Famed for its excellent teaching and world-class research, Cambridge University was named as the country's best today in a new study.
But there may be another reason why the fight for places on its courses are so competitive - the attractiveness of its students.
And Cambridge undergraduates have been asked to decide which of their number has the best-looking bottom in a saucy 'Rear of the Year' competition.
There's more to life than books, you know: Daring student 'Meredith' poses in the prestigious University Library
Five women have put their bottoms online in the hope of being crowned this year's winner, and the contest has already attracted almost 100 comments from excited judges.
Entrants include 'Meredith', a Wolfson College student shown stripped to her bra and knickers in the university library, and Emmanuel College student 'Leila', who posed in frilly underwear.
The competition is run by online students' magazine The Tab, a website which has often courted controversy since its launch three years ago.
The website, which is not affiliated to the university, was criticised for publishing page 3-style pictures of so-called 'Tab Totty'.
Saucy: Blonde entrant 'Elizabeth' wore revealing purple knickers for the 'Rear of the Year' competition
Rear view: Competition entrant 'Bella' wore a black pair of knickers to match her top, but not a lot else
The editorial team was urged to remove the Tab Totty photographs following complaints that they 'played into the idea of women as sexual objects'.
Feminists said today they were disappointed that some of the brightest young minds in Britain had allowed themselves to be portrayed as 'sex objects'.
But Tab editor Joe Bates, 20, defended the competition saying they had operated a policy of sexual equality - by also running a male competition.
Ruth Graham, 23, Cambridge University Student Union Women's officer, said: 'It is unsurprising that the Tab continues to reproduce the usual sexualised images of faceless women that we see in the media every day.
'As members of the Cambridge community, we have a responsibility to speak out against the portrayal of women as sex objects, given that extensive research by bodies such as the UN and the End Violence Against Women coalition has repeatedly identified links between these portrayals and attitudes that underpin violence and discrimination against women.'
In 2010 the website ran a competition to find the 'fittest' girl at the university, an accolade won by social and political studies student Isabella Hervey-Bathurst.
The website also conducted a survey which found that a fifth of heterosexual undergraduates claimed they had slept with three or more partners.
Trim: Emmanuel College student 'Leila', sporting a frilly knickers, is one of five 'Rear of the Year' contenders
Leggy: The fifth contestant, named 'Lynette', opted for high heels and a shiny gold bow on her bottom
The 'Rear of the Year' contest for women comes less than a month after the website began a search for the male student with the most attractive bottom.
That competition was won by Trinity Hall college student 'Harry', one of six entrants who posed for the camera.
One of the young men, another Trinity Hall college student called 'Matt', even wore women's underwear in his photograph.
Mr Bates, a Gonville and Caius student reading music, defended the competition as 'just a bit of fun'.
He said: 'We have treated girls and guys in the same way.
'The feature started with guys so I would reject any criticism that we have been anti-feminist.
Controversial: The competition is run by online students' magazine The Tab, which is not affiliated to the university
'People make the anti-feminist assumption, but it says more about people's reactions to it and the difference between male and female at is held by them.
'The competition has been very popular, we have received lots of good comments. It is just a bit of fun.
'The idea came as a fun way to mark the anniversary of the Royal Wedding and Pippa Middleton's arse.
'All the entries were anonymous. The university library is very large so the chances of getting caught are slim.'
The entrants were all sourced through word of mouth being passed around the
university.
Mr Bates said: 'There was no incentive for people to take part in the competition.
'We put the word out that we were doing a female version of the competition and
gathered entries from friends of friends.
'Everyone who agreed to take part set up an anonymous email account to send
their picture in.
'We will not reveal the identities of any of the girls.'
The website said it had received no complaints about the contest.
Almost 100 comments have been left on the competition page, and more than 150 people have clicked to say they like it on Facebook.
One interested observer, signed in as 'chopra', wrote that the feature was the 'best article...eva!' while another visitor, 'lopeman', posted: 'this is... ideal!'
Another comment, posted by 'Voice of Reason', reads: 'The incredibly positive reception this has received is the perfect argument for the return of Tab Tottie!'
But other visitors were less complimentary.
One, named 'Hippocrocapigs', wrote: 'If you want to look “hot” for your lingerie model pics.... Try cutting the labels out of your knickers first.'
Centre of excellence: The university library, where one of the daring pictures was taken
