South Asian countries require to have one of the following qualifications to be considered eligible for admission:

• GCSE results
• Applicants need to obtain A grades in a particular subject(s)
• Students with International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma should get at least 40 to 42 points out of 45, and a minimum of 776 in Higher Level subjects.

Graduate Admissions at the University of Cambridge

At Cambridge university, work is very intensive and hence academic entry requirements need to be satisfied. Foreign students can choose to opt for any of its 167 PG courses at the University of Cambridge. Most foreign students in 2020-2021 at the university were from India China, and the United States.

The graduate admission application process for the University of Cambridge in 2023 is as follows –

• Step 1 – Submission of application through the application portal of the university.
• Step 2 – Payment of the application fee of £75
• Step 3 – Submission of the essential documents.

Admission Requirements for PG Programs at the University of Cambridge:

• A bachelor’s degree with at least 70% in a related field
• Educational transcripts
• Proof of proficiency in English in tests such as TOEFL-iBT or IELTS
• SOP
• LOR provided by a teacher/other academicians
• Interview (for certain courses)

University of Cambridge Admission Requirements for Specific Courses

Programs	Educational Requirements	LOR Requirements	Other Requirements
Master of Finance	Minimum GPA 3.6/4	Three References	Educational transcripts, two years work experience
Master of Accounting	Reasonable GMAT/GRE score	Two References	Educational transcripts, two years’ work experience
MPhil in Management	1st class in Graduation	–	One year’s work experience
MPhil in Technology Policy	1st class in Graduation	Personal Statement	Work experience preferred

 

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University of Cambridge MBA Requirements

To gain admission to an MBA in the University of Cambridge, there are certain specific requirements.

• Application Fee – £150
• Educational transcripts
• Work experience – Minimum of two years
• GMAT score – At least 630
• Recommendation – one from the supervisor
• Student Visa
• SOP – Not more than 500 words
• Essay – three essays of up to 200 words each
• Minimum test scores proving proficiency in the English language 

Proficiency in the English Language

People who hail from non-English speaking countries need to have any one of the following formal qualifications:

Tests	Minimum Requirements
IELTS Academic	Overall 7.5
TOEFL iBT	Overall 110
Cambridge English: C2 Proficiency	Minimum 200
Cambridge English: C1 Advanced	Minimum 193

 

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International Students’ Visa Application Process

Students hailing from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland need to have a Tier 4 student visa if they want to pursue studies for more than six months in the UK. Upon receiving admission, they should immediately submit the visa application.

Required Documents:

• A valid passport.
• Proof of having sufficient financial resources
• Those below 18 years need to provide proof of consent from parents or other legal guardians

Candidates must apply for a Tier 4 student visa a minimum of three months ahead of their course’s starting date. The application date must be the same as the visa application fee payment date. Students can submit visa applications in their native countries.

 Admission Decision at the University of Cambridge

The time to evaluate the applications varies considerably based on the type of degree and the applicant pool. The admission decision at Cambridge University for undergraduate applicants is made public before the end of January. Selected candidates will get notifications from the respective colleges. Decisions on admissions for graduate programs are made public three months before the deadline.

Acceptance depends on the approval of the following authorities:

• A minimum of two academic members of the department
• Related degree committee
• Postgraduate Admission Office

The University of Cambridge takes decisions on admissions exclusively on educational requirements, i.e., the capability and capacity of the candidate.

Other Services

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE	LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION	OVERSEAS EDUCATION LOAN
COUNTRY SPECIFIC ADMISSION	COURSE RECOMMENDATION	DOCUMENT PROCUREMENT