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{{Infobox university
| name = University of Cambridge
| image_name = 
| caption = [[Coat of arms of the University of Cambridge|Coat of arms]]
| latin_name = Universitas Cantabrigiensis
| motto = {{lang|la|Hinc lucem et pocula sacra}} ([[Latin]])
| mottoeng = '''''Literal:''''' From here, light and sacred draughts<br />'''''Non-literal:''''' From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge
| established = [[Circa|c.]] 1209
| type = [[public university|Public]] research university
| endowment = [[Pounds sterling|£]]6.441&nbsp;billion (including colleges){{small| ({{as of|2018|July|31|lc=y}})}}
{{refn|Colleges £3,188.2M,<ref name=CamColl2017>{{cite web|url=http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/2018-19/weekly/6530/Notes-to-Accounts-2018.pdf|title=Accounts of the Colleges 2017-18|author=|date=|accessdate=11 June 2019}}</ref> University (consolidated) £3,253.0M<ref name=CamUni2018>{{cite web|url=https://www.cam.ac.uk/system/files/uoc_annual_report_2018.pdf|title=REPORTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT 2018|publisher=University of Cambridge |accessdate=11 June 2019}}</ref>}}
| budget = £1.965&nbsp;billion (excluding colleges) <ref name="cam.ac.uk">{{cite web|url=https://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/2018-19/weekly/6530/section4.shtml#heading2-13|title=STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2018|website=www.admin.cam.ac.uk}}</ref>
| chancellor = David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville
| vice_chancellor = Stephen Toope<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cam.ac.uk/news/new-vice-chancellor-for-cambridge-0|title=New Vice-Chancellor for Cambridge|date=2 October 2017|work=University of Cambridge|access-date=25 October 2017|language=en}}</ref>
| students = {{HESA student population|INSTID=0114}} ({{HESA year}})<ref name="HESA citation">{{HESA citation}}</ref>
| undergrad = {{HESA undergraduate population|INSTID=0114}} ({{HESA year}})<ref name="HESA citation"/>
| postgrad = {{HESA postgraduate population|INSTID=0114}} ({{HESA year}})<ref name="HESA citation"/>
| city = [[Cambridge]]
| country = [[England]], [[United Kingdom]]
| campus = University town<br />{{Convert|288|ha}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.em.admin.cam.ac.uk/operating-estate/estate-data|title=Estate Data|website = Estate Management|publisher = University of Cambridge|accessdate= 1 April 2018|date=28 November 2016}}</ref>
| athletics = The Sporting Blue
| colours = {{color box|#A3C1AD}} Cambridge Blue<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/communications/services/identityguidelines/guidelines-colour.pdf
|title=Identity Guidelines – Colour
|publisher=University of Cambridge Office of External Affairs and Communications
|accessdate=28 March 2008
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910064615/http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/communications/services/identityguidelines/guidelines-colour.pdf
|archive-date=10 September 2008
|url-status=dead
}}
</ref>
| website = {{url|cam.ac.uk/}}
| logo = 
| logo_size = 255px
| affiliations = Russell Group<br />European University Association<br />G5 universities<br />[[Golden triangle (universities)|Golden triangle]]<br />League of European Research Universities<br />[[International Alliance of Research Universities|IARU]]
| faculty = 7,913<ref name="Facts and Figures January 2018">{{cite web|url=https://www.prao.admin.cam.ac.uk/files/facts_figures_2018_poster_for_web.pdf|accessdate=1 April 2018|title=Facts and Figures January 2018|publisher=University of Cambridge|archive-date=2 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180402102214/https://www.prao.admin.cam.ac.uk/files/facts_figures_2018_poster_for_web.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| staff = 3,615<ref name="Facts and Figures January 2018" />
}}
[[File:KingsCollegeChapelWest.jpg|thumb|right|A famous view of Cambridge. [[Clare College, Cambridge|Clare College]] is on the left. [[King's College, Cambridge|King's College]] Chapel is in the middle.]]
The '''University of Cambridge''' (also called '''Cambridge University''') is in [[Cambridge]], [[England]]. It is the second-oldest [[university]] in all English-speaking countries. It is one of the world's leading places of learning.
 
The University started as a group of [[scholar]]s in the city of Cambridge. This may have started in 1209 when scholars left [[Oxford]] after a fight with local people.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.cam.ac.uk/cambuniv/pubs/history/records.html |title= A Brief History: Early records |publisher=University of Cambridge |accessdate= 4 Sep 2007 |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20070911193050/http://www.cam.ac.uk/cambuniv/pubs/history/records.html |archivedate= 11 September 2007}}</ref> The universities of [[University of Oxford|Oxford]] and Cambridge are often called ''[[Oxbridge]]''. This is not a different university. It is a way of saying Oxford and Cambridge together. Cambridge University and Oxford University are both crucial to the history of [[England]].

Cambridge is usually [[College and university rankings|ranked in the world's top five universities]].<ref name=ARWU/><ref name=QS/> UK rankings and tests on the quality of its research also rate it very highly. Cambridge has more than 18,000 students and many sports clubs and societies.

Many important people studied at the University of Cambridge, including [[scientist]]s, poets, [[artist]]s, [[politician]]s and members of the [[British Royal Family]]. 121 former students and staff from Cambridge later won a [[Nobel Prize]].<ref name=Nobel/>

== History ==
The official creation of the University was in [[1231]] when King [[Henry III of England]] gave people the right to teach students and lower [[tax]]es. A letter from [[Pope Gregory IX]] in [[1233]] also gave the right to everyone who got a [[Academic degree|degree]] from Cambridge to teach in any place in the [[Christian]] world.<ref>{{Cite book |author= Hilde De-Ridder Symoens |title=A History of the University in Europe: Universities in the Middle Ages |volume=1 |year=2003 |editor= Cambridge University Press |page=89 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-5215-4113-8 }}</ref>

In [[1290]], [[Pope Nicholas IV]] called Cambridge a ''studium generale'' (name for a university in [[Medieval]] times). From that point, many researchers and teachers from other European universities started to come to Cambridge to work or give lessons.<ref name=Hackett>{{cite book |author=Hackett, M.B. |title= The original statutes of Cambridge University: The text and its history |publisher= Cambridge University Press |year= 1970 |page=178 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=7og8AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA178 |accessdate=2 September 2012 }}</ref>

=== Building the colleges ===
Colleges started as places for students and teachers to live. They were called [[hostel]]s at first. The students paid money to build and run these hostels. All colleges were formed after the beginning of the University. Over the years, colleges bought all of these hostels back. However, some old names still resist today, such as Garret Hostel Lane which was named after Garret Hostel.<ref>{{cite book |author=Charles Henry Cooper |title= Memorials of Cambridge |volume=1 |publisher=W. Metcalfe |year=1860 |page=32 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=7bQWAAAAIAAJ |accessdate= 9 September 2012}}</ref>

[[Peterhouse, Cambridge|Peterhouse]] was the first official college to be created in [[1284]]. Many followed over the centuries and today there are 31. The last one, [[Robinson College, Cambridge|Robinson]], was built in the 1970s. Many of these have a [[chapel]] because the members should have prayed for the [[soul]] of the founders (the people who created the college).

[[File:The Chapel Emmanuel College2.jpg |thumb|left|250px|The Chapel of Emmanuel College]]

=== The role of the University in the Protestant Reformation ===
The University was one of the most important places where the [[Protestant Reformation]] began. The Protestant Reformation was a movement in Europe where people started disagreeing with certain teachings of the [[Catholic Church]] In fact, people started talking about [[Lutheranism]] - a type of Protestantism - very early in Cambridge. [[Thomas Cranmer]], who became a central figure in reform, studied at Cambridge.

A century later, some people in Cambridge started to think that the [[Church of England]] was still too much like the Catholic church. They started the [[Puritan]] movement. This produced more than 20,000 people who left for [[New England]] around 1620 in search of a place with better religious beliefs. [[Oliver Cromwell]], a very important member of this movement, was a student at [[Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge|Sidney Sussex College]] during this time.<ref>{{cite book |author= Thompson, Roger |title= Mobility & Migration, East Anglian Founders of New England, 1629–1640 |publisher= University of Massachusetts Press |year= 1994}}</ref>

=== Mathematics and Physics ===
Cambridge has been strong in [[applied mathematics]] since [[Isaac Newton]] was a student here in the 17th century. Every student had to study maths to obtain a degree. The degree was awarded as a ''[[Bachelor of Arts]]'' which mixed both arts and science subjects.<ref>{{cite journal |author=A. R. Forsyth|title=Old Tripos days at Cambridge |year=1935 |journal=The Mathematical Gazette |publisher=The Mathematical Assoc. |volume=19 |issue=234 |page=166 |doi=10.2307/3605871 |jstor=3605871 |s2cid=165040321 |url= https://www.jstor.org/stable/3605871 |accessdate= 9 September 2012}}</ref> Several important early physicists studied at Cambridge. They include [[James Clerk Maxwell]], [[Lord Kelvin]] and [[John Strutt|Lord Rayleigh]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.maths.cam.ac.uk/about/history/|title=The History of Mathematics in Cambridge |publisher= Faculty of Mathematics, University of Cambridge |accessdate=9 September 2012}}</ref> Pure mathematics was slower to catch up, but Cambridge is still famous for it thanks to people like [[G.H. Hardy]].

Six maths graduates from Cambridge won [[Fields Medal]]s and one got an [[Abel Prize]]. These are the world's highest awards for mathematicians. Four other researchers at Cambridge also won Fields Medals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mathworld.wolfram.com/FieldsMedal.html |title=Fields Medal |publisher=Wolfram MathWorld |accessdate=3 December 2009}}</ref>

=== Important discoveries ===
[[File:GodfreyKneller-IsaacNewton-1689.jpg |thumb |right|[[Sir Isaac Newton]] was a student at Cambridge.]]

People at the University of Cambridge have made many important scientific discoveries. These are some of the best-known ones:
* Understanding the [[scientific method]], by [[Francis Bacon]]
* The [[Newton's laws of motion|laws of motion]] and the development of [[calculus]], by [[Sir Isaac Newton]]
* The development of the [[thermodynamics]], by [[Lord Kelvin]]
* The discovery of the [[electron]], by [[J. J. Thomson]]
* The [[Atomic nucleus|splitting of the atom]], by [[Ernest Rutherford]] and of the nucleus, by Sir John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton
* The unification of electromagnetism, by [[James Clerk Maxwell]]
* The discovery of [[hydrogen]], by [[Henry Cavendish]]
* The theory of evolution by [[natural selection]], by [[Charles Darwin]]
* A way of understanding natural selection with [[Mendelian genetics]] in a mathematical way, by [[Ronald Fisher]]
* The [[Turing machine]], a basic model for [[computation]], by [[Alan Turing]]
* The structure of [[DNA]], by [[Francis Crick]] and [[James D. Watson]] 
* The development of [[quantum mechanics]], by [[Paul Dirac]]
* The development of [[string theory]], by Michael Green

=== Women's education ===
For many years only men were allowed to study at Cambridge. In 1869 [[Girton College, Cambridge|Girton]], the first college for women was built. Women could take exams from 1882, but only in 1948 did they start to be considered full members of the university.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/at-last-a-degree-of-honour-for-900-cambridge-women-1157056.html|title=At last, a degree of honour for 900 Cambridge women|work=[[The Independent]]|date=31 May 1998|accessdate=9 September 2012}}</ref> For a certain time, they even received ''ad eundem'' degrees (degrees from a University you have not studied at, but you deserve) from the University of Dublin.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://trinitynews.ie/wordpress/archives/4013|title=Trinity Hall's Steamboat Ladies|publisher=Trinity news|date=14 March 2012|accessdate=9 September 2012|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427232335/http://trinitynews.ie/wordpress/archives/4013|archivedate=27 April 2012}}</ref>

Over the years, more women-only colleges were built, until in 1972 [[Churchill College, Cambridge|Churchill]] was the first one to become mixed. Many others followed, and in 1988 [[Magdalene College, Cambridge|Magdalene]] was the last men-only college to open to women. However, there are still some colleges for women only. Cambridge is the only university that still has this characteristic. All other universities in the UK, including Oxford, now have only mixed colleges.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1520628/St-Hilda%27s-to-end-113-year-ban-on-male-students.html|title=St Hilda's to end 113-year ban on male students|work=Daily Telegraph|location=UK|accessdate=8 September 2008|first=Nicole|last=Martin|date=8 June 2006|archive-date=2 December 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202175950/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1520628/St-Hilda%27s-to-end-113-year-ban-on-male-students.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hero.ac.uk/uk/studying/archives/2007/single_sex_colleges__a_dying_breed__Jun.cfm |title=Single-sex colleges: a dying breed? |publisher=HERO |date=June 2007 |accessdate=20 April 2009 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080612072113/http://www.hero.ac.uk/uk/studying/archives/2007/single_sex_colleges__a_dying_breed__Jun.cfm |archivedate = 12 June 2008}}</ref>

[[File:Cambridge uni math bridge.JPG|thumb|left|250px|The ''Mathematical Bridge'']]

=== Myths, legends and traditions ===
Since it is very old, the University has many legends and traditions. These are often passed on by older students to the younger ones. Tour guides also tell these stories to [[tourist]]s.

The [[wooden spoon]] tradition was to give this type of spoon to the student who was the worst in the year for mathematics but still passed the exams. This was because the students used to be ranked in order of their results. After 1909 this was changed and so the wooden spoon cannot be given anymore. However, still today in many sports competitions a wooden spoon is given to the last person in the rankings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/sjc1/selwyn/mathematics/spoon.html|title=Cambridge Mathematical Tripos: Wooden Spoons|publisher=University of Cambridge|accessdate=21 December 2012}}</ref>

Many legends exist about places in Cambridge. For example, there is a story about the ''Mathematical Bridge'' in [[Queen's College, Cambridge|Queen's College]]. Newton built it without using any [[bolt]]s or [[screw]]s. Some people then took it down to see how it was made. When they tried to put it up again they could not do it, so they had to insert many bolts.

Another tradition is that the [[King's College, Cambridge|King's College]] choir sings the [[Nine Lessons and Carols]] church service. This is recorded by the [[BBC]] and sent around the world since 1928 by the [[radio]]. From 1954 it can also be seen on [[television]]. Many people watch it on [[Christmas Eve]] in Great Britain.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1703517.stm|title=Choir that sings to the world|publisher=BBC |accessdate=8 September 2008 | date=24 December 2001}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/programmes/advent/carolsfromkings.shtml|title=Carols from King's|publisher=BBC |accessdate=8 September 2008|archivedate=5 December 2008|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205183729/http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/programmes/advent/carolsfromkings.shtml}}</ref>

== Organisation ==
[[File:Cam colls from johns.jpg|thumb|250px|A view of the colleges]]

The University of Cambridge is a "collegiate" university. This means it is divided into colleges, and every student and teacher joins one college only. Every one of these colleges has its property and money. They all have many [[Fellow]]s who can teach all the subjects between them. Then there are Departments and Faculties, which are buildings where only one subject is studied. Some Schools bring different Departments and Faculties together. The overall head of the University is called the Vice-Chancellor. They are heads of the Senate and Regent House which make decisions for the whole University.

=== Colleges ===
There are 31 colleges in Cambridge:
{{Multicol}}
* [[Christ's College, Cambridge|Christ's College]] ([[1505]])
* [[Churchill College, Cambridge|Churchill College]] ([[1960]])
* [[Clare College, Cambridge|Clare College]] ([[1326]])
* [[Clare Hall, Cambridge|Clare Hall]] ([[1965]]) †
* [[Corpus Christi College, Cambridge|Corpus Christi College]] ([[1352]])
* [[Darwin College, Cambridge|Darwin College]] ([[1964]]) †
* [[Downing College, Cambridge|Downing College]] ([[1800]])
* [[Emmanuel College, Cambridge|Emmanuel College]] ([[1584]])
* [[Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge|Fitzwilliam College]] ([[1966]])
* [[Girton College, Cambridge|Girton College]] ([[1869]])
* [[Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge|Gonville and Caius College]] ([[1348]])
* [[Homerton College, Cambridge|Homerton College]] ([[1976]])
* [[Hughes Hall, Cambridge]] ([[1885]]) ‡
* [[Jesus College, Cambridge|Jesus College]] ([[1496]])
* [[King's College, Cambridge|King's College]] ([[1441]])
* [[Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge|Lucy Cavendish College]] ([[1965]]) * ‡
{{Multicol-break}}
* [[Magdalene College, Cambridge|Magdalene College]] ([[1428]])
* [[Murray Edwards College, Cambridge|Murray Edwards College]] ([[1954]]) <nowiki>*</nowiki><ref>This had the name "New Hall" before</ref>
* [[Newnham College, Cambridge|Newnham College]] ([[1871]]) *
* [[Pembroke College, Cambridge|Pembroke College]] ([[1347]])
* [[Peterhouse, Cambridge|Peterhouse]] ([[1284]])
* [[Queens' College, Cambridge|Queens' College]] ([[1448]])
* [[Robinson College, Cambridge|Robinson College]] ([[1979]])
* [[St Catharine's College, Cambridge|St Catharine's College]] ([[1473]])
* [[St Edmund's College, Cambridge|St Edmund's College]] ([[1896]]) ‡
* [[St John's College, Cambridge|St John's College]] ([[1511]])
* [[Selwyn College, Cambridge|Selwyn College]] ([[1882]])
* [[Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge|Sidney Sussex College]] ([[1596]])
* [[Trinity College, Cambridge|Trinity College]] ([[1546]])
* [[Trinity Hall, Cambridge|Trinity Hall]] ([[1350]])
* [[Wolfson College, Cambridge|Wolfson College]] ([[1965]]) ‡
{{Multicol-break}}
{{Multicol-end}}
{{Multicol|66%}}
<span style="font-size:90%"><nowiki>*</nowiki>Only for women</span>
{{Multicol-break}}
<span style="font-size:90%">†Only for Postgraduate students</span>
{{Multicol-break}}
<span style="font-size:90%">‡Only for students older than 21</span>
{{Multicol-end}}

[[File:Cambridge University colleges timeline.svg|thumb|left|500px|Timeline showing the creation of the different colleges]]

There are also 3 smaller affiliated colleges: Westcott House, Westminster College and Ridley Hall. These are not part of Cambridge University, but students there can follow the University's lessons. They are only for [[theology]], the study of religion. These three colleges together form the ''Cambridge Theological Federation''.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.theofed.cam.ac.uk/origins.html |title=Origins of the Federation |publisher= Cambridge Theological Federation |accessdate= 2 January 2013}}</ref>

=== Teaching ===
The teaching is done through [[lecture]]s and practical classes (where students do experiments in science subjects) organised by the Department. The colleges also organise supervision. These are small lessons in groups of 1 to 4: the students do some homework and then talk about it with a teacher. This is often considered one of the best things about studying at Cambridge. The teaching is very personal; students can ask questions and understand the subject.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/jan/25/cambridge-may-end-individual-tuition |title= Cambridge considers end to one-to-one tuition |work=[[The Guardian]] |date= 25 January 2011 |accessdate=9 September 2012}}</ref>

=== Schools, faculties and departments ===
There are more than 150 different faculties and departments in Cambridge. These are then grouped into "Schools". These have a supervisory body, a group of people who check that the departments are doing ok. There are six Schools:<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.cam.ac.uk/deptdirectory/moreinfo.html |title=About the Schools, Faculties & Departments |publisher= University of Cambridge |accessdate=1 May 2010}}</ref>
* Arts and Humanities
* Biological Sciences
* Clinical Medicine
* Humanities and Social Sciences
* Physical Sciences
* Technology

=== Academic year ===
The year is divided into three parts. The first one is Michaelmas Term, which is from October to December and takes its name from St Michael's day and [[Christmas]]. The second one is [[Lent]] Term which goes from January to March. The last one is [[Easter]] Term, from April to June.<ref>{{Cite web |title=University of Cambridge Term dates |work=University of Cambridge |url=http://www.cam.ac.uk/univ/termdates.html |accessdate=19 April 2010 }}</ref> Within these times, there is 8 weeks called ''Full Term''. Most lessons and exams happen in Full Term. All students need to live in college for this period. There is a University rule which says that students can get their [[Academic degree|degree]] only if they have stayed for at least 9 terms (3 years) at a distance of fewer than 10 miles from the main Church in Cambridge.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Statutes and Ordinances of the University of Cambridge 2009|editor=[[Cambridge University Press]]|year=2009|author=University of Cambridge|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JSi0S7aH320C|accessdate=2 September 2012|pages=179–180|publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9780521137454}}</ref>

=== Central administration ===
==== Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor ====
The head of the University is the Chancellor. As of 2013, he is David Sainsbury. He was elected in 2011 after [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh]] said he did not want to do it anymore. Prince Philip had been Chancellor for 25 years. The position of Chancellor is mainly ceremonial. That means that the Chancellor does not take part in many decisions. He is just there because an overall head of the University is needed.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/v-c/chancellor.html |title=The Chancellor |publisher= University of Cambridge |accessdate= 2 January 2013}}</ref>

The Vice-Chancellor instead is the one that makes most decisions. For example, he/she approves and signs new rules. The role is given to a person for at least five years. The current Vice-Chancellor is Stephen J. Toope.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/v-c/role/previous-vcs.html |title= The role of the Vice-Chancellor |publisher= University of Cambridge |accessdate=2 January 2013}}</ref>

==== Senate and Regent House ====
[[File:CamLight.jpg |thumb|right|250px|A light show on the Senate House in Cambridge]]
The Senate House is a building in Cambridge. The degree ceremony takes place there. Any Cambridge student who has an [[Master of Arts|MA degree]] is a member of the Senate.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.cam.ac.uk/univ/works/senate.html |title=How the University Works - The Senate |publisher= University of Cambridge |accessdate= 2 January 2013}}</ref> It is also the place where the important people in the University meet to take decisions. These important people are different Officers and [[Fellow]]s of the colleges. They are also called the ''Regent House''. This is not another building, it is just a way of calling these people. They can make and change rules when they meet.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.cam.ac.uk/univ/works/regenthouse.html |title=How the University Works - The Regent House |publisher=University of Cambridge |accessdate=2 January 2013}}</ref> News and information are printed and given out in the ''Cambridge University Reporter''. This is the official newspaper of the university.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/|title=Cambridge University Reporter |publisher= University of Cambridge |accessdate=2 January 2013}}</ref>

=== Finances ===
The university had £7.1 billion in [[endowment]]s in 2019. This money was given over lots of time by many people. This is the largest amount of money for any university in [[Europe]].<ref name="ft.com">{{Cite news |url= http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f1126d04-c0fc-11df-99c4-00144feab49a.html#axzz1Yv4QeQ8w |title= Cambridge tops university rich list |publisher=[[Financial Times]] |date=15 September 2012 |accessdate=9 September 2012}}</ref> Every college controls its money on its own. They are all considered [[charitable organization|charitable organisation]]s. The British Government also gives money to research grants: these are for [[postgraduate]] students and their teachers. There is also some [[income]] produced by [[Cambridge University Press]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hepi.ac.uk/files/44%20Oxford%20and%20Cambridge%20summary.pdf |title=Oxford and Cambridge: How different they are? |work=report |date=26 April 2011 |accessdate=22 October 2011 |archive-date=25 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425083248/http://www.hepi.ac.uk/files/44%20Oxford%20and%20Cambridge%20summary.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2000, Cambridge received a very large [[donation]] of US$210 million from the [[Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]]. This was to set up a scholarship so that US and other international students could study in Cambridge more easily. [[Bill Gates]] was also made a [[Knight of the British Empire|Knight]] by the Queen because of his generosity.<ref>{{Cite news |url= http://www.informationweek.com/bill-gates-the-honorary-knight/17501190 |title= Bill Gates, The Honorary Knight |date= 26 January 2004 |publisher= Information Week |accessdate= 21 October 2009 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Between 2005 and 2012, a campaign was made to get £1 billion from old students. This was at the same time as the University's 800th anniversary. The campaign got to the target early in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.campaign.cam.ac.uk/?dp=2010061001 |title= Cambridge University Fundraising Campaign |publisher= University of Cambridge |date= 10 June 2010 |accessdate= 9 September 2012 |archive-date= 7 July 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120707235300/http://www.campaign.cam.ac.uk/?dp=2010061001 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

== Location ==
=== Sites ===
[[Image:Addenbrooke's hospital.JPG |thumb |right |250px|alt=Addenbrooke's hospital|[[Addenbrooke's Hospital]] has a strong link with the University]]
The University is spread around the town of Cambridge. The older colleges are on the river Cam. The departments and faculties are spread in different places, usually grouped in sites. There are nine main sites:<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://map.cam.ac.uk/ |title=Official Map |publisher=University of Cambridge |accessdate= 4 September 2012}}</ref>
{{Multicol|66%}}
*Addenbrooke's
*Downing Site
*Madingley/Girton
*New Museums Site
*Old Addenbroke's
{{Multicol-break}}
*Old Schools
*Silver Street/Mill Lane
*Sidgwick Site
*West Cambridge
{{Multicol-end}}

[[Addenbrooke's Hospital]] is where the [[medicine]] students go to learn how to cure patients. The ''Judge Business School'' is another important building: this is where courses about [[business]] and [[finance]] are taught. Since the different sites are quite close to each other, many students like to use [[bicycle|bicycles]] to move around. A fifth of the journeys in the town is made by bike. Students are also not allowed to drive a [[car]] while they are in Cambridge.<ref>{{Cite news |url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2011/aug/17/cambridge-model-cycling-city |title= What makes Cambridge a model cycling city? |work= The Guardian |date=17 August 2011 |accessdate=4 September 2012}}</ref>

=== Town and Gown ===
Local people from Cambridge don't always like the students. "Town and Gown" is a phrase to talk about this relationship. "Town" means the Cambridge locals while "[[Gown]]" means the students and teachers, from the type of dress they wear. Since the University began, there have been some fights between the two groups. In [[1381]], many things were stolen from the university and colleges. The Chancellor was then given extra power to control the order in the town. When the [[plague]] arrived in Cambridge in [[1630]], many colleges closed up. They did not want to help the locals who had the disease.<ref>{{Cite book |last1= Shepard |first1=Alexandra |last2=Phil |first2= Withington |title= Communities in Early Modern England: Networks, Place, Rhetoric |editor= Manchester University Press |year=2000 |pages= 216–234 |publisher=Manchester University Press |isbn= 978-0-7190-5477-8 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xLkULGOljPsC |accessdate= 4 September 2012}}</ref>

However, more recently there have been fewer fights. The University also means more jobs and money for the population. There are many small [[industry|industries]] that were created in Cambridge because the University was near. This effect is called ''The Cambridge Phenomenon''. Between 1960-2010 there have been 1,500 new companies and 40,000 new jobs in Cambridge just thanks to the University.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.cambridgephenomenon.com/what-phenomenon/ |title=What is the Cambridge Phenomenon? |publisher= Cambridge Phenomenon |accessdate=4 September 2012}}</ref>

== Libraries and Museums ==
[[Image:CamUniLibrary.JPG|thumb|left|alt= The Cambridge University Library|The Cambridge University Library]]
The University has 114 libraries. The main one is called ''Cambridge University Library''. It is a [[legal deposit]], which means every book that is printed in the [[United Kingdom]] goes into this library.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/stratpolprog/legaldep/|title=Legal Deposit in the British Library|publisher=The British Library|accessdate=3 January 2013|archive-date=9 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161109221146/http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/stratpolprog/legaldep|url-status=dead}}</ref> Many departments have their own library as well. They usually have special books for their subjects only. All colleges have a library. This is mainly for the [[undergraduate]]s so that they can read basic books about their subjects. Some colleges also have very precious books and [[manuscript]]s. For example, the Parker Library ([[Corpus Christi College, Cambridge|Corpus Christi College]]) has special books from [[Medieval]] times.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://parkerweb.stanford.edu/parker/actions/page.do?forward=about_parker|title=About the Parker Library|editor=[[Stanford University]]|accessdate=5 January 2013|archive-date=18 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130118205810/http://parkerweb.stanford.edu/parker/actions/page.do?forward=about_parker|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The university also has 8 [[museum]]s and a [[botanical garden]]:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cam.ac.uk/museums/|title=Museums & Collections|publisher=University of Cambridge|accessdate=3 January 2013}}</ref>
* ''Fitzwilliam Museum'' for [[art]]
* ''Kettle's Yard'' for [[contemporary art]]
* ''Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge'' for [[archaeological]] objects 
* ''Cambridge University Museum of Zoology'' for the study of [[animals]]
* ''Museum of Classical Archaeology''
* ''Whipple Museum of the History of Science''
* ''Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences'' for [[geology]]
* ''Scott Polar Research Institute'' that has a museum for the [[Arctic]] and [[Antarctic]] 
* ''Cambridge University Botanic Garden'' that was created in 1831

== University life ==
[[File:FitzwilliamMuseum.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The Fitzwilliam Museum]]
[[File:TrinityCollegeCamGreatCourt.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The Great Court in [[Trinity College, Cambridge]]]]
=== Research ===
One of the main aims of the University of Cambridge is to do [[Research|scientific research]]. All the departments are always studying and discovering new things.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/about/|title=Research at Cambridge|publisher=University of Cambridge|accessdate=10 January 2013}}</ref> Many important people have done research in Cambridge. This is because the university has a lot of money and resources like laboratories and books.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/about/major-cambridge-researchers/|title=Major Cambridge Researchers|publisher=University of Cambridge|accessdate=10 January 2013}}</ref> It had £283.7 M in 2011 to spend on research; this was mainly given by the [[Government of the United Kingdom|UK Government]] and the [[European Commission]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/about/research-income/|title=Research Income|publisher=University of Cambridge|accessdate=10 January 2013}}</ref>
=== Admission ===
Students need to pass some tests and [[Interview]]s to be allowed in Cambridge. For [[undergraduate]]s, the application is done through UCAS. This is as with any other university in the UK. Students need to be very good to enter Cambridge. If they study [[A-level]]s, they are asked to get at least A*AA.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.study.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate/apply/requirements/#alevels|title=Entrance requirements|publisher=University of Cambridge|accessdate=10 January 2013}}</ref> Because many good students apply, the interview is very important to choose the best ones. These are done by [[Fellow]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/prospective/applying/interviews.pdf|title=Cambridge Interview: The facts|publisher=Cambridge University Students' Union|accessdate=10 January 2013|archive-date=21 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021010605/http://www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/prospective/applying/interviews.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Usually about 25% of the applicants get a place. However, the number changes depending on the subjects. Some of them, like [[medicine]] and [[economics]], are very hard to get into.<ref name="2011 stats">{{Cite web|url=http://www.study.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate/publications/docs/admissionsstatistics2011.pdf|title=Undergraduate Admission Statistics|publisher=University of Cambridge|date=May 2012|accessdate=10 January 2013}}</ref> Students need to choose a college before doing the application. They may later have to change it if the college thinks they are good but does not have enough places for them.

For [[postgraduate]]s the application is different. They need to ask professors (teachers) in the departments they want to work in. After an interview, they can be given a place. They then have to get some funding (money to do the project). This can be given from a government or another institution.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/students/gradadmissions/prospec/|title=Graduate Admissions|publisher=University of Cambridge|accessdate=10 January 2013}}</ref>

=== Access ===
Some people think that admission to Cambridge is not very fair. This is because it is easier to get in if you go to a private [[school]] instead of a state school. In 2007-2008, only 57% of students who got a place were coming from a state school. However, about 93% of British children go to them.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8083423.stm|title=State school participation rate|publisher=BBC News|date=4 June 2009|accessdate=10 January 2013}}</ref> If a student goes to a private school, he/she is also more likely to get a place after the interview. In 2011, only 25% of students that applied from state schools got a place, while the percentage was 33% for private school students.<ref name="2011 stats"/> The University is trying to make things better by making the admission process easier and giving [[scholarship]]s for the poorer students. Another problem is that year after year there are also fewer people from state schools applying.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/apr/04/highereducation.accesstouniversity|title=Number of Cambridge state school students falls|date=4 April 2008|accessdate=10 January 2013}}</ref>

=== Reputation and rankings ===
Cambridge does very well when the quality of research is tested. In 2001, it was ranked first in the British Government Assessment Exercise.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2001/dec/14/researchassessmentexercise.highereducation7|title=Cambridge tops research tables|date=14 December 2001|work=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=10 January 2013}}</ref> Cambridge also gives out more [[PhD]]s in a year than any other UK university.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2005/sep/22/highereducation.uk2|title=University figures show sharp research divide|work=The Guardian|date=22 September 2005|accessdate=10 January 2013}}</ref>

The following table has Cambridge results over the years in various [[College and university rankings]].

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! THES - QS World University Rankings (World) !! Academic Ranking of World Universities (World) !! [[The Times|The ''Times'']] Good <br />University Guide (UK) !! [[The Guardian|''Guardian'']] <br />University Guide (UK) !! ''[[Sunday Times]]'' <br />University Guide (UK) !! ''[[The Independent|Independent]]'' <br /> The Complete University Guide (UK) !! [[The Daily Telegraph|''Daily Telegraph'']] (UK)
|-
! 2013
| &nbsp; || &nbsp; || 2<ref>{{Cite book |last=O'Leary |first=John |title= Times Good University Guide 2013 |url=https://archive.org/details/timesgoodunivers0000olea_o3f8 |publisher=HarperCollins |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-00-746434-0}}</ref> || 1<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/table/2012/may/21/university-league-table-2013 | location=London | work=The Guardian | title=University league table | date=21 May 2012}}</ref> || &nbsp; || 1 || &nbsp;
|-
! 2012
| 2<ref name=QS>{{cite web |url=http://www.topuniversities.com/institution/university-cambridge/wur |title=QS World University Rankings - University of Cambridge|publisher=Quacquarelli Symonds Limited|accessdate=4 January 2013}}</ref>  || 5<ref name=ARWU>{{Cite web|url=http://www.shanghairanking.com/Institution.jsp?param=University%20of%20Cambridge|title=University of Cambridge - Performance in Academic Ranking of World Universities|accessdate=4 January 2013|publisher=Academic Ranking of World Universities|archive-date=6 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606064730/http://www.shanghairanking.com/Institution.jsp?param=University%20of%20Cambridge|url-status=dead}}</ref> || 2<ref>{{Cite book|last1=O'Leary|first1=John|title=The Times Good University Guide 2012|url=https://archive.org/details/timesgoodunivers0000olea_k5d0|year=2011|publisher=Times Books|isbn=9780007364558}}</ref> || 1<ref name="Shepherd">{{cite news| url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/may/16/cambridge-tops-guardian-league-table | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Jessica | last=Shepherd | title=University Guide 2012: Cambridge tops the Guardian league table | date=16 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/may/21/cambridge-guardian-university-guide-league-table | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Jeevan | last=Vasagar | title=Cambridge tops Guardian University Guide league table again | date=21 May 2012}}</ref> || 1 || 1 || &nbsp;
|-
! 2011
| 1<ref name=QS/> || 5<ref name=ARWU/> || 2<ref>{{Cite book |last1=O'Leary |first1=John |last2=Kennedy |first2=Patrick |last3=Horseman |first3=Nicki |title=The Times Good University Guide 2011 |url=https://archive.org/details/timesgoodunivers0000olea_k4g9 |year=2010 |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] UK |isbn= 978-0-00-735614-0}}</ref> || 2 || &nbsp; || 2 || &nbsp;
|-
! 2010
| 1<ref name=QS/> || 5<ref name=ARWU/> || 2<ref>{{Cite book |last1=O'Leary |first1=John |last2=Kennedy |first2=Patrick |last3=Horseman |first3=Nicki |title=The Times Good University Guide 2010 |url=https://archive.org/details/timesgoodunivers0000olea_s1j2 |year=2009 |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] UK |isbn= 978-0-00-731348-8}}</ref>  || 2<ref>{{Cite news |url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/table/2009/may/12/university-league-table |title= University guide 2010: University league table &#124; Education &#124; guardian.co.uk |work=Guardian |location=UK |date=12 May 2009 |accessdate=8 August 2009 }}</ref> || &nbsp; || 2<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings?y=2010
 |title=The Complete University Guide 2010|work=The Complete University Guide|accessdate=3 January 2013}}</ref> || &nbsp;
|-
! 2009
| 2<ref name=QS/> || 4<ref name=ARWU/> || 2<ref>{{Cite book |last1=O'Leary |first1=John |last2=Kennedy |first2=Patrick |last3=Horseman |first3=Nicki |title=The Times Good University Guide 2009 |url=https://archive.org/details/timesgoodunivers0000unse_w7y1 |date=16 June 2008 |publisher= Times Books |isbn= 978-0-00-727353-9}}</ref> || 2 || &nbsp; || 2<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings?y=2009 |title=The Complete University Guide 2009 |accessdate= 3 January 2013}}</ref> || &nbsp;
|-
! 2008
| 3<ref name=QS/> || 4<ref name=ARWU/>|| 2 || 2<ref name="Guardian 2008">{{Cite news |url= http://browse.guardian.co.uk/education?SearchBySubject=&FirstRow=29&SortOrderDirection=&SortOrderColumn=GuardianTeachingScore&Subject=University+ranking&Institution= |title= University ranking by institution |work=The Guardian |accessdate=29 October 2007 |location= London}}</ref> || 1 || 1<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings?y=2008 |title=The Complete University Guide 2008 |accessdate= 3 January 2013}}</ref> || &nbsp;
|-
! 2007
| 2<ref name=QS/> || 4<ref name=ARWU/> || 2<ref>{{Cite book |last1=O'Leary |first1=John |last2=Kingston |first2=Bernard |last3= Hindmarsh |first3=Andrew |title=The Times Good University Guide 2007 |url=https://archive.org/details/gooduniversitygu0000unse |date=5 June 2006 |publisher= Times Books |isbn=978-0-00-723148-5}}</ref>  || &nbsp; || 1 || &nbsp; || 1<ref name="Telegraph 2006">{{Cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=HXFCSGXMNVABTQFIQMFCFGGAVCBQYIV0?xml=/news/2007/07/30/ncambs430.xml |title=University league table |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=UK |accessdate=29 October 2007 |date=30 July 2007 |first=Damian |last=Thompson |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080103180539/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=HXFCSGXMNVABTQFIQMFCFGGAVCBQYIV0?xml=%2Fnews%2F2007%2F07%2F30%2Fncambs430.xml |archivedate=3 January 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
! 2006
| 2<ref name=QS/> || 2<ref name=ARWU/> || 2<ref>{{Cite book |last=O'Leary |first=John |title=The Times Good University Guide 2006 |date=6 June 2005 |publisher=Times Books |isbn=978-0-00-720303-1}}</ref> || 1<ref name="Guardian 2006">{{Cite news |url=http://browse.guardian.co.uk/education/2006?SearchBySubject=&FirstRow=20&SortOrderDirection=&SortOrderColumn=GuardianTeachingScore&Subject=Institution-wide&Institution= |title=University ranking by institution |work=The Guardian|accessdate=29 October 2007 | location=London}}</ref> || 1<ref name="Sunday_times 2006/05">{{Cite news |url=http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/stug2006/stug2006.pdf |title=The Sunday Times University League Table |work=The Sunday Times |location=UK |accessdate=3 November 2007 |archive-date=28 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728044842/http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/stug2006/stug2006.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> || &nbsp; || &nbsp;
|-
! 2005
| 3<ref name=QS/> || 2<ref name=ARWU/>|| 2<ref>{{Cite book |last1=O'Leary |first1=John |last2=Hindmarsh |first2=Andrew |title=The Times Good University Guide 2005 |url=https://archive.org/details/timesgoodunivers0000unse |year=2004 |publisher= HarperCollins |isbn=978-0-00-716524-7}}</ref>|| 2<ref name="Guardian 2005">{{Cite news |url= http://education.guardian.co.uk/universityguide2005/table/0,,-5163901,00.html?start=40&index=3&index=3 |title=University ranking by institution |work=The Guardian |accessdate= 29 October 2007 |location= London}}</ref> || 1<ref name="Sunday_times 2006/05" /> || &nbsp; || &nbsp;
|-
! 2004
| &nbsp; || 3<ref name=ARWU/> || 2<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Hindmarsh |first1=Andrew |last2= Kingston |first2= Bernard |last3= O'Leary |first3=John |title=The Times Good University Guide 2004 |date=2 June 2003 |publisher=Times Books |isbn=978-0-00-715185-1}}</ref> || 1 || 1 || &nbsp; || &nbsp;
|-
! 2003
| &nbsp; || 5<ref name=ARWU/> || 2<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Hindmarsh |first1=Andrew |last2= Kingston |first2=Bernard |last3=O'Leary |first3=John |title=The Times Good University Guide 2003 |url=https://archive.org/details/timesgoodunivers0000unse_z7b4 |date=3 June 2002 |publisher= Times Books |isbn= 978-0-00-712648-4}}</ref> || 1 || 1 || &nbsp; ||1
|-
! 2002
| &nbsp; || &nbsp; || 1<ref name=Warwick>{{cite web|url=http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/spa/businessinformation/academicstatistics/2002|title=Academic Statistics 2002|editor=[[University of Warwick]]|accessdate=1 May 2012}}{{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> || 1<ref name="FT 2002-war" /> || 1<ref name=st10y />|| &nbsp; || 1<ref name="FT 2002-war">{{Cite web |url=http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/academicoffice/ourservices/planning/businessinformation/academicstatistics/2002/table_81.xls |title=The 2002 ranking – From Warwick |work=Warwick Uni 2002 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
|-
! 2001
| &nbsp; || &nbsp; || 1 || &nbsp; || 1<ref name=st10y />|| &nbsp; || &nbsp;
|-
! 2000
| &nbsp; || &nbsp; || 1 || &nbsp; || 1<ref name=st10y />|| &nbsp; || &nbsp;
|-
! 1999
| &nbsp; || &nbsp; || 1 || &nbsp; || 1<ref name=st10y />|| &nbsp; || &nbsp;
|-
! 1998
| &nbsp; || &nbsp; || 1 || &nbsp; || 1<ref name=st10y>{{Cite news |url=http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/pdfs/univ07ten.pdf |title=University ranking based on performance over 10 years |work=The Times |location=UK |year=2007 |accessdate=28 April 2008 |archive-date=14 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080414064446/http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/pdfs/univ07ten.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> || &nbsp; || &nbsp;
|}

The colleges also have a ranking between them. This is called the ''Tompkins Table''. It is published every year by [[The Independent]] newspaper. [[Trinity College, Cambridge|Trinity College]] and [[Emmanuel College, Cambridge|Emmanuel College]] usually do very well in it.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/trinity-college-tops-cambridge-league-table-7932674.html|title=Trinity College tops Cambridge league table|date=11 July 2012|accessdate=10 January 2013|work=The Independent}}</ref>

=== Public examinations ===
[[File:Pembroke College Cambridge.JPG|thumb|right|250px|[[Pembroke College, Cambridge|Pembroke College]]]]
The University also runs many public examinations. This can be for people who want to take language tests in [[English language|English]] for example. Some of the [[A-level]] and [[GCSE]]s exams are also written and organized here.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ocr.org.uk/about-us/|title=About OCR - Oxford and Cambridge and RSA Examinations|publisher=[[Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations|OCR]]|accessdate=3 January 2013}}</ref>

=== Associations ===
The University of Cambridge is a member of
* the [[Russell Group]], a network of research-led British universities;
* the [[Coimbra Group]], an association of leading European universities;
* the [[League of European Research Universities]];
* the [[International Alliance of Research Universities]].

It is also considered part of the [[Golden Triangle (UK universities)|"Golden Triangle"]], a geographical concentration of UK university research.

== Student life ==
=== Students' Union, JCR and MCR ===
The ''Cambridge University Students' Union'' (CUSU) represents all the students within the University. All new students become members when they arrive in Cambridge.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/union/|title=About the Union|publisher=Cambridge University Students' Union|date=27 June 2012|accessdate=2 September 2012}}</ref> It was started in 1964 as the ''Students' Representative Council'' (SRC). There are six important positions in the Union which are taken by students who take a year off work. These people have meetings with the Vice-Chancellor and other university officers to talk about new rules or how to change them.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/union/|title=A brief history of CUSU|publisher=Cambridge University Students' Union|date=12 April 2012|accessdate=2 September 2012}}</ref>

Inside the colleges, there are also groups of students who represent all of the others. These are called JCR (Junior Common Room) for undergraduates and MCR (Middle Common Room) for postgraduates. They organize things like ''Fresher's Week'', the first week in [[October]] when new first-year students arrive. They also make sure every student is happy about his life in Cambridge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/officers/associations/|title=Information for JCRs, MCRs and other Student Associations|publisher=Cambridge University Students' Union|date=12 January 2010|accessdate=2 September 2012}}</ref>

[[File:2002-oxbridge-boat-race.jpg|thumb|left|250px|A photo of the Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge]]

=== Sport ===
Sport has always been very important in Cambridge. Many students try [[rowing]] because the Cam river is a good one to play this sport. There are many boat races between the different colleges. These are called ''bumps'': because the river is too small, boats start one behind the other. To win, a boat needs to hit (or "bump") the one ahead.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.firstandthird.org/tables/rowing/bumpsformat.shtml|title=An Introduction to the Bumps|publisher=First and Third Trinity Boat Club|accessdate=18 April 2012}}</ref> Every year in [[London]] there is also the famous [[The Boat Race|Boat Race]] between Oxford and Cambridge. Many other sports are played between colleges and universities.

Places to do sports, like [[gym]]s and fields, are run by single colleges. A new University-wide sports complex is being built.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/News/16m-plans-for-new-Cambridge-University-sports-centre-approved-11012012.htm|title=£16m plans for new Cambridge University sports centre approved|publisher=Cambridge News|date=11 January 2012|accessdate=4 January 2013|archive-date=14 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114014713/http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/News/16m-plans-for-new-Cambridge-University-sports-centre-approved-11012012.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Societies ===
Cambridge is also full of societies: these are small groups of people that meet together to do something that they like. These can be speaking a language, playing [[chess]], [[acting]] in theatres, or playing a [[musical instrument]]. In 2010, there were 751 societies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/societies/directory/|title=Societies Directory|date=12 January 2010|publisher=Cambridge University Students' Union|accessdate=2 September 2012}}</ref> There can also be smaller clubs in the colleges.

=== Newspapers and radio ===
There are three students [[newspaper]]s, that tell things that happen around the university. ''[[:en:Varsity (Cambridge)|Varsity]]'', created in 1947, is the oldest one.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.varsity.co.uk/about-varsity|title=About Varsity|publisher=Varsity Publications ltd.|accessdate=20 April 2012}}</ref> ''The Cambridge Student'' and ''The Tab'' are newer ones; ''The Tab'' has funny articles and is less serious.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cambridgetab.co.uk/about-us|title=About Us|publisher=Tab Publications|accessdate=20 April 2012|archive-date=26 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426181523/http://cambridgetab.co.uk/about-us|url-status=dead}}</ref> There is also a [[radio station]] called ''Cam FM''. This is run with help from [[Anglia Ruskin University]], which is another university in Cambridge.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.camfm.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30&Itemid=100|title=History of Cam FM|publisher=Cam FM|accessdate=20 April 2012|archive-date=27 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120627104614/http://www.camfm.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30&Itemid=100|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Survivors photo.jpg|thumb|right|A photo after the 2005 Jesus College May Ball]]

=== Formal Halls and May Balls ===
''Formal Halls'' are special [[dinner]]s where students and Fellows eat together. Everyone wears a [[suit (clothing)|suit]] and there is good food. There is a [[prayer]] in [[Latin]] at the beginning and the end. These dinners are a tradition and the idea is that people in the college should get to know each other at them.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/anna-sheinman/cambridge-formals_b_1180791.html|title=Inside Cambridge: Fizz, Fellows and Formal Hall|work=[[The Huffington Post]]|date=5 January 2012|accessdate=25 April 2012}}</ref> After the exams, there is ''May Week'' when students make parties. A ''May Ball'' happens in every college: it lasts all night and there is lots of [[music]] and food.

== Important students ==

Many people who later became very famous in their subject studied at Cambridge. 89 people linked with Cambridge have won a [[Nobel Prize]]. This includes 29 prizes in [[physics]], 26 in [[medicine]], 21 in [[chemistry]] and 9 in [[economics]].<ref name=Nobel>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/about/awards-announcements-and-prizes/nobel-prize-winners/|title=Nobel Prize Winners|publisher=University of Cambridge|accessdate=11 January 2013}}</ref> People from Cambridge have also done great things in the arts and sports.

=== Mathematics and sciences ===
Cambridge has a very strong tradition in this field. Students include [[Isaac Newton]], who made lots of [[experiments]] at Trinity College. [[Francis Bacon]] developed the [[Scientific method]] which is the starting point of today's science. [[G. H. Hardy]] and [[Srinivasa Ramanujan]] did a lot in [[pure mathematics]]. [[James Clerk Maxwell]] found out more about [[electromagnetism]]. In [[biology]], [[Charles Darwin]] made his theory about [[natural selection]] while [[Francis Crick]] and [[James D. Watson]] discovered the structure of [[DNA]]. Also, [[David Attenborough]], who is now a television presenter, was a science student at Cambridge.

[[File:Stephen Hawking.StarChild.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Stephen Hawking]]

In [[nuclear physics]], the discoveries of [[Ernest Rutherford]], [[Niels Bohr]], [[J. J. Thomson]] and [[James Chadwick]] made people really understand what is inside an [[atom]]: [[electron]]s, [[proton]]s and [[neutron]]s. [[J. Robert Oppenheimer]] studied here and later went on to develop the [[atomic bomb]]. In [[astronomy]], [[Paul Dirac]], [[Stephen Hawking]], [[John Herschel]] and [[Georges Lemaître]] found out many things about the [[universe]], from the [[Big Bang]] to [[black hole]]s.

=== Humanities, music and art ===
[[Desiderius Erasmus]] was really important for starting studies about [[Greek language|Greek]] and [[Latin]] at the University. In [[economics]], [[John Maynard Keynes]], [[Thomas Robert Malthus]] and [[Milton Friedman]] all started their theories in Cambridge. Known [[philosophy|philosophers]] are [[Bertrand Russell]], [[Ludwig Wittgenstein]], [[George Santayana]], [[Karl Popper]] and [[Muhammad Iqbal]]. Many [[Archbishop of Canterbury|Archbishops of Canterbury]] also studied at Cambridge, like [[Rowan Williams]]. [[William Wilberforce]] helped to stop the [[slave trade]]. [[Thomas Cranmer]] was an Archbishop who was then killed because of his ideas.

In [[music]], [[Ralph Vaughan Williams]], [[Charles Villiers Stanford]], [[William Sterndale Bennett]], [[Orlando Gibbons]] and more recently [[John Rutter]] all started their education at Cambridge. Some members of the band [[Radiohead]] were also here. In the [[art]]s, [[Quentin Blake]] was an undergraduate here.

=== Literature ===
Students in this field include [[Christopher Marlowe]], writer of many tragedies; [[Samuel Pepys]], after who the library in Magdalene College is called; [[William Makepeace Thackeray]], famous for his [[satire]]; [[E. M. Forster]], a more contemporary author and [[C. S. Lewis]], fantasy writer. [[Virginia Woolf]] did not study here but based her books around the colleges. [[Poet]]s include [[Edmund Spenser]], [[John Donne]], [[John Milton]], [[John Dryden]], [[Lord Byron]] and [[Samuel Taylor Coleridge]] who started the Romantic movement.

Known [[actor]]s and [[Movie director|director]]s are [[Ian McKellen]], [[Derek Jacobi]], [[Michael Redgrave]], [[James Mason]], [[Emma Thompson]], [[Stephen Fry]], [[Hugh Laurie]], [[John Cleese]], [[Eric Idle]], [[Graham Chapman]], [[Tilda Swinton]], [[Thandie Newton]], [[Rachel Weisz]], [[Sacha Baron Cohen]], [[Tom Hiddleston]] all studied at the university.

[[File:Oliver Cromwell Gaspard de Crayer.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Oliver Cromwell]]
[[File:Chapel of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge - 20100915.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Corpus Christi College]]
=== Sports ===
More than 50 people who won medals at the [[Olympic Games]] had studied in Cambridge,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cambridge.net/uk/cambridge-university-sports/|title=Cambridge University Sports|publisher=Cambridge.net|accessdate=2 September 2012}}</ref> as [[George Mallory]] did, who might have been the first to reach the top of [[mount Everest]].

=== Politics ===
Finally, Cambridge is also strong in politics because it educated:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/execed/aboutus/whycambridge/index.html|title=Why Cambridge?|publisher=Cambridge Judge Business School|accessdate=2 September 2012|archive-date=20 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020090024/http://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/execed/aboutus/whycambridge/index.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

*15 [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|British Prime Ministers]], including [[Robert Walpole]], thought to be the first Prime Minister of Great Britain.
*At least 23 foreign Heads of Government, including the Prime Ministers of India, [[Singapore]] and [[Jordan]].
*At least 9 monarchs, HRH Charles, Prince of Wales and a large number of other royals.
*3 people who signed of the [[United States Declaration of Independence]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cam.ac.uk/international/research/usa.html|title=International Cambridge - United States of America|publisher=University of Cambridge|date=29 March 2012|accessdate=2 September 2012}}</ref>
*[[Oliver Cromwell]], Lord Protector of England (1653–58).

== Cambridge in books and popular culture ==
Due to its long history, the University has been named in many books and works by different authors.
*In ''[[Pride and Prejudice]]'', some of the main characters studied at Cambridge
*In ''[[Gulliver's Travels]]'', the [[narrator]] starts from Emmanuel College
*In ''[[A Tale of Two Cities]]'', one of the characters is a professor in Cambridge
*''[[Sherlock Holmes]]'' has been an undergraduate at this University
*''[[Porterhouse Blue]]'' and ''[[Grantchester Grind]]'' are funny books about life in Cambridge as a student

{{clear}}

== References ==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{Cite book |title=A concise history of the University of Cambridge |url=https://archive.org/details/concisehistoryof0000leed |last=Leedham-Green |first=Elisabeth |publisher= Cambridge University Press |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-521-43978-7}}
* {{Cite book |title=A history of the University of Cambridge |last=Leader |first= Damien |publisher= Cambridge University Press |year=1988–2004 |isbn=978-0-521-32882-1}}
* {{Cite book |title=Bedders, bulldogs and bedells: a Cambridge glossary |last=Stubbings |first=Frank |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-47978-3 |year=1995}}
* {{Cite book |title= Teaching and Learning in 19th century Cambridge |last=Smith |first=J. |author2=Stray, C. |publisher= Boydell Press |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-85115-783-2}}
* {{Cite book |title=The Architectural History of the University of Cambridge and of the Colleges of Cambridge and Eton |url=https://archive.org/details/architecturalhi00willgoog |last=Willis |first=Robert |authorlink=Robert Willis (engineer) |year=1988 |publisher= Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-35851-4 |editor= John Willis Clark}}
* {{Cite book |title=The Cambridge Apostles: A History of Cambridge University's Elite Intellectual Secret Society |url=https://archive.org/details/cambridgeapostle0000deac_y1z5 |last=Deacon |first=Richard |publisher=Cassell |year=1985 |isbn=978-0-947728-13-7}}
* Garrett, Martin (2004), 'Cambridge: a Cultural and Literary History', Signal Books. {{ISBN|1-902669-79-7}}.
* ''A history of the University of Cambridge'', by Christopher N.L. Brooke, Cambridge University Press, 4 volumes, 1988–2004, {{ISBN|0-521-32882-9}}, {{ISBN|0-521-35059-X}}, {{ISBN|0-521-35060-3}}, {{ISBN|0-521-34350-X}}.
* {{Cite book |title=The History of the University of Cambridge and Education in England |first=Grayden |last=Webb |publisher= Cambridge University Press |year=2005 |isbn=0-521-32882-9}}
* {{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pV7QR7f1TFcC|title=A Concise and Accurate Description of the University, Town and County of Cambridge |publisher= Cambridge University Press |year=2009 |origyear=1790 |isbn=978-1-108-00065-9}}
*{{Cite book |last=Taylor |first=Kevin |title= Central Cambridge: A Guide to the University and Colleges |url=https://archive.org/details/centralcambridge0000tayl |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1994 |isbn= 978-0-521-45913-6}}

== Other websites ==
{{Commonscat|University of Cambridge}}
* [http://www.cam.ac.uk/ University of Cambridge official website]
* [http://www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/ Cambridge University Students' Union]
* [http://www.gradunion.cam.ac.uk/ Cambridge University Graduate Union]
* [http://www.societies.cam.ac.uk/pdoc/ Postdocs of Cambridge] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080629134556/http://www.societies.cam.ac.uk/pdoc/ |date=2008-06-29 }}
* [http://www.varsity.co.uk/ Varsity] – a student newspaper
* [http://www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/tcs/ The Cambridge Student (TCS)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051001101753/http://www.cusu.cam.ac.uk/tcs/ |date=2005-10-01 }} – a student newspaper

=== Images and maps links ===
* [http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Cambridge&ll=52.204148,0.119133&spn=0.005634,0.013964&t=k&hl=en Aerial view] – from [[Google Maps]]
* [http://www.cam.ac.uk/map/v3/drawmap.cgi?mp=city Interactive map] – a map showing all of the University departments and colleges. The map can zoom in on each place.

{{University of Cambridge}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cambridge, Univertsity of}}
[[Category:1230s establishments]]
[[Category:University of Cambridge| ]]
[[Category:13th-century establishments in England]]

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