Colleges of the University of Cambridge

199x199px|thumb|Arms of the [[University of Cambridge]]

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

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".

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. 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, 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. 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, and the newest is Robinson, founded in 1977. 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".

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:

Murray Edwards and Newnham admit only women;
Clare Hall and Darwin admit only postgraduates;
Hughes Hall, St Edmund's and Wolfson admit only mature students and 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. 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.

List of colleges

{| class="wikitable sortable sticky-header sort-under-center"

! rowspan=2 style="width:8em" | College (with arms and scarf colours)

! rowspan=2

! rowspan=2|Sister college at Oxford

! rowspan=2 width=150|Head of House

! colspan=3|Student numbers

! rowspan=2

! rowspan=2 style=""width:4em" |Net assets

! rowspan=2 |Assets per student

! rowspan=2

! rowspan=2 class=unsortable|Notes

| style="text-align: center" data-sort-value="Christ's" |12px Christ's College

|1505

|Wadham College

| data-sort-value="McDonald of Salford, Lord" |Lord McDonald of Salford Master since 2022

|align=right |433

|align=right |294

|align=right |727

|align=right |£122

|align=right |£244 Master since 2024

|align=right |478

|align=right |334

|align=right |812

|align=right |£37

|align=right |£196 Master since 2021

|align=right |488

|align=right |273

|align=right |761

|align=right |£187.5

|align=right |£336 President since 2020

|align=right |0

|align=right |271

|align=right |£21

|align=right |£42 Master since 2018

|align=right |323

|align=right |178

|align=right |501

|align=right |£100

|align=right |£239

|align=right |£82 Master since 2023

|align=right |476

|align=right |429

|align=right |905

|align=right |£44

|align=right |£224 Master since 2021

|align=right |518

|align=right |232

|align=right |750

|align=right |£143

|align=right |£388 Master since 2019

|align=right |491

|align=right |427

|align=right |918

|align=right |£77

|align=right |£155 Mistress since 2022

|align=right |521

|align=right |389

|align=right |910

|align=right |£73

|align=right |£173 Master since 2025

|align=right |595

|align=right |258

|align=right |853

|align=right |£271

|align=right |£403 Principal since 2021

|align=right |600

|align=right |755

|align=right |1355

|align=right |£119

|align=right |£215 President since 2022

|align=right |169

|align=right |814

|align=right |983

|align=right |£8

|align=right |£57 Master since 2019

|align=right |530

|align=right |394

|align=right |924

|align=right |£236

|align=right |£375

|align=right |£481 President since 2025

|align=right |461

|align=right |700

|align=right |1161

|align=right |£14

|align=right |£50 Master since 2020

|align=right |384

|align=right |203

|align=right |587

|align=right |£74

|align=right |£202 President since 2021

|align=right |393

|align=right |230

|align=right |623

|align=right |£54

|align=right |£118 Principal since 2019

|align=right |415

|align=right |288

|align=right |703

|align=right |£74

|align=right |£259 Master since 2025

|align=right |486

|align=right |290

|align=right |776

|align=right |£139

|align=right |£302 Master since 2023

|align=right |310

|align=right |206

|align=right |516

|align=right |£238.6

|align=right |£350 President since 2025

|align=right |536

|align=right |498

|align=right |1034

|align=right |£120

|align=right |£154 Warden since 2021

|align=right |422

|align=right |212

|align=right |634

|align=right |£30

|align=right |£117

|align=right |£175 Master since 2024

|align=right |206

|align=right |631

|align=right |837

|align=right |£19

|align=right |£44Master since 2020

|align=right |610

|align=right |362

|align=right |972

|align=right |£674

|align=right |£974 Master since 2025

|align=right |416

|align=right |264

|align=right |680

|align=right |£55

|align=right |£134 Master since 2023

|align=right |400

|align=right |261

|align=right |661

|align=right |£31

|align=right |£140 Master since 2019

|align=right |693

|align=right |303

|align=right |996

|align=right |£2,020

|align=right |£2,192 Master since 2022

|align=right |379

|align=right |188

|align=right |567

|align=right |£89

|align=right |£431 President since 2024

|align=right |158

|align=right |965

|align=right |1123

|align=right |£32

|align=right |£81

|align=right |£7,168

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:

Ayerst Hostel, founded in 1884 by William Ayerst but closed in 1896. Buildings used by St Edmund's House from 1896 and later St Edmund's College in 1996.
Buckingham College, founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hall, refounded as Magdalene in 1542.
Bull College, an unofficial college for US GIs returning from World War II, existing in Michaelmas 1945 and Lent 1946.
Cavendish College, founded in 1873, an attempt to allow poorer students to sit the Tripos examinations, whose buildings were bought by Homerton in 1895.
"Clare Hall" was the name of Clare College between 1338 and 1856. Clare College founded a new college named Clare Hall in 1966.
Gonville Hall, founded in 1348, and re-founded in 1557 as Gonville and Caius College.
God's House, founded in 1437, and re-founded in 1505 as Christ's College.
King's Hall, founded in 1317, and combined with Michaelhouse to form Trinity College in 1546.
Michaelhouse, founded in 1324, and combined with King's Hall to form Trinity College in 1546.