Data & Insights
Oxbridge Admissions Statistics
Offer rates, application trends, and what the numbers actually mean for your application. Use data to plan strategically, not to be discouraged.
Why Admissions Statistics Matter
Admissions data is one of the most misunderstood parts of the Oxbridge application process. Headline numbers like “only 6% of applicants get an offer for Economics & Management” can be paralysing. But when you look more carefully, the picture is far more nuanced.
Statistics help you understand which subjects are genuinely the most competitive, how college choice affects your odds, and where the real bottleneck is in the process. For some subjects, the admissions test is the main filter. For others, the interview carries more weight. Knowing where the bottleneck is tells you where to focus your preparation.
How to Read These Numbers
Offer rates are not your odds
A 15% offer rate does not mean you have a 15% chance. The pool includes many underprepared applicants. A well-prepared student with strong grades, a good test score, and genuine subject engagement has significantly better odds.
College choice matters
Some colleges receive far fewer applications for the same subject. The pooling system helps balance this, but your initial college choice does affect who interviews you and how many candidates you are compared against.
Trends change year to year
A subject that was highly competitive last year may see fewer applications this year. Do not base your decision on a single year of data. Look at 3 to 5 year trends where available.
The bottleneck varies by subject
For Medicine, the admissions test is the main filter. For English, the interview carries more weight. For Engineering, the ESAT and interview are both critical. Understanding this tells you exactly where to invest your preparation time.
Oxford Offer Rates by Subject
Selected subjects showing applicant numbers and offer rates. Data from official published admissions reports.
| Subject | Applicants | Offers | Offer Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine | 1,847 | 268 | 14.5% |
| Computer Science | 1,085 | 102 | 9.4% |
| Economics & Management | 1,761 | 107 | 6.1% |
| PPE | 2,143 | 279 | 13.0% |
| Law (Jurisprudence) | 1,669 | 248 | 14.9% |
| Mathematics | 1,864 | 343 | 18.4% |
| Engineering Science | 1,237 | 206 | 16.7% |
| Physics | 1,185 | 226 | 19.1% |
| History | 1,237 | 261 | 21.1% |
| English | 1,034 | 250 | 24.2% |
| Chemistry | 789 | 215 | 27.2% |
| Biological Sciences | 498 | 118 | 23.7% |
Source: University of Oxford official admissions statistics (2023 entry cycle. For the latest subject-specific figures (including 2024 cycle data), see our individual admissions guides.). Rates shown here are calculated from applicants and offers in this table.
Cambridge Offer Rates by Subject
Selected subjects from official published admissions reports.
| Subject | Applicants | Offers | Offer Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine | 1,518 | 296 | 19.5% |
| Computer Science | 1,319 | 122 | 9.2% |
| Economics | 1,298 | 169 | 13.0% |
| Natural Sciences | 2,729 | 704 | 25.8% |
| Law | 1,389 | 238 | 17.1% |
| Mathematics | 2,069 | 519 | 25.1% |
| Engineering | 2,002 | 427 | 21.3% |
| HSPS | 739 | 189 | 25.6% |
| History | 582 | 177 | 30.4% |
| English | 692 | 211 | 30.5% |
| Architecture | 421 | 55 | 13.1% |
| Classics | 240 | 114 | 47.5% |
Source: University of Cambridge official admissions statistics (2023 entry cycle. For the latest subject-specific figures (including 2024 cycle data), see our individual admissions guides.). Rates shown here are calculated from applicants and offers in this table.
Strategic Advantage
How We Use This Data
At Oxbridge Mentors, we provide detailed insights into admissions data that most students never see. Understanding statistics when applying to colleges or courses can make a significant difference, as some colleges have historical trends that affect particular groups of applicants differently.
It is particularly useful to inspect admission data broken down by college, course, and admissions test score. For Chinese and other international applicants, this kind of granular analysis often proves essential in building a competitive strategy, as application patterns and success rates can vary significantly by nationality and college.
Contact us to learn more about how we use this data in our consultations.
Book a Free ConsultationOfficial Statistics Sources
We encourage all students to explore the official data directly. Understanding where the numbers come from helps you evaluate them critically.
Oxford Admissions Statistics
Official annual admissions report with data by subject, school type, and region.
Visit official page →Cambridge Undergraduate Data
Official statistics on applications, offers, and acceptances by subject and college.
Visit official page →Oxford Annual Admissions Report (PDF)
Detailed PDF reports including contextual data, interview rates, and demographic breakdowns.
Visit official page →Cambridge Undergraduate Admissions Statistics
Cycle-by-cycle data including offers by college, subject, and applicant background.
Visit official page →About Freedom of Information Requests
In addition to the publicly available admissions reports, some of the more granular data used in our analysis comes from Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, any member of the public can request data from public institutions, including Oxford and Cambridge.
FOI data can reveal details not included in standard reports: breakdowns by individual college, admissions test score distributions, offer rates by nationality, and other metrics that help build a more complete picture of the admissions landscape.
We have conducted our own analysis of these FOI responses to provide more detailed, data-driven consultation for students who want a strategic edge. Contact us to learn more about how we can use this data to inform your application strategy.