For international students

Choosing what you would like to study is something you should think carefully about.

Many of Oxford’s courses require you to choose what you are going to major in at the time of applying. This means you will be spending several years studying this subject in depth. It is also worth bearing in mind that it is typically very difficult to change your course once at Oxford.

Why not take a look at our advice and guidance on choosing what to study and visit the full list of our undergraduate courses. Remember that you cannot combine courses if they are not listed as a joint course. 

When applying to Oxford you need to understand both the general UK application process and aspects that are particular to Oxford. 

The good news is that Oxford's application process is the same for all students and there is no international quota for any of our courses except Medicine (please see the guidance for international applicants for Medicine). All applicants must apply via UCAS by 15 October at 6pm UK time on. 

Before you start your application, you will need to:

Visit our international qualifications page to find out whether we accept your international qualification and what grades we would expect you to achieve. 

If we do not accept the qualifications you are taking and you would like to apply, you will need to undertake further study of qualifications that we do accept.

As well as grade requirements, many courses have specific subject requirements, so please carefully read the subject requirements for your course on the relevant course page.

You do not need to have your final results before you apply to Oxford. However, for every exam you are yet to take, you will need a predicted grade. We understand that in many countries predicting grades is not part of the usual process of applying to university. Find out who will be your academic referee for your UCAS application and direct them to the advice on our teachers pages.

Instead of submitting transcripts or certificates with your application to Oxford (or if studying in the US sending any scores via the College Board), you should self-report all details of your qualifications, standardised test scores, and grades on the UCAS application form under ‘Education’. Please visit the UCAS application section of our Guide for applicants for further details. You will only need to produce certificates or transcripts if you are offered a place. 

If you are currently studying at a university either in the UK or outside, and are thinking of applying to Oxford to start the first year of an undergraduate course, please note that normally we will only consider such applications in exceptional circumstances and you should make very clear in your application why you do not wish to continue on your current course. Please note we are not able to give examples of these exceptional circumstances as applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

If you do decide to apply whilst at another university and you do not have A-level or equivalent qualifications at the grades required for the standard offer for the course you are interested in applying for, you will need to demonstrate how your subsequent study has prepared you for studying at Oxford, including any evidence of your performance on your current course, as well as a reference from your current tutor or equivalent.

Please note that you must declare on your UCAS form whether you are currently studying at another university, and that failure to do so could result in Oxford withdrawing any offer made to you.

Please also remember that not only will you incur a year of additional costs but your eligibility for government support or loans may be affected by any study you have already undertaken, whether or not you have completed your course.

If English is not your first language you may also need to meet our English language requirements. Oxford’s undergraduate courses are demanding, and you will need to demonstrate that you have a high level of proficiency in English to take up a place here.

To meet the English language requirements for your offer to the University you must, where applicable, receive all qualifying test component scores (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking) from the same session; we will not consider scores from multiple sessions ('superscoring'). See the list of certificates which we do and do not accept. 

All courses now require the higher level of ability in English.

You do not need to have evidence of your English Language proficiency when you make your UCAS application.

If you are offered a place, you will need to show the correct level of proficiency by 31 July in the year you receive your offer. Note this deadline applies even if you are not due to start your course until the following October.

If you require a student visa, the University will vouch for your English language ability on your CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) provided you have achieved the University's required results in one of the English language tests accepted by the University or you have been granted an English language test waiver by your college. When submitting your student visa application, you will not be required to provide additional evidence of your English language ability.

The University's Student Immigration Department provides guidance on:

• the type of visa you may require to study at Oxford
• making your visa application
• paying the Immigration Health Surcharge to access the UK's National Health Service
• your visa status and legal obligations
• travel during your stay
• staying on to work after your studies

Read more about English Language Requirements and visas. 

Applications are assessed by our tutors using the selection criteria for each course. 

As well as looking for academic ability and potential, our tutors are looking for students with a deep interest in the subject they are applying to study. You can find some reading ideas listed for each course in our resources hub. 

Some universities outside of the UK value extra-curricular activities highly and consider these activities when shortlisting candidates. At Oxford, extra-curricular activities are not taken into account when your application is assessed unless they are relevant to the course you are applying for and help to demonstrate the selection criteria for your course. There is advice on how to write about extra-curricular activities in your personal statement on our UCAS application page.

Everyone wants to feel like they fit in and belong in the communities where they live and university is no different. We understand that moving to another country to study can be challenging, especially when you are also studying for a degree and making new friends. 

We are proud to have an increasingly diverse community of students in Oxford, with over 40% of all our students and staff coming from countries outside the United Kingdom. This means that there is a ready-made international community waiting for you when you arrive to help you feel at home and settle into student life at Oxford.

Oxford has a comprehensive approach to student mental health that includes college-based support, such as your personal tutor and college welfare staff. As well as the friends you will make as you settle into Oxford, the University offers a range of wellbeing support for all students, including individual counselling and group workshops, disability assistance, peer support (including Rainbow Peers and Peers of Colour), chaplaincy services and help from the sexual harassment and violence support service.

We are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment where all students feel they belong and can thrive at Oxford. Through our Collegiate University EDI Strategic Plan, we strive to promote equality and celebrate diversity across the collegiate University. Our Equality and Diversity Unit provides guidance and resources to address all forms of discrimination, including racial discrimination, reinforcing our dedication to fostering a supportive and inclusive culture. We also collaborate with student-led groups and networks which play a role in campaigning for and promoting change.

Find out about your country and Oxford. 

Read more about life as an international student. 

Learn more about wellbeing and community at Oxford. 

Read the video transcript.

Oxford colleges are academic and social communities within Oxford that every student is a part of from the beginning of their degree, right up until the end and beyond! All undergraduates belong to a college. Each college’s student body is made up of international students and home students studying a range of subjects, so you will have the chance to get to know students with different backgrounds, experiences and interests. 

College life can help students feel at home when they first arrive and throughout their time at Oxford, especially as most students live in college for at least one year of their degree. All first year undergraduates are offered accommodation in college, so you do not need to worry about finding accommodation before you arrive. Your college will support you with arrangements for accommodation during the vacations between term times, whether that’s providing storage space for your belongings or helping you to extend your stay in Oxford if you are not returning home.

As well as a place to live, colleges can be great social spaces. They put on events that are free or heavily subsidised throughout the academic year. There are also typically a range of facilities to be enjoyed, including a dining hall/cafeteria, student bar and library. Some colleges have prayer spaces and sporting facilities but all students can use the University facilities too.

Find out more about college life. 

Read the video transcript.

There are hundreds of clubs, sports teams, societies, cultural and faith groups to get involved with outside of your studies that will help you to find communities when you are at Oxford. Most of these clubs and societies are free or heavily subsidised.

Every year there is a Freshers' fair for new and returning students where you can find out about existing clubs and societies that you can get involved with, including campaigning, journalism, music, stage and screen, art, sport and volunteering.  With over 400 clubs and societies there is most likely something for everyone, and you can always create a new one if you cannot find what you are looking for. Take a look at our wall of activities to get a flavour of what clubs and societies our students are involved in.

Clubs and societies can be college-based or they can be University-wide, so they are a great way to get to know more students in your college and in other colleges across Oxford. International clubs and societies are also a good way of meeting other students from around the world and from your home country too.

As well as clubs and societies at Oxford that are mostly student-led, there are also a range of international alumni groups across the world. Some of these groups host events for students about to join the university so you may even be able to start making friends before you arrive!

Read the video transcript.

Oxford is a great place to develop your sporting talents or discover new ones. Oxford offers excellent sports facilities including a gym, an all-weather running track, a water-based hockey pitch, a 25-metre swimming pool, a rowing tank, an indoor cricket centre, two full size sports halls, and a dojo, along with provision for association football, tennis and rugby union.

Oxford University also has an Olympic heritage stretching right back to the Games of the first Olympiad in 1896. Our alumni have won over 160 Olympic medals on behalf of nations around the world. Alongside facilities and coaching for high-level sports, the Blues Performance Scheme supports high performance teams and individual athletes at Oxford University to improve their long term performance in sport whilst balancing their academic commitments. Once you are at Oxford, there are also funding awards for individual athletes that you can apply for.

As well as relaxed sports competitions between Oxford colleges, there is the traditional annual Varsity series against Cambridge University that has a long and interesting history, and includes the famous Boat Race between the two universities.

With over 80 sports clubs to choose from at the University it is also a great place to pick up a new sport from scratch or just play for fun and enjoyment. Browse the list of sporting activities at Oxford to see what sports you could get involved in.

Read the video transcript.

Course fees are what you pay for your academic teaching and facilities and they vary across courses. Check the relevant course page for details. Your fee status will determine whether you will need to pay international course fees or home (UK/Republic of Ireland) course fees. 

If you are not sure whether you would qualify for international or home fees, see how your fee status is assessed.

As well as your course fees, you will need to pay for your living costs.

Living costs include food, accommodation, your social activities and any travel back to your home country. You might also want to budget for any travel you would like to do around the UK and/or Europe if you want to explore while you are here!

Oxford tries to help keep down living costs for all students. For example, college social activities, accommodation and meals are usually heavily subsidised and colleges sometimes have grants to help with research or research-related travel. The University is also very well resourced, with over 100 libraries, which means you can borrow many books and academic resources and help reduce your study costs while you are here.

Before you can apply for a scholarship, you will need to be offered a place on one of our undergraduate courses. 

Unfortunately, scholarships for overseas students following undergraduate courses are very limited, which is why we encourage students to explore options for sourcing funding in their home country.

For details of the scholarships available for international students:

• use the Fees, Funding and Scholarship Search providing a list of awards being offered by colleges and departments
• see our Oxford bursaries and scholarships page
• read information on federal loans or funding for students from the USA and Canada
• check college websites directly to see whether they offer any funding opportunities that you can apply for pre arrival
• read our information on external scholarships. 

Our Careers Service can offer you tailored support with your career goals, from applying for internships while at university to applying for graduate jobs.

All Oxford alumni can access the Careers Service's vacancies board, attend University careers fairs and most other Careers events, sign up for the termly Alumni Careers Newsletter, and access our vast online resources.

Recent alumni can also book one-to-one careers advice appointments outside term-time, within two years of their course-end date.

If you would like to stay on in the UK to start work after your studies, for example through the Graduate Route visa scheme, the University's Student Immigration team can provide guidance to you.

Our Careers Service runs a summer Internship Programme which offers hundred of opportunities in locations across the globe, all exclusively available to current, matriculated Oxford students. 

Find out more about our Summer Internship Programme.

Watch and read about former intern's experiences.

Oxford has over 160 regional, identity and interest based alumni groups.

The Oxford Alumni website keeps a map of the regional alumni groups around the world to help you find groups near you to join after graduating. There is also a list of special interest/identity groups, such as the Oxford Black Alumni Network and the Oxford AI Network. The groups are a fantastic resource as they can help you network with likeminded people, find new opportunities and socialise. You are welcome to join as many as you like.

You will also be able to stay connected to Oxford through your college alumni office, the University Alumni Office and via QUAD, our digital alumni magazine that gives you access to news, features, opinion pieces and on-the-ground information about the city of Oxford and the University.

Oxford’s students are international which means so are its alumni! Our alumni number over 375,000 and as an Oxford graduate you will become a member of this global network for life.

Oxford’s graduates can be found in prominent positions across politics, activism, business, academia and the creative arts and many other fields. Over the years, these have included:

Malala Yousafzai, Activist and Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Dr Susan Rice, former National Security Advisor, Head of the Domestic Policy Council (Biden Administration)
Qian Zhongshu (Ch'ien Chung-shu), Academic and Writer
Tim Berners-Lee, Inventor of World Wide Web
Emily Wilding Davison, Female Equality Campaigner
Emperor Naruhito of Japan
Gemma Chan, Actor
Zeinab Badawi, Journalist
Indira Gandhi, India’s first woman Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd, Australian Prime Minister 2007–2010; 2013
John Kufuor, Ghanaian President 2001–09
You can see further listings of inspiring Oxford alumni and read stories from our global alumni as they discuss the impact Oxford had on them, their future plans and careers.