Colleges of the University of Cambridge

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The University of Cambridge is composed of 31 colleges in addition to the academic departments and administration of the central university.

Arms of the University of Cambridge

Until the mid-19th century, both Cambridge and Oxford comprised a group of colleges with a small central university administration, rather than universities in the common sense. Cambridge's colleges are communities of students, academics and staff – an environment in which generations and academic disciplines are able to mix, with both students and fellows experiencing "the breadth and excellence of a top University at an intimate level".[1][2]

Cambridge colleges provide most of the accommodation for undergraduates and postgraduates at the university. At the undergraduate level they have responsibility for admitting students to the university, providing pastoral support, and organising elements of their tuition, though lectures and examinations are organised by the faculties and departments of the central university. All degrees are awarded by the university itself, not the colleges, and all students study for the same course regardless of which college they attend.[3] For postgraduate students, research is conducted centrally in the faculties, departments and other university-affiliated research centres, though the colleges provide a central social and intellectual hub for students.

Colleges provide a range of facilities and services to their members in addition to accommodation,[4] including: catering, library facilities, extracurricular societies, and sporting teams. Much of sporting life at Cambridge is centred around college teams and inter-collegiate competition in Cuppers. Student activity is typically organised through separate common rooms for undergraduate and postgraduate students. Another important element of collegiate life is formal hall, which range in frequency from weekly to every night of the week during Full Term.

Colleges also provide funding, accommodation, or both, for some of the academic posts in the university, with the majority of Cambridge academics being a fellow of a college in addition to their faculty/departmental role.[5] Fellows may therefore hold college positions in addition to their academic posts at the university: these include roles such as Tutor (responsible for pastoral support), Director of Studies (responsible for academic oversight of students taking a particular subject), Dean (responsible for discipline among college members), Senior Tutor (responsible for the college's overall academic provision), or Head of college ("Head of House").

Colleges are self-governed charities in their own right, with their own endowments and possessions.

"Old" and "new" colleges

The University of Cambridge has 31 colleges,[5] founded between the 13th and 20th centuries. No colleges were founded between 1596 (Sidney Sussex College) and 1800 (Downing College), which allows the colleges to be distinguished into two groups according to foundation date:

  • the 16 "old" colleges, founded between 1284 and 1596, and
  • the 15 "new" colleges, founded between 1800 and 1977.

The oldest college is Peterhouse, founded in 1284,[6] and the newest is Robinson, founded in 1977.[7] Homerton, which was first founded in the eighteenth century as a dissenting academy (and later teacher training college), attained full college status in 2010.

Six of the "new" colleges (Churchill, Fitzwilliam, Girton, Lucy Cavendish, Murray Edwards and St Edmund's) are located on Castle Hill and are thus sometimes referred to as "hill colleges".[8]

Restrictions on entry

All 16 of the "old" colleges and 8 of the 15 "new" ones admit both male and female students as both undergraduates and postgraduates, without any age restrictions. Seven colleges restrict entry by sex, or by age of undergraduates, or admit only postgraduates:

No colleges are all-male, although most originally were. Darwin, founded in 1964, was the first mixed college. In 1972, Churchill, Clare and King's colleges were the first previously all-male colleges to admit women, whilst King's accepted only students from Eton College until 1865. The last all-male college to become mixed was Magdalene, in 1988.[11] In 1973, Hughes Hall became the first all-female college to admit men, and Girton first admitted men in 1979. Lucy Cavendish admitted only female mature students and postgraduates until 2021.[9]

Newnham also places restrictions on the admission of staff members, allowing only women to become fellows of the college. Murray Edwards does not place this restriction on fellows.

Architectural influence

Main article: Collegiate Gothic

The Cambridge and Oxford colleges have served as an architectural inspiration for Collegiate Gothic architecture, used by a number of American universities including Princeton University, Cornell University, University of Chicago, and Washington University in St. Louis since the late nineteenth century.[12][13]

List of colleges

More information College (with arms and scarf colours), Founded ...
College (with arms and scarf colours)[14]
Founded[a]
 Sister college at Oxford Head of House Student numbers Net assets Assets per student
Abbreviation[16]
(and short form)
 Notes
Undergraduates
Postgraduates
Total[17]
Christ's CollegeScarf colours: brown, with two equally-spaced narrow white stripes 1505 Wadham College Lord McDonald of Salford[18] Master since 2022 433 294 727 £122M[19] £244M[19] £336k CHR Re-foundation of Gods­house (est. 1439)
Churchill CollegeScarf colours: black, with two equally-spaced narrow stripes of brown edged with pink 1960
(1966)[b]		 Trinity College Professor Sharon Peacock[20] Master since 2024 486 338 824 £37M[21] £196M[21] £238k CHU
Clare CollegeScarf colours: black, with two equally-spaced narrow yellow stripes 1326
(1336)[c]		 Oriel College
St. Hugh's College		 Loretta Minghella[22]
Master since 2021		 491 270 761 £187.5M[23] £336M[23] £442k CL Formerly University Hall, then Clare Hall.
Clare HallScarf colours: black, with two equally-spaced narrow stripes of red edged with yellow 1966
(1984)[d]		 St Cross College C. Alan Short[24]
President since 2020		 0 289 289 £21M[25] £42M[25] £145k CLH Post­graduate-only.
Corpus Christi CollegeScarf colours: cherry pink, with two equally-spaced narrow white stripes 1352 Corpus Christi College Christopher Kelly[26]
Master since 2018		 315 181 496 £100M[27] £239M[27] £482k CC
(Corpus)		 Formerly St Benet's College.
Darwin CollegeScarf colours: blue, with two equally-spaced narrow sets of three adjacent red, Cambridge blue and yellow stripes, with the red stripes closest to the edge of the scarf, and the yellow stripes closest to the centre 1964
(1976)[d]		 Wolfson College Mike Rands[26]
Master since 2018		 0 749 749 £25M[28] £82M[28] £109k DAR Post­graduate-only.
Downing CollegeScarf colours: black, with three narrow magenta stripes 1800 Lincoln College Graham Virgo[29]
Master since 2023		 465 441 906 £44M[30] £224M[30] £247k DOW
Emmanuel CollegeScarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced narrow rose pink stripes 1584 Exeter College Douglas Chalmers[31]
Master since 2021		 514 219 733 £143M[32] £388M[32] £529k EM
(Emma)
Fitzwilliam CollegeScarf colours: maroon, with two equally-spaced narrow grey stripes 1869
(1966)[d]		 St Edmund Hall Baroness Morgan of Huyton[33]
Master since 2019		 490 481 971 £77M[34] £155M[34] £160k F
(Fitz)
Girton CollegeScarf colours: green, with two equally-spaced narrow stripes of red edged with white 1869
(1924)[e]
(1948)[b]		 Somerville College Elisabeth Kendall[35]
Mistress since 2022		 529 375 904 £73M[36] £173M[36] £191k G Formerly female-only; mixed from 1976.
Gonville and Caius College heraldic shield Gonville and Caius CollegeScarf colours: four equal stripes alternating black and Cambridge blue 1348
(1557)[f]		 Brasenose College Richard Gilbertson[37]
Master since 2025		 584 254 838 £271M[38] £403M[38] £481k CAI
(Caius)
  • Caius, pro­nounced "keys".
  • Formerly Gonville Hall.
Homerton CollegeScarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced narrow white stripes 1768
(1976)[g]
(2010)[d]		 Harris Manchester College
Mansfield Colllege		 Lord Woolley of Woodford[39]
Principal since 2021		 617 714 1331 £119M[40] £215M[40] £162k HO Originally mixed, then became women-only on move to Cambridge; returned to mixed from 1976.
Hughes HallScarf colours: light blue with three equally-spaced narrow stripes, the outer stripes of Cambridge blue and wider, the central stripe of white and narrower 1885
(1949)[g]
(2006)[d]		 Linacre College Sir Laurie Bristow[41]
President since 2022		 166 764 930 £8M[42] £57M[42] £61k HH Mature-only.[h]
Jesus CollegeScarf colours: three equal stripes of red and black, with red in the middle on one side of the scarf, and black in the middle on the other 1496 Jesus College Sonita Alleyne[43]
Master since 2019		 527 390 917 £236M[44] £375M[44] £409k JE
King's CollegeScarf colours: royal purple, with two equally-spaced narrow white stripes 1441 New College Gillian Tett[43]
Provost since 2023		 420 329 759 £340M[45] £481M[45] £633k K
Lucy Cavendish CollegeScarf colours: eight alternating stripes of black and blue of varying width, with wide black and narrow blue stripes transitioning towards narrow black and wide blue stripes across the face of the scarf 1965
(1997)[d]		 Regent's Park College Girish Menon[46]
President since 2025		 455 638 1093 £14M[47] £50M[47] £46k LC
(Lucy Cav, Lucy)		 Formerly mature-only,[h] and female-only; all-age from 2020, mixed from 2021.
Magdalene CollegeScarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced narrow lavender stripes 1428
(1542)[i]		 Magdalen College Sir Christopher Greenwood[48]
Master since 2020		 375 202 577 £74M[49] £202M[49] £350k M
  • Magdalene, pronounced /ˈmɔːd.lɪn/.
  • Formerly Bucking­ham College.
Murray Edwards CollegeScarf colours: three equally-spaced narrow stripes separating two black areas towards the edge and two blue areas in the middle, the outer stripes of yellow and the central stripe of red 1954
(1972)[d]
(2011)[j]		 St Anne's College Dorothy Byrne[50]
President since 2021		 383 227 610 £54M[51] £118M[51] £193k MUR
(Medwards)
  • Female students-only, mixed fellowship.
  • Formerly New Hall.
Newnham CollegeScarf colours: grey, with a central broad band of navy, itself divided in two by a narrow gold stripe 1871
(1917)[e]
(1957)[k]		 Lady Margaret Hall Alison Rose[52]
Principal since 2019		 418 298 716 £74M[53] £259M[53] £362k N Female-only.
Pembroke CollegeScarf colours: dark blue, with two equally-spaced narrow Cambridge blue stripes 1347 The Queen's College Rosalind Polly Blakesley[54]
Master since 2025		 453 288 741 £139M[55] £302M[55] £408k PEM Formerly Pembroke Hall.
PeterhouseScarf colours: four equal stripes alternating white and blue 1284 Merton College Andy Parker[56]
Master since 2023		 301 203 504 £238.6M[57] £350M[57] £694k PET
Queens' CollegeScarf colours: dark green, with two equally-spaced narrow white stripes 1448
(1465)[c]		 Pembroke College Dame Menna Rawlings[58]
President since 2025		 538 530 1068 £120M[59] £154M[59] £144k Q
Robinson CollegeScarf colours: from one edge of the scarf to the other, the first third grey, then three equal stripes of blue, gold and grey, and then the final third blue 1977
(1984)[b]		 St Catherine's College Sir Richard Heaton[60]
Warden since 2021		 422 261 683 £30M[61] £117M[61] £171k R
St Catharine's CollegeScarf colours: burgundy, with narrow pearl pink stripes 1473 Worcester College Sir John Benger
Master since 2023		 475 356 831 £74M[62] £175M[62] £211k CTH
(Catz)		 Katz. Formerly Catharine Hall.
St Edmund's CollegeScarf colours: blue, with two equally-spaced narrow stripes of Cambridge blue edged with white 1896
(1965)[g]
(1998)[d]		 Green Templeton College Chris Young[63]
Master since 2024		 196 621 817 £19M[64] £44M[64] £54k ED
(Eddie's)		 Mature-only.[h]
St John's CollegeScarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced narrow stripes of Cambridge blue edged with red 1511 Balliol College Heather Hancock[65]Master since 2020 609 347 956 £674M[66] £974M[66] £1,019k JN
(John's)
Selwyn CollegeScarf colours: maroon, with three narrow gold stripes through the middle, the central stripe slightly narrower than others 1882
(1883)[g]
(1958)[b]		 Keble College Suzanne Raine[67]
Master since 2025		 431 258 689 £55M[68] £134M[68] £194k SE
Sidney Sussex CollegeScarf colours: two equal halves of dark-red and navy 1596 St John's College Martin Burton[69]
Master since 2023		 397 217 614 £31M[70] £140M[70] £228k SID
(Sidney)
Trinity CollegeScarf colours: navy, with three equally-spaced narrow stripes, the outer stripes of yellow and slightly narrower, the central stripe of red and slightly wider 1546 Christ Church College Dame Sally Davies[71]
Master since 2019		 702 317 1019 £2,020M[72] £2,192M[72] £2,151k T Founded by merger of King's Hall (est. 1317) and Michael­house (est. 1324).
Trinity HallScarf colours: black, with two equally-spaced narrow white stripes 1350 All Souls College
University College		 Mary Hockaday[73]
Master since 2022		 378 188 566 £89M[74] £431M[74] £761k TH
(Tit Hall)
Wolfson CollegeScarf colours: red, with two equally-spaced narrow golden stripes edged with white 1965
(1977)[b]		 St Antony's College Professor Dame Ijeoma Uchegbu[75]
President since 2024		 168 914 1082 £32M[76] £81M[76] £75k W
  • Mature-only.[h]
  • Formerly University College.
Totals: 12,354 10,893 23,247 £4,582M £9,184M
Close
More information Institutions(s), Founded ...
University and colleges consolidated information
Institutions(s) Founded Head
Undergraduates
Postgraduates
Total[17]
Endowment
(2023)
 Net Assets
(2023)		 Assets per student
(2019)
University of Cambridge c. 1209 Deborah Prentice
Vice-Chancellor since 2023		 12,354 10,893 23,247 £2,469M[77] £7,168M[77] £221k
Colleges 1284–1977 (See list) " " " " " " £4,665M £9,184M £319k
Totals: 12,354 10,893 23,247 £7,134M £16,352M £541k
Close

There are also several theological colleges in the city of Cambridge (for example Ridley Hall, Wesley House, Westcott House and Westminster College) that are affiliated with the university through the Cambridge Theological Federation. These colleges, while not officially part of the University of Cambridge, operate programmes that are either validated by or are taught on behalf either of the university or of Anglia Ruskin or Durham Universities.[78]

Timeline of the colleges in the order their students are presented for graduation, compared with some events in British history.

Heads of colleges

Most colleges are led by a Master, even when the Master is female. However, there are some exceptions, listed below. Girton College has always had a Mistress, even though male candidates have been able to run for the office since 1976.

  • Mistress: Girton College
  • President: Clare Hall, Hughes Hall, Lucy Cavendish College, Murray Edwards College, Queens' College, Wolfson College
  • Principal: Homerton College, Newnham College
  • Provost: King's College
  • Warden: Robinson College

Also see List of current heads of University of Cambridge colleges.

Former colleges

The above list does not include several former colleges that no longer exist. These include:

See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    Principal date given is the date of establishment acknowledged by the university.[15] Additional later dates are explained by further footnotes.
  2. [b]
    Date of recognition by the university as a constituent college.
  3. [c]
    Date of re-foundation by later benefactor.
  4. [d]
    Date of royal charter, and of recognition by the university as a constituent college.
  5. [e]
    Date of royal charter.
  6. [f]
    Date of royal charter re-founding Gonville Hall as Gonville and Caius College.
  7. [g]
    Date of first formal recognition by the university, but not yet as a constituent college.
  8. [h]
    Mature-only colleges admit only postgraduate students or undergraduate students over the age of 21.
  9. [i]
    Date of royal charter re-founding Buckingham College as Magdalene College.
  10. [j]
    Date of supplemental royal charter re-founding New Hall as Murray Edwards College.
  11. [k]
    Date of supplemental royal charter, and of recognition by the university as a constituent college.

References

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