Downing College

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Always check directly with the University of Cambridge and Downing College for the correct and most up to date information. Please report any errors here.
Year founded[❔] 1800
Mature (21+)[❔] ❌
Women only ❌
Postgraduate only ❌
Accepts part-time students ✔️
Oxford sister college[❔] Lincoln College
Gold/Platinum Green Impact Award 2018[❔] ❌
College website click here

User reviews
  • 5
    Not many tourists even though it is in the centre of town
  • 3
    Big open grounds
  • 0
    We serve Costa coffee at our bar during the day
  • 0
    Favourite student bars just down the road (Spoons, Revs, and many more)
  • 0
    Huge, open spaces!
  • 0
    Really good quality accommodation, and all on-site
  • 0
    Directly opposite the Chemistry department and super near other NatSci departments
  • 0
    Lovely cafe with great hot chocolate and cakes tucked behind the library
  • 0
    Really active MCR, with lots of events, talks, meet-ups, etc. organised for postgrads (and JCR seems pretty active too)
  • 0
    Amazing food - formals are fantastic, and even the normal food in hall is really good
  • 0
    Amazing food, amazing accommodation. Never regret choosing Downing as my College
  • 0
    Plenty of restaurants in close proximity (Nandos, Pizza Hut, etc.)

  • 2
    Friendliest Portes' Lodge

  • 0
    Close the gates earlier

UG - usual # years on-site room provided[❔] 2
UG - usual # years room provided[❔] 4
PG - usual # years on-site room provided[❔] 0
PG - usual # years room provided[❔] 1
Couples rooms ✔️
Family rooms ❌
Ballot system[❔] ✔️
% full-time PG in college room (~)[❔] 54
PG single room min. (~£/wk) 137
PG single room max. (~ £/wk) 202
Deadline to have met conditions to be eligible for college accommodation 1st of August
Kitchen fixed charge [❔] ✔️
UG accommodation website click here
PG accommodation website click here

User ratings
On-site room quality: Avg: 4.2/5
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On-site room value for money: Avg: 3.7/5
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Off-site room quality: Avg: 3/5
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Off-site room value for money: Avg: 3/5
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User reviews
  • 4
    Amazing, all very high quality and many ensuite
  • 0
    Excellent value for money too, the prices are a little higher than some other colleges but the rooms are MUCH better
  • 0
    Lots of ensuite rooms, particularly for postgrads
  • 0
    For Postgrads, almost all rooms are on-site, lots of ensuits, accommodation almost guaranteed till 2nd year and possible till 3rd year.

  • 2
    Closest thing to "off-site" is the houses on Lensfield Road, but they are all connected to Downing.
  • 0
    Don't think we have any off-site accommodation?

24/7 library ✔️
College cafe ✔️
Anglican chapel ✔️
Interdenominational chapel ❌
Discounted punting[❔] ✔️
Free punting[❔] ❌
Radio station ❌
Garden plot ✔️
Bicycle scheme ❌
Art room ❌
Gym (weights) ✔️
Cinema ❌
Badminton court ❌
Basketball court ❌
Dance studio ❌
Eton Fives court ❌
Netball court ✔️
Squash court ❌
Swimming pool ❌
Tennis court ✔️
Rugby field ✔️
Lacrosse field ❌
Hockey pitch ❌
Cricket pitch ❌
Volleyball court ❌
Football pitch ✔️
Brunch Saturday ✔️
Brunch Sunday ✔️
Daily vegan option ✔️

User ratings
Value for money: Avg: 4.3/5
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Quality of food: Avg: 5/5
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User reviews

Acapella ❌
Africa ❌
Altruism ❌
Anglo-Japanese ❌
Anthropology ❌
Apotheosis ❌
Archeology ❌
Art ✔️
Baking ❌
Ballroom dancing ❌
Bachata ❌
Bee keeping ❌
Board Games ❌
Book Club ❌
Botanical ❌
Caledonian ❌
Card games ❌
Casino ❌
Charity ❌
Chess ❌
Chinese Culture ❌
Choir ✔️
Christian Union ❌
Classics ❌
College Brass Band ✔️
Comedy ❌
Computer science ❌
Consulting ❌
Contemporary dance ❌
Current affairs ❌
Debate ❌
Drama ✔️
Economics ✔️
Engineering ✔️
English ❌
Entrepreneurship ❌
Families Club ❌
Feminist ✔️
Film ❌
Finance ❌
Food ❌
French ❌
Gardening club ✔️
Gender equality ❌
Geographical ✔️
History ✔️
Humanities ❌
Investment ❌
Irish ❌
Islamic ❌
Jewish ❌
Land economy ❌
Languages ❌
Law ✔️
Lawn Games ❌
Literary ❌
Lockpicking ❌
Maths ❌
Medical ✔️
Mindfulness ❌
Music ✔️
Musical ❌
Orchestra ✔️
Oriental ❌
PhD ❌
Philosophy ✔️
Photography ❌
Pilates ❌
Poetry ✔️
Poker ❌
Politics ❌
Quiz ❌
Role playing games ❌
Russian ❌
Salsa ❌
Science ✔️
Serbian ❌
Sign language ❌
Smoothie ❌
Social science ❌
Speakers ❌
Steel pan band ❌
Student publication ❌
Swiss ❌
Tango ❌
Tea ❌
Theology ❌
Ukelele band ❌
Veterinary ❌
Video games ❌
Wine ❌
Yoga ❌
Zouk ❌
Zumba ❌
Aerobics ❌
Athletics ❌
Badminton ✔️
Basketball ✔️
Climbing ❌
Cricket ✔️
Croquet ❌
Cycling ❌
Football (mens) ✔️
Football (womens) ✔️
Golf ❌
Hockey ✔️
Kayaking ❌
Lacrosse ✔️
Netball ✔️
Netball (womens) ✔️
Ninjitsu ❌
Pole ❌
Pool ❌
Rounders ❌
Rugby (mens) ❌
Rugby ✔️
Rugby (womens) ❌
Running ❌
Sailing ❌
Shooting ❌
Ski ❌
Squash ❌
Swimming ❌
Table football ❌
Table tennis ✔️
Tennis ✔️
Tiddlywinks ❌
Ultimate Frisbee ✔️
Volleyball ✔️
Waterpolo ❌
Windsurfing ❌
% 1st Class degree achieved (~)[❔] 26
JCR/MCR split[❔] ✔️
Student trustee[❔] ❌
UG student website click here
PG student website click here
Free formals ✔️
Free formals per year 3
Free formal for guest ✔️
Private dining discount ❌
Free formal for guest per year 3
Free parking ❌
Use of squash and tennis facilities ❌
Free sports facilities ❌
Right to step on grass ❌
Gym membership discount ❌
Punt booking ❌
Corporate event discount ❌
Wedding discount ❌
Accommodation discount available ❌
May Ball frequency (years)[❔] 2
June Event frequency (years)[❔] 0
Winter Ball frequency (years)[❔] 0
Spring ball frequency (years)[❔] 0
Other ball frequency (years)[❔] 0
Entrepreneurship competitions[❔] ✔️

User ratings
May/Spring/Winter/other ball rating: Avg: 4.0/5
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User reviews
  • 2
    amazing ball in 2017, best headliners by far. Cant wait for 2019
  • 0
    Amazing Ball, probably get the most for your money because it's so big. Went to both Downing and Jesus in 2019 and think Downing maybe was actually better.
  • 0
    Downing Ball was fantastic what a beautiful setting and a wonderful night. 2022.
  • 0
    Well organized, been to quite a few balls in my time at both Oxford and Cambridge this was up there with the best. Well done to the organisers!


# full-time Bachelor's (~) 450
% full-time Bachelor's (~) 65
# full-time Master's (~) 70
% full-time Master's (~) 10
# full-time PhD (~) 150
% full-time PhD (~) 25
Total # full-time students (~) 670
% full-time UK (~) 65
% full-time EU (non-UK) (~) 10
% full-time non-EU (~) 25
% full-time female (~) 45
% full-time Male (~) 55
# part-time Master's (~) 50
# part-time PhDs (~) 0
Total # part-time students (~) 50
Total # students (~) 710
% Arts and Humanities students (~) 35
% STEMM students (~)[❔] 65
High-table[❔] ✔️
Gowns required[❔] ✔️

User ratings
Formal food quality: Avg: 3.7/5
(rate me!)
Value for money: Avg: 3.5/5
(rate me!)

User reviews
  • 0
    Pretty standard formals


Formals
Term Out of term
Mon ❌ ❌
Tue ❌ ❌
Wed ✔️ ❌
Thu ❌ ❌
Fri ✔️ ❌
Sat ❌ ❌
Sun ✔️ ❌
Graduate-only formals
Term Out of term
Mon ❌ ❌
Tue ❌ ❌
Wed ❌ ❌
Thu ❌ ❌
Fri ✔️ ❌
Sat ❌ ❌
Sun ❌ ❌
Net assets (est.) 192.0 million
Net assets/student (~£/student) 288,000
Scholarships and awards (~£/student ) 700