A unique and quaint city, filled with culture, learning and opportunity.
Cambridge is internationally renowned as a centre of learning. The historic city centre is surrounded by beautiful parks, commons, and courtyards, making it one of the most beautiful cities in the UK. The unique mixture of old and modern buildings, the rich diversity, and open spaces sets Cambridge apart from other UK cities.
ARU has been in Cambridge since 1858, when the Cambridge School of Art first opened its doors. Our friendly, bustling campus is a five minute walk from the historic city centre with its vibrant cultural and social scene.
Explore the campus before you arrive with our guided tour below. Click on each tile, from start to finish, to reveal an exciting part of ARU Cambridge as presented to you by two of our Student Ambassadors. Once you’re done, why not chat with a current student living in Cambridge with The Ambassador Platform, or read more about life in the city.
Speak with a current ARU student who has completed a Foundation Year or International First Year on our Cambridge campus. Get some inside knowledge and first hand experiences of the campus and the city.
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Cambridge is an iconic student city renowned for its historic allure, academic excellence, and thriving intellectual atmosphere. In this article, we have outlined 10 reasons why you should consider Cambridge as your study destination.
Find out MoreThere’s so much to do and see in Cambridge, that you will never be lost for things to do – there’s something for everything in our beautiful city.
From the peaceful Backs in Cambridge where you can watch punts go by, to cycling around the historic city – find out what our students like most about the unique city.
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Cambridge is rich in history and culture, it has a year-round cultural scene that embraces difference forms of dance, drama, classical and popular music and the visual arts. Students will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the historic streets of Cambridge. With the Fitzwilliam Museum not far from the centre, students can get lost in their collections from modern history all the way through to the Middle Ages.
There is nowhere else you would rather be than Cambridge in the summer. The green spaces and parks around the city offer a country like feel to the historic city. Lose yourself in the famous streets and museums. Explore the intriguing shops and markets. There are theatres, galleries, craft markets, cafés, and bookshops around every corner. The dazzling new buildings, including our own, makes this a 21st century city.
The beauty of Cambridge is that you are never that far from a beautiful green, park or meadow. The Backs is a picturesque area in Cambridge where multiple Colleges back onto the River Cam. It is an area of outstanding beauty and tranquillity in the heart of the bustling medieval city of Cambridge, it’s the perfect place to come and have a picnic in the summer and maybe even grab a takeaway jug of Pimms from the pubs situated on the river.
The Cambridge campus has a personality all of its own. With more than 10,000 students on a mix of undergraduate and postgraduate, full-time and part-time courses, the campus is a hub of excitement and learning.
The Cambridge campus is a 10-minute walk from Cambridge city centre and is situated just off the vibrant and buzzing Mill Road. The campus is home to world class facilities including the Ruskin Gallery, Eye Clinic, dedicated Science Centre, Law Clinic and the Mumford Theatre.
The diversity of nightlife in Cambridge is down to its eclectic population of students, academics, tourists and locals. From rooftop cocktail bars and cosy English pubs, to live music venues and nightclubs – there is something from everyone. As Cambridge is a student city, there are often different student nights and student deals on throughout the week, so you don’t have to break the bank whilst having fun.
Cambridge has a wide range of places to eat out. Mill Road, which is a 5 minute walk from campus, has a range of restaurants and cafes, including cuisine from West Africa, Malaysia, China, Italy, Indian, Greek and much more. There’s something to tickle everyone’s taste buds, and get that taste of home whilst you’re in Cambridge.
As well as the obvious and traditional activity of punting, Cambridge has a range of activities for everyone to try. We have an ice rink that comes to Parkers Piece in the winter, so you can show off your ice skating skills; Escape Rooms, which are great for a group activity; The Lido – the perfect place to go on a hot summers day and much more. There’s always something to do all year round.