Why Queen’s?
If you are already considering Oxford, you can choose to list a College preference on your UCAS application, or to submit an ‘open application’, which means that you will be allocated to a College.
Here’s why we think Queen’s is a great place to live and study:
Queen’s admits around 100 students per year, with a total of c. 350 students making up the whole undergraduate student body. You will get to know most people in your year group, and recognise familiar faces around College, creating a friendly community atmosphere.
What I really love about Queen’s is the community here, everyone wants you to succeed, and people are always happy to chat about quite literally anything.
– Courtney, Medicine student
At Queen’s, you will be guaranteed accommodation for all three or four years of your undergraduate course. All first-year undergraduates live on the main site or in Carrodus Quad next door, meaning that you have easy access to everything you need to settle into Queen’s and to make friends for life.
Check out the ‘Accommodation and Meals‘ page for further details about current room prices and to see details of each of our accommodation buildings.
Most first-years have ensuite accommodation which is LUSH, and the rooms are pretty decent too!
– Alina, Biology student
Mealtimes are social occasions at Queen’s! We are a fully catered College, offering three meals a day during the week. Weekend brunch and Sunday roasts are particular favourites amongst our students!
You can see our current meal prices on the ‘Accommodation and Meals‘ page.
Tucked away just behind the High Street are the beautiful, peaceful gardens. Think of these as your back garden while you are a student here!
You will often find students eating lunch, studying, or hanging out in the gardens during the summer. Some of our current students say that the gardens are the reason why they chose Queen’s!
It’s such a privilege to be able to study not just in a beautiful place, but surrounded by people who encourage and support you no matter what.
– Sam, French and German student
The Queen’s College Library is one of the most beautiful in Oxford, with three reading rooms to choose from. Which will be your favourite study spot – a wood-panelled nook in the Upper Library, a seat overlooking the gardens in the Lower Library, or spot in the modern New Library?
Queen’s has a lending collection of over 50,000 books, with new volumes added all the time.
Read more about how the library can support your studies.
Queen’s prime high street location means that you are just a stone’s throw from University departments and faculties, and Oxford city centre. The direct bus route to central London even stops right outside the College!
Queen’s is home to Oxford’s oldest music society, a range of subject-related societies, and sports teams for beginners and competitive players alike. There is something for everyone at Queen’s.
Through the JCR (Junior Common Room, a.k.a. the undergraduate student body), there are plenty of clubs to join, social events to attend, and opportunities to get involved and to make friends across different years and subjects.
I’ve joined netball and ISoc (Islamic Society), which hold lots of social events as well as helping me stay active.
– Mehreen, Medicine student
Queen’s is committed to providing a setting within which every student can flourish and fulfil their potential. Our welfare team are on hand to offer support and guidance throughout your studies.
Students can also apply for a range of grants and awards to meet essential academic costs, as well as to support extracurricular activities including sports, arts, and music.
If you are a bit stuck with how to choose a college, check out these useful FAQs on the University of Oxford website. Colleges are more similar than they are different and – as Arashk says in the video below – nearly every student will say that their College is the best one!
Why not visit during an Open Day, to meet current students and tutors? Our student-led virtual tour will give you a sense of the real day-to-day of Oxford students – from spaces they use on a daily basis, to academic workload and class schedules. Check it out below.
Reasons to choose Oxford
You may have heard some myths about what it is like to study at Oxford. You can come from any walk of life and feel at home here. Here are some of the reasons why you might consider applying to the University of Oxford, and what some of our current students love about being at Oxford:
If you’re really interested in a course here, apply! There’s so much to gain, and not much to lose. Also, don’t worry about having all the answers to interview questions – no one does! For my course, I found my interviewers were much more interested in my thought process when tackling questions than in any specific knowledge I had, so focus on articulating your thoughts as clearly and systematically as possible. – Ottillie, Psychology and Linguistics
You don’t lose anything by applying so give it a shot! Make sure you genuinely enjoy your subject as this can make the whole application process feel less daunting. If you have passion for your subject, Oxford is the place for you! Treat your interview as a fun and interesting conversation and, most importantly, be yourself! – Alina, Biology
I chose to study history at Queen’s because of how interdisciplinary the subject is: it has been described by one of my tutors as essentially ‘the humanities course’, as you get to do a bit of everything. Oxford has a wide range of geographic, periodic, and thematic approaches to history which means you can study whatever interests you most. – Heather, History
Academic experience
At Oxford, we care about your intellectual curiosity, your capacity to learn, and your ability to think and work independently. Oxford students are all very passionate about the subject and the course that they are studying.
Your course may also have specific criteria, including subject and grade requirements at A-level (or equivalent). Our selection criteria for each individual course is available to view on the University website.
Tutorial system
Oxford’s small group teaching is based around academic conversations, usually between two or three students and their tutor, who is an expert on that topic. It’s your chance to talk in-depth about your subject and to receive personalised attention and individual feedback from academic experts. It’s one of the things that sets Oxford apart.
College life
Oxford is a collegiate university, made up of more than 30 different colleges. Each has its own character, but similar facilities. Your college will be your home for the three or four years of your undergraduate studies; our collegiate system makes Oxford a very special place to study and live.
