A Varsity investigation found that eight colleges have more than 100 students living off site in 2023/24 and 2024/25. Five colleges were short of housing for more than 100 student applicants, with St. Edmunds, Hughes Hall and Wolfson having the highest rates of rejection.

Colleges were asked to provide statistics for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years: how many full-time students lived in college accommodation, how many requested this, and how many did not receive places.

As of Thursday (25/09), 21 colleges responded. Ten said they do not keep records of how many full-time students live outside of college accommodation, while 11 provided statistics.

Churchill said that in both years, 103 students lived off-site. Meanwhile, Christ’s said that 42 students were rejected from accommodation in 2023/24, and 21 the following year. However, 183 Christ’s students lived off-site in 2023/24 and 137 in 2024/25.

One of the colleges with the highest rates of rejection, Hughes Hall said 136 lived outside college in 2023 and 141 in 2024. They added that 30% of applicants were denied college accommodation in 2023, rising to 37% in 2024.

One Hughes Hall PGCE student shared that they were placed 120th on a waitlist and turned to private rentals, paying more than £100 more per month than the College’s cheapest option.

This contrasts with Cambridge’s wealthiest colleges. Kings College told Varsity that it had “enough accommodation to accommodate all our full-time students”, implying none lived outside college in 2023/24 and 2024/25.

These graphs do not include data from colleges that did not keep records of the requested information or did not respond to the FOI request.

Queens’ is not included in the graphs because data is not held on students living outside of college. However, Queens’ told Varsity 106 student applicants were not accepted into accommodation in 2023/24 and 126 in 2024/25.

A spokesperson for Queens’ added: “accommodation is guaranteed to all undergraduate students for three years, but they can choose to live off-site. The figures quoted in this article largely relate to postgraduate students, but also includes some fourth-year students and undergraduates who have chosen not to reside in college accommodation.”

Meanwhile, postgraduate students at Gonville & Caius also criticised the postgraduate accommodation process this year for being disorganised and unclear. 

A Caius postgraduate student told Varsity: "The accommodation situation this year at Caius was very disorganised and a stressful ordeal for all involved. The vast majority of post-grads, myself included, did not find out where they were living until days before they were due to move in, with some being told at the last minute that Caius didn't have room for them. The most stressful thing was the lack of communication we received about our accommodation. We were given few updates throughout the summer on where we would be living, and most emails that were sent asking for clarification were not responded to."

Ranked in the middle of Cambridge colleges by wealth, Magdalene reported that 120 students lived out of college in 2023/24 and 178 in 2024/25. Newnham said 132 full-time students lived off-site in 2023, and 92 in 2024: about 20% of its student body.

This investigation follows an email to incoming Newnham postgraduates, stating the college had “run out of rooms for 2025-26”. Students were directed to housing charities such as Shelter and to other colleges, including King’s and Corpus Christi.

Newnham told Varsity: “For many years some postgraduate students at Newnham have had to seek private rented accommodation, an issue common to most colleges. We have worked with our MCR to compile information to help postgraduates to find private accommodation. This included a link to Shelter’s advice on dealing with private sector landlords (recommended by a postgraduate student), along with Students’ Union advice and a link to the University of Cambridge’s accommodation support service.”

Along with Wolfson and Hughes Hall, St. Edmunds is among the highest for rates of rejection. In 2023/24, St. Edmunds rejected 168 students from accommodation, making up 36.4% of applicants. In 2024/25, 151 students were rejected, making up 26.7%.

In 2024/25, the number of applicants accepted into accommodation at St. Edmunds increased from 293 to 414.

Wolfson did not respond to Varsity’s FOI request. However, in a recent housing proposal, public records showed 231 students were denied accommodation in 2023/24, and 179 in 2024/25. The housing proposal to convert local residence into college accommodation was rejected by Cambridge City Council.

One first-year Wolfson PhD student shared they were told no accommodation spaces remained before they submitted an application. They added that the private rental market is “terrible”, citing constant competition for viewing and problems finding a guarantor.

According to a 2025 Cambridge City Council report, average rent in the city was £1,763 per month – up 8% since March 2024, and 27% in five years. This is over £400 above the national average.

Students have said high rents and guarantor requirements made it especially difficult for international postgraduates. One Wolfson student said lacking a UK guarantor nearly prevented them from moving to Cambridge.

Private rentals in Cambridgeshire frequently require a guarantor. To qualify as a guarantor, an individual typically requires a good credit score and sufficient income, as determined by the landlord. The guarantor must live in the UK, and may also be required to to be a UK property owner.

A 2024 University report said international students made up 19.4% of undergraduates and 53.2% of postgraduates. At Churchill, Hughes Hall, Newnham and Wolfson, international students were the majority of postgraduates.

A Gonville & Caius College spokesperson said: "We have apologised to students affected by problems associated with accommodation before the start of the academic year. The issues are being addressed to aim to avoid a repeat in future."