Exploring Enrollment Statistics At Cambridge University

The University of Cambridge is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world. Founded in 1209, it is the third-oldest surviving university in continuous operation. With a rich history and a wide-ranging alumni list, Cambridge attracts students from all over the world. The university's total student population was 24,912 in 2024-2025, with 12,910 undergraduates and 12,010 postgraduates. The university is split into 31 autonomous colleges, with a total of 19,672 students enrolled in the previous year. Cambridge is selective in its admissions, with an acceptance rate of 21% in 2015, and is known for its rigorous academic standards and high-quality education.

Undergraduate vs. postgraduate student numbers

The University of Cambridge is a collegiate public research institution founded in 1209. It is the fourth-oldest surviving university in the world and the second-oldest in the English-speaking world. The university is split into 31 autonomous colleges, with over 100 libraries and nine arts, scientific and cultural museums.

The university caters to a large number of students, with figures varying across sources. According to the university's website, there were 12,910 undergraduates and 12,010 postgraduates in the 2024-2025 academic year, totalling 24,912 students. However, a source from January 2025 mentions a total of 18,000 students, while another source states that there were 24,270 students enrolled in the 2020-2021 academic year, with 12,940 undergraduates and 11,330 postgraduates.

The number of undergraduate and postgraduate students at Cambridge University appears to be relatively balanced, with a slightly higher number of undergraduates according to the university's data for 2024-2025. However, the figures from 2020-2021 show a narrower gap between the two groups, with only a slight majority of undergraduates.

The university's colleges play a significant role in the admission process, as each college has its own criteria and requirements for prospective students. The colleges have varying student capacities, with the largest college accommodating 1192 students and the smallest catering to 249 students in the 2017-2018 academic year.

International student numbers

Cambridge University is a globally diverse institution, with students from 142 countries. In total, there are 24,912 students enrolled at the university, with slightly more undergraduates than postgraduates (12,910 and 12,010, respectively). Of these, 3,936 are international students, hailing from over 120 different countries. The university's International Summer Schools offer 150 courses to students from more than 50 countries.

The university is split into 31 autonomous colleges, with six schools spread across these colleges: Arts and Humanities, Biological Sciences, Clinical Medicine, Humanities and Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Technology. The colleges vary in size, with the largest college having 1192 students (Homerton) and the smallest, 249 (Clare Hall).

The university's acceptance rate in 2015 was 21%, which is higher than that of Oxford University, which admitted 17.5% of applicants in the same year.

Acceptance rate

The University of Cambridge is one of the most prestigious universities in the world. It is the fourth-oldest surviving university in the world and the second-oldest in the English-speaking world. It was founded in 1209 and was granted a royal charter by King Henry III in 1231.

The university's acceptance rate has varied over the years. In 2015, the acceptance rate was 21%, which is surprisingly high compared to what one might expect. In the same year, Oxford University, Cambridge's closest competitor, admitted only 17.5% of applicants, making Cambridge the "easier" of the two universities to get into. However, compared to other Russell Group universities, Cambridge's acceptance rate is significantly lower. For instance, in 2021, two-thirds of applicants to the University of Bristol were accepted, and 75% to the University of Nottingham.

The University of Cambridge received around 21,445 applications for approximately 4,550 undergraduate places in 2023. This means that, on average, the university receives six applications per place. The acceptance rate for that year was around 21.3%.

The university operates on a collegiate system, with 31 semi-autonomous colleges. Each college has its own admission criteria, and the number of students within each college varies. The largest college, as of 2017-2018, was Homerton, with 1192 students, while the smallest was Clare Hall, with 249 students.

The application process at Cambridge is highly competitive, and the university is committed to offering admission based on academic ability and potential. The process typically involves written admission assessments and interviews, with around 75% of applicants invited to interview each year.

Comparison to other universities' student numbers

Cambridge University is one of the smallest universities in the UK, with 24,912 students enrolled in the 2024-2025 academic year. In comparison, the University of London had 169,000 students enrolled in the 2019/2020 academic year, and the University of Manchester had 40,000 students enrolled in the same year. The University of Birmingham, University of Edinburgh, and University of Nottingham also had significantly more students than Cambridge, with 36,000, 33,000, and 32,000 students, respectively, in 2019/2020.

When compared to universities worldwide, Cambridge's student population is even smaller. For example, the University System of Ohio in the United States has around 7.14 million students enrolled, making it the largest university system in the world. Other large universities include the California State University System in the United States, with 485,000 students, and the State University System of Florida, also in the United States, with 431,000 students. These universities have student populations that are more than 10 times the size of Cambridge's.

While Cambridge University may be small in terms of student numbers, it is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world. Founded in 1209, it is the third-oldest university in continuous operation and has a rich history of academic excellence. The university has produced numerous distinguished alumni, including 125 Nobel Prize laureates, and is known for its competitive admission rates, with around a 15% acceptance rate in 2022.

Student numbers by college

The University of Cambridge is a collegiate public research institution with 31 semi-autonomous colleges. The colleges are self-governing institutions within the university, each with their own personnel, policies, and endowments. All students are required to be affiliated with a college. While the colleges are responsible for undergraduate teaching, the university's faculties and departments are responsible for lectures, seminars, and laboratory work.

The colleges vary in the number of students they admit. Some colleges receive more applicants than others, and some colleges draw a greater proportion of their students from the Winter Pool, where applicants who are unsuccessful with their chosen college are considered for admission to other colleges.

The colleges are:

• Churchill
• Clare
• King's
• Sidney Sussex
• Downing
• Peterhouse
• Homerton
• Robinson
• Girton
• Newnham
• Hughes Hall
• Murray Edwards
• Lucy Cavendish
• Darwin
• Clare Hall
• St Edmund's
• Wolfson
• Magdalene
• Emmanuel
• St Catharine's
• Christ's
• Pembroke
• Gonville and Caius
• Selwyn
• Queens'
• St John's
• Trinity
• Corpus Christi
• Fitzwilliam
• Jesus
• Sidney Sussex
• Hughes Hall
• St Edmund's
• Wolfson
• Homerton
• Girton
• Newnham
• Lucy Cavendish
• St Catharine's
• Pembroke
• Magdalene
• Trinity Hall
• Corpus Christi
• Jesus College
• Sidney Sussex
• Downing
• Emmanuel
• Christ's
• St John's
• Queens'
• King's
• Clare
• Fitzwilliam
• Peterhouse
• Homerton
• Murray Edwards
• Darwin
• Wolfson
• St Edmund's
• Hughes Hall
• Clare Hall

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