What the degree is called
Oxford
Jurisprudence. The name is historical; it is a qualifying law degree like any other.
Cambridge
Law.
What this means for you: The naming confuses applicants every year. It signals nothing about content or standing.
Law · Head to head
Oxford vs Cambridge for Law
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 Law use the LNAT, both interview, and both run a three-year academic law degree under the same UCAS code. Cambridge asks for the higher headline grade profile. Oxford calls its degree Jurisprudence, which is a historical name rather than a difference in content. Neither requires a Law A-Level, and neither expects you to have read legal textbooks before you arrive.
Course requirements last verified for 2027 entry. Editorial review: 2026-08-17.
How competitive is Law at each?
Oxford and Cambridge do not publish course-level competition the same way.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.
University of Oxford
- Applicants per place
- 8.812025
University of Cambridge
- Applications
- 1,3892023
- Offers
- 2382023
- Offer rate
- 17.1%2023 · derived: offers / applications
Sources
- Oxford Law Admissions Report 2025-2026 · University of Oxford (Faculty of Law)
- Cambridge Undergraduate Admissions Statistics, 2023 cycle (June 2024) · University of Cambridge
The two courses side by side
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 | Law (Jurisprudence) | Law |
| Degree awarded | BA (Hons) | BA (Hons) |
| Duration | 3 years | 3 years |
| UCAS course code | M100 | M100 |
| Admissions test | Law National Aptitude Test (LNAT) | Law National Aptitude Test (LNAT) |
| Typical A-Level offerdiffers | AAA | A*AA |
| Typical IB offerdiffers | 38 with 666 at HL | 40-42 with 776 at HL |
| Required subjects | No specific subjects required | No specific subjects required |
| Interviewdiffers | 2 interviews, about 20 minutes each | 2 interviews, about 25 minutes each |
| Written work required | No | No |
How they actually differ
The LNAT
Oxford
Required, and used alongside academic record to decide who is shortlisted.
Cambridge
Required on the same timetable.
What this means for you: The test is common ground, so it cannot be the deciding factor. What differs is how heavily each shortlist leans on it relative to grades.
The interview
Oxford
Two shorter interviews built around reasoning from an unfamiliar legal problem or statute handed to you.
Cambridge
Two slightly longer interviews of the same type.
What this means for you: In both cases you are being tested on how you argue, revise your position under pressure, and handle a rule you have never seen. Legal knowledge is not the point.
Subject requirements
Oxford
No specific A-Level subjects required.
Cambridge
No specific subjects required either, at a higher headline grade profile.
What this means for you: Essay subjects help because they build the argumentative writing both courses assume, but neither university mandates them and neither requires Law A-Level.
The two admissions systems
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. |
Compare another subject
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.
Read the full guides
Free Resource
Oxbridge Application Guide
Entry requirements, test dates and interview formats for both universities, in one plan you can work from.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Neither Oxford nor Cambridge requires Law A-Level, and neither gives you credit for having taken it. Essay-based subjects are more useful preparation because both courses are built on written argument.
Yes. Both Oxford and Cambridge require the LNAT for Law, registered and sat in the autumn before you apply.
Only the name. Oxford calls its undergraduate law degree Jurisprudence for historical reasons. Both are qualifying law degrees and both are academic rather than vocational.
Practice reasoning aloud from rules you have not seen before. Interviewers typically hand you a short statute or problem and watch how you apply it, push back, and revise. Reading widely about the law helps; memorising legal facts does not.