Overall Numbers, including Domicile

Overall numbers

• The number of students admitted in 2021 was back to the usual level. The intake in 2020 was higher than normal following the exceptional arrangements for awarding A-levels and other qualifications in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Overall application numbers have risen annually, and by 22.0% since 2017.

Overall applications to Oxford, offers made and students admitted, all domiciles, 2017–2021

Courses with the highest number of applicants per place (all domiciles, three-year total 2019–2021)

*Philosophy, Politics and Economics
**Including Law/Law with Studies in Europe 

A-level grade profile of UK-domiciled students applying to, receiving offers from and being admitted to Oxford (2021 UK intake)

(A-level bands are based on results data obtained from UCAS and include results from the 2021 and 2020 examination rounds. Excludes General Studies and Critical Thinking, and candidates with fewer than three A-level results.)

• While three A grades is Oxford’s minimum standard offer for candidates taking A-levels, many courses – particularly in the sciences – require at least one A* grade.
• More than 77% of applicants and almost 95% of admitted students were awarded A*AA or better at A-level.
• 68.1% of admitted students achieved three A* grades or better at A-level.

Breakdown by Domicile

• Applications from UK students and non-EU students have risen, and applications from EU students have fallen.
• UK-domiciled applicants are substantially more likely to receive an offer of a place to study at Oxford than students from outside the UK.
• The proportion of students admitted who are from the UK has risen to 81.6%.
• Oxford does not operate quotas or targets around the nationality or domicile of students admitted to the University. The exception is Medicine, which is subject to a government restriction on the number of students with international fee status who can be admitted each year.
• The highest number of overseas applications and admitted students was from the People’s Republic of China.

Overall applications to Oxford, offers made and students admitted by area of domicile, 2017–2021

Countries with the highest number of applications and students admitted to Oxford, three-year total 2019–2021

Context

UK universities by domicile of students

*Most recent available national data covers 2019 intake: defined as first-year, first-degree, undergraduate students, academic year 2019/20. Excludes those of unknown domicile. See note on HESA data for full citation.