Donate online
Support Magdalene
Section Menu

Why Magdalene?

There are thirty-one colleges in the University of Cambridge, and each one has its own distinctive character.

Many prospective students ask 'Does it matter which college I choose to apply to?'

In many ways the answer is No. First of all, the course of study you follow in your chosen subject will be the same regardless of which college you belong to. You will attend the same lectures or labs and sit the same exams as the students reading your subject in other colleges. A graduate student's choice of college makes no difference to the identity of their supervisor, or their access to facilities in departments or labs.

For their members, all colleges fulfil the same basic functions. They provide a 'local' community to belong to within the much larger University; and they offer ready access to food and accommodation, pastoral and academic support, and key facilities from libraries and study spaces to laundries and gym equipment.

Yet each college is also unique. Each one differs in age and size; each has its own history and traditions. Different colleges will have special attraction for different people, and for different reasons. Whichever college you join, it will become your home for your time in Cambridge.

Here are just a few of the reasons why many students choose to apply to Magdalene:

  1. Our size. Each year we admit roughly 105 undergraduates; with about 340 undergraduates overall and some 200 graduate students. This is big enough for everyone to find their niche, but small enough to remain personal and for most members of College to know one another.
  2. Our location. We are very near the centre of Cambridge without being right in the centre. This offers the twin advantages of convenience and space. It also means that we can accommodate all our undergraduates and many graduate students on the main site and still have room for our stunning gardens.
  3. Our environment. Magdalene is one of the most beautiful colleges in Cambridge. It has the longest river frontage of any Cambridge college and the site is contiguous, which is to say that nowhere in College is more than four or five minutes walk from the main buildings of First Court.
  4. Our ethos. At Magdalene, we think that we have found a good balance between the formal and the informal, the traditional and the modern. We are proud of being a friendly, diverse, and inclusive community, and believe that this is a key contributor to our core mission, which is to support all our members in achieving their full potential.
  5. Our facilities. Magdalene has beautiful historic buildings and gardens, but it also has excellent modern facilities, from lecture theatres, concert venues, and en-suite accommodation, to provision for fine dining, pastoral care, and physical fitness. Our Future Foundations campaign will enhance these still further, providing state-of-the-art study facilities in The New Library, and further enrichment throughout the College site.