The University of Cambridge, founded in 1209, is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world. It originated when scholars fled Oxford due to tensions with townspeople, establishing a rival institution that quickly grew with royal patronage and the founding of the first colleges in the 13th and 14th centuries (Peterhouse in 1284 being the oldest). Cambridge has played a central role in scientific revolutions (notably Isaac Newton’s work), the Enlightenment, and modern breakthroughs, including the discovery of DNA structure and the invention of the World Wide Web by Tim Berners-Lee, while maintaining its medieval collegiate structure and traditions through centuries of change.
Like Oxford, Cambridge has no single centralized campus; its buildings are scattered throughout the historic city of Cambridge and surrounding areas. The university comprises 31 autonomous colleges (plus a few other institutions), each with its own distinctive architecture, chapels, libraries, dining halls, and gardens, ranging from medieval stone to Gothic Revival and modern designs. Iconic landmarks include King’s College Chapel with its breathtaking fan vaulting, the Mathematical Bridge, the River Cam with its punting tradition, the Fitzwilliam Museum, the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, and the modern Cavendish Laboratory and West Cambridge site for science and technology.
Cambridge is governed by a combination of central university bodies and the colleges. The Chancellor (currently Lord Sainsbury of Turville, a largely ceremonial role) is the titular head, while the Vice-Chancellor (currently Professor Deborah Prentice since July 2023) serves as the chief executive officer and chairs the University Council. The Regent House (comprising most academic and administrative staff) acts as the university’s ultimate legislative authority, while the colleges retain significant autonomy over their own affairs, admissions, and endowments. The university’s consolidated income is approximately £2.5–3 billion annually, supported by substantial college and central endowments.
The university is organized into six Schools: Arts and Humanities; Biological Sciences; Clinical Medicine; Humanities and Social Sciences; Physical Sciences; and Technology. Cambridge is renowned for its supervision system (small-group or one-on-one teaching), which complements lectures and practical work, and for its rigorous academic standards. It consistently ranks among the top 2–5 universities worldwide (often #1 or #2 in global rankings for 2025–2026), with particular strength in sciences, mathematics, medicine, engineering, humanities, and law. Cambridge is affiliated with over 120 Nobel Prize winners (as of 2025), more than any other university, and maintains world-leading research facilities, libraries (including the vast Cambridge University Library), and interdisciplinary institutes.
Cambridge enrolls around 24,000–25,000 students (roughly half undergraduates, half postgraduates), with a highly international community drawn from over 140 countries. Student life centres on the collegiate system: students are members of one of the 31 colleges, which provide accommodation (often for all years), meals (formal hall), social events, and academic supervision, creating close-knit communities with strong traditions. The university offers over 700 clubs and societies (from rowing and debating to music, drama, and entrepreneurship), famous events like May Week (with balls, garden parties, and the May Ball season), punting on the River Cam, and the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race rivalry. The atmosphere combines intense academic focus with historic rituals, outdoor activities, and vibrant cultural life in a beautiful, compact university city.
Professors at University of Cambridge
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