Black Representation At Cambridge University: The Numbers

Cambridge University has been criticised for its underrepresentation of Black and Minority Ethnic students, with the relatively low number of Black students admitted to the university becoming a topic of media comment and public concern. However, in 2024, Cambridge welcomed a record number of UK-based Black undergraduates, with 137 students admitted, representing 4.6% of the total number of UK undergraduates starting at the university that year. This was a rise of over 50% from the 2019/20 academic year, when 91 Black students were admitted, and the first time the proportion of Black students rose above 3%.

Cambridge University's record number of Black UK undergraduates

In October 2024, Cambridge University admitted a record number of Black British undergraduates as part of its incoming cohort. A total of 137 Black British students were admitted, representing 4.6% of the total number of UK undergraduates starting at the university that year. This was a rise of over 50% from the 2019-2020 academic year, when 91 Black students were admitted, which was also a record at the time.

Context

The record number of Black undergraduates admitted to Cambridge in 2024 is the result of several years of efforts by the university to increase the diversity of its student body. Cambridge has been criticised in the past for the under-representation of Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) students and wider structural issues of racial inequality.

In 2017, only 9.1% of those admitted to Cambridge identified as Black or mixed Black, and in 2018, the university admitted just 61 Black students. However, since then, there has been a significant increase in the number of Black undergraduates at Cambridge, with the total number rising to over 300 in 2024.

Factors Contributing to the Increase

There are several factors believed to have contributed to the increase in Black students applying to and being admitted to Cambridge University. One factor is the "Stormzy effect". In 2018, the award-winning grime artist Stormzy launched a scholarship for two Black students per year at Cambridge, and his high-profile support is thought to have encouraged more Black students to apply. Stormzy has also launched an initiative to encourage more Black students to attend the university.

Another factor is the proactive campaign work by the university, including the launch of the 'Get In' social media campaign, featuring YouTube influencer Courtney Daniella, aimed at challenging misconceptions about what Cambridge is like. The university has also strengthened its ties with organisations like Target Oxbridge, which helps Black African and Caribbean students increase their chances of getting into Oxford and Cambridge.

Additionally, student societies, such as the African-Caribbean Society (ACS), have been actively involved in access work, promoting the university to groups of young people who may not have previously considered applying to Cambridge.

Challenges and Future Goals

While the record number of Black undergraduates admitted to Cambridge in 2024 is a positive step, there are still challenges and work to be done to ensure that Black students feel welcomed and supported at the university. Professor Graham Virgo, Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor, has emphasised the need for the university and colleges to create an inclusive environment where all students can thrive, regardless of their ethnic background.

The university has been working in collaboration with Black students to identify ways to close the awarding gap between Black and White students, and several departments are examining ways to diversify the curriculum and provide a wider choice of authors to study. The university is also providing race awareness and unconscious bias training to all staff.

The record number of Black UK undergraduates admitted to Cambridge University in 2024 is a significant milestone and reflects the hard work and dedication of the students, as well as the efforts of the university and its partners to increase diversity and accessibility. However, there is still progress to be made to ensure that Cambridge becomes a truly welcoming and inclusive environment for students from all ethnic backgrounds.

Stormzy's scholarships for Black students

The Stormzy Scholarship for Black UK Students was launched in 2018 and has since provided financial support to more than 40 Black UK students at Cambridge University, helping to transform their university experience. The scholarship was set up by Stormzy's #Merky Foundation in partnership with HSBC UK.

The scholarship is non-repayable and covers the full cost of tuition fees and provides a maintenance grant, which significantly reduces the need for recipients to take out government or commercial loans. This support is available for the three or four years of the recipient's undergraduate course. In 2024-25, the total award to each student for the year will be worth £20,000.

In 2023, five years after the launch of the Stormzy Scholarship, HSBC UK pledged a further £2 million in support of 30 new Stormzy Scholarships over three years (2024-26). The #Merky Foundation will continue to fund a further two students per year. This means that at least 10 Black students starting their studies in autumn 2024 will receive scholarships.

The Stormzy Scholarships are credited with helping Cambridge to attract more applications from a traditionally underrepresented group. The number of Black UK students admitted to undergraduate courses has more than doubled in the past five years, rising from 61 students in 2018 to 141 students in 2022. In 2024, a record 137 Black British undergraduates were admitted to Cambridge as part of the incoming cohort, representing 4.6% of the total number of UK undergraduates starting at Cambridge that year.

To be eligible for a Stormzy Scholarship, applicants must be of Black, or mixed Black heritage, and have a confirmed place to start an undergraduate degree course at Cambridge. They must also be UK students and have been assessed for fee status as 'home'. Applications for 2024 are now closed, but applications for 2025 entry scholarships will open in August 2025.

The University's efforts to improve diversity

The University of Cambridge has faced criticism for the under-representation of Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) students and wider structural issues of racial inequality. In 2017, only 9.1% of those admitted to Cambridge University identified as black or mixed-race, and in 2018, only 3% of the university's intake was Black.

However, in recent years, the university has made efforts to improve diversity and has seen a significant increase in the number of Black students. In 2024, a record number of Black UK undergraduates were admitted, with 137 Black British undergraduates making up 4.6% of the total UK undergraduate intake. This was a rise of over 50% from the 2019-20 academic year, and there are now over 300 Black British undergraduates at Cambridge. Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor Graham Virgo, has acknowledged that the university must continue to work hard to ensure that Cambridge is a welcoming place for all students, regardless of their ethnic background.

One factor contributing to the increase in Black students at Cambridge is the "Stormzy effect". The award-winning grime artist launched a scholarship in 2018, funding the tuition fees and living costs of two Black students per year. Stormzy's high-profile support has encouraged more Black students to apply to the university and engage in its outreach activities. The university has also strengthened its ties with initiatives like Target Oxbridge, providing more places on its mentoring programmes.

In addition to scholarships, Cambridge has launched outreach campaigns such as the 'Get In' social media campaign, featuring YouTube influencer Courtney Daniella and British Pakistani and Bangladeshi students. The campaign aims to challenge misconceptions about what Cambridge is like for students from underrepresented backgrounds. The university has also been working with Black students to identify innovative ways to close the awarding gap between Black and White students and is committed to eliminating this gap by 2024.

Furthermore, Cambridge is diversifying its curriculum by providing a wider choice of authors to study. The university is also providing race awareness and unconscious bias training to all staff members. The work of student societies, such as the African-Caribbean Society (ACS), has been instrumental in promoting the university to groups of young people who may not have considered Cambridge. The society's president, Sharon Mehari, has welcomed the increasing number of Black students, stating that it is a step towards creating a welcoming and empowering space for all Black students.

The experience of being a Black student at Cambridge

Being a Black student at Cambridge can be a challenging experience, with students reporting facing various degrees of racism and cultural challenges. One Black student at Cambridge, Rianna Croxford, who graduated last year, shared her experience as one of only seven women of mixed white and black heritage in her year of 3,371 undergraduates. She described how she had to deal with different forms of racism and cultural challenges that her background had not prepared her for.

Rianna, who was the first in her family to go to university, faced obstacles from the very beginning of her journey to Cambridge. She attended a state school and had moved from a comprehensive to a grammar school for her A-levels. Despite having exceptional A and A* grades at GCSE, she felt that her grades paled in comparison to the straight A* scores of her new classmates at the grammar school. As a result, she was not chosen by the grammar school for Oxbridge preparation sessions or open days, and one of her teachers even discouraged her from applying to Cambridge, telling her that it would be "bad for the school's reputation" if their candidates didn't get in.

However, Rianna remained optimistic and decided to apply to Cambridge anyway, despite not knowing anyone who had been there. She shared her experience of feeling flustered, intimidated, and constantly tugging at her dress during her interview, where she recalls waffling about Othello and receiving pitying looks in return. She was ultimately rejected by Cambridge on her first attempt but decided to reapply after taking a gap year to develop the skills she needed to shine at an Oxbridge interview, such as self-confidence, strong opinions, and the ability to argue her case. On her second attempt, she was offered a place at Trinity Hall college, becoming one of the first black students to read English there.

During her time at Cambridge, Rianna encountered a series of "micro-aggressions" and subtle forms of discrimination. For example, at her first tutorial, the supervisor tried to break the ice by asking her if she liked the rapper Kanye West, making the other students exchange nervous glances. She also recalls being mistaken for another black student with braids, even though their hair colour and overall appearance were different. Rianna and other black undergraduates at Cambridge also reported being regularly mistaken for tourists or asked to show their ID cards on college grounds.

To combat such behaviour, Rianna suggests introducing compulsory training in recognising unconscious bias, as it is currently optional in many colleges. She also emphasises the importance of mentoring and seeing students like themselves succeeding at Cambridge as a way to encourage more applicants from diverse backgrounds. She shares how mentoring three black applicants and providing them with a first-hand account of her experience motivated two of them to accept their offers at Trinity Hall.

Another Black student at Cambridge, Sharon Mehari, the president of the African Caribbean Society (ACS), also shared her experience of being a Black student at Cambridge through a video diary as part of a BBC documentary. Sharon, who is also the first in her family to go to university, highlights the importance of having actionable conversations about racial inequality and creating spaces for Black students to feel comfortable and excel. She mentions how her secondary school was in a predominantly white area, which made her feel like she had to minimise her black identity, and she initially expected Cambridge to be even worse. However, through the ACS, she found a community where she could understand and embrace her black identity.

Sharon also acknowledges the pressure that Black students at Cambridge may feel to be seen as an "elite bunch" or that their Cambridge identity overrides their blackness. She wants the ACS to offer a place of support, connection, and community for all members of the African and Caribbean diaspora, not just those at Cambridge. Additionally, she commends Cambridge for its willingness to discuss issues of racial inequality and emphasises the importance of taking actionable steps towards positive change.

The experiences of Rianna and Sharon highlight the challenges and opportunities that come with being a Black student at Cambridge. While they have faced racism and cultural challenges, they have also found support and community through societies like the ACS and mentorship programmes. Their stories serve as a reminder that more work needs to be done to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for Black students at Cambridge.

The history of Black people in Cambridge

Cambridge became a centre of abolitionist sentiment in the late 18th century. The university started admitting Black students in larger numbers from the end of the 19th century. Notable Black students in the 19th and early 20th centuries include the Afro-Polish violinist George Bridgetower, who graduated with a Bachelor of Music in 1811, and David Clemetson, a Jamaican law student who became a British Army officer during World War I. In 1945, Gloria Carpenter became the first Black woman to matriculate at the university, studying law at Girton College.

In the latter half of the 20th century, Cambridge continued to educate notable Black students, including playwright Wole Soyinka, novelist Helen Oyeyemi, and politicians Diane Abbott and Kwasi Kwarteng. In 2018, the grime artist Stormzy established the "Stormzy Scholarship for Black UK Students" at Cambridge, providing tuition and maintenance grants for Black students. In 2020, Cambridge welcomed a record number of Black undergraduates, with 137 admitted, representing 4.6% of the total UK undergraduate intake.

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