Why study Social Anthropology?

Explore what it is to be human

Social anthropology is the study of all peoples everywhere. It explores human social and cultural diversity: the amazingly varied ways that people live, think and relate to each other in every part of the world.

If you are interested in studying your own and other people's cultures, societies and economies, how they differ and what they have in common, social anthropology is the subject for you. 

Anthropologists gather this information through fieldwork. By living with communities all over the world, they immerse themselves in others’ daily lives, observe and learn to participate fully in their customs. The resulting in-depth descriptions are called ethnographies.

Anthropologists strive for a depth of cultural understanding that can unravel human complexities for others. Historians, sociologists, psychologists and philosophers all draw inspiration from anthropological writings. The subject has a major impact on the way we deal with cultural and political issues in the contemporary world.

A world-class education 

Anthropology is one of the most exciting subjects to study at university today, and our Department is unmatched as a place to study it. We combine world class teaching and resources with a friendly, intellectually challenging atmosphere. 

The Department of Social Anthropology is recognised as one of the top social anthropology departments in the world. We have a track record of teaching and research excellence and are consistently placed among the world’s leading institutions for the study of Anthropology; we retained a top three ranking over the past decade in the QS World University Rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds - the most widely read global league table.

For 2025, we also secured the maximum possible Academic Reputation indicator of 100. This measure of the reputation of institutions and their programmes asks academic experts to nominate universities based on their subject area of expertise.

We also held first place for Anthropology and Archaeology in the Guardian University Guide 2026. We are the only institution to achieve the maximum rating of excellence, a feat upheld since 2023. Additionally, we are also in the top three for Anthropology in the Complete University Guide 2026.

Cambridge has some of the best intellectual resources in the world, from people to libraries. While the University’s Colleges offer first-rate student support, accommodation and facilities to our undergraduates and postgraduates.

Everyone is part of a community that extends well beyond our Department.
 

Funding

There are hundreds of funding opportunities available to students at the University, but identifying those you are eligible for can be challenging.

Browse the funding opportunities available for prospective undergraduate students. For example, the Cambridge Trust, the largest provider of scholarships at the University of Cambridge, supports over 1500 undergraduate and postgraduate students per year.

We have also compiled a guide to the central funding schemes available to all Cambridge postgraduates, alongside postgraduate funding opportunities available only within the Department.

Scholarship student, Anwesha Ganguly, graduated in 2025 with an MPhil in Social Anthropology. Anwesha commented: “Each scholarship is more than funding, it is opportunity, community and the freedom to pursue research that matters.” Follow her story on this video from the Cambridge Trust.

What we offer