What are we looking for?
We look for students with academic ability and potential, who can show us commitment to their chosen course.
We want to encourage good applicants regardless of their school background. Jesus College has a lot to offer able and motivated students from any type of school, and we know that you have a lot to offer us.
What we're looking for
When we assess your application, we'll be looking for:
- Academic ability and potential
- Motivation and suitability for your chosen course
- Commitment and self discipline.
Strong candidates will usually have excellent grades, but we often overlook the odd low mark, and in special circumstances we will accept applicants with weaker grades.
We'll also be looking for enthusiasm and commitment to the subject, and to academic study generally. For instance, you may have read widely. For certain subjects, such as Medicine, Engineering, or Architecture, you may have taken a work placement in a relevant area.
If you are applying from outside the UK your application will be assessed in the same way as everyone else's. There's no quota system based on nationality, except in Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. See our dedicated page for international students for more information.
Entrance requirements
You can find more detailed information about entrance requirements and different qualifications on these pages:
Please note that we do not normally consider applications from students enrolled on a degree course at another university, unless:
- You are applying for a second undergraduate degree or
- You are studying in the first year of a course as advised by the University because your school leaving qualifications are not adequate preparation for study at Cambridge or
- You have exceptional circumstances or
- You want to change the subject you're studying.
In cases 3 or 4, you will need strong support in the form of a written reference or letter of support from your course director.
If you transfer to Cambridge from another 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.
How we make decisions
Undergraduate admissions decisions are made by Colleges. After interviews have taken place in December we compare applicants to Jesus College with applicants in the same subject at other Colleges to ensure that between us we make offers to the strongest candidate. Find out more about how Colleges make admissions decisions.
Subjects you can study at Jesus
We welcome applications for all subjects studied in the University. The ratio of applications to places in all subjects is about average for the University as a whole, although the number of students in each subject varies slightly from year to year.
Each year we take in roughly the following numbers of students in each subject:
- Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic - up to two
- Archaeology - up to two
- Architecture - two to three
- Asian and Middle Eastern Studies - up to two
- Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology - two to three
- Classics - two to four
- Computer Science - three to five
- Design - two to three
- Economics - around six
- Education - approximately two
- Engineering - 12 to 14
- English - seven to nine
- Geography - four to six
- History - approximately seven to eight
- History and Modern Languages - up to three
- History and Politics - up to three
- History of Art - up to two
- Human, Social, and Political Sciences (HSPS) - approximately five to six
- Land Economy - up to three
- Law - eight to ten
- Linguistics - up to two
- Mathematics (including Maths with Physics) - seven to nine
- Medicine - 11
- Modern and Medieval Languages - six to eight
- Music - three to four
- Natural Sciences (Biological) and Natural Sciences (Physical) combined - 28 to 32
- Psychological and Behavioural Sciences - two to three
- Philosophy - up to two
- Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion - up to three
- Veterinary Medicine - three
If you have any further questions you might find the answer in our frequently asked questions. If you don't, please email us at undergraduate-admissions@jesus.cam.ac.uk.
