University of Oxford

Overview

The University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world and is regarded as one of the world's leading academic institutions, with 38 independent colleges and 6 permanent private halls. The University is a member of the Russell Group of research-led British universities, the Coimbra Group (a network of leading European universities), the League of European Research Universities, and is also a core member of the Europaeum and is currently ranked as one of the best universities in the UK in the 2024 Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide.

The University of Oxford was rated Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework, and its graduates' career prospects remain some of the best in the UK. Five years after graduation, Oxford graduates' salaries average almost £43,000. The University also has the highest proportion of students achieving 2:1s and above and the highest proportion of students achieving firsts in the UK.

A unique benefit to students of the University of Oxford is the weekly one-to-one tutorial, where undergraduates will spend an hour with an expert in their field. The University is also home to the Bodleian Library, the second biggest library in the UK after the British Library. International students are enrolled from over 140 countries and study a wide range of subjects, making up 1/3 of the student body.

Oxford University Colleges are unique, and each serves its specific purpose, from Magdalen College (pronounced maudlin), founded in 1458 to create a grand institution, to Balliol College, home to five Nobel laureates.

Services for International Students

The International Office at Oxford provides a wide range of services to applicants and students, including advice on general enquiries about studying at the University of Oxford, visas and immigration, and living in the U.K. It is also responsible for conducting international interviews and the international orientation programme at the beginning of the year. The Oxford Language Centre provides specific language support for international students. Personal support can also be found in the college administration.

The Oxford Library is vast, providing over 100 different libraries across its colleges, making it the largest library system in the UK.

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Ranking

• 2nd in the Times University Guide 2024
• 2nd in the Guardian University Guide 2024
• 3rd in the QS World University Rankings 2025
• 1st in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024
• 7th in the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2023

The University of Oxford made the largest submission of any Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the UK, submitting over 3,600 researchers (3,405 full-time equivalents) into 29 subject areas, over 8,500 research outputs in a range of formats from journal articles to compositions, and 220 case studies about the impact of Oxford research beyond academia.

University of Oxford law degrees are considered some of the best in the UK and the world, whilst biochemistry, physics, and earth sciences also have a global reputation for excellence.

Accommodation

The 38 colleges that make up the University of Oxford accommodate all first-year undergraduate students. These colleges are not only houses of residence but also have substantial responsibility for teaching undergraduates.

A typical college consists of a hall for dining, a chapel, a library, a college bar, senior, middle (postgraduate) and junior common rooms, rooms for 200-400 undergraduates, and lodgings for the head of the college and other dons. College buildings range from medieval to modern, but most are made up of interlinked courtyards.

Location

Oxford is located in South England, around 90 minutes from London, and has a population of 150,000. Buildings in Oxford reflect every English architectural period since the arrival of the Saxons, including the mid-18th century Radcliffe Camera.

Oxford is known as the "city of dreaming spires", a term coined by poet Matthew Arnold about the harmonious architecture of the University of Oxford buildings. It is very much a student city, and much is owned by the University, leading to discounts for students in almost all areas.

Alumni

University of Oxford alumni include:

• 26 British Prime Ministers, most recently David Cameron
• President Bill Clinton
• Tim Berners-Lee (Inventor of the World Wide Web)
• At least 12 saints and 20 Archbishops of Canterbury
• 50 Olympic Medal winners
• 27 Nobel Laureates across all six categories

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