Decision timeline

Once you have submitted your application and it has been processed by the Graduate Admissions Office, you will be able to log in to access Graduate Applicant Self Service. You can use self-service to edit and replace your referees, track your application status, view your application and upload any missing documents.

Look out for our automated emails to let you know when each reference is submitted. Check self-service regularly and stay in contact with your referees to make sure all documents have been sent in by the deadline.

Once we have everything we need for your application to be ready for assessment, we will let you know by email and in your self-service.

Depending on your course, you may be interviewed (usually via video call or in-person). Check whether applicants to your course are usually interviewed in the entry requirements on your course page, under ‘Performance at interview’.

You will usually receive the outcome of your application from your academic department about 8 to 10 weeks after the application deadline.

If you are successful, you will receive an email to notify you of this and the department’s certificate of offer will be available to you to download via self-service. It will set out the steps you need to take to become a student at the University. It will give details of any conditions on your offer and how to respond to your offer, including any deposit required to secure your place.

For a list of courses that require a deposit, see our Deposits webpage. If your course requires a deposit this will also be confirmed on your course page.

Funding for graduate courses is competitive, but the University of Oxford offers a number of full or partial graduate scholarships. For further details about searching for funding as a graduate student visit our dedicated Funding pages, which contain information about how to apply for Oxford scholarships requiring an additional application, details of external funding, loan schemes and other funding sources.

When will you be notified of your scholarship?

Most Oxford scholarships are awarded between late February and June – for example, Clarendon Fund offers are usually sent out by early April. You can find notification dates via the Fees, Funding and Scholarship A-Z listing.

An offer of funding can be made along with your departmental or college offer, or separately at any time afterwards.

The University only notifies successful scholarship applicants and offers are usually sent by email.

Competition is very strong but the University expects to be able to offer over 1,100 full or partial graduate scholarships for new students starting in 2026-27.

College membership is a special part of Oxford’s student experience. There are 43 colleges (including those designated as societies and permanent private halls) around the city.

If you are applying to a course with college membership and have been accepted by the academic department, you are guaranteed a college place. You can see whether there are colleges associated with your course on your course page.

The process of college placement will begin automatically once your academic department accepts you, and you do not need to contact colleges yourself. 

When will I find out which college I will be a member of?

You will usually find out which college will be part of your offer around 8 to 10 weeks after receiving your offer from the academic department. Once you are accepted by a college, you will not be considered by any other colleges. Your college will ask you to complete a Financial Declaration to confirm that you have enough funding to undertake your course.

Tracking your college place

If you have been accepted on a course with college membership, and accepted by a college, you will be notified directly by that college by email. College decisions will not be displayed in Graduate Applicant Self Service.

If you stated a preference for a particular college in your application and that college is not able to accept you then you will be notified as early as possible, often around 4 to 6 weeks after the departmental decision date, and you will be automatically considered by other colleges.

More information on the progress of individual applications through college placement is not available before a final college offer is made and further college preferences cannot be taken into account, so please wait until you are contacted by your accepting college.

If you have queries about the college system in general, please contact Graduate Admissions.

College scholarships

Many colleges offer their own scholarships. For the majority of college scholarships, it doesn’t matter which college, if any, you state a preference for in your application. If another college is able to offer you a scholarship, your application can be moved to that college if you accept the scholarship. Some college scholarships may require you to state a preference for that college when you apply, so check the eligibility requirements carefully.

Finding out more about your college

Once you have a college place, you may want to find out more about what your college has to offer. There is a detailed summary of each college, including links to college websites and contact details, in our Colleges section.

Once you have met all the conditions of your offer, you will be sent a final Completion of Conditions letter with a form to return that confirms that you intend to enrol at Oxford.

If you need a student visa for your course, the process can start after you have received your Completion of Conditions.