University of Oxford

About the university

The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university and the oldest university in the English-speaking world. Teaching was present by 1096; it grew after 1167 and was recognised as a universitas in 1231. It has 43 colleges and permanent private halls and is organised in four divisions: Humanities, Mathematical/Physical and Life Sciences, Medical Sciences, and Social Sciences. There are about 26,600 students (roughly half undergraduate, half postgraduate) and 43% are international. Oxford is not a single campus; colleges and departments are spread across Oxford. Teaching is in English. It has ranked first in the THE World University Rankings for nine consecutive years and is among the global leaders in research and graduate employability.

Key information

Location: Oxford, UK
Ranking #1
QS #3
THE #1
US News #5
National ranking #1
Institution type: public

Popular faculties

PPE (Philosophy
Politics and Economics)
Law
Economics and Management
History
Philosophy
Theology and Religion
Computer Science
Mathematics
Medicine
Biomedical Sciences
English
Classics
Modern Languages
Chemistry
Physics

Programs (38)

Law
Computer Science
Economics
Philosophy
Physics
Mathematics
Chemistry
Biology
History
Psychology
Political Science
Medicine
Nursing
Pharmacy
Veterinary Science
Electrical Engineering
Industrial Engineering
Dentistry
Civil Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Architecture
Telecommunications
Business Administration
Public Health
Biochemistry
Environmental Science
Political Science
International Relations
Sociology
Anthropology
Education
Engineering
Finance and Accounting
Marketing
Tourism and Hospitality
Linguistics
Fine Arts
Music

Student body

Total students: 26,000
Undergraduate: 12,500
Graduate: 13,500
International students: 43%

Campus life

Oxford is collegiate: students belong to a college (accommodation, meals, welfare, tutorials) and also to a department for lectures and labs. There is no single campus; the city and colleges form the setting. Most first-year undergraduates live in college; graduates may have university or college housing or rent privately. The Careers Service runs fairs, one-to-ones, and advertises graduate schemes. Top employers (law, consulting, banking, tech) recruit on campus; applications for many schemes open in summer/autumn. Sport (notably rowing), drama, music, and societies are central to student life. Cost of living in Oxford is high; the university gives annual estimates for visa and budgeting.

Housing & accommodation

Housing cost: £1,000 - £1,500 / per month

Housing options

College accommodation (undergraduate and some graduate)
university graduate housing (e.g. Castle Mill
Cavalier Court)
private rental in Oxford; rents vary by college and room type

Student clubs and organizations

College and university societies (sport
drama
music
debate
subject societies)
Oxford Union
student media
hundreds of clubs across colleges

Sports

Rowing (Boat Race vs Cambridge)
rugby
football
cricket
hockey
tennis
athletics
and many college and university teams

Career & internships

Employment rate: 97%

Partner companies

Google
Amazon
Meta (Facebook)
IBM
Cisco
Morgan Stanley
Goldman Sachs; McKinsey
BCG
The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers; Oxford Careers

Internships: The Careers Service advertises internships, placements, and graduate jobs; many opportunities are graduate schemes (law, banking, consulting, engineering, IT). Oxford participates in the national Graduate Outcomes survey (15 months after leaving). In 2020-21, 93% of undergraduate and 95% of postgraduate leavers were in high-skilled employment or further study. Top sectors include education, research, health, law, finance, and consulting. Employers of Computer Science graduates include Google, Amazon, Meta, IBM, Cisco, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs. Applications for most graduate schemes open in summer with deadlines often in October–December. The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers and sector-specific events support recruitment.

Admission requirements

Required tests

IELTS
TOEFL
personal interviews

Required documents

UCAS application (undergraduate); personal statement
academic reference
predicted/actual grades; for many courses: written test (e.g. MAT
LNAT
TSA) and interview. Graduate: application via Oxford Graduate Application
references
transcript
research proposal or statement (as required)
proof of English (where applicable)

Minimum GPA: 3.9

Tuition costs

£9,250 - £65,000 / per year
Acceptance rate: 14.00%
Scholarships available: UK undergraduates can access government tuition fee loans. Graduate funding: over 1,100 full or partial scholarships expected for 2026-27. Clarendon Fund: 200+ full awards (fees + living) for all nationalities, automatic consideration for applications by Dec/Jan deadline. Rhodes Scholarship: full funding for international postgraduates (2+ years), stipend, flights, visa. Felix Scholarships: full fees and living (~£19,000) for students from India and low-income countries (Master’s and DPhil). Many awards require no separate application if you apply by the relevant deadline. A–Z listing and external options on ox.ac.uk. Living costs estimate £12,825–£18,315 per year for international students.

Quick facts

Founded: 1096
Teaching languages: English, english
Study formats: offline

Contact

Website: https://www.ox.ac.uk
mailto:[email protected]
+44 1865 270000