EastEnders, Emmerdale and Coronation Street could change youngsters' perceptions by introducing more characters at university, officials at Cambridge claim.
The three long-running series have starred only a handful of university students between them over the years.
A spokesman for the university said its communications team also contacted other popular long-running shows - including Doctor Who - in a bid to boost its profile."
A spokesman for the university said its communications team also contacted other popular long-running shows - including Doctor Who - in a bid to boost its profile.
It was also suggested the BBC's Top Gear could recreate an infamous stunt, when 12 engineering students winched an Austin Seven above the university's Senate House in 1958.
Greg Hayman, spokesman for the university, said: "We want to attract the brightest pupils from all backgrounds. This project has been all about changing perceptions.
"We wrote to a lengthy list of television shows and have heard back from several, some of whom are interested in coming to the university to have a look.
"It's about challenging myths about studying at Cambridge. People think it's an expensive place to study when in fact, because of short terms and the availability of college accommodation, the bills can be lower. We have some of the most generous student support packages around and it's an unlimited pot - we don't run out of cash."
Soap characters best-known for attending university include Coronation Street's Ken Barlow, who studied English and History at Manchester University, and Toyah Battersby. Michelle Fowler and trumpet-playing Sonia Fowler who all continued their studies to degree level in EastEnders.
The Walford-based show is also currently featuring the story of two students, Libby Fox and Tamwar Masood, whose mothers are competing over who might make it to Cambridge or Oxford when they apply to university next year.
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