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Economics at Cambridge gives you an understanding of core, pure and applied economics.
Study a range of different topics, including supply and demand, the role of prices and markets, employment, inflation, the operation of financial institutions and monetary policy.
Overview
Number 1 in the UK for Economics (The Complete University Guide 2026)
Economics at Cambridge
Our course provides a sound understanding of core, pure and applied economics.
You study economics in considerable depth, while also using ideas and techniques from many other disciplines including:
- mathematics
- statistics
- history
- sociology
- politics
Facilities and resources
Past and present Faculty members, such as Alfred Marshall and John Maynard Keynes, have played a major role in the subject’s development.
Several members of our Faculty have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics, including Sir John Hicks, James Meade, Sir Richard Stone, Sir James Mirrlees and Amartya Sen.
We are committed to using economics to improve public policy. Recent staff have been active on the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England the Competition Commission.
They also advise international agencies such as the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development.
Our Faculty of Economics facilities include:
- access to an extensive range of statistical databases and software
- the Marshall Library of Economics, which holds a comprehensive collection of books, journals and other papers in economics
- the student-run Marshall Society, which organises social events and informal lectures from distinguished visiting speakers
You'll also have access to the impressive Cambridge University Library, one of the world’s oldest university libraries.
Watch the video to find out what a day in the life of a Cambridge Economics student is like:
Course costs
When you go to university, you’ll need to consider two main costs – your tuition fees and your living costs (sometimes referred to as maintenance costs).
Your living costs will include costs related to your studies that are not covered by your tuition fees. There are some general study costs that will apply for all students.
Find out more about general study costs.
Other additional course costs for Economics are detailed below. If you have any queries about resources/materials, please contact the Faculty.
Equipment
- University approved scientific calculator: CASIO FX570, CASIO FX115 or CASIO FX991. Estimated cost £20.
Your future career
As an Economics graduate, you will communicate well. You will have the skills to understand complex arguments and analyse practical issues and data.
These skills are valuable in many careers, particularly professional, financial and managerial occupations. They also provide a helpful foundation for many Master's degree courses.
Many graduates go on to professional training in:
- chartered accountancy
- actuarial work and similar fields
Other graduates go on to work as professional economists in:
- financial institutions
- industry
- government and management consultancy
Course outline
Teaching
Teaching is provided through lectures, practical classes and small-group supervisions.
In your first year you can usually expect 10 to 15 lectures each week.
Assessment
Typically, you’ll be assessed through a range of formats. This may include coursework, written and oral examinations, in-class tests, posters, presentations and projects.
Each year, the assessment methods for that year will be confirmed by the end of the first term (Michaelmas Term).
You'll also submit a compulsory dissertation in the third year.
You won't usually be able to resit any of your exams.
Year 1 (Part I)
You get an introduction to the subject, a common core of knowledge which can subsequently be extended.
You take 5 compulsory papers:
- Microeconomics
- Macroeconomics
- Quantitative Methods in Economics, an introduction to the use of mathematical and statistical techniques in economics
- Political and Social Aspects of Economics (the title and content of this paper is under review - further details will be provided in May 2026)
- British Economic History
These papers cover topics such as:
- supply and demand
- the role of prices and markets
- employment
- inflation
- the operation of financial institutions
- monetary policy
Year 2 (Part IIA)
You take 3 compulsory papers:
- Microeconomics
- Macroeconomics
- Theory and Practice of Econometrics I
You also take one optional paper, chosen from:
- International Trade and Development
- Mathematics and Statistics for Economists
- Labour
- Modern Societies
- The Modern State and its Alternatives
- International Conflict, Order and Justice
- History and Philosophy of Economics, also available as an optional paper in the third year
- World Depression in the Interwar Years
Through these papers you:
- acquire a knowledge and understanding of a range of key topics and analytical techniques in microeconomic and macroeconomic theory
- develop knowledge of key econometric techniques
- learn the IT skills needed to undertake a project in applied econometrics
Year 3 (Part IIB)
You take 2 compulsory papers:
- Microeconomic Principles and Problems
- Macroeconomic Principles and Problems
You also take 2 optional papers and write a compulsory dissertation of 7,500 words.
Optional papers can vary from year to year. Recent examples include:
- Economic Theory and Analysis
- Political Economics
- Banking and Finance
- Public Economics
- The Economics of Developing Countries
- Industry
- Theory and Practice of Econometrics II
- Global Capitalism
- International Trade and Development
- History and Philosophy of Economics, also available as an optional paper in the second year
- World Depression in the Interwar Years
Changing course
It’s really important to think carefully about which course you want to study before you apply.
In rare cases, it may be possible to change course once you’ve joined the University. You will usually have to get agreement from your College and the relevant departments. It’s not guaranteed that your course change will be approved.
You might also have to:
- take part in an interview
- complete an admissions test
- produce some written work
- achieve a particular grade in your current studies
- do some catch-up work
- start your new course from the beginning
For more information visit the Faculty website.
You can also apply to change to:
You can't apply to this course until you're at Cambridge. You would usually apply when you are in your second or third year of your original Cambridge course.
You should contact your College’s Admissions Office if you’re thinking of changing your course. They will be able to give you advice and explain how changing courses works.
Entry requirements
The listed entry requirements are for entry in 2026 or deferred entry in 2027. Entry requirements for 2027 entry or deferred entry in 2028 will be published in April 2026. Check our guidance on choosing high school subjects.
Minimum offer level
A level: A*A*A
IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level
Other qualifications: Check which other qualifications we accept
To apply to any of our Colleges for Economics, you will need an A level/IB Higher Level (or the equivalent) in:
- Mathematics
If you’re studying IB, we ask for Analysis and Approaches for this course. If this isn’t an option at your school, please contact your shortlisted College(s) for advice.
College entry requirements
The following Colleges usually set offers at the minimum offer level. They may sometimes ask for higher grades or an A* in a particular subject:
- Clare
- Downing
- Fitzwilliam
- Girton
- Hughes Hall
- St Edmund's
- Trinity
The following Colleges have extra subject requirements and/or set extra requirements for most or all offers. For example, they may make a higher offer or specify an A* in a particular subject. For more information check the College websites:
- Christ’s (also require Further Maths)
- Churchill (also require Further Maths)
- Corpus Christi (also require Further Maths)
- Emmanuel
- Gonville & Caius
- Homerton
- Jesus
- King’s
- Lucy Cavendish
- Magdalene (also require Further Maths)
- Murray Edwards
- Pembroke (also require Further Maths)
- Peterhouse
- Queens’
- Robinson
- Selwyn
- St Catharine’s
- St John’s (also require Further Maths)
- Sidney Sussex
- Trinity Hall
Colleges set additional offer requirements for a range of reasons. If you'd like to find out more about why we do this, check the information about offers above the minimum requirement on the entry requirements page.
IB offers
Some Colleges usually make offers above the minimum offer level. Find out more on our qualifications page.
Admissions assessment
All applicants for Economics are required to take the Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA) at an authorised assessment centre. You must register in advance for this test.
Please see the admissions test page for more information.
Submitted work
You won't usually be asked to submit examples of written work.
What Economics students have studied
Most Economics students (who had studied A levels and started at Cambridge in 2018, 2019 and 2023) achieved at least A*A*A* (80% of entrants).
Most had studied:
- Economics (93%)
- Further Mathematics (93%)
- or both (90%)
The majority of students who studied IB achieved at least 44 points overall.
Check our guidance on choosing high school subjects. You should also check if there are any required subjects for your course when you apply.
All undergraduate admissions decisions are the responsibility of the Cambridge Colleges. Please contact the relevant College admissions office if you have any queries.
Next steps
Discover your department or faculty
- - The Faculty of Economics website has more information about this course, facilities, people and research.
Explore our Colleges
- - A College is where you’ll live, eat and socialise. You may also have some small group teaching there, known as supervisions.
- - If you think you know which course you’d like to study, it’s time to choose a College.
Visit us on open day
- - Get a feel for the city and the University.
- - We offer a range of events where you can find out more about Cambridge, Colleges, and your course. Many of our events are online so you can join us virtually.
Find out how to apply
- - Our admissions process is slightly different to other universities. We’ve put together a handy guide to help you apply to Cambridge.
- - Supercurricular activities are a great way to engage with your chosen subject outside of school or college.
Discover Uni
Discover Uni data
Contextual information
Discover Uni allows you to compare information about individual courses at different higher education institutions. This can be a useful method of considering your options and what course may suit you best.
However, please note that superficially similar courses often have very different structures and objectives, and that the teaching, support and learning environment that best suits you can only be determined by identifying your own interests, needs, expectations and goals, and comparing them with detailed institution- and course-specific information.
We recommend that you look thoroughly at the course and University information contained on these webpages and consider coming to visit us on an Open Day, rather than relying solely on statistical comparison.
You may find the following notes helpful when considering information presented by Discover Uni.
- Discover Uni relies on superficially similar courses being coded in the same way. Whilst this works on one level, it may lead to some anomalies. For example, Music courses and Music Technology courses can have exactly the same code despite being very different programmes with quite distinct educational and career outcomes.
Any course which combines several disciplines (as many courses at Cambridge do) tends to be compared nationally with courses in just one of those disciplines, and in such cases the Discover Uni comparison may not be an accurate or fair reflection of the reality of either. For example, you may find that when considering a degree which embraces a range of disciplines such as biology, physics, chemistry and geology (for instance, Natural Sciences at Cambridge), the comparison provided is with courses at other institutions that primarily focus on just one (or a smaller combination) of those subjects.You may therefore find that not all elements of the Cambridge degree are represented in the Discover Uni data. - Some contextual data linked from other surveys, such as the National Student Survey (NSS) or the Destination of Leavers in Higher Education (DLHE), may not be available or may be aggregated across several courses or several years due to small sample sizes. When using the data to inform your course choice, it is important to ensure you understand how it has been processed prior to its presentation. Discover Uni offers some explanatory information about how the contextual data is collated, and how it may be used, which you can view here: https://discoveruni.gov.uk/about-our-data/.
- Discover Uni draws on national data to provide average salaries and employment/continuation data. Whilst starting salaries can be a useful measure, they do not give any sense of career trajectory or take account of the voluntary/low paid work that many graduates undertake initially in order to gain valuable experience necessary/advantageous for later career progression. Discover Uni is currently piloting use of the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data to demonstrate possible career progression; it is important to note that this is experimental and its use may be modified as it embeds.
The above list is not exhaustive and there may be other important factors that are relevant to the choices that you are making, but we hope that this will be a useful starting point to help you delve deeper than the face value of the Discover Uni data.