University of Cambridge Overview
The University of Cambridge, situated about 60 miles north of London, has roots dating back to 1209. Around 19,000 students attend the university, with over 35% studying at the graduate level. It consists of six schools: arts and humanities, biological sciences, clinical medicine, humanities and social sciences, physical sciences, and technology. These schools are made up of numerous academic departments and other divisions.
Cambridge follows a three-term academic calendar: Michaelmas (fall), Lent (winter), and Easter (spring). All teaching is conducted in English.
The university has 31 residential colleges responsible for admitting both undergraduate and graduate students. Three of these—Lucy Cavendish College, Murray Edwards College, and Newnham College—are exclusively for women. Undergraduates receive some small-group teaching within their colleges.
Most undergrads are guaranteed college housing for at least three years, and many new graduate students also have access to college accommodations. About 20% of students come from outside the European Union, with higher tuition fees for non-EU students depending on their field of study.
Cambridge boasts over 100 libraries, including college and department libraries, and around 140 research centers and institutes. Examples include the Centre of African Studies, the Cambridge Centre for Economic and Public Policy, and the Institute of Theoretical Geophysics. In a recent year, the university secured approximately $415 million in research grants and contracts.
University of Cambridge Data
- Total number of students: 20,870
- Number of international students: 7,865
- Total number of academic staff: 1,790
- Number of international staff: 660
- Number of undergraduate degrees awarded: 3,380
- Number of master’s degrees awarded: 3,200
- Number of doctoral degrees awarded: 1,060
- Number of research-only staff: 3,945
- Number of new undergraduate students: 3,820
- Number of new master’s students: 2,635
- Number of new doctoral students: 1,110
University of Cambridge Rankings
The University of Cambridge ranks #6 in Best Global Universities. These rankings are based on widely accepted indicators of academic excellence.
Global Rankings
- #6 – Best Global Universities
- #2 – Best Global Universities in Europe
- #2 – Best Global Universities in the United Kingdom
Subject Rankings
- #278 – Agricultural Sciences (tie)
- #82 – Artificial Intelligence
- #4 – Arts and Humanities
- #6 – Biology and Biochemistry
- #5 – Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology
- #56 – Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems
- #7 – Cell Biology (tie)
- #93 – Chemical Engineering (tie)
- #19 – Chemistry
- #129 – Civil Engineering
- #32 – Clinical Medicine (tie)
- #52 – Computer Science
- #33 – Condensed Matter Physics
- #11 – Ecology
- #15 – Economics and Business (tie)
- #23 – Education and Educational Research
- #209 – Electrical and Electronic Engineering (tie)
- #7 – Endocrinology and Metabolism
- #44 – Energy and Fuels
- #73 – Engineering (tie)
- #161 – Environmental Engineering (tie)
- #11 – Environment/Ecology
- #23 – Gastroenterology and Hepatology
- #34 – Geosciences (tie)
- #38 – Green and Sustainable Science and Technology
- #42 – Immunology
- #10 – Infectious Diseases
- #21 – Materials Science
- #6 – Mathematics
- #132 – Mechanical Engineering
- #58 – Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences
- #11 – Microbiology (tie)
- #4 – Molecular Biology and Genetics (tie)
- #48 – Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (tie)
- #16 – Neuroscience and Behavior
- #82 – Oncology
- #36 – Optics (tie)
- #32 – Pharmacology and Toxicology
- #46 – Physical Chemistry
- #12 – Physics
- #20 – Plant and Animal Science
- #191 – Polymer Science
- #6 – Psychiatry/Psychology
- #17 – Public, Environmental and Occupational Health
- #31 – Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging (tie)
- #10 – Social Sciences and Public Health
- #7 – Space Science
- #31 – Surgery
2024-2025 Indicator Rankings
Thirteen indicators were used to determine Cambridge’s #6 ranking in Best Global Universities. Below is how the university performed in each category.
Global Universities
- #6 – Best Global Universities
- Global score: 86.9
- Global research reputation: #4
- Regional research reputation: #13
- Publications: #20
- Books: #2
- Conferences: #79
- Normalized citation impact: #55
- Total citations: #11
- Number of publications among the top 10% most cited: #13
- Percentage of total publications among the top 10% most cited: #45
- International collaboration (relative to country): #554
- International collaboration: #254
- Number of highly cited papers in the top 1% most cited: #13
- Percentage of highly cited papers in the top 1% most cited: #70