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🇬🇧Cambridge, United Kingdom·Est. 1209Public

University of Cambridge

One of the oldest universities in the world

Global rank#3
shortlist
Ranking source comparison
SourceScore
QS97 out of 100
THE96 out of 100
USC0 out of 100
USG95 out of 100
ARWU95 out of 100
CWUR96 out of 100
Niche0 out of 100
Leiden95 out of 100
99.8
aggregate score · 6 sources
QS World University Rankings
2024 edition
#2
Times Higher Education World University Rankings
2024 edition
#5
US News Best Colleges (National Universities)
2024 edition
Unranked
US News Best Global Universities
2023–24 edition
#6
Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai Ranking)
2023 edition
#4
Center for World University Rankings
2024 edition
#4
Niche Best Colleges
2024 edition
Unranked
CWTS Leiden Ranking
2024 edition
#5

Ranking history

Real snapshots recorded each time this dataset is refreshed — never backfilled or estimated.

Ranking history over time
DateRankScore
August 3, 2026#399.8
August 4, 2026#399.8
August 5, 2026#399.8
August 6, 2026#399.8
August 7, 2026#399.8
August 10, 2026#399.8
August 15, 2026#399.8
August 17, 2026#399.8
August 20, 2026#399.8

Admissions

Most recently published acceptance rate and typical entry qualification for this country's admissions system.

Applications / year
24,000
Acceptance rate
18%
Typical entry — UK A-Level
A*A*A–A*AA

Campus & outcomes

Class size, graduation and freshman retention rates, sticker tuition vs. what students actually pay after aid, how many receive it, post-graduation employment, research output, and a few real, commonly-cited top recruiters. Everything except ratio and enrollment is US-specific or approximate — papers/year and top employers in particular are rounded/illustrative, not exhaustive or precise database exports. Earnings figures and what they imply against cost are in their own section below.

Student : faculty
11:1
Undergrads
12,500
Grad rate (6-yr)
Tuition
Avg. net price
Employed within 6mo
Papers/year (approx.)
13,000
Classes under 20
Freshman retention
Receiving aid
Where grads work
McKinsey & CompanyGoldman SachsUK Civil ServiceGoogle

Studying in United Kingdom as an international student

International students pay substantially more than home students, set per-programme by each university; clinical subjects sit far above the range below. These are country-level figures for a typical bachelor's at a public university (2025–26 academic year) — not a quote for this university, which sets its own fees.

Typical tuition, non-national
$24,000–$50,000
per year, approx. USD
Typical living costs
$14,000–$22,000
per year, approx. USD
Who pays less
Home-fee status is tied to residency, not just citizenship — long-term UK residents may qualify.
Post-study work rights
Graduate Route: two years' unsponsored work (three for doctoral graduates).
Funding routes
Chevening (postgraduate); Commonwealth Scholarships; university international awards.

Graduate & professional schools

Cambridge has 6 ranked professional programmes. These admit separately from the university and are ranked separately from it — a band here says nothing about the university's overall position above, or the reverse (2025–26 rankings cycle).

Subject rankings

Real, published QS World University Rankings by Subject positions — unlike Subject strengths below, this is sourced ranking data, not an editorial estimate. Shown only for the subjects this university is ranked in.

Subject strengths

An Analects Proverbs editorial estimate — derived from this university's specialty and overall standing, not pulled from a named subject ranking.

Ranking source comparison
SourceScore
CS90 out of 100
Eng93 out of 100
Business93 out of 100
Medicine86 out of 100
Law87 out of 100
Sciences88 out of 100
Social94 out of 100
Arts86 out of 100
Strongest in
Social SciencesEngineeringBusiness
Computer Science
Engineering
Business
Medicine
Law & Policy
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
Arts & Humanities

Similar universities

Close in overall rank, and weighted toward the same country and type — a starting point for students who like University of Cambridge but want options to compare.

Frequently asked questions

What is University of Cambridge's ranking?

University of Cambridge ranks #3 on Analects Proverbs's combined score of 99.8/100, aggregated across 6 major published rankings.

What is University of Cambridge known for?

One of the oldest universities in the world. Its strongest subject areas, by our editorial estimate, are Social Sciences, Engineering, Business.

What is University of Cambridge's acceptance rate?

University of Cambridge's acceptance rate is approximately 18%, based on the most recently published admissions cycle.

What academic results does University of Cambridge typically require?

University of Cambridge's typical admissions requirement is A*A*A–A*AA on the UK A-Level.