University of Oxford — Full Profile & Ranking 2026

The University of Oxford is a public collegiate research university in Oxford, England. Teaching at Oxford is documented from 1096, which makes it the oldest university in the English-speaking world. Oxford is made up of 39 colleges, which provide housing, tutorials, and community life, alongside university departments that provide lectures, labs, and libraries.

Undergraduates apply to a course, not to Oxford in general, and can either choose a college or make an open application. Oxford’s application process is the same for all students, and it states there is no international quota for any course except Medicine.

Oxford ranked 4th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, published by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) in June 2026. MIT ranked 1st, Imperial College London and Stanford tied for 2nd, Harvard ranked 5th, and Cambridge ranked 6th. In this QS edition, Imperial rather than Oxford or Cambridge is the highest-ranked university in the UK.

QS uses academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, student-to-faculty ratio, and measures of international faculty and students. This is a QS-specific result and not one universal ranking. In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, a separate system with its own indicators, Oxford was ranked 1st.

Sources: QS TopUniversities and Times Higher Education.

Oxford offers a wide range of undergraduate courses across its academic divisions of humanities, social sciences, mathematical, physical and life sciences, and medical sciences. Well-known areas include:

• Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) — one of Oxford’s best-known degrees
• Law and humanities — including history, English, classics, and modern languages
• Medicine and life sciences — including biomedical sciences and biology
• Mathematics, computer science, and the physical sciences — including engineering science and physics
• The tutorial system, in which students meet in very small groups with an academic tutor

For the full course list, see Oxford’s undergraduate courses page.

Oxford uses the UK admissions system for undergraduates. Undergraduate and postgraduate applications are handled differently.

Undergraduate Admissions (2027 Entry)

Details follow Oxford’s official admissions pages (checked October 2026). Dates change every year, so confirm them before applying.

Postgraduate Admissions

Postgraduate applicants for taught master’s degrees and research degrees apply through Oxford’s own graduate application system, not UCAS. Deadlines, supporting documents, and English requirements vary by course, and many popular courses have deadlines in the winter. Check the specific course page.

Official sources: For international students and Admissions timeline.

In the 2025 admissions cycle, Oxford received 23,329 undergraduate applications, made 3,891 offers, and admitted 3,302 students, according to Oxford’s Annual Admissions Statistical Report as summarized by education sites. That is an acceptance rate of about 14.2% and an offer rate of about 16.7%.

The overall acceptance rate hides large differences by course and by applicant group, and it is a historical figure rather than a prediction for your cycle. The rate for UK applicants is much higher than the rate for non-EU international applicants. Oxford publishes course-level statistics in its admissions reports.

Source: Oxford’s admissions statistics, as reported by education sites. Verify on the University of Oxford admissions statistics page.

• Choose one course and decide whether to name a college or make an open application
• Check whether your course requires an admissions test and register before the registration deadline
• Submit your UCAS application by 6pm UK time on 15 October, and plan to submit earlier than the last day
• Arrange your academic reference and prepare your personal statement
• Prepare any written work your course requires after you apply
• Plan for the Higher level English requirement and book an English test early if you are a non-native speaker
• If you hold an offer and come from an eligible country, check the Reach Oxford scholarship application window
• Verify every date, fee, and requirement on Oxford’s official website before submitting

Oxford charges course fees that vary by course, and Overseas students pay a much higher rate than Home students.

Fees depend on your course and your fee status, so check the course page for the exact figure. Postgraduate fees are set separately for each course. Living costs in Oxford vary by college and lifestyle, and Oxford’s website publishes current estimates.

Sources: Oxford — course fees for 2027 entry. The 2026/27 range is as commonly published. Fees change every year.

Oxford’s best-known scholarships are listed below. None is automatic, and most are very competitive.

• Reach Oxford Scholarship (undergraduate): for students from low-income countries who cannot study for a degree in their own country. It covers course fees, a grant for living costs, and one return airfare per year. You must already hold an Oxford offer to be considered.
• Reach Oxford 2027 timeline: details open in January 2027, the scholarship deadline for 2027 entry is 26 January 2027, selection takes place in April, and outcomes are announced by the end of May 2027. Not every college offers the scholarship every year.
• Clarendon Fund and Rhodes Scholarship: major funding for graduate study at Oxford, covered in our scholarship guides
• College and department awards: many colleges and departments offer their own funding, so check your college and course pages

Eligibility for Reach Oxford depends on your country, so check the official list on Oxford’s Reach Oxford page. See also our guide to fully funded scholarships for 2027.

Pakistani applicants follow the same process as every other international applicant, through UCAS by the 15 October deadline. Oxford does not run a Pakistan-specific admissions track. Practical points:

• Qualifications: check Oxford’s published guidance on which international qualifications are accepted and what grades each course expects, since requirements are set by course
• Admissions tests: if your course needs a test, you take it online at a Pearson test centre. Check for a centre near you and register before the registration deadline.
• English: all courses require the Higher level, and you must meet it as an offer condition. Prepare IELTS Academic or another accepted test early. Our IELTS preparation guides can help.
• Funding: check the Reach Oxford eligible-country list for Pakistan, and the college and department awards for your course
• Visa and travel planning: international students generally need a UK student visa, and decisions are made by UK immigration authorities, not by Oxford. Oxford will vouch for your English on your CAS if you met its requirement.
• Agents: you apply directly through UCAS, so a paid agent is not required

• Oxford’s colleges provide housing, tutorials, and community life, and each college has its own character
• The tutorial system pairs students with academic tutors in very small groups
• The Bodleian Libraries serve students across the university
• Oxford is a compact city in England, and students can reach London by train

• Oxford was ranked 1st in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, reflecting its research profile across many fields
• Graduates go on to careers across public service, law, medicine, business, technology, and academia
• Oxford does not guarantee employment, salary, or immigration outcomes. Any graduate outcome statistics describe past cohorts and are not promises.

• Many UK Prime Ministers studied at Oxford, including Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, and Boris Johnson
• Benazir Bhutto — Pakistan’s former Prime Minister; studied PPE at Lady Margaret Hall
• Imran Khan — former Prime Minister of Pakistan; studied PPE at Keble College
• Malala Yousafzai — Nobel Peace Prize laureate; studied PPE at Lady Margaret Hall
• Many Nobel laureates and heads of state worldwide have studied at Oxford

University of Oxford
University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JD, United Kingdom
Official website: www.ox.ac.uk
Undergraduate admissions: ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate