Why Corpus?

Our lively community of scholars and students is located near the main university and city centre, just minutes from undergraduate lecture halls and libraries. We’re justly proud of our beautiful medieval buildings and extensive facilities, but it’s the supportive community at its heart that makes Corpus a wonderful place to live and study.

Take a look at our Alternative Prospective to hear from our students.

So What Makes Corpus Special?

We look after you

Small is beautiful. Corpus being one of the smaller Cambridge colleges means it’s easy for members to get to know each other. Students often say our close community helped them settle quickly in the city and feel supported throughout their time here.

At Corpus you’ll never be just a face in the crowd – at work or at play – thanks to the strong academic and personal support our Staff and Fellows (academics) provide. It’s one of the reasons our students do so well.

We’re in an excellent location

We occupy one of the best spots in Cambridge. Our main site on Trumpington Street is in the city centre, near the heart of the University but far enough from the touristy part to make Corpus a surprisingly quiet place to work and live. 

You’re within easy distance of many of the University’s largest facilities, including the New Museums Site (for natural scientists), the Engineering Department, the University Library and the Sidgwick Site, home of many Arts & Humanities departments. 

We offer a spectacular setting

Corpus dates from 1352, making us the 6th oldest college in Cambridge. We were founded by the townspeople (rather than by a wealthy individual patron, like other Oxbridge colleges) and have embraced that democratic spirit ever since. Our Old Court is possibly the oldest complete court in Oxford or Cambridge, dating back to the earliest days of the college. So our (fully modernised) rooms have been home to students like you for over six centuries. 

But Corpus is as excited by the new as by the ancient. Our Taylor Library, opened in 2008, is home to the famous Corpus Clock, one of the world’s most striking examples of modern public art. See it and photos of College and Cambridge life on our Instagram.

We guarantee you a room

We can provide you with College rooms for the duration of your (3 or 4 year) degree. 

We have fabulous facilities

Studying at Corpus gives you access to some of the best student facilities in the University. Get ready for welcoming common rooms, a 24-hour undergraduate library and a magnificent Gothic revival dining hall buzzing with events.

Only a 15 minute walk away, our graduate campus at Leckhampton has squash and tennis courts, cricket and football pitches, an outdoor swimming pool and student gym. We’re also the ONLY Cambridge College with its own standalone theatre space, the Corpus Playroom, just off King’s Parade.

Keep reading

Explore the Undergraduate Study section for information on courses, admissions and more reasons why Corpus could be right for you. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please contact admissions@corpus.cam.ac.uk. 

It’s a cliché, but I chose Corpus because the moment I walked into New Court for the first time I just felt that it was the right college for me. The fact that we’re one of the smaller colleges in terms of student numbers means that you tend to know everyone else, which I have found makes Corpus an extremely welcoming and inclusive environment to live and study in. Being in the centre of Cambridge is really handy as well because you’re never too far from anywhere you could need to go.

Laura Busby