- 1284
- Peterhouse (formerly sometimes St Peter's College)
- 1317
- King's Hall, refounded 1337, absorbed into Trinity College 1546.
- 1321
- University Hall, refounded 1326 as Clare Hall.
- 1324
- Michaelhouse, absorbed into Trinity College 1546.
- 1326
- Clare Hall, later known as Clare College.
- 1347
- Pembroke Hall, later known as Pembroke College.
- 1348
- Gonville Hall, refounded 1351, refounded 1557 as Gonville and Caius College.
- 1350
- Trinity Hall
- 1352
- Corpus Christi College (formerly known as St Bene't's, or Benet College).
- 1428
- Buckingham College, refounded 1542 as Magdalene College.
- 1439
- Godshouse, refounded 1505 as Christ's College.
- 1441
- King's College
- 1446
- St Bernard's College, refounded 1447, refounded 1448 as Queen's College.
- 1448
- Queen's College, refounded 1465, known as Queens' College from ca 1831.
- 1473
- Catharine Hall, known as St Catharine's College from 1860.
- 1496
- Jesus College.
- 1505
- Christ's College, incorporating Godshouse (1439).
- 1511
- St John's College.
- 1542
- Magdalene College, incorporating Buckingham College (1428).
- 1546
- Trinity College, incorporating King's Hall (1317), Michaelhouse (1324) and expropriating Physwick Hostel (1393) from Gonville Hall.
- 1584
- Emmanuel College.
- 1596
- Sidney Sussex College.
- 1800
- Downing College.
- 1869
- College for Women, Benslow House, Hitchin. Moved to Cambridge as Girton College 1873, charter 1924, full College status 1948.
- 1871
- Newnham College, charter 1917, full College status 1948.
- 1873
- County College, later Cavendish College. Closed for lack of funds 1892. Premises occupied by Homerton College 1894.
- 1882
- Selwyn Hostel, status of Public Hostel 1883, known as Selwyn College 1923, Approved Foundation 1926, full College status 1958.
- 1884
- Ayerst Hostel. Closed for lack of funds 1896. Premises occupied by St Edmund's House 1896.
- 1885
- Cambridge Training College for Women, later known as Hughes Hall, Recognised Institution of the University 1949, Approved Society 1968, Approved Foundation 1985.
- 1892
- Fitzwilliam Hall, housing non-collegiate students, known as Fitzwilliam House 1924, full College status as Fitzwilliam College 1966.
- 1894
- Homerton College moved to Cambridge (formerly in London from 1822) as a teacher training college, occupying the premises of the failed hostel Cavendish College (1873). Recognised by the University as an Approved Society 1977.
- 1896
- St Edmund's House (Roman Catholic training college, recognised by the Lodging Houses Syndicate as a House of Residence), occupying the premises of the failed Ayerst Hostel (1884). Recognised by the University as an Approved Society 1965, Approved Foundation 1975, known as St Edmund's College from 1985, full College status 1996(?)
- 1954
- New Hall, as a Recognised Institution of the University, Approved Foundation 1965, full College status 1972.
- 1960
- Churchill College, full College status 1966.
- 1964
- Darwin College, Approved Foundation 1965, full College status 1976.
- 1965
- Lucy Cavendish College, as Approved Society, Approved Foundation 1984, full College status 1997.
- 1965
- University College, as Approved Foundation, known as Wolfson College 1973, full College status 1977.
- 1966
- Clare Hall, as Approved Foundation, full College status 1984.
- 1977
- Robinson College, as Approved Foundation, full College status 1984.
The following institutions are not constituents of the University of Cambridge, but work closely with it. They are all colleges training for ordination, known collectively as the Cambridge Theological Federation. They are recognised as Houses of Residence for the purposes of satisfying the residence requirements of University courses.
- 1877
- Ridley Hall [Anglican].
- 1881
- Cambridge Clergy Training School [Anglican], known as Westcott House from 1901, charter 1960.
- 1897
- Westminster College [Presbyterian, now United Reformed] moved to Cambridge (founded 1844 in London). Joined the Federation in 1976.
- 1905
- Cheshunt College [primarily but not exclusively Congregational] moved to Cambridge (formerly Trevecca College 1768-1791 in Breconshire, moved to Cheshunt in Hertfordshire1792). First at Cintra House, Hills Road. Buildings at Bateman Street started 1913. Merged with Westminster College in 1965, upon the union of the Congregational and Presbyterian churches as the United Reformed Church. Premises now occupied by Queen's Marlborough College.
- 1921
- Wesley House [Methodist].
- 1993
- The Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology [Roman Catholic].
- 1993?
- East Anglian Ministerial Training Course, now the Eastern Region Ministry Course [Ecumenical].
- 1999
- Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies [Orthodox].
This list based partly on A Concise History of the University of Cambridge by Elisabeth Leedham-Green, © Cambridge University Press. Additional material by Robin Walker.