Academic competitions for schools and colleges
Several colleges and departments of the University of Oxford run competitions which are open to students from schools and colleges.
Preparing an entry for one of these competitions is a valuable experience for academically motivated students, so please do encourage your students to enter. There are also some exciting prizes to be won.
Competitions with upcoming deadlines:
College / Department | Competition | Eligibility | Deadline for entries | Further details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Hugh's College | Kavita Singh PPE Essay Competition 2025 | Any current sixth form students attending a state school or college. | 2pm Wednesday 23 July 2025 | Kavita Singh webpage |
| St Hugh's College | Mary Renault Classical Reception Essay Competition 2025 | Any current sixth form students. At least one prize will be awarded to a pupil who is studying neither Latin nor Ancient Greek to A-level standard. | 2pm Wednesday 23 July 2025 | Mary Renault webpage |
| St Hugh's College | Julia Wood History Essay Competition 2025 | Any current sixth form students. | 2pm Wednesday 23 July 2025 | |
| St Edmund Hall | Big Think Competition 2025 | Any current UK state school students in Years 11 to 13 (or equivalent). | 12pm Monday 12 Maty 2025 | |
| Christ Church College | Geography Essay Competition | Any current UK state school students in Year 12 or equivalent, who are studying Geography. | 5pm Friday 18 April 2025 | |
| Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages | French and Spanish Flash Fiction | Any UK secondary school students (aged 11 to 18) studying French and/or Spanish. Winners will be selected in three categories: Years 7-9, 10-11, and 12-13. | 12pm (noon) 31 March 2025 | |
Oriel College | Rex Nettleford Essay Prize 2025 | Any students in Year 12 (or equivalent), with one prize reserved for non-selective state schools in Oriel's link regions. | 10am 21 February 2025 (deadline passed) | |
Christ Church College | Tower Poetry Competition 2025 | Any students aged 16 to 18 who are studying in the UK. | 12pm (noon) 20 February 2025 | |
Saïd Business School | Climate Change Challenge 2024 | Any students aged 15 to 18, and any teachers. | 15 September 2024 | |
Oxford Scientist | Oxford Scientist Schools Competition | Any students in Year 10 to Year 13 (aged 14 to 18) attending a UK school, college or sixth form. | Midnight 10 July 2024 (deadline passed) |
More competitions will be published here throughout the year.
