Record number of undergraduate admissions at Cambridge, with no required deferrals and highest ever state school intake

Almost 400 students who met the conditions of their offer following the issue of revised exam results based on their teacher assessed grades have been admitted. No student has been required to defer entry to 2021. This will result in an undergraduate intake which is more than 10% bigger than it was in 2019. The University usually plans for an intake of around 3,450 undergraduates but this year will be admitting up to 3,890 students. We would like to congratulate all our incoming students who, like so many other students around the UK, have worked so hard in such difficult circumstances.  

Not only have Faculties and Departments been flexible, but there has been a collaborative effort on the part of the Colleges to ensure accommodation and tuition can be found for everyone being admitted in 2020. Colleges have managed to free up extra places for undergraduates this year, at short notice. Everyone has been mindful of the need to minimise the potential impact on the cohort applying for places in 2021. 

The University had exceeded its widening participation targets following the initial release of the results. We will publish more detailed statistics later in the year, but we expect that 70% of UK students will now be coming to us from state schools, surpassing last year’s rate of 68.7%. The proportion of students coming from areas of low participation in higher education (using POLAR 4, Quintiles 1 and 2) has risen from 13% to 14%.  And, using the Index of Multiple Deprivation measure, our intake with this indicator has risen from 18.8% to 21.7%. 

The University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stephen Toope, welcomed the figures:

“This summer has been an exceptionally challenging admissions process. Staff have worked round the clock to ensure that each student who has met their offer secures a place to study at Cambridge. And our Colleges have worked together to provide extra accommodation for the higher than planned for intake. This incredible effort means we are not having to compel any student to defer entry until 2021. I am also proud that we have the highest ever number of state school students arriving this year as well as greater numbers from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, underlying our commitment to providing equality of educational opportunity. We look forward to welcoming all our new students in October.” 

The Michaelmas Term starts on Tuesday 6th October. The University has put together a range of practical tips and advice for students, and staff, to ensure they continue to follow public health guidance. Details of the ‘stay safe’ campaign can be found on these pages: https://www.cam.ac.uk/coronavirus/stay-safe-cambridge-uni