Oxford, University of

University of Oxford

Age: Over 900 years

History: Oxford can lay claim to nine centuries of continuous existence. It has no clear date of foundation, but teaching has existed there in some form since 1096 and developed rapidly from 1167, when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris. The first international scholar was Emo of Friesland, who arrived in 1190, and the oldest colleges - University, Balliol and Merton - were founded between 1249 and 1264. All of Oxford's 38 colleges now admit both men and women.

Address: Spread across the city, its dreaming spires, meadows, quadrangles, chapels and museums have inspired writers from Chaucer to Iris Murdoch.

Ambience: The oldest and probably the most famous university in the English-speaking world, Oxford is a vast, sprawling institution. Lovely buildings date from every century.

Vital statistics: Life centres around the 38 autonomous colleges where 11,700 undergraduates and 9,300 postgraduates live, socialise and are taught. Private school and southern students are perhaps over-represented but efforts are being made to change that.

Added value: An Oxford degree opens doors to jobs. Its graduates have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country.

Easy to get into? Are you kidding? Entrance based on conditional offers, usually no less than AAA at A-level. And then there's the interview for shortlisted applicants to test whether you are 'Oxford material'.

Glittering alumni: 26 British PMs including including the current one; at least 30 international leaders; 47 Nobel Prize winners; 7 current holders of the Order of Merit; at least 12 saints and 20 Archbishops of Canterbury; and some 50 Olympic medal winners; scientists Richard Dawkins and Stephen Hawking; a huge number of writers including Aldous Huxley, Lewis Carroll, JRR Tolkien, Evelyn Waugh, CS Lewis, John le Carré, John Fowles.

Transport links: On yer bike. Oxford is flat and small enough. Excellent bus and rail services to London.

Who's the boss? Professor Andrew Hamilton, formerly provost of Yale University, succeeded Dr John Hood as vice-chancellor in October 2009.

Teaching: Rated 2nd out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Research: Came 2nd out of 115 in the Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: Ranked 2nd out of 114 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: Cheap beer in college bars. Most colleges have expensive annual balls.

How green is it? Not good - Oxford came joint 103rd out of 142 universities in People and Planet’s 'Green League 2011'.

Any accommodation? College accommodation is readily available. Students usually 'live-in' at their college for at least two years of their course. Prices vary by college.

Cheap to live there? Rent is a little above average, so if living in privately-rented accommodation expect to pay around £80 to £100 per week and about the same for college accommodation. College bars are heavily subsidised, though.

Sports ranking: 10th in the BUCS league.

Fees: £3,375 per year for full-time undergrads starting in 2011. Oxford plans on charging between £3,500 and £9,000 per year as of 2012.

Bursaries: In 2012, students with a household income of less than £25,000 will recieve significant fee waivers. There are also bursaries of up to £3,250 available to students from low income families.

Prospectus: 01865 288 000; www.ox.ac.uk

UCAS code: O33