# List of chancellors of the University of Cambridge

The chancellor of the University of Cambridge is the ceremonial head of the university. The position dates from the 13th century. Chancellors were elected annually until 1514, and thereafter were elected for life.
| Tenure | Chancellor | Notes |
| c.1215–c.1232 | Richard of Wetheringsett | |
| c.1246 | Hugh de Hotton | |
| 1256 | Reginald Gerninghall | |
| 1257 | Stephen Hepworth | |
| 1259 | William de Ludham | |
| 1260 | Richard de Gedney | |
| 1261 | Richard Dryfield | |
| 1267 | John de Asgarby | |
| 1270–1275 | John Hooke | |
| 1276 | Roger de Fulbourn | |
| 1283 | Andrew de Gisleham | |
| 1286 | Thomas Sheringham | |
| 1287 | Stephen Hepworth | |
| 1289–1290 | Ralph de Leicester | |
| 1290–1292 | Geoffery de Pakenham | |
| 1293–1295 | Henry de Boyton | |
| 1295–1296 | John de Bradenham | |
| 1296–1299 | Thomas de Sheringham | |
| 1299 | Stephen Hepworth | |
| 1300–1303 | Stephen Haslingfield | |
| 1303–1307 | Stephen de Segrace | |
| 1307 | Stephen Haslingfield | |
| 1315 | Richard de Ashton | |
| 1321–1326 | | Roger Northburgh has been incorrectly described as Chancellor since 1691. |
| 1326–1329 | Richard de Badew | |
| 1329–1331 | Thomas de Foxton | |
| c. 1330 | Robert de Winwick | |
| 1331–1334 | John de Langley | |
| 1334–1335 | Robert de Mildenhall | |
| 1335–1337 | Henry de Herwarden | |
| 1337–1339 | Richard Harling (or Ling) | |
| 1340 | Robert de Claydon | |
| 1341 | Thomas de Northwood | |
| 1344 | Thomas de Northwood | |
| 1346–1348 | John de Crakhall | Re-elected in 1348 on 9 June |
| 1348 | Thomas de Grantchester | |
| 1348 | William de Lymbergh | Elected 15 December |
| 1349–1351 | Richard Leicester (or Richard de Wetherset, Hetherset, Wetheringsett) | Elected 21 Jan. |
| 1351 | Richard Harling | |
| 1352 | Anthony of Grantchester | |
| 1352–1359 | William Tynkell | |
| 1359–1360 | Thomas Sutton | |
| 1360–1361 | Richard de Wetherset | |
| 1361–1362 | Michael de Haynton | |
| 1361–1366 | Michael de Causton | |
| 1366–1369 | William de Gotham | |
| 1369 | Thomas de Stewkley | |
| 1371 | John de Donwich | |
| 1373–1374 | Adam de Lakenheath | |
| 1374 | John de Donwich | |
| 1376 | William de Gotham | |
| 1378–1379 | Richard Scrope | |
| 1380 | Eudo (or Guy) Zouche | |
| 1380–1381 | John Cavendish | |
| 1382 | Guy Zouche | |
| 1382–1383 | John de Bromyard | |
| 1383 | John of Neketon | |
| 1384 | John de Burgh (or Borough) | |
| 1385 | Thomas Hetherset (or de Hethersett) | |
| 1386 | John de Burgh (or Borough) | |
| 1388 | William Colvile | |
| 1390–1391 | Richard Dereham | |
| 1391 | William Colvile | |
| 1392 | John de Neketon | |
| 1394 | William Colvile | |
| 1396 | Guy Zouche | |
| 1400–1402 | Richard de Billingford | |
| 1404–1408 | Richard Dereham | |
| 1409–1413 | Richard de Billingford | |
| 1414 | Stephen le Scrope | |
| 1415–1422 | John de Rickingale | |
| 1422–1423 | Thomas de Cobham | |
| 1424–1426 | Robert Fitzhugh | |
| 1426 | William Wymbell | |
| 1427 | Marmaduke Lumley | |
| 1429–1430 | John Holeroke | |
| 1431–1432 | William Lascells | |
| 1432 | Richard de Billingford | |
| 1433–1435 | Richard Cawdray | |
| 1436–1445 | John Langton | |
| 1445–1446 | Nicholas Kenton | |
| 1447 | John Langton | |
| 1448 | Robert Ascogh | |
| 1450–1451 | Nicholas Close | |
| 1451–1456 | William Percy | |
| 1456–1458 | Lawrence Booth | |
| 1458 | William Wilflete (or Wolflet) | |
| 1459–1460 | Robert Woodlark | |
| 1461 | Richard Scroope | |
| 1462–1463 | Robert Woodlark | |
| 1463–1464 | John Booth | |
| 1464 | William Wilflete | |
| 1465–1468 | John Harrison (or Herrison) | |
| 1466 | William Wilflete | |
| 1468–1469 | Edward Story | |
| 1469–1471 | Thomas Rotherham (or Scot) | |
| 1471–1472 | Edward Story | |
| 1473–1479 | Thomas Rotherham | |
| 1479–1483 | John Boynton | |
| 1483–1485 | Thomas Rotherham | |
| 1490 | Thomas Cosyn | |
| 1494–1496 | John Blythe | |
| 1496–1499 | George Fitzhugh | |
| 1499–1500 | Thomas Rotherham | |
| 1500 | Richard Fox | |
| 1502 | George Fitzhugh | |
| 1503 | Thomas Ruthall (or Rowthall) | |
| 1504–1535 | John Fisher | Appointed for life in 1514 |
| 1535–1540 | Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex | |
| 1540–1547 | Stephen Gardiner | |
| 1547–1552 | Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset | |
| 1552–1553 | John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland | |
| 1553–1555 | Stephen Gardiner | |
| 1556–1558 | Reginald Pole | |
| 1559–1598 | William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley | |
| 1598–1601 | Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex | |
| 1601–1612 | Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury | |
| 1612–1614 | Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton | |
| 1614–1626 | Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk | |
| 1626–1628 | George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham | |
| 1628–1649 | Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland | A Royalist officer in the English Civil War from 1643, executed for treason in 1649 |
| 1649–1651 | Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester | |
| 1651–1660 | Oliver St John | |
| 1660–1671 | Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester | Reinstated as Chancellor after the Restoration |
| 1671–1674 | George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham | |
| 1674–1682 | James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth | |
| 1682–1688 | Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle | |
| 1689–1748 | Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset | |
| 1748–1768 | Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne | |
| 1768–1811 | Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton | |
| 1811–1834 | Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh | |
| 1834–1840 | John Pratt, 1st Marquess Camden | |
| 1840–1847 | Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke of Northumberland | |
| 1847–1861 | Albert, Prince Consort | |
| 1861–1891 | William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire | |
| 1892–1908 | Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire | |
| 1908–1919 | John Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh | |
| 1919–1930 | Arthur Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour | |
| 1930–1947 | Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley | |
| 1948–1950 | Jan Smuts | |
| 1950–1967 | Arthur Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder | |
| 1967–1976 | Edgar Adrian, 1st Baron Adrian | |
| 1976–2011 | Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | |
| 2011– | David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville | |