University of Oxford
The oldest university in the English-speaking world, built around colleges and small-group tutorial teaching.
- Offer rate
- 17%
- 2025 admissions cycle (entry autumn 2025)
- Students
- 26,215
- 12,460 undergraduates
- International
- 43%
- of students
- Tuition
- £39,620
- From · 2027-28
- Founded
- 1096
About Oxford
The University of Oxford has evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world. It is made up of more than 30 colleges and halls plus academic departments grouped into four divisions. Every undergraduate belongs to a college as well as to their department: the college is where you live, eat and have most of your tutorials, while departments run lectures, labs and exams. There is no single campus; colleges, libraries and departments are spread across the city centre.
Teaching is built around the tutorial, a regular discussion of your written work or problem sets with a tutor and one or a few other students. Terms are short and intense, three terms of eight weeks each, so you are expected to read, write and solve problems independently at a fast pace. Most degrees are single-subject or fixed joint courses, and changing course after arrival is difficult.
Oxford has around 12,460 undergraduates and 13,755 postgraduates, and 43% of all students are international. It suits applicants who already love their subject, like being challenged in conversation, and want to spend three or four years going deep rather than broad.
Dominus illuminatio mea
“The Lord is my light” — university motto
Why students choose Oxford
The tutorial system gives undergraduates regular small-group teaching with academics who are also researchers in the subject.
Oxford was ranked 1st in the THE World University Rankings 2026, its tenth consecutive year at the top, and 4th in the QS World University Rankings 2027.
Colleges provide rooms for undergraduates in the first year and at least one other year, along with dining halls, libraries and their own clubs.
UK students from lower-income households can receive a Crankstart Scholarship bursary of up to £6,500 a year for 2027 entry, plus access to funded internships.
Admissions
2025 admissions cycle (entry autumn 2025)
About 1 in 6 applications receives an offer
3,891 offers from 23,329 applications
Offer rate: Oxford received 23,329 applications and made 3,891 offers for 2025 entry; 3,302 students were admitted. UK applicants had a higher offer rate (3,006 offers from 14,340 applications) than non-EU applicants (784 from 7,600). The most competitive courses by applicants per place (2023-2025) were Economics and Management (18.8), Computer Science (14.8) and Biomedical Sciences (12.0).
Typical entry requirements
| A-levels | A*A*A to AAA depending on course; many science courses require at least one A*. In 2025, 87.2% of admitted UK students achieved A*AA or better. |
|---|---|
| IB Diploma | 38, 39 or 40 points (depending on course) including core points, with 6s and 7s at Higher Level |
| English language | IELTS 7.5 · TOEFL iBT 110 IELTS Academic 7.5 with at least 7.0 in each component; TOEFL iBT 110 (Listening 22, Reading 24, Speaking 25, Writing 24), but only TOEFL tests taken up to 20 January 2026 are currently accepted. Other accepted tests include C1/C2 Cambridge (191) and PTE Academic (76). |
Deadlines
- UCAS (Oxford) Non-binding Next deadline · In 9 days15 October 2026, 18:00 UK time
Single deadline for all Oxford undergraduate courses for 2027 entry. Decisions on 12 January 2027.
UAT-UK test booking closed 28 September 2026 and tests run 12-16 October 2026; UCAT and LNAT have separate timelines. Written work, where required, is due by 10 November 2026. Astrophoria Foundation Year courses use the January UCAS deadline.
How to apply
Apply through UCAS by 15 October 2026 (one Oxford course only, choosing a college or making an open application). Depending on the course you may also need to sit an admissions test and submit written work by 10 November; shortlisted applicants are interviewed online in December and decisions are released on 12 January 2027.
What admissions looks for
- Academic ability and potential, judged on all the evidence together: grades, test results, written work, interviews, references and the personal statement.
- Intellectual curiosity and motivation for the chosen subject, including engagement with ideas beyond the school syllabus.
- The ability to think independently and respond to new material, which interviews are designed to test in the style of a short tutorial.
- Achievements in context: Oxford considers contextual information to recognise potential wherever it is demonstrated.
Tips for applying to Oxford
- 1 Book your UAT-UK test (ESAT, TMUA or TARA) early; for 2027 entry booking closed on 28 September 2026 and the test must be taken in the October sitting.
- 2 Check your course page for written work: some courses require samples by 10 November, and tutors may discuss them at interview.
- 3 Practise thinking aloud on unfamiliar problems; Oxford interviews are online academic conversations in December, not tests of manners or background.
- 4 Decide between choosing a college and an open application; colleges do not specialise, and open applications are assigned to a college with fewer applicants for your course.
Costs & financial aid
2027-28 · figures in GBP
UK students with household income of £32,500 or less receive a Crankstart Scholarship with a bursary of up to £6,500 a year for 2027 entry, plus funded internships; other Home students with household income up to £50,000 receive an Oxford Bursary of £1,120-£4,480. There is no separate application: eligibility comes from the Student Finance household income assessment. Overseas students are not eligible for these bursaries and should use Oxford's fees, funding and scholarship search.
- Around 1 in 4
- UK students receiving an annual Oxford bursary
- Up to £6,500 per year
- Crankstart Scholarship (household income up to £32,500)
- £4,480 per year
- Oxford Bursary, household income £25,000 or less
- £50,000
- Oxford Bursary income ceiling
Academics
Academic calendar: Three 8-week terms
Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)
Oxford's best-known joint degree; applicants sit the TARA admissions test.
Economics and Management
The most competitive large course, with 18.8 applicants per place over 2023-2025.
Computer Science
14.8 applicants per place over 2023-2025; selection uses the TMUA.
Medicine
A six-year course with 9.4 applicants per place over 2023-2025; the UCAT is required and places for international students are capped by the government.
Mathematics
10.4 applicants per place over 2023-2025, with joint routes in Computer Science, Philosophy and Statistics.
Law (Jurisprudence)
About 10 applicants per place over 2023-2025; applicants sit the LNAT.
Research
- In REF 2021, Oxford's submission had the highest volume of world-leading research of any UK university.
- Oxford University Innovation has created more than 300 companies, more than any other UK institution, and is the UK's most prolific university patent filer.
- The Bodleian Libraries hold over 11 million volumes and form a legal deposit library entitled to a copy of every book published in the UK.
Schools & faculties
- Humanities Division
- Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division
- Medical Sciences Division
- Social Sciences Division
93% of Oxford undergraduate leavers from 2020-21 were in high-skilled employment or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £32,000. HESA figures for the 2019/20 entry cohort show a 0.9% drop-out rate, against a UK average of 5.3%.
Student life
Life at Oxford revolves around your college: it houses you in your first year and for at least one further year, and you eat in its dining hall and join its clubs, sports teams and bar alongside students from every subject. Colleges run their own societies and intercollege sport and drama, while university-wide clubs compete at a higher level. The biggest fixtures are the annual varsity matches against Cambridge, above all the Boat Race. Short eight-week terms mean workloads are intense, but the city is small and walkable, so libraries, lectures and friends are rarely more than a short cycle ride away.
- More than 30 colleges and halls; every undergraduate is a member of one.
- The Boat Races on the Thames are the best-known fixture in Oxford's sporting rivalry with Cambridge.
- Students who compete at university level in certain sports can earn a Blue.
- Around 20,000 online interviews are held with roughly 10,000 shortlisted applicants each December.
Housing. All colleges provide rooms for undergraduates in the first year and for at least one other year of the course.
Location
Oxford is a compact city where the university is woven through the centre rather than set on a separate campus. Students get around mostly by bike or on foot, between colleges, the Bodleian libraries and the science departments, and most of daily life happens within a short ride. Oxford estimates living costs of £1,475-£2,175 a month in 2027-28, with college accommodation the largest single expense.
Nearest airport: London Heathrow (LHR)
Notable alumni
- ST Sir Tim Berners-LeeInventor of the World Wide Web (physics, The Queen's College)
- MY Malala YousafzaiEducation activist and youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate (PPE, Lady Margaret Hall)
- IG Indira GandhiPrime Minister of India (Somerville College)
- MT Margaret ThatcherUK Prime Minister, studied chemistry at Somerville College
- BB Benazir BhuttoPrime Minister of Pakistan and former President of the Oxford Union
- OW Oscar WildePlaywright and poet (Greats, Magdalen College)
- HG Hugh GrantActor (English literature, New College)
Frequently asked questions
What is Oxford's acceptance rate?
Oxford publishes offer rates rather than an acceptance rate: for 2025 entry it received 23,329 applications and made 3,891 offers, an offer rate of about 16.7%, and admitted 3,302 students. Offer rates vary by course and are lower for non-EU international applicants (784 offers from 7,600 applications).
When is the Oxford application deadline for 2027 entry?
The UCAS deadline is 6pm UK time on 15 October 2026. Any required UAT-UK admissions test is taken on 12-16 October 2026, and decisions are released on 12 January 2027.
What grades do you need for Oxford?
A-level offers range from A*A*A to AAA depending on the course, and IB offers are 38-40 points with 6s and 7s at Higher Level. In 2025, 87.2% of admitted UK students had A*AA or better.
Does Oxford interview every applicant?
No. Tutors shortlist around 10,000 of the roughly 23,000 applicants for online interviews in December, which are academic conversations similar to a short tutorial.
How much does Oxford cost for international students?
For 2027-28, overseas course fees range from £39,620 to £66,580 a year depending on the course, with clinical Medicine higher. Oxford estimates living costs of £13,275-£19,575 for nine months.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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