We were founded in 1954 to welcome outstanding young women to Cambridge, no matter what their background, and to provide the best education possible. More than 60 years later, this mission remains at the heart of our existence. We welcome applications from female students from all educational, social, and cultural backgrounds.
If Cambridge offers a course that interests you, we encourage you to apply to Murray Edwards. We take great pride in handling applications from outstanding applicants and continually ensure that our procedures and decisions are fair and transparent. If you would like to discuss making an application to the College, we encourage you to or contact us directly -- we would love to hear from you.
To find our more about what student life is like at Murray Edwards you can browse our online resources, meet some of our current students, take a look at our programme of Open Days, Events and Visits, or download our prospectus. More more general information on Cambridge applications can be found on the University website.
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 in terms of A-Levels and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB).
Further information about other equivalent level school and national examinations and EU and international qualifications can be found on the University website. Please contact the College 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 of you, 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 guidance on what to expect and how best to prepare beforehand.
For those candidates applying for 2024 entry, all shortlisted candidates will be interviewed online.
Application statistics
We aim to admit around 105 students each year, from the UK, Europe and beyond. Recent application and admission statistics for Murray Edwards College are available on the University website.
Frequently asked questions
- Who can apply to Murray Edwards?
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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 will only consider those applications that we receive where a student has selected the gender category ‘Woman’.
If you make an open application, you will be allocated to Murray Edwards only if you have selected ‘Woman’ as your gender identity. Similarly, at the pool stage, Murray Edwards will 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).
- Can I apply to Murray Edwards if I am transgender or non-binary?
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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 open application, 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 pool stage, 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 lived student experience at Murray Edwards to contact our student JCR LGBT+ and Trans & Non-Binary Officers at jcr-lgbt@murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk
- What is your UCAS code?
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To apply to Murray Edwards, choose UCAS Campus Code 'O'.
- Can I apply if I am under 18?
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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.
- Does Murray Edwards consider students who wish to take a gap year?
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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.
- What support is available for disabled applicants?
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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 how the University supports disabled students.
If you have experienced particular personal or educational disadvantage, we advise that your school/college completes and submits an Extenuating Circumstances Form (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 information required to accurately assess your application.
- What support is available if I am applying as a care leaver or as an estranged student?
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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 of 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 Extenuating Circumstances Form (ECF) to let the University know that you are living independently.
Find out more about how the University supports care leavers and estranged students.
- Can I apply if I am a 'mature' applicant?
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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 University website.
- Can I apply to study at Murray Edwards as an affiliate student?
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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 https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/why-cambridge/support/mature-students/second-undergraduate-degrees for more information.
- Can I apply to Murray Edwards while studying at another UK University?
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We will only accept applications from students currently studying a degree course at another UK university if there is evidence of significant extenuating circumstances, or if the student is looking to study a substantially different subject from their current course. As part of your application, we will usually ask you to provide a reference from your current University to confirm that they are supportive of you making an application. It is not possible to 'transfer in' to Cambridge: accepted students who have previously studied at a UK University would be required to re-start at the beginning of the Cambridge course.
- Does Murray Edwards College admit students for the Cambridge University Foundation Year in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences?
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Yes. For more information on this, please see 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