A-Z OF UNIVERSITIES: Cambridge

Age: Almost 800. Dates its origins to 1209, when a group of medieval scholars, driven out by belligerent townsmen in Oxford, migrated to Cambridge.

Address: Can't miss it. The university and its 28 colleges dominate an increasingly busy bicycle-thronged city.

Ambience: Although light industries - electronics and publishing - have sprung up around and about, it remains a university community with life revolving around the colleges. Cambridge retains its medieval atmosphere, old turreted houses, narrow winding lanes and church spires as well as green space in the Backs - the landscaped lawns that extend from college buildings to the meandering Cam river. A dynamic approach to exploiting research discoveries has led to "the Cambridge phenomenon", an explosion of high-tech developments triggered by the university and the setting up of England's first science park in the 1970s.

Vital statistics: One of the oldest universities in the world and one of the largest in the United Kingdom, with 9,900 undergraduates. Also one of the top universities for research. College system maintains the tradition of one-to-one or small group tuition. The university claims that a special effort to attract students from state schools has worked: last autumn 48 per cent of those admitted came from state schools and 44 per cent from independent schools. Fairly even split between arts and science subjects. Life - eating, sport, and a fair amount of teaching - revolves around the colleges. No central focus for big events, however; no central student union building for gigs, for example.

Easy to get into? Heavens, no. Eight out of 10 students accepted achieved three A grades at A level. So, it's no doddle. More than 3,000 applicants gaining three grade As failed to get in.

Added value: Its reputation attracts top students and academics. But they're not all nerds. This is a diverse university which often confounds the Porterhouse Blue stereotype. Cambridge takes all types, including many overseas students. Big selection of societies - from tiddly-winks and Islam to Oxfam and mountaineering.

Glittering alumni: Oliver Cromwell, Charles Darwin, JJ Thomson (who discovered the electron), Rupert Brooke, Maynard Keynes, Pepys, Erasmus, Wilberforce, Byron. More recently: Prince Charles, Prince Edward, Douglas Adams, John Cleese, Margaret Drabble, AA Milne, Joan Bakewell, Bertrand Russell, EM Forster, Sylvia Plath, Graham Greene, Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, Salman Rushdie, Germaine Greer.

Transport links: London is one hour by train. Easy access by road. About half-an-hour from Stansted Airport.

Who's the boss? Antipodean Professor Alec Broers, who was educated first at Melbourne University. His voice brought him to Cambridge where he was a choral scholar. After almost 20 years with IBM in the United States, he returned to Cambridge as professor of electrical engineering, becoming master of Churchill College. Favours a British Ivy League of universities - with Cambridge in it - attracting a large slice of research funding.

Teaching rating: Does very well in the Higher Education Funding Council's assessments of teaching quality. But students claim teaching is inadequate, rewarding male assertiveness, which is why women do less well in finals than men. Students' union wants teacher training to be made compulsory.

Research strengths: Hot stuff all round but was toppled from first position in HEFCE's league table of research rankings by Oxford - though the rankings depend on how you calculate scores.

Financial health: Fine, this being Cambridge. Has little difficulty raising funds.

Nightlife: Loads of university venues but generally too small for big- name gigs. Arts and cinema excellent.

Buzzphrase: It's pants (It's not up to much).

Cheap to live in? Cheaper if you live in college.

Next week: Cardiff University