What is a Cambridge College?

This is a question with a hundred different answers, depending on who you ask.

You might be told something factual and numerical:

“There are 31 colleges, 3 of those are all-female, and 4 are mature, meaning they take students 21 and older.”

Or you might be told something about the University “system”:

“The colleges are all independent, with their own funding and their own governing bodies, but together they form the University — which, by the way, also has its own funding and governing bodies.”

Get it yet? Yeah, me neither. Most likely, as a prospective student, you will be told about the supervision system:

“The colleges are responsible for organising supervisions, a form of small-group teaching with is the hallmark of education at Cambridge.”

All of this is true. None of it has really answered the question.

Mostly, this is because the Colleges mean different things to different people. So let’s stick to what they mean to you. The short answer? As an undergraduate, your college is your community, your personal slice of the University.

It’s where you live, but it’s more than a dormitory or residence hall — your college doesn’t just have accommodations, it has your dining hall, a common room, a library, and maybe other facilities like a theatre, a bar, or boat house. It’s also a place for you to socialise, with college-level events and clubs.

But the wonderful thing about the college system is that you are a member of your college and a member of the University. Although your college is your personal community, there are always other options for you. Don’t like your college library? Use the University Library instead. Does your college not have a debating society? Join the University level society.

The best way to get a feel for what a college is, and more importantly, which one you might want as your home for the next three years, is to visit. However, we know that’s not always possible.

Check out the videos on the University’s page and the college’s own websites for more information. For a more informal view, you might also like to check out the college’s Facebook and Twitter pages, or the college guides in the Alternative Prospectus, an amazing Cambridge resource written for students, by students.

If you have more questions, contact the admissions tutors at a particular college.