Accessing Oxford.
Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of Oxford's academic mission.
There is no typical student, and no single Oxford experience. Our students come from every background imaginable. What they do have in common is an ability and motivation for learning and studying. There are currently more than 26,000 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate study at Oxford.
We are committed to improving opportunities for talented students who have faced disadvantage or are currently under-represented at Oxford, and to ensuring that students with outstanding academic potential from all backgrounds can access our world-leading teaching.
The University has introduced a number of access and outreach initiatives to attract and admit students from all backgrounds and ensure Oxford reflects the breadth and diversity of the UK.
Progress in this area has been made at both undergraduate and graduate level in recent years and we continue to build on this with innovative new access programmes across both undergraduate and graduate admissions. Many colleges and departments in Oxford also run their own dedicated access programmes and events.
We provide a generous range of financial support and funding opportunities to ensure that no one with outstanding academic potential is deterred from studying here because of their background, personal circumstances, or finances.
Undergraduate access.
Undergraduate access.
The University of Oxford has topped the Times Higher Education World University Rankings as the best university in the world for the past eight years. During this period undergraduate students from a wider range of backgrounds than ever have joined the University, including from areas of low progression to higher education and from areas of social and economic disadvantage. This is despite admissions continuing to be increasingly competitive.
We remain committed to long-term progress in this area and continue to build on the outreach and access work already being undertaken across the collegiate University as part of our commitment to support the aspirations of young people in their educational goals, and attract those with the highest academic potential, and from all backgrounds, to Oxford.
2023 Undergraduate admissions statistics.
The latest Annual Oxford Admissions Statistical Report breaks undergraduate admissions data down by measures such as region, ethnicity, socio-economic background and education, as well as by college and course.
3,219 students were admitted in 2023, of which 79.5% were from the UK. 21.2% of UK undergraduates came from the least advantaged backgrounds; 7.6% of UK students admitted were entitled to Free School Meals; and 28.8% identified as Black and Minority Ethnic (BME).
Crankstart expands to support students at every step of their Oxford journey.
The University has announced a significant expansion of the scope of Crankstart – which includes generous bursaries, access to funded internships, volunteering opportunities and social and community building events
Essay prize launched for state school students passionate about history and Classics.
A new essay prize has launched at Oxford for UK state school students aiming to study history or Classics at university. It is being funded by a bequest from Charles de Lisle, the political journalist who died in 2014, aged 54.
(BBC News) Scheme to get more Bradford pupils into Oxford.
Girls from an Islamic school in Bradford are taking part in the BeUNIQ programme, a scheme to encourage more pupils from under-represented backgrounds to apply to the University of Oxford.
Oxford hosts first of its kind educational festival in Cornwall.
The University has hosted its inaugural Oxplore Festival in Bodmin, Cornwall in July.
Oxford launches new access initiatives.
The University has expanded its access and outreach activity in 2024, including programmes to engage pupils as young as 11.
Interview with the Astrophoria Foundation Year Director.
Dr Jo Begbie speaks about the first year of the programme and shares her highlights.
Undergraduate access programmes.
Undergraduate access programmes.
Undergraduate access initiatives include programmes for school-age students from backgrounds under-represented at Oxford to support in breaking down barriers, encouraging academic aspirations, and providing opportunities for students to learn more about what university is like; an academic bridging programme to support school-leavers in their transition to university; and a fully funded one-year course for UK state school students who have experienced disadvantage or disruption during their education.
Oxford also offers one of the most generous financial support packages available for UK undergraduate students, providing over £9.5million of financial support to undergraduates from lower-income households and supporting around 1 in 4 UK undergraduates through an annual, non-repayable bursary of up to £5,800. Find out more about the financial support Oxford offers its undergraduate students.
Home of Big Questions.
Super curricula materials for 11-18-year-olds from Oxford’s researchers to inspire young curious minds.
Oxplore's Home of Big Questions is a free educational website designed to engage 11-18 year olds with complex ideas across a wide range of subjects. Our Oxplore family of programmes is expanding, with new initiatives launching in 2024, and more to follow.
Oxplore Teach.
Interactive teaching and learning materials for teachers to develop analytical and critical thinking.
Launching soon: Oxplore's new digital platform for Key Stage 3 teachers – complete with ready-to-use classroom sessions and CPDL support, ready to ignite academic enrichment within schools.
Oxplore Festival.
Informing and inspiring 11-13-year-olds through world-leading research from Oxford.
The Oxplore Festival is a celebration of curiosity and exploration. The first ever Oxplore Festival is coming to Cornwall in 2024. There will be interactive workshops, loads of Big Questions and a buzzing exhibition packed with activities and challenges.
IntoUniversity.
A local teaching and learning centre to support students from primary school to higher education.
IntoUniversity Oxford South East was opened in partnership with Christ Church, the University of Oxford and the charity IntoUniversity. The programme supports young people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods to attain their chosen aspiration, including further and higher education, employment and work-based training.
BeUNIQ.
Supporting the academic goals of 14-16-year-olds, from backgrounds under-represented at Oxford.
For 14-16 year olds, BeUNIQ fosters academic confidence and self-efficacy, thereby supporting educational aspirations. This bespoke engagement programme aims to reach beyond schools and collaborate with organisations working with the wider local community. BeUNIQ leads naturally to participation on UNIQ.
UNIQ.
Supporting 17 -18-year-old UK state school students reach their higher education aspirations.
Offering around 1,300 places each year, the majority including a residential in Oxford, UNIQ is our flagship outreach programme for UK state school students in their first year of higher education. It also supports the continuation of the exciting academic journeys begun on BeUNIQ.
Opportunity Oxford.
Supporting the transition from school to university.
An academic programme that helps to prepare talented UK offer holders from under-represented backgrounds for successful student careers at Oxford.
Astrophoria.
Enabling motivated students to reach their potential.
A one-year fully funded programme for UK state school students with significant academic potential, who have experienced severe personal disadvantage or disrupted education. Find Astrophoria on social media.
Crankstart.
Providing financial support to Oxford's students.
The Crankstart Scholarship provides enhanced support to UK residents from lower-income households who are studying for their first undergraduate degree, including generous bursary support and access to funded internships.
Oxford's regional outreach.
Oxford's colleges continue to develop their regional outreach and have combined forces to form Oxford for UK, offering bespoke support to local students and their wider communities across the UK.
By forming Oxford for UK regions and working together, these groups of colleges hope to help more local students from backgrounds which are currently under-represented here, to make successful applications to Oxford.
Click on your region of the map to find out which colleges are working in your area, or visit the Oxford for UK site below.
Undergraduate access stories.
Undergraduate access stories.
Hear from some of the students, teachers, access officers and educators involved in access programmes at Oxford.
Hannah's Story: UNIQ summer schools
Hannah, working on the UNIQ summer school, talks of her own experience with the programme and the difference it made.
Victoria's Story: Astrophoria Foundation Year
Victoria, a student of Oxford 's Astrophoria foundation programme, talks about her experiences with it ... and pugs.
Rufaro's Story: UNIQ summer schools
Rufaro, working on the UNIQ summer school, talks of her own experience with the programme and the difference it made.
Marlene's Story: Oxplore Festival
Marlene, a volunteer for Oxplore festival, talks about its role taking Oxford-style teaching and research round the country.
Rhys' Story: Crankstart Scholarships
Rhys, an Oxford graduate, discusses his route to medicine - and how a Crankstart scholarship made it possible.
A Bradford Story: BeUNIQ programme
Visit Feversham Girls' Academy in Bradford, where Year 10 students are learning about university life through the BeUNIQ programme.
Sahar's Story: UNIQ summer schools
Sahar, working on the UNIQ summer school, talks about the programme and the difference it makes.
Ella's Story: Oxplore Festival
Ella, a volunteer for Oxplore festival, talks about its role taking Oxford-style teaching and research round the country.
Samuel's Story: UNIQ summer schools
Samuel, working on the UNIQ summer school, talks of his own experience with the programme and the difference it makes.
Graduate access.
Graduate access.
Oxford offers a unique experience to its graduate students, including the opportunity to work with leading academics and with world-class libraries, laboratories, museums and collections, across 350 graduate courses. This includes taught and research courses available for full-time and part-time study, from diplomas to doctorates.
We are doing more than ever to increase the number of promising postgraduate students from under-represented and disadvantaged groups and have launched several innovative graduate access schemes in recent years.
A cross-institutional Graduate Access Subcommittee directs efforts to enhance access and participation, including several initiatives to support fair admissions, such as the use of socio-economic and contextual data in the assessment of applications.
2023 Graduate admissions statistics.
37,593 applications were received for graduate study at Oxford in the academic year 2022-23, for some 6,056 postgraduate places. The University’s graduate students represent many countries and cultures, and are from a wide variety of academic and professional backgrounds.
Find out more about the 2023 graduate admissions statistics.
UNIQ+ experiences from Oxford's graduate research internship programme.
Professor David Gavaghan, Chair of Oxford’s Graduate Access Working Group and a UNIQ+ supervisor, and his 2023 UNIQ+ interns, Talal and Kamil, share their experiences of Oxford’s flagship graduate access programme.
DPhil student, Frankco Harris, reflects on his unique Oxford journey.
Black Academics Future scholar, Frankco Harris, discusses his first year as a DPhil Criminology student and what led him to pursue graduate study at Oxford.
How Oxford has supported students from Ukraine.
Ukrainian students share their stories of studying at Oxford through the Graduate Scholarship Scheme for Ukraine Refugees, and their hopes for the future.
Graduate access programmes.
Graduate access programmes.
The University has introduced several pioneering initiatives to widen access to graduate study to increase the number of promising postgraduate students from disadvantaged and under-represented groups.
Oxford and its colleges offer a range of graduate funding opportunities to support disadvantaged and under-represented groups, and the collegiate University is committed to increasing the number of scholarships available to our graduate students.
UNIQ+ research internships.
UNIQ+ provides paid research internships for those from disadvantaged backgrounds and from other groups under-represented at Oxford. The programme gives around 130 interns the opportunity to experience life as a postgraduate research student.
Close the gap.
Working in partnership with Cambridge to address the doctoral application rates amongst historically marginalised students, the Close the Gap project aims to bring about meaningful change in doctoral candidate selection.
Academic Futures.
Academic Futures Scholarships offer financial support to pursue graduate study at Oxford, for UK Black and Mixed Black students, students who have experienced being in care in the UK, and students who have lived experience of displacement, including a dedicated programme of on-course support.
Scholarships and funding for under-represented groups.
A range of graduate scholarships is available for under-represented groups to undertake graduate study at Oxford.
Graduate access stories.
Graduate access stories.
Hear from some of the students and academics involved in access programmes for graduates at Oxford.
Academic Futures: realising potential and increasing diversity in our graduate students
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Irene Tracey, and senior academics speak about the Academic Futures scholarship programme, which provides support for under-represented students studying at graduate level. Recipients of the scholarship also reflect on the impact the programme has had on their pursuit of graduate study.
Academic Futures: Supporting graduate students with experience of displacement
Graduate students Samson, Ghaith and Maryna share their experiences at Oxford and the impact that the Academic Futures scholarship programme has had on their pursuit of graduate study.
Academic Futures: Supporting Black British graduate students
Graduate students Cerise and Bayo share their experiences at Oxford and the impact that the Academic Futures scholarship programme has had on their pursuit of graduate study.
Academic Futures: Supporting graduate students with experience of care
Graduate students Abed and Alexi share their experiences at Oxford and the impact that the Academic Futures scholarship programme has had on their pursuit of graduate study.
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