The University of Cambridge is a confederation of Schools, Faculties, Departments and Colleges. The 31 Colleges are governed by their own statutes and regulations, but are integral to the make-up of the University.

The University has more than 20,000 students and 12,000 staff from all walks of life and all corners of the world. No two days are ever the same at the University of Cambridge.

Students are members of the University and of an academic Faculty or Department. Our students also belong to a College community. This is an arrangement that offers pastoral and academic support for each individual.

Colleges

Students live, eat and socialise in one of the University’s 31 autonomous Colleges. Undergraduates receive College supervisions – small group teaching sessions. Supervisions are regarded as one of the best teaching models in the world.

Each College has its own internal procedures. They select their own students, subject to University regulations. Most Colleges admit both undergraduate and postgraduate students. College representatives sit on the University Council and Finance Committee.

See a list of Cambridge Colleges

Schools

There are 6 Schools at the University. These each form an administrative grouping of Faculties and other institutions. They are:

There is a Council of each School, which includes representatives of its Faculties and Departments. The Schools are represented on the University's General Board.

Faculties and Departments

University Faculties organise teaching and research into individual subjects or groups of subjects. Their work is normally organised into sub-divisions called Departments.

Centres of studies are controlled by committees of management. These bring together representatives from several disciplines.

Links to all of the Schools', Faculties' and Departments' websites can be found in the Department A-Z.

See a list of our Departments

Non-School Institutions

Cambridge University Press & Assessment

Cambridge University Press & Assessment publishes and creates world-leading content and examinations that are used around the world. The organisation exists to further the University’s objective to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence. The trusted qualifications and assessments that it offers through its three exam boards (Cambridge Assessment English, Cambridge Assessment International Education and OCR) are used by more than 8 million learners each year. And it currently publishes more than 380 peer-reviewed academic journals and more than 33,000 e-books that help to spread knowledge, spark curiosity and aid understanding in nearly every country in the world.

The organisation also gives vital support to teachers and schools globally, shaping curricula and education systems, and its range of research-based admissions tests connect universities, governments and employers to applicants around the world.

Institute of Continuing Education

The University's Institute of Continuing Education was founded in 1873 and provides accessible, flexible and high-quality education to adults throughout their lives. It offers over 250 courses covering a variety of academic disciplines and subject areas in a wide range of formats. The Institute's aim is to form supportive communities of learning where expert teachers and adult students work together as peers to achieve personal and collective educational goals, be it as a first step in higher education or progressing to mid-career postgraduate studies.