THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

This is a list of the colleges within the University of Cambridge. These colleges provide
most of the accommodation for undergraduates and graduates at the University, and at the
undergraduate level they have responsibility for admitting students to the University and
organising their tuition.[1] They also provide funding, accommodation, or both, for some of
the senior research posts in the University.[2] They are self-governed charities in their own
right, with their own endowments and possessions. Until the mid-19th century, both
Cambridge and Oxford comprised a group of colleges with a small central university
administration, rather than universities in the common sense.

"Old" and "new" colleges

The University of Cambridge has 31 colleges,[2] founded between the 13th and 20th
centuries. No colleges were founded between 1596 (Sidney Sussex College) and 1800
(Downing College), which allows the colleges to be distinguished into two groups according
to foundation date:

the 16 'old' colleges, founded between 1284 and 1596, and

the 15 'new' colleges, founded between 1800 and 1977.

The oldest college is Peterhouse, founded in 1284,[3] and the newest is Robinson, founded
in 1977.[4] Homerton, which was first founded in the eighteenth century as a dissenting
academy (and later teacher training college), attained full college status in 2010.
All 16 of the "old" colleges and 7 of the 15 "new" ones admit both male and female students
as both undergraduates and postgraduates, without any age restrictions. Eight colleges
restrict entry by sex, or by age of undergraduates, or admit only postgraduates:

Murray Edwards, Newnham and Lucy Cavendish admit only women (of these, Lucy
Cavendish admits only women who are either mature students, i.e. aged 21 or older,
or postgraduates);

Clare Hall and Darwin admit only postgraduates;

Hughes Hall, St Edmunds and Wolfson admit only mature students or

postgraduates.[5]
No colleges are all-male, although most originally were. Darwin, founded in 1964, was the
first mixed college, while in 1972 Churchill, Clare and King's colleges were the first
previously all-male colleges to admit women. The last all-male college to become mixed
was Magdalene, in 1988.[6] In 1973 Hughes Hall became the first all-female college to admit
men, and Girton admitted men in 1976.
Lucy Cavendish also places restrictions on the admission of staff members, allowing only
females to become fellows of the college. [7] The same is true of Newnham, but not Murray
Edwards.

Heads of colleges
Most colleges are led by a Master, even when the Master is female. However, there are
some exceptions. Girton College has always had a Mistress, even though male candidates
have been able to run for the office since 1976.

Mistress: Girton College

President: Clare Hall, Hughes Hall, Lucy Cavendish College, Murray Edwards
College, Queens' College, Wolfson College

Principal: Homerton College, Newnham College

Provost: King's College

Warden: Robinson College

Former colleges
The above list does not include several former colleges that no longer exist. These include:

Ayerst Hostel, founded in the 1880s, renamed as St Edmund's House in 1896 and
later St Edmund's College in 1986.[46]

Buckingham College, founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hall, refounded

as Magdalene in 1542.[47]

Bull College, an unofficial college for US GIs returning from World War II, existing in
Michaelmas 1945 and Lent 1946.[48]

Cavendish College, founded in 1873, an attempt to allow poorer students to sit

the Tripos examinations, whose buildings were bought by Homerton in 1895.[49][50]

"Clare Hall" was the name of Clare College between 1338 and 1856. Clare College
founded a new college named Clare Hall in 1966.

Gonville Hall, founded in 1348, and re-founded in 1557 as Gonville and Caius
College.[51]

God's House, founded in 1437, and re-founded in 1505 as Christ's College.[52]

 King's Hall, founded in 1317, and combined with Michaelhouse to form Trinity
College in 1546.[53]

Michaelhouse, founded in 1324, and combined with King's Hall to form Trinity
College in 1546.[53]

New Hall, founded 1954, and re-founded in 2008 as Murray Edwards College

Physwick Hostel, Cambridge - was a predecessor of Gonville and Caius College

University College, founded 1965, and re-founded in 1972 as Wolfson College

University Hall, founded 1326, refounded as Clare Hall in 1338, renamed as Clare
College in 1856.