Trinity College, Cambridge

Not to be confused with Trinity Hall, Cambridge.

Trinity College
University of Cambridge
Trinity College Great Court
Trinity College Great Court

Scarf colours: navy, with three equally-spaced narrow stripes, the outer stripes of yellow and slightly narrower, the central stripe of red and slightly wider

Trinity College scarf
Trinity College coat of arms
Coat of arms of Trinity College
Arms: Argent, a chevron between three roses gules barbed and seeded proper and on a chief gules a lion passant gardant between two closed books all Or
LocationTrinity Street (map)
Full nameThe College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity within the Town and University of Cambridge of King Henry the Eighth's Foundation
Latin nameCollegium Trinitatis
MottoVirtus Vera Nobilitas[1] (Latin)
Motto in EnglishVirtue is true nobility
FounderHenry VIII of England
Established1546; 478 years ago (1546)
Named afterThe Holy Trinity
Previous namesKing's Hall and Michaelhouse (until merged in 1546)
Sister collegeChrist Church, Oxford
MasterDame Sally Davies
Vice-MasterProfessor Louise Merrett
Undergraduates735 (2022–23)
Postgraduates336 (2022–23)
Senior tutorProfessor Catherine Barnard[2]
Endowment£2.19bn (2023)[3]
Visitor Charles III, The Crown ex officio[4]
Websitetrin.cam.ac.uk
Students' unionwww.tcsu.net
BA societybasociety.net
Map
Trinity College, Cambridge is located in Central Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Location in Central Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge is located in Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Location in Cambridge

Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.[5] Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges,[6] with the largest financial endowment of any Oxbridge college. It is the largest Oxbridge college measured by the number of undergraduates (730). Trinity performs exceptionally as measured by the Tompkins Table (the annual unofficial league table of Cambridge colleges), coming top from 2011 to 2017,[7] and regaining the position in 2024.[8] Trinity was the top-performing college for the 2020–21 undergraduate exams, obtaining the highest percentage of good honours.[9]

Trinity's many college societies include the Trinity Mathematical Society, the oldest mathematical university society in the United Kingdom, and the First and Third Trinity Boat Club, its rowing club which gives its name to the May ball. Along with Christ's, Jesus, King's and St John's colleges, it has provided several well-known members of the Cambridge Apostles, an intellectual secret society. In 1848, Trinity hosted the meeting at which Cambridge undergraduates representing fee-paying private schools codified the early rules of Association football, known as the Cambridge Rules.[10] Trinity's sister college is Christ Church, Oxford. Trinity has been linked with Westminster School since the school's re-foundation in 1560, and its Master is an ex officio governor of the school.[11]

  1. ^ James, Simon (4 August 2008). Latin Matters: A Little Knowledge Is A Dangerous Thing. Pavilion Books. ISBN 9781906032319 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ "Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge". Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Annual Record of Trinity College, Cambridge (pg 237)". Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference statutes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Walker, Timea (21 January 2022). "Trinity College". www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  6. ^ Kirk, Ashley; Peck, Sally (1 October 2019). "Why Trinity is the best Cambridge college, according to our Oxbridge league table". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Exclusive: Christ's triumphant in 2019 Tompkins Table". Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  8. ^ "Trinity tops 2024 Tompkins Table as Christ's is toppled". 23 September 2024.
  9. ^ "Results by College Dashboard". 15 August 2018.
  10. ^ Murray, Bill; Murray, William J (1 January 1998). The World's Game: A History of Soccer. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252067181. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Westminster School Intranet". Intranet.westminster.org.uk. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2010.