Do you choose a college?

When you make your application to Oxford, you will have the option of expressing a college preference on your UCAS form. But this doesn't mean you are guaranteed to be considered, interviewed or offered a place by the college you specify.

Typically, around a third of successful applicants receive an offer from a college they didn't specify on their application. There are over 30 colleges and halls offering undergraduate courses at Oxford. College campus codes are listed on each college page. This 'reallocation' process helps us ensure that the best candidates, regardless of which college they select, are offered places.

If you can't decide on which college to apply to then you can make an open application. Read more about this below.

All colleges have signed up to a Common Framework for admissions which means the same application process for your course is used at every college. Whichever college you go to, you will be studying for the same degree at the end of your course. Although all undergraduates belong to a college, it is the University of Oxford, not the colleges, which awards degrees.

If you don't have a preference, you are welcome to make an open application on your UCAS form. This will mean that your application will be assigned to a college or hall that has relatively fewer applications for your course in the year you apply.

Around a fifth of applicants make open applications. Tutors have no preference for direct or open applications: they are looking for the best applicants for their course. However, once your application has been allocated to a college, this is final.

If there are any colleges you do not want to go to, you should name a college preference rather than submitting an open application.

Colleges do not specialise in particular subjects and excel in teaching all the subjects they offer. Your lectures, examinations, classes and any practical work will be organised by the academic department(s) who run your course. Tutorial teaching typically takes place in your college and your tutor(s) will oversee your academic development. All undergraduate students at Oxford become members of a particular college, and of their department or faculty as well as the whole University.

Most colleges offer most courses so they don’t specialise, though the Permanent Private Halls (PPHs) offer a smaller range of subjects.

Extracurricular opportunities don’t vary as much as you might think, either – facilities do vary between colleges, but you may be able to use those of another college. You can always join University-wide clubs and societies and use the University’s facilities.

Regardless of which college you belong to, you will be able to mix freely across colleges and have friends over to yours. You will also meet people not at your college in your department and at university-wide events. 

Most students will say their college is the best within a few days of arriving - even if it is not the one they put on their UCAS form!

Check which colleges offer your course.

Competition for places at all Oxford colleges is very strong. None of them are easy to get in to. Some colleges tend to receive more applications for each place than others, but this varies from year to year and subject to subject.

Open applicants are allocated to colleges which have fewer applications in that year. If a college is very oversubscribed for a particular course, shortlisted applicants might be 'reallocated' and invited to interview by another college instead.

Each college interviews roughly the same number of applicants for each place. Many applicants will be interviewed by several colleges during the interview period in December.

If at all possible, come to a University Open Day and look round several colleges. You might also want to look up what outreach programmes and events the colleges you are interested in are running. This will help you decide what college characteristics and facilities are important to you.

Read more about each college on the college pages or on the colleges’ own websites.