A prospective undergraduate can apply to only one of Oxford or Cambridge in the same year, so the practical decision usually rests on which course each offers, or teaches differently, together with the college system, the format of small-group teaching, and any admissions test specific to the chosen course. The table below sets out the main points of comparison.
Both are collegiate universities, so an application to either involves choosing a subject and, in most cases, a college, with teaching split between small-group sessions and university-wide lectures. The comparison that follows works through how the college systems, terms, teaching formats, courses, application steps, admissions tests and interview timetables differ, since the right choice depends more on the specific course than on the university as a whole.
| Oxford | Cambridge | |
|---|---|---|
| Colleges | More than 30 colleges and halls; every undergraduate belongs to one | 29 undergraduate Colleges; every undergraduate belongs to one |
| Small-group teaching | Tutorials, which typically take place in the college with academic tutors | Supervisions of usually one to three students, arranged by the College |
| Terms | Michaelmas, Hilary and Trinity, each with an eight-week Full Term | Michaelmas, Lent and Easter, each with an eight-week Full Term |
| UCAS deadline | 6pm (UK time) on 15 October | 6pm (UK time) on 15 October |
| Extra application step | Written work for some courses | My Cambridge Application for most courses |
| Admissions tests | ESAT, TMUA, TARA, UCAT or LNAT for some courses | ESAT, TMUA, UCAT or LNAT for some courses; college assessments for others |
| Interviews | Online, in early to mid-December, for shortlisted applicants | Most in the first three weeks of December, online or in person by College |
| Applications | 23,329 | 22,513 |
| Offers | 3,891 | 4,893 |
| Students admitted or accepted | 3,302 | 3,669 |
How do the Oxford and Cambridge college systems compare?
Oxford is made up of more than 30 colleges and halls, and every undergraduate belongs to one; Cambridge has 29 undergraduate Colleges, which provide accommodation and support for almost all students for at least three years.
Cambridge Colleges decide which applicants to admit, and each Cambridge student is assigned a Director of Studies and a Tutor by their College.
What's the difference between Oxford tutorials and Cambridge supervisions?
Oxford teaches undergraduates through personalised tutorials, classes and lectures alongside independent study, with tutorial teaching typically taking place in college with academic tutors. Cambridge's faculties and departments run the lectures, seminars and practicals, while the College arranges supervisions: small groups of usually one to three students meeting a supervisor for around an hour.
A Cambridge supervision is prepared for through reading, set questions or an essay, is not assessed, and the supervisor changes according to the topic being studied, so a student works with different supervisors over the course.
How do Oxford and Cambridge terms compare?
Oxford's academic year runs across three terms, Michaelmas, Hilary and Trinity, each built around an eight-week Full Term that forms the main teaching period. Cambridge's year is also split into three terms, Michaelmas, Lent and Easter, each with its own eight-week Full Term, and Cambridge sets an expectation that students work a minimum of 35 hours a week during term time.
Which courses does only Oxford or only Cambridge offer?
Oxford offers Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Economics and Management, and History and Economics, but runs no single-honours Economics course; Cambridge offers single-honours Economics and has no PPE course. Cambridge teaches the sciences through a single Natural Sciences course, covering multiple science subjects, where Oxford runs separate Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Biochemistry and Earth Sciences courses.
- Cambridge only: Architecture, Veterinary Medicine, Education, Human, Social, and Political Sciences, Environment Law and Economics (formerly Land Economy)
- Oxford only: Fine Art, Human Sciences
- Both universities: Law, Medicine, Mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering, English, History, Classics, Music, modern languages
What are the application steps and extra forms for Oxford and Cambridge?
Most applicants to Cambridge must complete its My Cambridge Application form within a week of the UCAS deadline. Oxford asks for written work for some courses, sent to the applicant's college in early November. Both universities accept an open application from students who do not want to name a college; Cambridge allocates open applications to a College.
What admissions tests do Oxford and Cambridge use?
Oxford uses the ESAT, TMUA, TARA, UCAT and LNAT for particular courses, and every other Oxford course has no admissions test. Cambridge uses the ESAT, TMUA, LNAT and UCAT for particular courses too, and also sets a College admission assessment, which needs no advance registration, for many arts and social science courses; Cambridge does not test applicants to Archaeology, Education, Environment Law and Economics, History of Art or Theology. Whichever university the application is for, the ESAT and TMUA are sat in the same October sitting.
How do interviews and decisions work at Oxford and Cambridge?
Oxford shortlists applicants from the end of November and holds interviews online in early to mid-December, with decisions issued in January. Cambridge Colleges mostly send interview invitations in November, and most interviews take place in the first three weeks of December, held online or in person depending on the College, with outcomes issued in late January. A Cambridge College may also pass a strong applicant to another College for further consideration.
What do the numbers show, and how do you decide between Oxford and Cambridge?
The decision usually comes down to the course: since a candidate can only apply to one university in a cycle, checking which one offers the preferred subject, or teaches it in the preferred way, such as Natural Sciences against single sciences, or PPE against single-honours Economics, narrows the choice before anything else is weighed. From there, the college system, the teaching format, the admissions test required and the interview and decision timetable can inform a final choice.
Oxford publishes, on each course page, the share of applicants interviewed and offered a place as three-year averages, while Cambridge publishes applications, offers and acceptances by course for each cycle; course-by-course rates for both are set out in the linked guides on this site. Overall totals do not show which university is easier to get into, because the mix of courses differs between them: in Oxford's most recent admissions round there were 23,329 applications, 3,891 offers and 3,302 students admitted, while Cambridge's most recent cycle had 22,513 applications, 4,893 offers and 3,669 acceptances.
Related guides
- Oxford acceptance rates by subject
- Cambridge acceptance rates by subject
- Oxbridge application guide
- Oxford and Cambridge admissions tests
- Oxbridge personal statement guide
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the UCAS deadline for Oxford and Cambridge applications?
- Both universities share the same UCAS closing time: 6pm UK time on 15 October. Applicants cannot apply to both in the same year, so the choice between them, usually made on the course, has to be settled before submitting.
- Does either Oxford or Cambridge have easier admissions?
- Neither university's overall admissions figures show one as easier to get into than the other, because each has a different mix of courses, and course-level demand varies far more than the university-wide totals suggest. Course-by-course figures are a more useful guide than any headline total.
- What happens if a Cambridge College doesn't have space for a strong applicant?
- A Cambridge College that cannot offer a place to a strong applicant may pass that application to another College for further consideration. This sits within Cambridge's usual admissions timetable, where most interviews take place in the first three weeks of December and outcomes for every applicant are issued in late January, regardless of which College ultimately reviews the case.
- Do Oxford and Cambridge admissions tests happen on the same day?
- Where both universities use the same test for a course, such as the ESAT or the TMUA, it is sat in the same October sitting whichever university the application is for. Tests used by only one of the two, such as Oxford's TARA or Cambridge's College admission assessment, follow that university's own arrangements.
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