Cambridge alumni societies are volunteer-led groups, recognised by the University's Development and Alumni Relations office, that organise dinners, lectures, socials and introductions for former students. There are three main layers: your college, which treats you as a member for life; regional and interest groups such as the Cambridge Society of London or Cambridge10; and the University's central programme of events and benefits. Start with the University's alumni group finder, then add your college and one group that matches your sector.

Cambridge alumni networks at a glance

  • Colleges. The University describes itself as a confederation of schools, faculties, departments and colleges, and students "live, eat and socialise in one of the University's 31 Colleges". Each college runs its own alumni office, events and publications.
  • Recognised alumni groups. The University counts "around 200 alumni groups" on its advice page for group organisers, while its volunteering page refers to "400+ alumni groups" (checked October 2026). The gap probably comes down to how branches and sub-groups are counted. Either way, the network is large and spans many countries.
  • Central University programme. Online talks, international gatherings, an annual festival in Cambridge and a bundle of free benefits.
  • Local professional networks. Organisations in the city such as Cambridge Network are not alumni bodies, but many alumni working in Cambridge use them alongside their college ties.

Alumni are free to join any of the volunteer-led groups, wherever they live, according to the University's group finder.

How Cambridge alumni groups are organised

Recognised alumni groups are not simply informal clubs using the Cambridge name. New groups complete an application form, and every group signs a Memorandum of Understanding with the University setting out what each side expects. The guidance for alumni groups is blunt about the terms. The University relies on groups to act as "key ambassadors, advocates and supporters for Cambridge". It can remove a group whose conduct could be "construed as prejudicial" to the University. And it takes no responsibility for a group's finances.

That shapes what you can expect as a member. Committees are volunteers, so event frequency depends on who is running a group at any given time. Fees, where they exist, are set by the group rather than the University. The Cambridge Society of London, for example, describes itself on its University group page as "the official regional society for Cambridge alumni who live, work or socialise in London". It charges a membership subscription of £12 a year, prices each event to cover its costs and says some 40,000 Cambridge graduates live in Greater London (checked October 2026). It was formed over 40 years ago, and its programme now covers culture, history, world affairs, sport, targeted networking and freshers' parties.

Behind the groups sits a formal advisory structure. The Alumni Advisory Board, established in 2009 and chaired by Martin MacConnol (Magdalene 1987), advises the University's alumni engagement team. It meets twice a year in Cambridge and is supported by three working groups, one of which, the Networks and Volunteers Working Group, focuses on how the University supports alumni groups. Applications to join the Board and its working groups were closed when we checked in October 2026.

Types of alumni group and who they suit

Regional societies

These are the "Cambridge Society of..." groups found across the UK and abroad, plus joint Oxford and Cambridge societies in some cities. They suit anyone who has moved to a new place and wants a ready-made social circle. The University's group finder lists them on a map and notes that most groups can offer advice and hospitality to visiting alumni, students and academics travelling in their region.

Age-based groups

Cambridge10 is the University's cross-collegiate group for alumni who graduated in the last ten years. It launched formally in 2011, membership is free and its events take place in London. Its programme is a good illustration of what younger alumni groups do: a panel evening on career and wellness in June 2026, a summer boat party, an AI entrepreneurship symposium in May 2026, and a black-tie networking evening at the Oxford and Cambridge Club on 26 October 2026, priced at £65 for alumni and students and £75 for guests (checked October 2026).

Subject and sector groups

Some groups are built around a department or an industry. The Cambridge University Land Society, formed more than 60 years ago for the Department of Land Economy and later the Department of Architecture, reports more than 1,000 members, many of them chartered surveyors. Cambridge Judge Business School alumni have special interest groups too. The Health and Biotechnology group, for instance, runs networking and speaker events and uses a LinkedIn subgroup as its main forum. For a career-focused alumnus, one of these is often more useful than a regional society, because everyone in the room works in a related field.

College networks

Colleges remain the deepest tie for most alumni. King's College puts it simply: "Everyone who studies at King's is a Member for life." Most colleges run reunion dinners for particular matriculation years, lectures, and alumni publications. Contact your college's alumni or development office to get on their mailing lists and to update your details.

University events for alumni

The central programme has several strands, all listed on the alumni events page.

  • Cambridge Conversations. A series of online webinars with Cambridge academics and live Q&A. Recordings appear on the University's YouTube playlist. The series won a bronze CASE Circle of Excellence Award. A session on menopause and brain health is scheduled for 12 November 2026 (checked October 2026).
  • Global Cambridge. In-person evenings abroad combining research talks with networking. Stops in 2026 included Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Munich, Shanghai, Beijing and Singapore.
  • Welcome Socials. From August to October, alumni groups host informal welcome gatherings aimed mainly at recent graduates. In 2026 these included a London Welcome Social on 9 November and an Edinburgh Welcome Party on 10 November.
  • Alumni Festival. The University's alumni weekend in Cambridge. The next Alumni Festival is listed for 24 to 26 September 2027, with registration opening in 2027 (checked October 2026).

Alumni benefits that help with networking

Several free benefits are useful when you are building contacts, especially if you live in or near Cambridge.

  • CAMCard. The official alumni card is free to all alumni and comes in a digital version. It gives free visitor access to colleges, at each college's discretion, plus discounts with local businesses such as the ADC Theatre and Heffers.
  • University Library. All alumni can visit the University Library free with their CAMCard and photo ID, and sign in up to four guests. Reader cards for study and borrowing are free and valid for three years. Holders of the Cambridge MA or a higher degree can borrow 20 books for eight weeks.
  • Careers Service. Alumni keep access to the Careers Service through Handshake, including CV help and one-to-one online appointments. During term time, though, it cannot offer appointments to anyone who finished their course more than two years ago. The same page notes that the Cambridge University alumni group on LinkedIn has over 17,000 members (checked October 2026).
  • Alumni email. A free cantab.ac.uk address for graduates and former postdocs who finished in summer 2018 or later.
  • Lifelong learning discounts. CAMCard holders get discounts on courses: 10% with Professional and Continuing Education, 15% on Cambridge Advance Online short courses, 20% on Cambridge Judge Business School open executive programmes and 15% on selected Møller Institute programmes (checked October 2026). Courses are also a good way to meet people.

Networking in Cambridge beyond alumni groups

Living in Cambridge brings a particular advantage: the professional community is dense and many organisations mix academia with business. Cambridge Network, founded in 1997 by Nigel Brown, David Cleevely, Fred Hallsworth, Hermann Hauser, Anthony Ross and Alec Broers, is a membership organisation that brings business and academia together through events, peer learning groups and a jobs board. Its homepage says it has over a thousand members. It is open to people regardless of where they studied, so it makes a natural complement to college and alumni ties.

We cover this side of the city at the Cambridge Society, a community for founders, scientists and culture-makers run as an initiative of the British Global Talent Council. Its weekly Saturday Exchange meetup is an informal drop-in for members, with no speakers and no agenda. Our newcomer's guide to networking in Cambridge covers how the city's overlapping communities fit together.

In London, the Oxford and Cambridge Club at 71 Pall Mall is the long-standing private members' club for alumni of both universities, with a Grade II* listed clubhouse. Alumni groups such as Cambridge10 also hold events there.

Practical steps to get started

  1. Update your details with the University and your college. Without current contact details you will miss most invitations, since groups and colleges work largely by email.
  2. Get your CAMCard. It is free, works as proof of alumni status for the library and colleges, and is the key to most discounts.
  3. Search the group finder for where you live and for your field. Joining a regional group and a sector group is a sensible pairing.
  4. Go to one Welcome Social or open event before paying any subscription. Most groups let you sample an event first, and costs vary widely, from free groups such as Cambridge10 to annual fees like the London society's £12.
  5. Volunteer once you know a group. Committees always need help, and the University supports its volunteers with a named staff contact, guidance and an annual recognition event in Cambridge. Questions go to [email protected].

What to check before you join

  • Recognition. If a group claims to be an official Cambridge alumni society, look for it in the University's group finder. Recognised groups have signed the University's Memorandum of Understanding.
  • Who runs it and how active it is. Each group page lists its committee and its forthcoming and past events. A page with no events for a year suggests a dormant committee.
  • Costs. Check whether there is an annual subscription, what events cost and whether you can bring guests. The Cambridge10 black-tie evening, for example, allows each alumnus to bring up to two guests.
  • Eligibility for each benefit. Some benefits depend on when you graduated or which degree you hold: the cantab.ac.uk email applies from summer 2018, careers appointments in term time from the last two years, and longer library borrowing for MA holders and above.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay to join a Cambridge alumni group?

Not necessarily. The CAMCard and central benefits are free, and so is membership of groups such as Cambridge10. Other groups charge a subscription or price each event individually, so check the group's own page.

Can I join more than one group?

Yes. The University says alumni are eligible to join any of its volunteer-led groups around the world, so you can belong to your college, a regional society and a sector group at the same time.

I am not a Cambridge graduate. Where can I network?

Alumni groups are for Cambridge alumni, though many welcome guests at individual events. Cambridge Network and city communities such as ours are open to people from any background who live or work in Cambridge.