Selwyn College is one of 31 constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. The College was established on the 13th September 1882 in memory of the Rt Reverend George Augustus Selwyn, who rowed in the first Varsity Boat Race (1829) for Cambridge, and went on to become the first Bishop of New Zealand (1841) and later Bishop of Lichfield (1868). The College crest incorporates the Selwyn family arms and those of the Diocese of Lichfield. 

Regarded as one of the prettier colleges in Cambridge, Selwyn's distinctive Victorian red-brick Old Court is built in the Tudor Gothic-Revival style, and was principally designed by the architect Sir Arthur Blomfield. When the College first opened in 1882, just 28 undergraduates were admitted. The teaching staff comprised the Master, the Tutor and one non-resident lecturer. Today the College is home to around 360 undergraduate and 200 postgraduate students, the Master (Roger Mosey), and around 60 Fellows.

Former students from Selwyn College have become prominent in many walks of life, including the actors Hugh Laurie and Tom Hollander; the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu; the television and radio presenter Clive Anderson; the journalist and writer Robert Harris (author of 'Enigma ', 'Fatherland', and 'Pompeii'); the politicians Simon Hughes and John Gummer; and the businessman Nigel Newton (founder and Chief Executive of Bloomsbury Publishing, publisher of the Harry Potter Series). One of our alumni, Richard Newland, trained the winner of the 2014 Grand National.

Selwyn has a reputation for being one of the friendliest colleges in Cambridge, thanks in part to the many students that come from the neighbouring Sidgwick Site to take advantage of Selwyn's servery. Student life at Selwyn is what you make of it: we have a dedicated and active MCR organising many events throughout the year. These include regular dinners (formal and fancy dress), BBQs and garden parties, wine-tasting and whiskey-tasting events, as well as many others. There are also College-wide activities to participate in such as sport societies and the annual winter ball, the Selwyn Snowball.