Over 7000 students have spent time living in Cumberland College since its establishment.

[2] Cumberland has a social programme that includes floor events, inter-college competitions, regular sports events, ski trips, and the annual ball.

Cumberland is one of the few Residential Colleges to allocate bedrooms by course of study as part of its academic program.

The main Cumberland College building was built as the Dunedin Hospital Nurses Home in 1916.

The building has been extensively renovated since its purchase by the University of Otago in 1989.