What it Costs
For many years we have been committed to the principle that no UK student should be prevented from coming to Cambridge for financial reasons. In the tighter financial climate ahead we appreciate that costs are rising at all leading UK Universities. However we stress that financial help for those in serious financial difficulty is still available from the University and from the College and we are committed to helping UK students to finance their studies at Cambridge. We will also try to help overseas students with financial difficulties that arise while studying with us, but students from overseas do have to provide a substantial contribution towards their own financial support. More detail on how students pay for their studies can be found in the section on where the money comes from.
Fortunately Cambridge is one of the cheaper Universities in the UK in which to complete an undergraduate degree. Terms are short and most students are accommodated within the College for their full period of study. This means that students pay for accommodation during term time only and avoid the need to pay 12 month rents on rooms and houses in town (which is common in other universities).
Cambridge graduates are in high demand so on completing your degree you should find that you are very well placed to earn a good income in the future.
The attached leaflet summarises how the college is responding to concerns about student finance (pdf leaflet: Student Finance issue2).
Tuition Fees
UK/EU students coming to Cambridge in 2012 will have to pay Tuition Fees of £9,000 per year towards the cost of their teaching and study facilities. In this respect Cambridge is like the great majority of UK universities. Overseas students have to pay higher tuition fees and a college fee (together amounting to £20,000-£30,000 per year depending on the course).
Living Costs
Living costs include accommodation, food, travel and social activities. Individual needs vary but are usually in the range of £7,000-£8,500 per year.
Accommodation: Accommodation is available in College so students only pay for their room during term time (and not for the entire year as is common when renting privately within a town). College rents are similar to those in other UK universities and other Cambridge colleges. Students spend around £4,500 per year on their college room (including heating and a 'kitchen overhead' charge).
Food: A two course cafeteria lunch or evening meal in College costs around £4.00.
Travel: Cambridge is a small city so students usually get around by bike or on foot.
Books: The Rosemary Murray library is one of the best stocked college libraries in Cambridge for undergraduates, with around 60,000 volumes. All undergraduates are able to use and borrow from this library. In addition students may use the University Library and Departmental libraries so that the requirement to purchase books is limited, and students report that they do not feel the need to spend significantly on books.
Computing: Most students now use their own computer through the broadband connection in their rooms, the cost of which is about £75 per year, far below commercial rates. There is also a good Computer Suite in the College providing everything necessary, including site licensed software not available for (or too expensive for) individual students.
Other costs: Events run in colleges are often very cheap and many University and College clubs and societies cost only a few pounds each year to take part in.
Caution money: From 2007/8 the college has required all new students to make a payment of £200, called 'Caution Money'. This amount will be held until the student leaves Cambridge and will be applied against any amount then owing to the College.
Updated April 2012
