Situated in south-west Cambridge, Wolfson College is a less traditional college, catering for mostly postgraduate students but also ‘mature’ undergraduate students, identifying itself as being particularly cosmopolitan and friendly.

History

Originally founded as ‘University College’ in 1965, the impetus for the college’s inception was the rising tide of graduate students pursuing research at Cambridge in the wake of World War Two. In 1973 the college was renamed as ‘Wolfson College’, recognising the monetary contributions of The Wolfson Foundation, a large UK charity that finances excellence in the arts, humanities, and sciences. The college adopted ‘Ring True’ as its motto. As of 2015, fifty years after its inception, the college was host to approximately 650 full-time students, 200 part-time students, 123 Fellows, 79 Emeritus Fellows, 22 Visiting Fellows, 33 Honorary Fellows, 1 Bredon Fellow, 83 Research Associates, and 300 Senior Members.

Inside Perspective

The college admits mostly postgraduate students but also ‘mature’ undergraduates (aged 21 and above) with around 15% of its students studying for undergraduate degrees. Its location in the southwest of Cambridge makes it perfect for those students keen to escape the city (leafy suburbs and the charms of Grantchester are only a short sojourn away) but also for bookworms who will benefit from being close to the University Library. In keeping with its less traditional identity, the college hosts formal dinners but the wearing of gowns is simply encouraged (rather than being compulsory) and the absence of a ‘high table’ means that fellows and students sit together, sharing in scrumptious food and scholarly conversation. Students from across Cambridge migrate to Wolfson for their popular live comedy night, nicknamed the ‘Wolfson Howler’. Performers for these events include fledgling student comics alongside internationally-recognised names; in recent years the Wolfson Howler has been graced by Dane Baptiste, Ed Gamble, Fern Brady, Phil Wang, and many others. The college is well suited to students longing for more than just libraries and bedrooms, boasting a large performance venue (which houses multiple concert series), a conference centre, and extensive gardens situated across ten acres. The college has one foot in the past and one in the present, and this manifests in its architecture: for example, the thin slices of granite that comprise the main building’s entrance hall were originally used for London Bridge.

Notable Alumni

Notable alumni of recent years include Carrie Lam (Former Chief Executive of Hong Kong), Eric Monkman (University Challenge team captain and competition finalist), and a plethora of internationally-recognised politicians.

Rankings

In 2022, Wolfson came 21st in the Tomkins Table with a score of 66.4 and 27.6% of its students achieving a First.

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