Two groups in the archives relate to matriculations. First, there are the Praelectors’ Lists, submitted to the registrary by the individual colleges, which are very rough and usually undated. These survive from about 1589. Secondly, the registrary or his clerk compiled from these lists the Matriculation Registers, which run from 1544, when matriculation was instituted by statute, to the present day. From 1724 an undergraduate signed his own name in the registers. Matriculation was the occasion of his taking the oath of fidelity to his Alma Mater, a ceremony, says Venn, ‘presumably of very ancient origin, although there are no extant records of the ceremony earlier than this date’ (that is, 1544). Students under the age of fourteen did not have to take the oath. They are distinguished by the word ‘impubes’. The Matriculation Registers are the only official record of membership of the university, but unfortunately present some inaccuracies, and there are also several omissions. Many names of students who undoubtedly came into residence are omitted altogether. For the period 1590–1601, no matriculations have been recorded at all, owing to the negligence of the then registrary.

The principal record of degrees conferred is in the Graces listed in the Grace Books. From 1498/9 the Graces for each degree are normally supplemented in the Grace Books by the annual ‘Ordo Senioritatis’ which was later replaced by the printed Tripos Lists. From 1491/2 to 1497/8, miscellaneous lists of the ‘Ordo’ survive. It is impossible to say on what grounds the arrangement was originally made; in many cases priority was certainly granted to social position: the fellow-commoner, or young man of family, often stands first.