Engineering · Head to head
Every figure on this page is taken from each university's own published requirements and admissions statistics, with the source named underneath.
Both Oxford and Cambridge Engineering are four-year integrated masters courses that use the ESAT and interview all shortlisted candidates. Both are general engineering courses that keep you broad before you specialise, which sets them apart from the discipline-specific degrees offered almost everywhere else. Oxford asks for A* grades in mathematics and physics specifically.
Course requirements last verified for 2027 entry. Editorial review: 2026-08-17.
Oxford and Cambridge do not publish course-level competition the same way. Oxford publishes applicants per place; Cambridge publishes applications and offers, from which the offer rate below is derived. A place and an offer are not the same thing, so read each university's figure on its own terms rather than as a head-to-head score.
Sources
Entry requirements as each university publishes them for 2027 entry. Always confirm against the official course page before you apply, linked underneath.
| Oxford | Cambridge | |
|---|---|---|
| Official course namediffers | Engineering Science | Engineering |
| Degree awardeddiffers | MEng | BA (Hons) / MEng |
| Duration | 4 years | 4 years |
| UCAS course code | H100 | H100 |
| Admissions test | Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT) | Engineering and Science Admissions Test (ESAT) |
| Typical A-Level offerdiffers | A*A*A with A* in Mathematics and Physics | A*A*A |
| Typical IB offerdiffers | 40 with 776 at HL | 40-42 with 776 at HL |
| Required subjects | Mathematics, Physics | Mathematics, Physics |
| Interviewdiffers | 2 interviews, about 25 minutes each | 2 interviews, about 30 minutes each |
| Written work required | No | No |
Oxford
Engineering Science: one broad course covering the main branches before you specialise in the later years.
Cambridge
Engineering: the same principle, with a broad first two years and specialisation afterwards.
What this means for you: This is the shared feature that matters most. If you already know you want, say, aeronautical or civil engineering and want to start it in year one, both Oxbridge courses are a poor fit and other universities serve you better.
Oxford
ESAT, sat in the autumn.
Cambridge
ESAT on the same timetable.
What this means for you: Common ground, so the test cannot decide your choice. What differs is the grade profile each attaches to it.
Oxford
Names the subjects the top grades must fall in, rather than leaving the profile open.
Cambridge
Sets a high headline profile without tying the starred grades to named subjects in the same way.
What this means for you: Read the typical-offer rows below carefully. A candidate predicted the same three grades can be a comfortable fit at one and a marginal one at the other purely on which subject carries the A*.
Oxford
Two interviews working through physical and mathematical problems.
Cambridge
Two slightly longer interviews of the same character.
What this means for you: Both reward candidates who can model a messy real-world situation with school-level physics and maths and talk through the assumptions they are making.
Oxford
A four-year integrated MEng. There is no three-year exit route.
Cambridge
Also four years, but structured so a three-year BA exit exists alongside the MEng.
What this means for you: A small point that becomes a large one if your plans change mid-degree. Oxford commits you to the full four years from the start.
These differences apply whichever subject you apply for.
| Oxford | Cambridge | |
|---|---|---|
| UCAS institution codediffers | O33 | C05 |
| Teaching formatdiffers | Tutorial | Supervision |
| Term structurediffers | 3 eight-week terms (Michaelmas, Hilary, Trinity) | 3 eight-week terms (Michaelmas, Lent, Easter) |
| If your college cannot make an offerdiffers | Reallocation | Winter Pool |
| Extra form beyond UCASdiffers | None | My Cambridge Application (supplementary questionnaire) |
| Interview policydiffers | Oxford interviews approximately 50-60% of applicants overall, though this varies significantly by subject. Most shortlisted candidates receive 2-3 interviews. | Cambridge interviews approximately 75% of applicants overall. Nearly all applicants deemed potentially competitive are invited. Interviews are typically held at the college you applied to. |
The university-level answer changes once you look at the course. Here is the same comparison for the other subjects with published data on both sides.
Free Resource
Oxbridge Application Guide
Entry requirements, test dates and interview formats for both universities, in one plan you can work from.