The Queen’s College

The community at Queen’s is diverse, drawn from every part of the UK, the European Union, and the wider world. Applications are encouraged from anyone who possesses a love of their chosen subject, the desire to take it further, and strong academic potential. Our community is fused early on by the fact that the majority of first-years live together, and the College enjoys open and engaged relations between tutors and students as well as supporting an active graduate community. All this on a beautiful and central site, which has been gradually modernised over the years.

Conscious of the financial difficulties that can face many students today, the Queen’s Hardship Fund provides generous support in cases of need. Grants are also available to facilitate travel for academic purposes and to allow people to stay in Oxford outside term, and a further fund provides additional support for non-academic projects. Good work is rewarded by a system of bursaries.

Queen’s stands prominently on the High Street, within a few minutes’ walk of the Bodleian Library and the University’s Science Area, Christ Church Meadow and the city centre. Buses to London leave from outside the front gates.

Queen’s guarantees accommodation to all students on 3-year courses, and so far has always been able to house students on 4-year courses. Much of the accommodation is ensuite. The recently rebuilt kitchen and servery provide excellent food on a pay-as-you-eat basis, at cost price. Meals are popular social occasions and the servery is also open throughout the morning for tea, coffee, and snacks.

The library contains about 100,000 volumes, including a large collection of rare books of international importance. There is 24-hour access, and separate libraries for Law and Egyptology. We can purchase any additional books required by undergraduates for their studies, and all students receive generous book grants. The 17th-century upper library, one of the finest rooms in Oxford, serves as a reading room for both junior and senior members of the college. Wifi is available throughout the college, and there is a well-equipped printer room for student use.

On the main site, the college has two music practice rooms and a new state-of-the-art auditorium, complete with grand piano. The gardens have recently been relandscaped and provide a space for work and relaxation adjacent to the college bar. The college also has a gym, an extensive sports field by the river, a boathouse and two squash courts. The common room hosts the popular student-run daily JCR Tea.

Successive generations of Queen’s students have proved ever more inventive in entertaining themselves. Drama is always strong, with regular productions by the Eglesfield Players, named after the college’s founder. Music is also a strength: the choir is widely regarded as the finest mixed-voice chapel choir in Oxford, and the Frobenius organ attracts performers of international fame. Sport has always flourished at Queen’s, welcoming both enthusiastic beginners and serious sports players. The student-run Arts’ Week and college-wide Christmas events are yearly hits.