How to apply
We were founded in 1954 to welcome outstanding young women to Cambridge, no matter what their background, and to provide the best possible education. Seventy years on, this mission remains at the heart of all we do. We welcome applications from students from all educational, social, and cultural backgrounds.
When you apply to Cambridge, you have the option of choosing a college, and most people do. It's a great idea to visit colleges before you make your choice, and we are always happy to welcome you and answer your queries. If you'd like to discuss making an application to Murray Edwards, we encourage you to visit or contact us directly - we would love to hear from you.
To find our more about what student life is like at Murray Edwards, do explore this website, and take a look at our programme of Open Days, Events and Visits. More general information on Cambridge applications can be found on the .
Entrance requirements
You can find details of our entrance requirements for individual courses, including subject requirements, admissions assessments, submitted work and typical offers, on our subject information pages. On these pages, we specify subject requirements and typical offers for A Levels and the International Baccalaureate (IB). Information about other and can be found on the University website. Please contact our Admissions Office if you have any queries.
Interviews
As part of our assessment process, we interview everyone who has a realistic chance of gaining a place with us. Interviews form just one part of our overall assessment, and will always be considered alongside all of the other information in your application. However, we know that interviews are a special part of the Cambridge application process, and we are often asked about them. If you are invited to interview, you may find it helpful to read the on what to expect and how best to prepare beforehand. For the 2024-25 Admissions Round, Murray Edwards interviews will be held online.
Application statistics
We aim to admit around 105 students each year, from the UK, Europe and beyond. Recent for Â鶹ƵµÀ are available on the University website.
FAQs
Your application questions answered
For undergraduate admissions, we will consider any student who identifies as a woman at the point of application (i.e. when submitting their initial October application). This information is communicated to the College through the UCAS application and we can only consider those applications that we receive where a student has selected the gender category ‘Woman’.
If you make an open application to Cambridge (i.e. you do not not select a college), you will be allocated to Murray Edwards only if you have selected ‘Woman’ as your gender identity. Similarly, at the pool stages, Murray Edwards can only consider applications from those who have declared their gender identity as ‘Woman.’
For more information see the College's Gender Inclusivity Statement or get in touch with us directly (details below).
Murray Edwards provides a warm and welcoming environment for students who self-identify within the broad spectrum of LGBTQ+ identities. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive community in which all of our students can thrive and succeed. At the admissions level, we will consider any student who, at the point of application, identifies as a woman. This information is communicated to the College through the UCAS application where a student has selected the gender category 'Woman'. Currently, we only consider students who identify themselves as a 'Woman' at the point of application and, where they have been identified as male at birth, has taken steps to live in the female gender (or has been legally recognised as female via the Gender Recognition Act 2004).
Will I be allocated to Murray Edwards if I make an Open Application? If you make an , you will only be allocated to Murray Edwards if you have selected ‘Woman’ as your gender identity on your UCAS application.
How will the Pool Process work for transgender and non-binary applicants? At the , Murray Edwards will only consider applications from those who have declared their gender identity as 'Woman' on their UCAS application.
The College is supportive of our students who transition following their admission to the College or who do not wish to define themselves as either a woman or a man. To find out more please see the College's Gender Inclusivity Statement and details on how the College supports transgender and non-binary students. We would also encourage prospective applicants who would like to learn more about the student experience at Murray Edwards to contact our student JCR LGBT+ and Trans & Non-Binary Officers at jcr-lgbt@murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk
To apply to Murray Edwards, choose UCAS Campus Code 'O'.
Although we normally expect students to be 18 on entry (i.e. when they start their course), we can consider applicants who will be under 18 on a case-by-case basis. In addition to your academic ability and potential, we would take into account your maturity, the extent to which you are likely to benefit from early entry to the College and University environment, and the particular requirements of the subject you wish to study. For Medicine, students must be 18 years of age by the beginning of November of the 1st year of their course.
Yes, we are happy to offer deferred places and consider all applicants who have decided to take a gap year. We are happy to consider students who are either applying for deferred entry while completing their qualifications or those applying with results already in hand.
Gap years can be a great way to develop skills related to your future studies, such as language skills, experience in industry, or exposure to different cultures. Whatever you are thinking of doing, be ready to discuss it if you are invited to interview. You don't need exact plans, just a sense of what you are going to do; it is also a good idea to think about how those experiences might connect with your future studies and be ready to discuss those. If your plans don't obviously connect with your studies, that is not a problem, but have a think about planning some activities to keep your skills and knowledge sharp, even if it is just some additional reading.
Murray Edwards welcomes applications from all students with the academic ability and potential to flourish at Cambridge and aims to make the application process as accessible and inclusive as possible.
We strongly encourage you to disclose any disability, specific learning difficulty, long-term health condition or mental health condition and provide any relevant information in your UCAS application. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments to the admissions assessment and interview process, if required. Find out more about .
If you have experienced particular personal or educational disadvantage, we advise that your school/college completes and submits an (ECF). If your school/college remains unaware of the full circumstances, your doctor or social worker may complete the form on your behalf. The ECF is designed to ensure that we have the contextual information required to assess your application.
At Murray Edwards we understand that care leavers and estranged students may have specific concerns when considering or starting university, and it’s important to us they feel supported during this time. When applying, it’s important that you indicate in your UCAS application that you’ve spent time in local authority care. This is to ensure that you receive all the support available to you. This information is held in strict confidence by us and the University.
Currently, prospective students cannot indicate on their UCAS application that they are estranged. If you’re an estranged student we advise you to use the (ECF) to let the University know that you are living independently.
Find out more about .
Yes, we welcome applications from any student who will be 18 or above on entry, and this includes mature applicants ('mature' typically refers to applicants who will be 21 or older when they start their degree).
Mature applicants are welcome to get in touch with us directly or can seek advice from the Cambridge Colleges that only admit mature students (the 'Mature Colleges'): Hughes Hall, St Edmund's and Wolfson. Speaking with one or more of the Mature Colleges may be especially useful if you are taking qualifications such as an Access to HE diploma. You can also find more information and links on the .
Yes, we welcome applications from prospective affiliate students in all subjects except Architecture, History and Modern Languages, History and Politics, Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. Please see for more information.
We normally do not consider applications from students enrolled on a degree course at another UK university. We will only consider this if:
- you have exceptional circumstances
- you want to change the subject you're studying
You will:
- need strong support from your course director
- need a written reference or letter of support to the Cambridge College you apply to
- be assessed in the same way as any other applicant
If you transfer to Cambridge from another UK university, you will need to start your chosen Cambridge course from the beginning (first year). It is not possible to transfer credit to Cambridge from another university.
Please be aware that if you have previously studied at another university, this may impact your eligibility for student finance and/or a student visa.
Yes. For more information on this, please visit our page here.
Still have questions?
If you still have any questions or queries concerning admissions or the College more generally please get in touch with the Admissions Office:
Email: admissions@murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk
Telephone: 01223 762229
Submitted Written Work
As part of the application process you may be asked to submit written work in advance of the interview – usually by early November.
Postgraduates
All you need to know about applying for postgraduate study at Murray Edwards