Accommodation and meals

Undergraduate accommodation

Queen’s can offer College accommodation to all undergraduates for the duration of their course. This means that your Accommodation Licence allows for occupancy just during the terms, when you are required to be resident in Oxford, and you are only charged for these periods. For most students this is about half the year. Generally, this ends up costing much less than it would cost to pay a 12-month lease in privately rented accommodation. However, for some students there are advantages to living out, especially if they wish to remain in Oxford over the vacations. The information below is all correct for the academic year 2025-26.

Incoming undergraduates are automatically allocated a room; you do not need to do anything to apply for accommodation. Bedrooms are allocated at random from the accommodation reserved for undergraduate freshers (see the next section).

Accommodation from the second year of study onwards is allocated via the Ballot process, which is managed by the JCR.

We charge the same rate for all undergraduate college rooms: £1,669 per term. Room sizes vary across the College’s accommodation portfolio, with some bedrooms offering en-suite facilities, while others have access to shared bathroom facilities.
All rooms are equipped with a bed, a desk, a desk chair and a wardrobe. There may also be additional storage space or furniture. 

Wi-Fi is available in all undergraduate accommodation. Further information on internet access and connection, as well as a helpful checklist to support your initial IT set-up, can be found on the College IT Blog.
Wi-Fi and utilities are included in the accommodation charge and are not billed separately.
Laundry facilities are available, and payment arrangements are displayed in the buildings’ laundry rooms.

Smoking, e-cigarettes and vaping are not permitted inside any of the buildings, accommodation, cloisters or gardens. Car parking is not permitted for students at any of the College sites. You can find College rules and further information here.

If you are looking for postgraduate accommodation, please visit our Graduate Facilities page.

Where will I be housed?

All first-year undergraduates will be housed in main College. Rooms in Carrodus Quad are en suite, while Front Quad rooms and rooms in Drawda Hall, Little Drawda, and Bell have shared bathrooms. Every room in main College has a mini fridge. 

In subsequent years, you will be housed either in Main College, or in one of the College annexes, located around the city. These include St Aldates House (15 minutes’ walk from main College), the Cardo Building (15 minutes’ walk) and the James Street Building (16 minutes’ walk). Students in their 2nd, 3rd and 4th years are welcome to choose to ‘live out’ of College if they prefer. 

There is a Kitchen Fixed Charge which is paid termly by all students and contributes towards the College kitchen running costs, and allows us to offer meals at lower prices. This is paid by students living in as part of their accommodation charges, and is a separate charge for those who live out. Kitchen fixed charges for students living out per term, are £41.99 (for 2025 – 2026).

Main College rooms

Carrodus Quad rooms

Cardo Building rooms

James Street rooms

St Aldate’s House rooms

Reducing costs: sharing and small rooms

We do not force any students to share rooms or sets. However, some students may choose to do so, within certain regulations. Doing this will reduce the termly charge to £1,312. We also have a few smaller rooms that we offer to those who want to reduce their charge. They are offered at a cost of £1,383. Please note, this option is only available to students who have completed their first year.

UUK/GuildHE Accommodation Code of Practice (UK)

The UUK/GuildHE Accommodation Code of Practice (ACOP) is a sector-wide framework developed by Universities UK and GuildHE that sets out nationally recognised standards for the management of student accommodation in the United Kingdom. The Code establishes requirements relating to health and safety, property maintenance and repair, fire safety, management practices, contractual clarity, and student wellbeing.

The College confirms that the accommodation buildings it offers to undergraduate students are managed in accordance with the UUK/GuildHE Accommodation Code of Practice.

Compliance with the Code provides assurance that accommodation is safe, properly maintained, and administered in line with established sector standards. You can find more information on www.accommodationcode.ac.uk

Food

Queen’s is a fully catered College, which means that most students come to our meals on a regular basis, turning them into very social occasions! Hall meals are subsidised by the College, offered at cost, and provide healthy and varied menus, including vegetarian and vegan options.  We provide catering as the basis for all students’ meal provision and student kitchens are available for some, but not all, in College accommodation. Queen’s is one of the few colleges in Oxford to attain Fairtrade accreditation.

Breakfast and lunch

Breakfast is served in the main Hall. Both breakfast and lunch are offered on a “pay-as-you-eat” basis with you helping yourself to what you would like in the Servery, and then being charged per item. We always offer a wide range of food and cater for special dietary requirements.

JCR Tea

Fancy a break at 4pm? Every weekday during term-time the students put on their own JCR Tea, with tea, toast, snacks etc. being offered for mere pennies in the Common Room. A popular choice for those who need a social break!

Dinner

Students book on to our two-course dinner online, for which there is a fixed charge.

We also provide meals at weekends, with the three-course Saturday Formal Dinner being very popular with our students and their guests.

The prices below are for 2025-2026:

Provision of Halal and Kosher meals

The College can provide halal and kosher meals for all bookable meals and formal dinners. Any student wishing to discuss the details of the provision for them should consult the kitchen by email.

Ramadan

When Ramadan falls in term time, students can collect a meal to reheat in the JCR microwave once you have opened your fast. You can come through the Servery with a takeaway container between 17.45 and 18.45 Monday to Friday to collect a meal.

You can also request a breakfast pack to be collected; please email kitchen@queens.ox.ac.uk to let them know which dates you’d like one.