The Cambridge Tab’s Ultimate A-Z of Cambridge University Colleges

Prospective Cambridge students, revise this comprehensive guide to Cambridge’s 31 colleges so you can react appropriately when someone you meet in Freshers’ Week Revs tells you they’re at Trinity.

Disclaimer: stereotypes largely unfounded, none of them are all that bad.

Christ’s College (founded 1505)

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You probably won’t be seeing any of these out in freshers (just kidding). Christ’s has something of a reputation for academic authoritarianism, topping the Tompkins table 2018-2024 and being one of the few colleges left with a (partial) academic ballot, meaning your performance in exams and otherwise decides how good your room is.

Situated right in the centre of town, underneath the perpetual scaffolding, the students plot how to overtake Trinity on the Tompkins table next year.

Churchill College (founded 1960)

Something of a brutalist growth situated on the outskirts, nonetheless charming in its own way. Has a lot of engineers, from what I hear. Think of it as Cambridge’s tribute to concrete and ambition. It’s the kind of place you only discover if your bike breaks down on the way to town, or if you’re desperate for freshers’ week space away from the throngs of tourists.

Home to engineers, scientists, and people who spend more time talking about algorithms than actual people, Churchill has a reputation for being a bit nerdy…  and by a bit, I mean way.

The architecture screams “I peaked in the 60s” with a brutalist aesthetic that makes some students question if they accidentally joined a government bunker. Yet, in all honesty, you’ll only ever meet nice people from Churchill, a 10/10 lot.

Clare College (founded 1326)

I have never met a man from Clare, or a stem student, but it does have both of those, apparently. Very attractive river college, although like Christ’s suffering from a layer of scaffolding. C

lare’s student bar, Cellars, is legendary and its jazz nights and other events well attended- very grungy and the place to be if you’ve already decided you’re too cool for Sunday kikis. Clare students tend to be pretty outgoing and fun.

Clare Hall (founded 1965)

A tiny postgraduate college, very quiet but intellectually vibrant. If you ever wander through Cambridge looking for a calm, contemplative space away from the undergraduate chaos, this is your spot. Beautiful fellows garden and an amazing post-grad may event by all accounts.

Corpus Christi College (founded 1352)

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Small but very beautiful, tucked away quite centrally. Perpetually choked with tourists around that ugly clock. Very small year groups, so trust that everyone knows everyone, and everything. Somehow, despite the size, Corpus is very good at keeping life interesting:

It had a drag queen visit last year after exam term, and the students themselves are unusually attractive, which makes walking around Corpus feel like you’ve appeared in a modelling audition. And, if rumours are to be believed, it’s the original home of the CUCA, Cambridge’s conservatism society that everyone whispers about but no one seemingly admits to joining. 

Darwin College (founded 1964)

Another postgraduate-only college, nestled on the river near Silver Street. Very green, very leafy, and very academic. Don’t get lost among the science talks and seminars; you might never leave.

Downing College (founded 1800)

Full of impressive columns but not tourists, despite being fairly central. Downing students are quite social and likely to be about in freshers week. Apparently has or had an orgy-society, but that’s neither here nor there.

The architecture is very Greek Revival, which basically means lots of dramatic pillars that make you feel like you’re constantly lost. The lawns are perfect for lounging, casual debates, or pretending to study while silently judging everyone else’s fashion choices. D-bar is usually full, music is occasional, and the overall energy is a mix of keeping it fun and classy.

Emmanuel College (founded 1584)

Right in the centre, but somehow escaping the heavy tourism over on Kings Parade. Called the ‘”friendly” college and lives up to that title, Emma students will tell you about their free laundry and the outdoor pool that makes having an Emma friend a valuable commodity when Easter term comes round.

The bar is student-run, making it the cheapest pint in Cambridge. Always well-represented at Wednesday revs. The best college (who said that?)

Fitzwilliam College (founded 1869)

Far, far away, at the top of Cambridge’s “hill’”, but will go the distance to socialise. Large part of the hill college bike exodus that makes its way en masse down Huntingdon Road every morning. The 2024 Cambridge Tab Christmas formal location, excellent food, not so excellent dining room. Fitzwilliam is the college equivalent of that friend who lives in the middle of nowhere but somehow always turns up at the party looking effortlessly cool.

The hill location gives you a lovely sense of smugness while cycling back from lectures and the social life is surprisingly strong considering the commute: Bops happen, people show up for revs, and there’s a weird sense of camaraderie born entirely from shared exhaustion. The architecture is a mix of functional modernism and tasteful quads, so you get the occasional “wow, I live somewhere nice” moment.

Girton College (founded 1869)

Few ever venture here. The most remote of all the hill colleges, walking to Girton would cost you almost an hour- let them come to you. Despite the trek, it’s tragically underrated. The Victorian buildings are absolutely stunning, the heated swimming pool is a hidden treasure, special mention for the Girton apple sorbet from Jacks, which is divine.

At The Cambridge Tab, Girton hate will not be tolerated, so don’t even try. Out in the sticks, remote yet remarkably charming, Girton has quietly built a reputation for smart, friendly students who don’t feel the need to broadcast it, making it the ultimate “secret gem” college if you ever manage to drag yourself up the hill.

Gonville & Caius College (founded 1348)

Imposing, sits at one end of Kings Parade but the actual college site is quite proliferated across Cambridge. First years are outsourced to Harvey Court abutting the Sidgwick humanities site and recently lost a well-loved café. Very impressive buildings (I’ve never been in).

Homerton College (founded 1768)

Another quite remote college, but lovely buildings once you get there and better serviced than the likes of Girton by proximity to Tesco, Sainsbury’s, the cinema, Junction (the counter-culture club) and the Rainbow Rocket climbing wall which you will likely find yourself at in the first term of your first year and then never again.

Homerton people are out and about, however, and their May Ball is well regarded. It had Jedward as headliners one year.

Hughes Hall (founded 1885)

A mature college that’s full of older students, often with families. Known for being friendly, practical, and no-nonsense, though don’t expect wild freshers’ week antics here. Hugheans tend to be surprisingly normal for Cambridge standards, which is saying something.

Jesus College (founded 1496)

Well known for sports, Jesus (the college, not the man) boasts huge grounds, a unique mix of architecture and is fairly central, but slightly awkwardly located sort of behind the city centre. Year groups are large and fairly outgoing- Jesus May Ball is the place to be for freshers, so bear that in mind when tickets are released.

King’s College (founded 1441)

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The home to a recent Tab Editor-in-Chief and the stuff that postcards are made of. Victim of its own success in terms of tourism, its famous chapel monopolises the skyline on King’s Parade. K-bar is tragically NOT active and resembles an airport lounge, but it is absolutely bumping once in a blue moon.

King’s has a good record on state school access and takes being woke to new, unheard-of levels. Most famous for their all-male choir that sings on the BBC at Christmas, your gran xwill ask to go and see them perform, guaranteed.

Lucy Cavendish College (founded 1965)

Originally a women-only college for mature students (now mixed), it sits a bit off the beaten track but has a notoriously friendly vibe. Students are often serious, academically minded, and always super nice. Lucy Cav, we see you, and we salute you.

Magdalene College (founded 1428)

In the pretty end of town with the best pubs, but outside the epicentre of tourism, Magdalene has lovely grounds that run along the river. Quite a small student cohort. The last of the Cambridge colleges to accept women as students, in 1988, wearing black armbands when it did – make of that what you will.

Murray Edwards College (founded 1954, formerly New Hall)

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One of Cambridge’s two female-only colleges, and a brutalist tribute to the space-age. Home to a large collection of women’s art, worth the long journey to the outskirts to enjoy. Everyone I know here is a medic, leading me in freshers week to believe that its abbreviation ‘Medwards’ denoted it was somewhere the medics went- this is not the case.

Newnham College (founded 1871)

The other female-only college, the beautiful redbrick sister to Murray Edward’s brutalism. Located right next to the humanities site, which is tough luck for stem students. Amazing garden party in may week which is always guaranteed to be fun, girly and super wholesome. A 10/10 college.

Pembroke College (founded 1347)

Very central and sometimes goes overlooked- which is a shame as its one of the prettier colleges. Known for the humanities and is quite academically inclined (but isn’t all of Cambridge?).

Basically, Pembroke is the quietly competent college: attractive, smart, central, and just the right amount of posh without being overwhelming—perfect if you want somewhere that looks impressive without needing to pledge allegiance to a secret society or scale a hill first. Lovely Library.

Peterhouse (founded 1284)

The oldest college, and the smallest in terms of student cohort, buildings are very quaint and beautiful with grounds along the river. A small cohort does lend well to an insular environment, and I imagine that gossip spreads like fire. It even has its own deer park and famed jazz nights, unfortunately alongside its famously rigorous porters.

Queens’ College (founded 1448)

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Situated on the river and hounded by tourists photographing its Mathematical Bridge, Queen’s boasts picturesque old buildings, a great view of the river and beautiful gardens, and a really ugly newer build if you venture further in. Students are unproblematic as far as I can tell. Queens’ is pretty, peaceful, and quietly smug about being slightly less dramatic than its neighbours.

Robinson College (founded 1979)

Robinson sits behind the humanities site and shows an enthusiasm for redbrick. Famed for its “bops” which draw the crowds every week, Robinson students will definitely be on the scene, if one of the more privately schooled colleges.

Selwyn College (founded 1882)

Sharing a wall with the humanities site, this old college escapes the tourist attention and boasts extensive gardens and somewhat atypical, but still aesthetically pleasing, buildings. If a humanities student, prepare to spend a lot of time in its radius, being right next to Sidgewick site.

Sidney Sussex College (founded 1596)

Directly opposite Mainsburys, (big Sainsburys), Sidney Sussex couldn’t be any better located for student life, although much of its grounds are eaten up by a huge Fellows Garden. Often overlooked, Sidney has a great bar with a real pub feel.

St Catharine’s College (founded 1473)

Often overlooked by its huge immediate neighbour King’s, the smaller St Catz is known for an excellent showing across sports and the social scene alike. Catz students will tell you all about their bar’s happy hour.

St Edmund’s College (founded 1896)

Another one of the mature colleges, tucked slightly out of the centre. Known for welcoming international students and those starting later in life, St Edmund’s is quiet but sociable in its own understated way. Think refined bar nights rather than wild bops.

St John’s College (founded 1511)

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The big one. Boasting enormous grounds next to its rival (according to those punting tours) Trinity, St John’s is truly enormous and quintessentially Cambridge to boot – it’s here you’ll find the Bridge of Sighs. Its May Ball was called the “7th best party in the world” by Time Magazine, a fact that has been proudly touted ever since. Johns students are hounded by something of a questionable reputation of snobbery.

Trinity College (founded 1546)

Beautiful, austere and filthy rich. From its opulent May Ball, host of decorated alumni and return to the top of the Tompkins table, Trinity students are plagued by an assumption of superiority, proved true or otherwise.

Between a pressure cooker of an intense academic environment, even for Cambridge standards, and a large demographic of the year either being reclusive or studying maths (affectionately dubbed “trinmos”) there’s a certain implication attached to attending Trinity, not always deserved. Its porters are infamously far from lenient as well.

Trinity Hall (founded 1350)

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Tit Hall sits quite unassumingly on the river between the larger Clare and the giant Trinity, and its cohort is likewise friendly and laid-back. The infamous “Tit” wall by Orgasm Bridge is a coveted people-watching spot.

Wolfson College (founded 1965)

Far on the outskirts and mostly postgraduate, Wolfson has a reputation for being liberal, inclusive, and a bit of a hidden gem. The gardens are lovely, the architecture modern, and the students are smart but not snobby—perfect if you enjoy a chilled academic environment without the tourist crush.

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