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Oxford University

College life

All graduate students (except those on non-matriculated courses) are members of both a department or faculty and a college or hall. In this section, you can find out more about Oxford's colleges, how to state a college preference in your application and the facilities that are available. 

New College

What is an Oxford college?

The college system is just one of the distinctive features of student life at Oxford. In the context of graduate admissions, ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including societies and permanent private halls.

Oxford from Magdalen tower

Living in Oxford

Oxford University doesn’t have a campus—the University and its colleges are spread across the beautiful city of Oxford.

Worcester College

Choosing a college

When you make your graduate application, you can express a preference for one of our colleges, or ask us to find a college for you.

Corpus Christi

College listing

Graduate study at Oxford is a distinctive experience: all graduate students are members of both a department or faculty in their subject area and a multidisciplinary college.

The University has an international reputation for world-leading research, teaching and resources, and combine this with a beautiful and historic city, it is alive with activity, attracting students from all over the world.
Spiralling stairs in the Blavatnik School of Government

Getting started

If you're considering applying for graduate study at Oxford, this step-by-step guide will get you started.

Where do I start?