The University of Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of the most competitive to get into. In the 2025 admissions round it received about 23,300 applications for around 3,300 undergraduate places, roughly 1 place for every 7 applications. It does welcome students from abroad: Oxford has no quota for international students on any course except Medicine, and about 18.5% of the undergraduates it admitted in 2025 came from outside the EU.
Nobody can guarantee you a place, and Oxford’s process is quite different from American universities like Harvard. Oxford doesn’t look much at extracurricular activities. It chooses students almost entirely on their academic ability and their potential in one subject, using grades, an admissions test, written work for some courses and an academic interview. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on Oxford’s own guidance for undergraduate applicants. If you’re applying for a master’s or DPhil instead, see the section near the end.
1. Choose your course carefully, because you apply for one subject
At Oxford you apply to study one specific course, such as Law, PPE, Computer Science or History, and you study that subject in depth from the first day. There are no general first years and it’s hard to switch later, so pick a subject you genuinely love and want to read about in your free time. Check each course page for the subjects you need at school: Engineering, for example, expects Maths and Physics, while Medicine expects Chemistry plus Biology, Physics or Maths. Some courses, such as Economics and Management or Computer Science, have far more applicants per place than others, so look at the admissions statistics too. Remember that you can’t apply to both Oxford and Cambridge in the same year.
2. Aim for top grades in the qualifications Oxford accepts
Oxford’s offers are among the highest in the UK, usually A*A*A to AAA at A level depending on the course. It accepts many international qualifications, but they must be the right ones:
- The International Baccalaureate Diploma: usually 38 to 40 points including core points, with 6s and 7s in Higher Level subjects. The IB Career-related Programme isn’t accepted.
- US students: courses usually ask for several AP exams at grade 5 together with a high SAT or ACT score. Each department sets its own figures, so check your course page.
- Indian students: Year XII from the CBSE or CISCE boards is accepted with very high grades (for example, A1s in four subjects for CBSE, or 95% or more in four subjects for ISC). State boards, NIOS and the JEE or NEET entrance exams are not accepted.
If your national school-leaving certificate isn’t on Oxford’s list of international qualifications, you may need extra qualifications such as A levels, APs or a foundation year. Check this at least a year before you apply.
3. Read beyond your syllabus
Oxford tutors want to see that you’re curious about your subject beyond what your school teaches. This is often called “super-curricular” activity: reading books and articles about your subject, following lectures and podcasts, entering olympiads or essay competitions, and doing small projects of your own. The point isn’t to make a long list. It’s to think about what you’ve read, form your own opinions and be able to talk about them. Many Oxford departments publish suggested reading lists on their websites, which are a good place to start.
4. Prepare for your admissions test early
Most Oxford courses use an admissions test, and for many applicants it’s the most important hurdle before the interview, because Oxford uses test scores to decide who to shortlist. Since 2026 Oxford uses tests run by UAT-UK and taken on computer at Pearson test centres around the world:
- TMUA (Test of Mathematics for University Admission) for Maths, Computer Science and their joint courses.
- ESAT (Engineering and Science Admissions Test) for courses such as Physics and Engineering Science.
- TARA (Test of Academic Reasoning for Admissions) for courses such as PPE, Psychology and Human Sciences.
- LNAT for Law and UCAT for Medicine, which are booked separately.
For 2027 entry the UAT-UK tests were held on 12 to 16 October 2026, and you had to book in advance, in September. Not every course has a test, so check the summary table of admissions requirements for your course, and use the free past papers and practice materials on the official test websites. Give yourself months of practice, not weeks.
5. Write a focused, academic personal statement
You apply to Oxford through UCAS, and your personal statement is shared with all the universities you choose. Since 2026 entry, the UCAS personal statement has three questions: why you want to study the course, how your qualifications and studies have prepared you, and what else you’ve done outside education to prepare. You have 4,000 characters in total, with at least 350 characters for each answer.
For Oxford, most of that space should be about your subject: what you’ve read, what interested you, what you’ve thought about and why. Activities that aren’t related to your subject matter much less than they would for a US university, so mention them briefly, and only if they show something relevant, like independent study, responsibility or persistence. Be honest, because tutors may ask you about anything you mention at the interview. For tips, read UCAS’s guide on personal statements for international students.
6. Apply on time: Oxford’s deadline is in mid-October
Oxford’s deadline is much earlier than for most UK universities. For 2027 entry, applications had to reach UCAS by 6pm UK time on 15 October 2026, and that date has now passed. If you’re aiming to start in 2028, expect a similar deadline in mid-October 2027. Your school also has to add your predicted grades and a reference before you submit, so ask your teachers early.
In your UCAS application you can name an Oxford college or make an open application, which lets the university assign you to a college. Your choice of college makes very little difference to your chances, because colleges share strong applicants with each other, and some students end up getting offers from colleges they didn’t choose. Pick one you like, or make an open application, and don’t spend too much time worrying about it.
7. Send your best written work, if your course asks for it
Some courses, mostly in the humanities, such as History, English and Classics, ask you to send one or two pieces of written work that you’ve already done at school. For 2027 entry the deadline was 10 November 2026. Choose an essay that shows how you think and argue, not just what you know. It should normally be no more than 2,000 words, it must be your own work in English, and it should be marked by your teacher but not rewritten afterwards. Check your course page for the exact rules.
8. Practise for the interview
If you’re shortlisted, you’ll be invited to interviews in December, which are usually held online for all applicants, wherever you live. Oxford’s interviews are not about your CV. They’re like a short tutorial: tutors will give you a problem, a text, a graph or an idea you haven’t seen before and watch how you think about it. They’re more interested in how you reason than in whether you get the “right” answer quickly.
To prepare, practise thinking out loud and explaining your reasoning to a teacher or friend, revisit what you mentioned in your personal statement, and keep reading around your subject. Listen carefully to hints, and don’t be afraid to say when you’re unsure or to change your mind. Oxford publishes sample interview questions and videos. Decisions for 2027 entry are due on 12 January 2027.
9. Meet the English language requirement
Oxford’s courses are demanding, and all of them now require a high level of English. If English isn’t your first language and you’re not exempt (for example, if you’re from a majority English-speaking country, or you took the IB taught in English), you’ll usually have to prove your level by the deadline in your offer. The standard requirement is IELTS Academic 7.5 overall with at least 7.0 in each part, or PTE Academic 76 with at least 66 in each skill. Oxford has said that TOEFL iBT tests taken from 21 January 2026 aren’t currently accepted while it reviews the new version of the test, so check its English language page before you book. Practise with our 50 free IELTS practice tests and 50 free PTE practice tests.
10. Plan your money and your visa early
Oxford is expensive for international students, and it has much less financial aid for them than the richest US universities:
- For 2027 entry, the annual course fee for overseas students is between £39,620 and £66,580, depending on the course. Medicine is at the top end.
- You also need to pay your living costs, and international students can’t get UK government loans for fees or living costs.
- The Reach Oxford Scholarship covers fees, living costs and one return flight a year for a small number of students from low-income countries who can’t study at home. You must already have an offer to apply, and for 2027 entry the deadline is 26 January 2027.
- Some colleges and departments offer their own scholarships, so check the college websites and Oxford’s bursaries and scholarships page.
Most international students need a UK Student visa. You can apply once you’ve met the conditions of your offer and Oxford has issued your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), and you’ll need to show that you can pay your fees and living costs. After graduating, you can usually stay in the UK to work under the Graduate Route, which is due to be shortened from two years to 18 months for applications made from 1 January 2027. Check the latest rules on GOV.UK before you apply.
Applying for a master’s or DPhil at Oxford?
Graduate admissions work differently. You apply directly to Oxford, not through UCAS, and each course sets its own requirements and deadlines, often between November and January for entry the following autumn. Most courses ask for a strong first degree (usually a UK first-class or high upper-second-class degree, or the equivalent), a statement of purpose, references and sometimes written work, plus an English test for international applicants. Applications made by the earlier December or January deadlines are usually considered for Oxford’s scholarships. See our 50 sample SOPs and our guide to the best AI master’s degrees in the UK.
Be ambitious, but apply to a balanced list
Every year Oxford turns down thousands of excellent students, simply because there are far more strong applicants than places. Apply if you want to, and give it your best effort, but use your other four UCAS choices for universities where your chances are good, and think about options in other countries too. Much of the preparation above, especially reading widely and getting top grades, will help every application you make. If you’re also considering other top UK universities, read our guides on getting into Cambridge and getting into LSE. Our guide to studying in the UK explains how UK universities work, and our free study abroad assessment can help you build a shortlist.
Information was taken from the University of Oxford’s official admissions, fees and English language pages and from UCAS, and checked in October 2026. Admissions rules, deadlines, tests, fees and visa rules can change, so always confirm the details on Oxford’s undergraduate admissions website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with the University of Oxford.