Pembroke College
The main quad of Pembroke College.

Pembroke College

About the college

Pembroke is a lively, supportive and ambitious intellectual community. The college is home to a diverse body of students who share a common passion for their subjects.

Our strong interdisciplinary ethos and collaborative environment encourages undergraduates, graduates and academic staff to work together. We create opportunities for collaboration across all levels, enriching students' studies with a broader outlook on the world. 

We are a close-knit community and want Pembroke to feel like home, whatever your background of experiences. We are committed to creating an accessible and inclusive environment where students can flourish and we offer extensive welfare provision for a variety of circumstances and needs.

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Pembroke offers undergraduate students accommodation for at least three years of their degree, either on Main Site or at our accommodation annexe by the river, a 10-minute walk away.

Our Main Site includes:

  • our historic dining Hall where daily meals are served as well as special formals to celebrate Diwali, Christmas, Eid, Burns Night and more
  • a well-equipped 24-hour library
  • a popular on-site café perfect for brunches, coffees, or a space to work with friends
  • an auditorium used to host special lectures and student performances
  • a multi-faith prayer room
  • an art collection and gallery proudly owned and managed by our Junior Common Room (JCR)

Students enjoy a wide range of extracurricular activities and societies at Pembroke, and are supported to set up their own and try new things. Our active and diverse alumni network provides career advice and contacts for current students, as well as delivering regular talks and events. 

Students have access to:

  • generous book grants for humanities and social science students
  • study skills tutoring and mentoring with graduate students
  • travel grants
  • scholarship awards for high academic performance
  • awards and grants for sports, music and student societies
  • We also provide support funds for those facing financial difficulty. 

Read more on the college website and in Pembroke's digital prospectus.

Pembroke is...

'…truly special. It is not simply an incredible academic institution where you are given the tools and freedom to grow intellectually and delve into areas of study both exciting and new, but is also an environment which in being so caring and warm, aids and allows you to develop your passions and ‘self’ beyond the curriculum, at every turn.'
Carolina

'… a close community that makes you feel at home right from the start of Freshers' Week and has made my past four years at Pembroke the best years of my life.'
Jessica

'…supportive staff and students. Come with an open mind – I’m involved in projects and societies that I would never have envisaged being part of prior to Oxford.'
Isabel

'… superbly helpful in letting you develop, be it by funding internships or helping organise extra-curricular events. Pembroke gives all that and much more.'
Michael

College facilities

Visit our College Facilities page to compare facilities across different colleges.

College accommodation

Accommodation

College availability

All first years on siteYes
Usually offered for three yearsYes
Usually offered for all yearsYes
Usually offered for first year and one other yearYes
Some vacation storage for international studentsYes

Catering

Catering type

College availability

Dining hallYes
BarYes
CaféYes

Facilities

Facility type

College availability

Gym on siteNo
BoathouseYes
Library open 24/7Yes
Computer rooms/stationsYes
Wi-Fi throughout collegeYes
Music roomYes
Theatre/performance spaceYes
ChapelYes
Multi-faith prayer roomYes

Clubs and societies

Club / society

College availability

Music societyYes
Orchestra(s)Yes
Choir(s)Yes
Dramatic societyYes
College student magazine/paperYes
Some subject societiesYes
Other societiesYes

College outreach

Link areas

In order to ensure that all areas of the UK are fully supported by the University of Oxford, our colleges are working together to establish Oxford for UK, a series of regional outreach programmes offering tailored and local support to students of mixed ages, their parents and teachers.

Getting in touch with the college linked to your region has no influence on your chances of being accepted to this or any other particular college. You are also very welcome to get in touch with any other college for advice about applying or studying here.

Pembroke College is part of Oxford for North West.

Link Local Authorities

Bolton
Bury
Cheshire
Cheshire East
Cheshire West and Chester
Halton
Rochdale
Warrington
Wigan
 
Hammersmith and Fulham

Outreach programmes

OxNet

Led by Pembroke College, OxNet is an established Access initiative run collaboratively between participating colleges at the University of Oxford, as well as other higher education institutions and a network of Hub secondary schools/colleges in West London, the North West and North East of England.

OxNet’s national network of Hubs work with multiple Link Schools in their respective areas of the UK and maintain long-term strategic relationships. This direct relationship enables OxNet to sit at the heart of local communities, championing local interests and needs.

OxNet delivers six academically intensive programmes for a group of the ‘most academically able’ Year 12 pupils from across our target regions, with the aim of:

  1. Challenging pupils to think beyond the curriculum in a critical, flexible and independent manner
  2. Raising academic resilience, confidence and curiosity
  3. Developing pupils’ skills in time management and multitasking
  4. Preparing pupils for the realities of undergraduate-level study at a research-intensive institution
  5. Showcasing the variety of subjects on offer at degree-level and the importance of interdisciplinary learning
  6. Demystifying the tutorial method and preconceptions of College life.

OxNet’s six academic programmes for Year 12 pupils are:

  1. Humanities & Social Sciences
  2. Languages
  3. English
  4. Science
  5. Philosophy & World Religions
  6. Heritage-360.

Participation in one of the year-long programmes includes:

  • a parent/carer event;
  • a Study Skills Day;
  • a 6-week Seminar Series;
  • an Easter Essay Competition;
  • a Twilight Talks Series;
  • and a week-long residential at Pembroke College known as Access Week, which seeks to emulate ‘a week in the life of an Oxford undergraduate.’

In the North West, we also maintain the OxNet Youth Scholars programme from Key Stages 2-5, which aims to cultivate pupils’ academic curiosity through a sustained programme of enriching academic activities. The programme is designed to broaden academic horizons, subject knowledge and perceptions of education. This work is delivered collaboratively between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, as well as a number of local schools across Rochdale, Bury and Bolton, and is supported by a range of local companies, including the Rochdale Development Agency.

OxNet also works closely with its sister organisation, CredOx, which aims to ensure a data-driven, evidence-based approach to both our access work and our admissions strategy, in addition to focusing on delivering defined outcomes rather than preserving existing process.

Contact

Access and Outreach at Pembroke

 +44 (0) 1865 276412
 [email protected]
 www.pmb.ox.ac.uk

Postal Address:
Pembroke College
St Aldate's, Oxford OX1 1DW

Outreach events

Visit the University's Outreach event calendar to view upcoming outreach events. Please note that some events may require advance booking or have specific eligibility criteria.