US Job Placement After Cambridge Computer Science?

I'm an American applying to Cambridge for computer science for entry in 2021. I'm hoping to go back to the US after undergrad, and I was just curious about the job placement and recruiting that happens at Cambridge by American companies (as well as Cambridge's name recognition in the US), specifically for computer science. Thanks!

For American companies which largely - or only - operate in America, your best bet is to ask American admissions teams, or consult someone currently in the field (preferably someone with a background in recruiting or selecting). I'd imagine that smaller companies (who mainly operate commercially and) which only operate in the US probably don't know a lot of details about international/ UK Universities, and probably get almost no applicants from them. I don't know if there will be prejudice for or against, but the fact is that if they google any kind of international Uni Rankings, Cambridge is almost always appearing in the top 10. In this sense I very much doubt it would hurt, although for some smaller companies it might just be a neutral thing/ it might have been better to just go to MIT or Harvard.

What I can say for certain is that the Cambridge name + degree carries a lot of weight in any area of academic research and for any company which operates globally (Facebook, Twitter, Google being obvious examples). London is a huge financial hub in Europe and there are a lot of very large investment banks, etc which are desperate for top STEM graduates from top UK Universities. I know a lot of compsci graduates from Cambridge who went straight into very well paid jobs in the city.

So, it somewhat depends on your plans. If your main ambition is to work for, say, an app/ frontend dev based company in America which doesn't really have an international presence, then in this situation I don't think Cambridge is a major trump card. If the interviewer or recruiter knows about International University prestige then it might, but if they're used to US candidates from US colleges then it probably won't be flagged as very impressive. In contrast, if you have a very direct ambition to, say, work for Google Deepmind (which is based in London) - then Cambridge is probably the best place in the world to study at undergrad (although I daresay Deepmind would probably want its applicants to then do a Masters or PhD as well after undergrad). Similarly, if you're just targetting working at a big international tech company, Cambridge is going to be a major positive. Likewise if you have any real plans of future work projects/research/PhD - Cambridge is a massive bonus on your application. I knew a lot of my friends who graduated went to study in top US Colleges for their PhDs on various grants/scholarships.


In terms of specifically job placements for American-only tech companies - I really don't think this will be promoted at Cambridge and can't think of any examples of it. You will very likely receive support and help if you want to try it, but any kind of direct ties to companies will involve UK or international companies. There will be more direct support, help and encouragement for summer placement schemes involving these.

Thank you for the insights! Do you know how common it is for international compsci students to go back to their home countries after undergrad at Cambridge, or do most end up getting a job in the UK?