Merton College
About the college
Graduates at Merton College form part of a dynamic and diverse intellectual community. In addition to excellent facilities, they enjoy many opportunities to interact with one another and with established scholars.
Research groups, such as the History of the Book, and the Bio-Medical and Life Sciences Group, provide for intellectual cross-pollination.
The thriving Middle Common Room (MCR) hosts a variety of social events and opportunities for relaxation. Graduates comprise 46% of the total student body.
Merton College is strongly committed to the College Adviser system, and to providing ample opportunities for graduates to participate in, and benefit from, college life in general.
College tour
College facilities
Library and IT services
The library is housed in two locations, Old Warden’s Lodgings in Merton Street and in the Lower Library in Mob Quadrangle.
The Mob Quad library building is the oldest continuously functioning library for university students and staff in the world, growing over centuries to comprise its current collection of over 70,000 volumes featuring a special collection of over 300 medieval manuscripts.
Internet access is provided in all student rooms and computer rooms with printing and photocopying facilities are available 24 hours a day.
Wi-Fi access is available in the majority of the college's buildings and houses.
Sport, music and college facilities
The college's music provision includes four pianos, two organs, music rooms and a choral foundation, which provides for a choir of eighteen graduate and undergraduate choral scholars
Merton's sports pavilion has pitches for field sports, tennis and squash courts. The college also offers its own boathouse and access to the 'real tennis' court in Merton Street.
Facilities for disabled students
Merton is committed to providing equality of opportunity for disabled people and/or people with chronic illnesses, including prospective applicants.
Most of the college’s buildings are accessible to wheelchair users, either via flat access or ramp. Wheelchair access to the dining hall is via a lift. Where rooms are not accessible, the college endeavours to make alternative arrangements to accommodate disabled students. The college's graduate student accommodation is on Holywell Street and there are ground floor en-suite rooms available. There is a specially-adapted suite suitable for a disabled graduate and carer.
Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact the Disability Coordinator to discuss their specific needs.
For accessibility information about Merton College, including photographs, see the Oxford Access Guide.
Welfare
Welfare at Merton is provided by the Chaplain, College Nurse, Welfare Adviser and two Junior Deans for Welfare. In addition, the Junior Common Room (JCR) and Middle Common Room (MCR) each elect two Welfare Representatives to assist students, and a team of students is trained as Peer Supporters (trained in listening and communication skills). These include Access Rep, Gender Equality Rep, LGBTQ+ Reps, and BME Rep. Further information about welfare at Merton is available on the college website.
MCR
The Merton Middle Common Room (MCR) is both a physical place and a corporate community. Members include graduate students, fourth-year undergraduates, and MCR Associates.
The MCR is a diverse collection of scholars, representing a range of nationalities, interests and experiences.
Accommodation and meals
Accommodation
Merton aims to accommodate all its fresher graduates and the rooms are allocated by the Accommodation Manager and the location is advised on arrival at Merton. There is no mechanism for choosing your accommodation. Graduates are mainly housed in our accommodation annexe in Jowett Walk, a 10-minute walk from the college precinct. Most of this accommodation is en-suite, but some is in houses with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. Graduates may also be accommodated in shared housing in Manor Place.
Rooms are allocated to freshers and in subsequent years are chosen via a room ballot run by the MCR. Many graduates live in college accommodation for the duration of their studies and the college is able to provide accommodation for approximately 50% of the total graduate body.
Merton has one fully-adapted set of rooms, consisting of a bedroom, study and bathroom and a room for a carer, if required, which are located in the graduate annexe in Jowett Walk.
The college has a few one-bedroom flats for couples, which are in a building located on the corner of Iffley Road and Stockmore Street, about ½ mile from the city centre. These flats are let on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy basis for a fixed term from the end of September to the end of August each year. The college regrets it is unable to offer family accommodation.
Further information on accommodation at Merton College is available on the college website.
Meals
Students are encouraged to dine in the college's dining hall; eating together is an important part of Merton’s communal life. A swipe-card system means you only pay for the meals you eat. There are no other charges involved with dining in college.
It is hoped that graduates will enjoy dining in Hall but where this is infrequent, there is adequate provision within the graduate accommodation for graduates to cater for themselves.
Further information on catering at Merton College is available on the college website.
Courses
This college accepts graduate students for the following courses:
Please note that not all subjects areas or streams of a particular course may be offered by this college. Please see the college information on the relevant course page for further details. For a comprehensive list of all graduate courses available at the University of Oxford, please refer to our courses A-Z listing.
Location
Merton College is located in central Oxford on Merton Street, which is just off the High Street, within easy reach of the Bodleian Library, University Science Area, and adjacent to Christ Church Meadows and the Botanic Garden.
Key facts
Merton College,
Oxford OX1 4JD
www.merton.ox.ac.uk
Founded
1264
| Students (total*) in 2023-24 | Full-time places in 2025-26 | Part-time places in 2025-26 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taught graduates | 70 | c. 46 | c. 7 |
| Research graduates | 165 | c. 38 | c. 0 |
| Undergrad. | 320 | N/A | N/A |
*Total across all year groups (see source data)