The 2020-2021 admissions at the University of Cambridge saw students from 141 different countries finding a place here. Out of about 24,500 students, 41.16% of them are international students. This only goes on to prove Cambridge’s never-diminishing international reputation and despite the Covid-19 pandemic, about 398 Indians got admitted into a variety of programs at the University of Cambridge.

This by no means indicates any relaxation in their selectivity- its acceptance rate is still among the world’s lowest and admissions to the University of Cambridge are not so easy. Only a handful of highly qualified international students manage to get in. Over 24,000 students were enrolled for the year 2020-21 out of which 14,380 were domestic, with the remaining students coming from different EU and non-EU nations. Among the 31, autonomous colleges of the university, Trinity College enrolled the maximum number of students.

International aspirants should aim to score well in their TOEFL/IELTS along with their GRE/GMAT exams. Getting admitted to the University of Cambridge requires a lot more than 90% of your grades- a vibrant but genuine CV and an engaging statement are a must. Personal statements for UK colleges will differ from your country’s, depending on your program, goals, and prior work experience.

How do the University of Cambridge and the colleges work?

• Undergraduate students apply to a college. Cambridge has 29 undergraduate colleges. If you want to apply to Cambridge, the process starts earlier than at other universities to allow time for all the application information to be gathered and considered.
• Graduates apply first to the university and choose a college preference on their application.
• If you’re considering a Cambridge Ph.D.  then applications are considered on a rolling basis. An answer can be expected within 8 weeks of submitting your application for most Ph.D. programs at the University of Cambridge.

Please ensure if the course you’ve applied for needs an admission assessment. If a pre-interview is required for your written assessment, you will need to register well in advance. This should be done before the given deadline with the help of the assessment center. University is still accepting applications for some courses for sessions 2021-22. Classes will be conducted online for international students as long as there is no improvement in the situation.

The university comprises 29 undergraduate colleges with about 25.7% of its undergraduate students coming from outside the U.K. Offering more than 65 subjects, there are a variety of undergraduate courses offered by the University of Cambridge. The most coveted programs are Engineering, Management, Medicine, Education, and Sciences.

Application Portal: UCAS Application Portal

Application Fees: 18.00 GBP (Single Course) and 24.00 GBP (Multiple Courses)

Application Deadline: October 15

Admission Process for University of Cambridge UG Courses

• Submit a UCAS application. Following are the requirements for a successful submission:
  • Write a personal statement explaining the subject interest
  • School reference provided a teacher/tutor/guidance counselor
• Submit Cambridge Online Preliminary Application (COPA)
• Complete the Supplementary Application Questionnaire (SAQ) sent by the University of Cambridge after submission of UCAS. 
• Submit the academic transcripts, as per the course’s requirements.
• Most applicants need to take a subject-specific written admission assessment, either pre-interview or at an interview.
• A reasonable standard in spoken English is required at the time of the interview.