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Balliol College

UCAS campus code: O

Balliol led the way in turning Oxford into a place open to all on merit. The diverse student body is arguably one of the most active in the University.

Contact details

Undergraduate Admissions Administrator: Victoria Holt
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 (0) 1865 277765 or +44 (0) 1865 277777
Website: www.balliol.ox.ac.uk (including a full list of academic staff)

entrance to Balliol College

About us

With a large number of tutorial fellows, Balliol has a reputation for academic excellence alongside a friendly atmosphere and lively spirit of intellectual debate.

Centrally located on Broad Street, the college is close to laboratories, lecture theatres, libraries and shops.

Balliol offers a wide range of subject societies, sports and cultural activities which allow students to get to know each other and enjoy their leisure time.

College accommodation is available to undergraduates throughout their course. College life is subsidised in many ways: the college offers pre-payment meal deals which provide excellent value for money; eligible students can apply for a wide range of maintenance and hardship grants, and special funds for research and travel.

The College has a strong and engaged welfare team, led by our Welfare Lead, and runs a range of wellbeing activities for students during term time.

If you are hardworking, passionate about your subject, and ambitious to excel, you will find like-minded people here whatever school or cultural background you come from.

Read more on the college website.

Year founded: 1263
Student numbers: Undergraduate 399; Postgraduate 302

Balliol is…

'…excellent tuition in a really supportive environment.'
Nicholas

'…the tutorials. My favourite thing is that I can talk about maths for a couple of hours with a world leading expert and just one tutorial partner.'
Sulaiman

'…there to support me. In my second year I needed a Student Maintenance Grant and a short-term loan, which . . . really helped with living costs.'
Isis

'…really central, it has really great academic, social and sporting facilities, which makes it a pretty amazing place to live and study.'
Beattie

College living

Don't see your course listed?

Check out a full listing of which colleges offer each undergraduate course.

Which Oxford colleges offer my course?

Where you'll find us

Balliol stands on Broad Street in the city centre, just metres from the Bodleian Library and a short walk or cycle ride from University academic departments. Its modern annexe is a 5-minute walk away on Jowett Walk.

Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3BJ

Virtual tour

Access Balliol

Our outreach events and programmes offer a chance for you to meet us and discover what studying here might be like. You will also learn about our admissions process and how to submit a strong application.

Oxford University Cloisters

Visit Oxford

Our 2026 undergraduate Open Days will be held on 1 and 2 July and 18 September.

Plan your visit

University-wide outreach

Visit the University's outreach event calendar to view upcoming outreach events. Please note that some events may require advance booking or have specific eligibility criteria.

Outreach event calendar

What else should you think about when choosing a college?

Students walking in an Oxford college

College overview

Our colleges are at the heart of Oxford's reputation as one of the best universities in the world and make it a very special place to study and live.

teacher and two students at a tutorial

College facilities

All Oxford colleges offer the same excellence in teaching, but they do vary in terms of their size, location and facilities.

Oxford City skyline

Do you choose a college?

Not exactly. You can put a college's campus code on your UCAS form to specify a preference but you might still be shortlisted and offered a place by another college.

Oxford skyline showing the Radcliffe Camera

College listing

Oxford University is made up of more than 30 different colleges or small academic communities with distinct characteristics but similar facilities. Undergraduate students are members of a college, their subject department and the University.  

Ready to find out more about applying?

Read our step-by-step application guide.

Guide for undergraduate applicants