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Oxford compared with Cambridge

Head to head

Oxford vs Cambridge

Every figure on this page is taken from each university's own published requirements and admissions statistics, with the source named underneath.

You can only apply to one of Oxford or Cambridge in the same UCAS cycle, so the choice is forced. Cambridge makes offers to a higher share of applicants and interviews far more of them; Oxford shortlists harder before interview. The teaching is functionally the same. In practice the decision should turn on the specific course, not the university.

Course requirements last verified for 2027 entry. Editorial review: 2026-08-17.

The published admissions figures

Both figures are the latest published cycle at each university. Offer rates are derived by dividing offers by applications within the same published row.

University of Oxford

Applications
23,3292025
Offers
3,8912025
Admitted
3,3022025
Offer rate
16.7%2025 · derived: offers ÷ applications in this row

University of Cambridge

Applications
22,5132025
Offers
4,8932025
Admitted
3,6692025
Offer rate
21.7%2025 · derived: offers ÷ applications in this row

Sources

How they actually differ

How many applicants get interviewed

Oxford

Shortlists more aggressively before interview. A larger share of applicants is rejected on paper, so reaching interview is itself a strong signal.

Cambridge

Interviews around three quarters of applicants. Nearly everyone judged potentially competitive is seen in person.

What this means for you: The same rejection means different things at each university. At Cambridge most of the selection happens at and after interview; at Oxford a large part of it happens before you are ever seen.

What happens if your college says no

Oxford

Candidates are reallocated between colleges during the interview period itself, so you may be interviewed by a second college in the same week.

Cambridge

Strong candidates a college cannot take are entered into the Winter Pool in January, where other colleges can make them an offer.

What this means for you: Both systems exist to stop a good candidate being lost to an unlucky college choice. Neither makes your first college choice irrelevant, but both make it much less decisive than applicants assume.

What you have to submit

Oxford

The UCAS form, the admissions test where the course requires one, and written work for most humanities courses.

Cambridge

The same, plus My Cambridge Application, a supplementary questionnaire every applicant completes after applying through UCAS.

What this means for you: Cambridge asks for more information before interview. Budget time for the supplementary form rather than discovering it in late October.

How you are taught once you arrive

Oxford

The tutorial: a weekly session with one to three students and a subject expert, built around work you have prepared.

Cambridge

The supervision: the same format under a different name.

What this means for you: This is the single most over-weighted factor in the decision. The teaching models are functionally identical, so do not choose on this.

Reputational strengths

Oxford

Generally regarded as the stronger destination for humanities and social sciences, and the home of PPE.

Cambridge

Generally regarded as the stronger destination for STEM, and the home of Natural Sciences.

What this means for you: These are reputational generalisations, not rankings of teaching quality. They matter far less than whether the specific course structure suits you.

Course structure

Oxford

Subjects are usually applied for and studied as named degrees from year one.

Cambridge

Several sciences are entered through Natural Sciences, where you specialise later, and courses run as Triposes with staged parts.

What this means for you: If you are certain of your science subject, Oxford lets you commit immediately. If you are not, the Cambridge Natural Sciences route buys you a year of options.

The two admissions systems

These differences apply whichever subject you apply for.

Oxford and Cambridge admissions systems compared
 OxfordCambridge
UCAS institution codediffersO33C05
Teaching formatdiffersTutorialSupervision
Term structurediffers3 eight-week terms (Michaelmas, Hilary, Trinity)3 eight-week terms (Michaelmas, Lent, Easter)
If your college cannot make an offerdiffersReallocationWinter Pool
Extra form beyond UCASdiffersNoneMy Cambridge Application (supplementary questionnaire)
Interview policydiffersOxford 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.

Which should you apply to?

You can only apply to one in the same UCAS cycle, so this is a decision you have to make before 15 October rather than one you can defer.

Lean Oxford if

  • You want a humanities or social science degree, particularly PPE, which has no Cambridge equivalent.
  • You know exactly which science you want to read and would rather commit to it from year one than take a broad first year.
  • Your application is strongest on paper: predicted grades, test score and written work all clearly competitive.

Lean Cambridge if

  • You want a STEM degree, especially one reached through Natural Sciences.
  • You are unsure which science to specialise in and want a first year that keeps several open.
  • You interview well and would rather be seen in person than filtered on paper.

What should not decide it

Prestige should not decide this. The two universities sit alongside each other in every serious ranking, employers do not meaningfully separate them, and no admissions tutor has ever been impressed by an applicant who picked their university on reputation alone. Choose on the course.

Compare subject by subject

The university-wide picture is only the start. Admissions tests, typical offers and interview formats all move by subject.

MedicineOxford vs CambridgeMathematicsOxford vs CambridgeLawOxford vs CambridgeEngineeringOxford vs CambridgeComputer ScienceOxford vs CambridgeHistoryOxford vs Cambridge

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Frequently Asked Questions

No. You cannot apply to both Oxford and Cambridge in the same admissions cycle. You must choose one. The only exception is for Organ Scholars.
On the published figures Oxford makes offers to a smaller share of applicants than Cambridge, so Oxford is the harder admit at university level. But the university-wide number tells you very little: the gap between subjects at one university is far wider than the gap between the two universities. Compare the course, not the institution.
Less than applicants think. Both universities run mechanisms that move strong candidates between colleges, Oxford by reallocating during interviews and Cambridge through the Winter Pool in January. Your college choice affects who interviews you and how large a field you are compared against, but it rarely decides the outcome on its own. An open application is a perfectly respectable choice.
Compare the actual courses. The admissions test, the typical offer, the interview format and the shape of the degree all differ by subject, sometimes substantially, even where the course names match. The subject comparisons linked on this page set the two side by side using each university's own published requirements.
Sometimes, and the overlap has grown. For 2027 entry both use the TMUA for Mathematics and Computer Science, the ESAT for Engineering, the UCAT for Medicine and the LNAT for Law. Where they differ it is usually in what sits alongside the test: Cambridge, for example, adds STEP papers to the conditional offer for Mathematics.
Only if that is also where you want to study. The difference in offer rates is real but modest, and it is swamped by how well your application fits the specific course. A well-matched application to the harder university beats a lukewarm one to the easier.

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