Cambridge Regional School, whose official website presents it as Cambridge Regional College, is a public further education college in Cambridgeshire, England. This guide gathers what an international student needs to know before applying: what kind of institution it is, which programs are open to international applicants, the entry requirements, the cost picture, and how the application and arrival process works. Every fact comes from the college’s own website (camre.ac.uk), accessed on 6 August 2026. Where the website does not publish a figure, this guide says so instead of guessing.
What kind of institution Cambridge Regional School is
Cambridge Regional School describes itself on its homepage as a welcoming college for all, with some of the best facilities in the country and thousands of full-time students, adult learners and apprentices currently in training. The same page carries its self-reported quality claims: an Ofsted rating of Good, 95 percent of students saying they would recommend Cambridge Regional School to a friend, and a claim to be the top-rated apprenticeship provider in its region. These are the college’s own statements, not third-party rankings. For international applicants the decisive fact is regulatory: the international section states that Cambridge Regional School holds a UKVI student sponsor licence (Student Sponsor, Track Record) under the Points Based System, which is what allows it to enrol students on the student route. The college adds that it is only 45 minutes by train from central London.
Where you will study: two campuses
The website footer lists two sites: the Cambridge Campus at Kings Hedges Road, Milton, Cambridge CB4 2QT, and the Huntingdon Campus at California Road, Huntingdon PE29 1BL. International studies are based at the Cambridge Campus, which is where the international centre, most international courses and their support services sit. Facilities at Cambridge Regional School’s Cambridge Campus include a modern sports centre with squash courts and a fully equipped fitness suite, a convenience shop, a traditional canteen, a COSTA coffee shop, a training restaurant, and hair and beauty salons; Wi-Fi is free across the campus, there is a prayer and quiet room, and an active Students’ Union organises social activities. Location-wise, Cambridge Regional School says Stansted airport is about 45 minutes away and London one hour by train, with Cambridge itself offering museums, theatres, festivals and its famous Botanic Garden.
Programs for international students
Cambridge Regional School’s international section organises its offer around language and progression. English language courses can be taken alone, combined with vocational subjects, or paired with specialist terminology; a separate ESOL strand serves people already living in the UK who need English for study, work and life. The academic route centres on University Foundation Programmes in Business, Humanities and Sciences, often called Access diplomas; Cambridge Regional School states these are CAVA accredited, full-time higher education courses of 6 to 9 months at the Cambridge Campus, designed for students whose school leaving qualifications do not allow direct entry to a British undergraduate degree. Online pre-university taster courses let prospective students sample Business, Humanities or Science before committing. University-level HNCs and HNDs are offered in a range of subjects and can be topped up to a full bachelor’s degree later. The international subject list also includes CELTA teacher training, seasonal summer programmes combining English with Cambridge culture, and bespoke training packages for individuals and groups. In short, the program map runs language, foundation, and higher education diploma lines.
Entry requirements
Requirements at Cambridge Regional School depend on the course. For University Foundation Programmes, the website explains that a student who has completed only 12 years of school education will likely need the programme before applying to university; English requirements are set per course and listed on the individual course pages, with no single published minimum. For 16+ vocational courses the college publishes level-by-level criteria: Level 1 usually needs an entry-level vocational qualification and/or two GCSEs at grade 2 or above; Level 2 study programmes typically need three GCSEs at grade 3 or above; Level 3 study programmes usually need four GCSEs at grade 9-4 including maths and/or English, or equivalent experience; T Levels typically need 4-5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above and count as equivalent to three A Levels; and Level 4/5 higher education courses need a Level 3 Extended Diploma, two A Levels, an Access diploma, an art foundation, or a University Foundation Programme. Since these levels are expressed in the UK qualification system, international students should check how their school qualifications map onto them on the specific course page.
Costs and what the website does not publish
Cambridge Regional School does not publish a unified international fee schedule. The University Foundation Programmes course entry lists the fee as “please enquire”, and other courses carry their own per-course arrangements with no summary page. Accommodation pricing is likewise not published: the website describes three options — homestay with a local host (including breakfast and evening meal daily, plus lunch at weekends), halls of residence, and privately rented shared housing — and notes that halls and private rentals are for students aged 18 and over, with fees paid directly to the provider. The FAQ page offers a few city-level reference figures that are transport costs rather than fees: a return train ticket to London costs roughly 25 pounds, cheaper off-peak and on Sundays; the direct train to Stansted costs around 10 pounds; and National Express coaches to Heathrow or Gatwick run 15 to 30 pounds. Any actual tuition or accommodation figure must be confirmed against the latest version of the official website.
Application process and key dates
Applications for September 2026 starts are open, according to the how-to-apply page. The online route runs through the course search: find the course, open its page, click Apply Now, and continue in the college’s application portal. Students attending Cambridge Area Partnership (CAP) schools apply via MyChoice@16 instead. Apprenticeships require securing a suitable job role with an employer first, and higher education applicants who are not current students are directed by Cambridge Regional School to apply through UCAS. For international students the timing detail that matters most is the foundation intake: the University Foundation Programmes start in January for both UK and international students as an intensive six-month course, while the September start is currently open only to UK students. The 2026/27 academic year runs from 3 September 2026 to 17 December 2026 (autumn), 4 January 2027 to 25 March 2027 (spring), and 13 April 2027 to 30 June 2027 (summer). Prospective students can also visit open days; the homepage lists a Huntingdon open day on 15 October and a Cambridge open day on 21 October 2026, subject to change.
Living in Cambridge and student support
Cambridge Regional School’s accommodation team helps international students find housing, and students specify their preference at enrolment. Homestay hosts provide breakfast and evening meals daily plus weekend lunches; halls of residence and private shared housing are available to students aged 18 and over, with contracts and fees handled directly with the provider. On arrival, the induction includes registering with the police and a local doctor’s surgery. The FAQ page covers practicalities: a bicycle is a good investment because most places in Cambridge are less than 20 minutes apart by bike; London King’s Cross is one hour by train; Stansted has an hourly direct train; and in an emergency students dial 999, with the International Office maintaining a 24-hour emergency number. The college also highlights its support resources at the Cambridge Campus, including university and careers advisers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cambridge Regional School part of the University of Cambridge? No. Cambridge Regional School presents itself as a further education college serving students aged 16 and over, offering vocational courses, T Levels, apprenticeships and higher education diplomas; the website makes no statement of any affiliation with the University of Cambridge.
Can international students live on campus? Cambridge Regional School does not mention its own halls; the accommodation options are homestay, local halls of residence and private shared housing. Halls and private rentals are for students aged 18 and over, and their fees are paid directly to the provider rather than to the college.
What if my English is not strong enough? English courses can be studied alone or combined with a vocational course, and per-course language requirements are published on each course page. The website publishes no single minimum language score across all programs.
This guide is based on the Cambridge Regional School website as of 6 August 2026; fees, dates and arrangements may change, so decisions should be checked against the latest official pages. If you want to work out which program and intake fits your academic background, English level and budget, consult our advisers with your specific situation, and they can go through the current official pages together with you.