Widening participation at Cambridge

The University and its Colleges are committed to widening participation to the University and to higher education in general. Hundreds of outreach initiatives and events are run each year both in Cambridge and in schools and colleges across the UK.

Care leavers

At the University of Cambridge, we welcome applications from UK students who are or have previously been in care, and for the care leavers currently studying here we are able to offer a wide range of support and guidance. Find out more

Insight

Insight is an academic programme which aims develop the students’ interests and tackle the barriers many students face when applying to university. Find out more

HE+

HE+ is a collaborative project being piloted by the University of Cambridge and its Colleges, working together with groups of state schools and colleges in fourteen regions of the UK. Find out more

HE Partnership

The Higher Education Partnership initiative aims to raise aspirations amongst students in schools across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Find out more

Challenge Days

Challenge Days are large-scale day events designed to offer a taste of higher education to students in Year 10. The days involve introductory sessions on higher education and Cambridge. Find out more

Sutton Trust Summer Schools

Sutton Trust Summer Schools are free subject-specific residential courses for Year 12 (or equivalent) students studying at state-maintained schools in the UK. The five-day summer schools in July and August allow students to explore their interest in one of 26 subject courses and gain an insight into what it is like to live and study as a first-year undergraduate student at Cambridge. Find out more

Experience Cambridge

The Sutton Trust Summer Schools are heavily oversubscribed and each year we have to turn away many students with whom we would like to work. The 'Experience Cambridge' initiative works with up to 1000 students in subjects where we receive considerably more applications than places. Find out more