Oxford is also expected to announce record figures for undergraduates educated in the state sector
Cambridge University will take in a “record number” of undergraduates from state schools, officials at the institution have said.
Almost 400 students who met their offer after the government ditched its controversial algorithm to moderate A-levels have been admitted.
No student has been asked to defer entry to 2021, meaning that the undergraduate intake will be 10 per cent larger than it was in 2019.
Cambridge usually plans to admit around 3,450 undergraduates, but this year will be admitting up to 3,890 students.
“Everyone has been mindful of the need to minimise the potential impact on the cohort applying for places in 2021” the university said in a press release.
It said that the university had already met its “widening participation” targets after the initial release of A-Level results moderated by the algorithm.
“Around 70 per cent of UK students will now be coming to us from state schools”, it added, highlighting that 14 per cent came from areas with low participation in higher education.
The figures were highlighted as the Times newspaper reported Oxford University is also expected to announce its highest proportion of undergraduates coming from state school backgrounds, at 68 per cent.
The vice-chancellor of Cambridge University, Professor Stephen Toope, said: “Staff have worked round the clock to ensure that each student who has met their offer secures a place to study at Cambridge. And our colleges have worked together to provide extra accommodation for the higher than planned for intake.”
He added that he was “proud” of the number of state school admissions which showed their commitment to providing equality of educational opportunity.
