The Queen’s College is a close-knit, friendly college located on the High Street in central Oxford. It admits around 75 graduate students a year across a diverse range of specialisms and offers a range of graduate scholarships – both via the University’s central schemes and directly through the College.
To promote interaction between graduate students and Fellows, seminars are held jointly between the Middle Common Room (MCR) and Senior Common Room (SCR) twice a term. In recognition of the substantial support provided to students by University supervisors, the College hosts an annual supervisors’ dinner.
The Tutor for Graduates (tutor.postgraduates@queens.ox.ac.uk) looks after the academic welfare of graduates and all students have an additional College Advisor, usually with expertise in a field related to their research.
Basic Board and Lodging Information
The following information is for the academic year 2025/2026:
| Daily average room rate (room only): | £24.23 |
| Length of graduate contract: | 313 days on average (contracts vary in length) |
You can expect meal costs to be approximately of the following order (2025/2026):
| Breakfast | £2.99 |
| Lunch | £3.46 |
| Dinner | £5.98 |
Meals
Students gather at meals in Hall to socialise as well as dine. The College Catering Team is keen to provide wholesome meals for all and cater for food allergies or intolerances. Hall meals are subsidised by the College, offered at cost, and provide healthy and varied menus. Most graduate students eat in Hall for some meals and cook any other meals for themselves. 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.
Dinner
Students book on to our two-course dinner online, for which there is a fixed charge. This is done by advance booking by 11am on the day (and by 11am on the Friday prior for Saturday and Sunday dinners).
Provision of Halal and Kosher meals
The College can provide halal and kosher meals for all bookable meals and feasts/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 MCR 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.
College-maintained accommodation
Queen’s has a dedicated accommodation for its graduate students. Please note that the number of rooms is limited and they are in high demand. We operate a waiting list for those who want, and have not got, accommodation.
All graduate accommodation is off-site and the College has supplemented its housing provision for graduate students by renting a number of flats from the private sector.
Commencing students who have requested accommodation and paid their deposit to the College by 1 June will receive an email in the summer (c. July onwards) from the Accommodation Officer (accommodation.office@queens.ox.ac.uk) who will assign accommodation. Once the deadline has passed, the offers of accommodation will continue throughout the summer to include continuing students, until the supply is exhausted.
Bedrooms are allocated to students on a random basis rather than on a first-come, first-served basis. Applicants may indicate a preference for one of the available accommodation locations (see below); however, preferences cannot be guaranteed and are subject to availability and demand.
Room sizes vary across the College’s accommodation portfolio, with some bedrooms offering en-suite facilities, while others have access to shared bathroom facilities.
Accommodation is offered to Graduate Freshers in the first instance, and overall availability is limited.
Graduate accommodation is offered at two different locations in Oxford; contractual process and lengths for each of the properties is described briefly alongside each of the properties below. All students who wish to occupy College accommodation will be required to sign an Accommodation Licence Agreement before keys will be issued for the room or flat.
Wi-Fi is available in all Graduate accommodation. Further information on internet access, connection, and 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 within the accommodation buildings. Payment arrangements vary depending on the building, and information will be displayed in each building’s laundry room.
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.
My graduate accommodation is great – close to beautiful Port Meadow and with easy access to the train station and food shop. The location is relatively quiet, with far fewer tourists than the city centre, but still only 20 minutes from College
MBA student
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 students are managed in accordance with the UUK/GuildHE Accommodation Code of Practice. Please note that this does not apply to the flats in Venneit Close, which are licensed as a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO). Due to the nature of the private sector rental arrangement under which these flats are held, they are not eligible for registration under the Code.
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
Collegiate Accommodation Support Service (CASS)
If you have been unsuccessful in securing accommodation through the College, you can register with the Collegiate Accommodation Support Service (CASS). CASS works across all Oxford colleges to help graduate students and offer holders find suitable alternative accommodation and to connect you with current vacancies and upcoming opportunities.
For more information and to register, please visit CASS website.
Private accommodation
Many graduate students live out (and they do not need permission to do so). We are unable to offer couples or family accommodation. If you are in need of the latter, or simply wish to live out, we recommend you contact the University Graduate Accommodation Office who will help students with their search for private housing, free of charge. The University page on living in Oxford may be useful too.
Disability/accessibility
If you would like to discuss any disability affecting your accommodation needs please contact the Tutor for Graduates (Tutor.Postgraduates@queens.ox.ac.uk) and the Academic Administrator (academic.administrator@queens.ox.ac.uk) so we can ensure we understand your needs.
Queen’s welcomes students with disabilities and can cater for most requirements. In recent years the College has made improvements to its existing facilities in order to improve access for students with disabilities, including a lift to the new library, and level-access toilet facilities adjacent to the Hall for wheelchair users. The College recognises that not all disabilities are visible; candidates who are considering making an application are advised to contact the Tutor for Graduates in advance to discuss their specific needs.
Further information is available about accessibility for the College and disability support at the University.
MCR
The focus of graduate life within College is the lively and international Queen’s College Middle Common Room (MCR), conveniently located in the Front Quad and boasting a comfortable and relaxed environment, complete with TV, DVD, Wii, Wi-Fi, daily newspapers and magazines.
The graduate community is diverse, friendly, sociable and a range of activities, including exchange dinners with other colleges and film nights, are organised over the course of the year by the elected committee.
Students can participate in the weekly guest dinners, music nights, tasting events, debates and discussions of research with the SCR, as well as partake of the regular cake and tea provided by the Student Welfare representatives.
Student life
Queen’s has recently invested in a new library, a new auditorium, and new graduate study facilities on the main site. The College library is open 24 hours during term-time. The current lending library consists of around 50,000 volumes. The College also has a very large and diverse collection of rare books, comprising around 100,000 volumes.
Wi-Fi is provided throughout the main site. Please visit the College IT Blog for further information on internet access, connection, etc.
Graduates have access to all college sports facilities including football, rugby and cricket pitches, tennis courts, a gym and a boathouse.
Queen’s has a strong musical tradition, with facilities to match. The chapel choir has established a reputation as Oxford’s finest mixed-voice chapel choir; The Eglesfield Musical Society, named after the founder of the College, is one of the oldest such societies in Oxford and organises a substantial series of concerts each year; facilities for individual and group rehearsal are available in two Music Practice Rooms, one equipped with grand piano and the other with upright piano and harpsichord.
