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Most of the colleges forming the University of Cambridge and University of Oxford are paired into sister colleges across the two universities.[1] The extent of the arrangement differs from case to case, but commonly includes the right to dine at one's sister college, the right to book accommodation there, the holding of joint events between JCRs and invitations to May balls.
Trinity College, Dublin, a sister of both Oriel College, Oxford and St John's College, Cambridge, is unique in being the only non-Oxbridge institution to have sister status with an Oxbridge college.
Most of the pairings reflect similarities between the two colleges concerned, often parallel histories. For example, University College, Oxford (an ancient and prestigious college, founded 1249) is paired with Trinity Hall, Cambridge (of equivalent reputation, founded 1350). William Wykeham's statutes for New College, Oxford, founded in 1379, formed the basis of the foundation of its sister college, King's College, Cambridge. The two Colleges both share distinguished choral reputations.[2] Founded by scholars from Merton College, one of Oxford's oldest colleges (founded 1264), Peterhouse (Cambridge, 1284) is Cambridge's first college. Similarly, Somerville College, Oxford (founded in 1879 as a women's institution) has Girton College, Cambridge (also historically a women's college, founded 1869) as its sister college. St Catherine's College, Oxford (the most recent undergraduate college in Oxford, founded 1963) is paired with Robinson College, Cambridge (the newest Cambridge college, founded 1977).
Oriel College and St Hugh's College, Oxford currently each dispute the other's claim to sister-college status with Clare College, Cambridge.[3] While Oriel and Clare share a common founding year of 1326 and a long history of association, in the 1980s the newly coeducational Clare associated with the then female-only St. Hugh's to protest against Oriel's remaining all male. Today both St. Hugh's and Oriel are coeducational.
Cambridge | Oxford | Relationship |
---|---|---|
King's College | New College | King's College and Eton College (1441) founded on the model of New College and Winchester College (1379) |
Queens' College | Pembroke College | Queens' College is also a sister college with Ezra Stiles College at Yale University |
Pembroke College | The Queen's College | |
Trinity Hall | All Souls College University College |
University (founded 1249) and Trinity Hall (founded 1350) are both ancient colleges |
Trinity College | Christ Church | Both founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII from existing institutions |
Churchill College | Trinity College | |
Christ's College | Wadham College | |
St John's College | Balliol College | (St John's College, Cambridge is also a sister college of Trinity College, Dublin) |
Sidney Sussex College | St John's College | |
Jesus College | Jesus College | |
Corpus Christi College | Corpus Christi College | |
Peterhouse | Merton College | Peterhouse (1284) founded by scholars from Merton (1264) |
(none) | Hertford College | |
Emmanuel College | Exeter College | |
Clare College | Oriel College St Hugh's College |
Disputed: Oriel and Clare were both founded in 1326, however in 1980s Clare associated with the then female-only St. Hugh's (Oriel College, Oxford is also a sister college of Trinity College, Dublin) |
Gonville and Caius College | Brasenose College | Jocosa Frankland was a significant benefactor of both colleges |
Downing College | Lincoln College | |
Magdalene College | Magdalen College | Both named after Saint Mary Magdalene |
St Catharine's College | Worcester College | |
Girton College | Somerville College | Both founded as women's colleges |
Selwyn College | Keble College | Both late Victorian foundations named after Anglican clergymen |
Newnham College | Lady Margaret Hall | |
Murray Edwards | St Anne's College | |
Hughes Hall | Linacre College | |
St Edmund's College | Green Templeton College | |
Fitzwilliam College | St Edmund Hall | |
(none) | St Peter's College | |
(none) | Reuben College | |
(none) | Nuffield College | |
Robinson College | St Catherine's College | St Catherine's (founded 1963) and Robinson College (founded 1977) are both modern establishments. |
Darwin College | Wolfson College | Both founded as graduate colleges. |
Clare Hall | St Cross College | |
Lucy Cavendish College | Regent's Park College | |
Homerton College | Harris Manchester College Mansfield College | |
Wolfson College | St Antony's College | |
(none) | Kellogg College |