UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD ACCEPTANCE RATE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN 2022

Oxford University needs no introduction to anyone conversant with the rankings of the world’s best universities. Besides being a top-notch research university, Oxford University is one of the world’s leading universities known for stiff competition among admission seekers. If you fall into the category of foreigners seeking admission to any of the best universities in the United Kingdom, chances are that Oxford University is your topmost choice.

It is a well-known fact that Oxford University has a low acceptance rate for international students due, in part, to the fact that numerous people from different countries apply to the university every year. Notwithstanding that fact, you could be lucky to gain the university’s admission as an international student. To help you learn your chances of gaining Oxford University’s admission, we have come up with genuine information about the prestigious university’s acceptance rate for international students.

Oxford University is an England-based academic institution with a remarkable history as the English-speaking world’s oldest university. It is a seat of learning believed to have remained active across centuries. Oxford University doesn’t seem to have any specific year of establishment but history reckons that as far back as 1096, teaching was taking place in the seat of learning.

General University of Oxford Acceptance Rate

Due to the stiff competition for its admission slots by thousands of applicants, the University of Oxford is unarguably one of the prestigious universities with low acceptance rates.

Despite the low (general) acceptance rate of 17.5%, applicants who meet all of Oxford University’s stipulated requirements (particularly for their preferred academic programs) can stand a high chance of gaining admission to the university.

While the general acceptance rate for Oxford University hovers around 17.5%, the university is actually believed to have differing acceptance rates for select applicants or programs. Therefore, individuals applying to the University of Oxford may want to know if there’s a particularly different acceptance rate for their preferred program. In other words, and based on verifiable statistics observed over the years, Oxford University’s acceptance rates for certain programs/applicants seem lower or higher than the 17.5% general acceptance rate.

University of Oxford Acceptance Rate for International Students

From the statistics gathered about Oxford University’s acceptance rate for international applicants, it is clear that the competition is stiff for all foreigners. This is partly due to the fact that Oxford University is one of the world’s best universities with numerous applicants from different countries of the world.

Nonetheless, the University of Oxford boasts a considerable population of international students who hail from different countries of the world. According to reliable data, international students account for one-third of Oxford’s student population. Also, these international students are from more than 150 countries of the world.

At the University of Oxford, the acceptance rate for international students is estimated as 17%.

University of Oxford Acceptance Rate for U.S. Citizens

As regards the acceptance rate for Americans, you may recall we noted earlier that Oxford University has differing acceptance rates for select applicants/programs. On that wise, Oxford University’s acceptance rate for U.S. citizens appears considerably low at a rate of 9%. This rate is only slightly above half the general acceptance rate of Oxford University, meaning that Americans have low chances of gaining admission into Oxford University.

Regardless of how low the acceptance rate for Americans appears, it is common knowledge that Oxford University is generally competitive for all international students.

University of Oxford Undergraduate Acceptance Rate

To figure out Oxford University’s undergraduate acceptance rate, we have come up with a table showing the university’s total number of applications, offers provided and students admitted for undergrad programs over a five-year period. The table separately reveals the relevant data for each of the years over the stated period.

While the table above shows the undergraduate acceptance rates over five years (2014—2018), we have estimated Oxford University’s undergraduate acceptance rate as 17.3%, which we arrived at by calculating the average of the undergrad acceptance rates for the five years.

University of Oxford Graduate Acceptance Rate

Before providing an estimate of Oxford University’s graduate acceptance rate, it is noteworthy to briefly discuss the two main categories of graduate programs offered by the university.

The graduate programs at Oxford University come under any taught programs and research programs. Students enrolled in taught programs often take various optional and core courses. While the coursework for taught programs entails attending conferences and seminars, the students are further mandated to write and submit dissertations. In evaluating the students enrolled in these programs, exams written, dissertations submitted and the coursework undertaken may be considered.

The students enrolled in the (graduate) research programs are placed under supervisors. They are required to work under the guidance of their supervisors, especially in the conduct of research. The students are equipped with specific research skills through exposure to courses that teach such skills. Also, they attend various lectures and seminars which form part and parcel of the activities that help them complete the research degree.

The supervisors extensively provide the students with academic guidance on research projects, the nature of the research, and recommendations for the project execution with respect to the expected standards and the methods of data collection.

To figure out the University of Oxford’s graduate acceptance rate, we considered the number of applications for the university’s taught postgraduate programs as well as the offers provided in 2019/20. For the given year, Oxford University received 20,605 postgraduate (taught) applications while the number of offers was 6,152. From these figures, we can estimate Oxford University’s graduate (taught) acceptance rate as 29.8% (approx. 30%).

Oxford University’s Law School Acceptance Rate

Oxford University’s Law School –officially known as the Faculty of Law, Oxford University –is a seat of learning which has remained vibrant in teaching and writing law for more than 800 years. This law faculty notably falls under the Social Sciences Division of Oxford University.

Oxford’s Law School offers both undergrad and graduate courses, through eminent faculty fellows dedicated to their responsibility of imparting academic instruction to law students.

Besides cementing its footing as one of the world’s most prestigious law schools, Oxford University’s Law School boasts Britain’s largest doctoral program in Law. With Law being one of the highly competitive academic disciplines at Oxford University, it is unsurprising that the acceptance rate for Oxford’s School of Law is as low as 8%.

What You Need to Know as an International Applicant

Beyond the common knowledge that all applicants to Oxford University must meet certain requirements, the international applicant needs to find out how they can stand a high chance of gaining the university’s admission.

Generally, there are (specific) qualification requirements for whatever program –or academic course –you’re applying for at Oxford University. These requirements essentially include the subject requirements for the international applicant’s preferred course of study, the minimum GPA and the school-leaving qualifications considered acceptable (probably as per UK standards).

Helpfully, here is the link to the page where you can learn the specific requirements for your preferred course. Also, you should click the link here to find out the list of acceptable qualifications for Oxford University admission.

If, after finding out Oxford University’s acceptable qualifications, you discover that your qualifications aren’t included, it is very likely that Oxford University doesn’t recognize the school-leaving qualifications in your country. To learn about how you can handle a situation like this, we recommend you contact Oxford University via ox.ac.UK/ask to seek professional advice from them.

Other Important Things to Note about the University of Oxford

Oxford University’s applicants are required to have completed 360 points

As part of its admission requirements for a full degree, Oxford University prioritizes that applicants complete as many as 120 points at Level 1 (which is the same as a student’s first year pursuing a degree program at a traditional university). Since the same number of points is required at levels 2 and 3, an applicant must have completed (or been studying to complete) 360 points ahead of their application to Oxford University.

Oxford University’s admission is hard but not to the extent (some) people think

According to Mike Nicholson who is Oxford University’s head of undergrad admissions, gaining Oxford’s admission isn’t as hard as (some) people think, considering that each place has an average of five applications.

Oxford University seems to maintain strict GPA requirements for applicants

Although depending on your chosen program or course of study, the required minimum GPA to get into Oxford is 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. While this GPA requirement appears quite high, it’s worth noting that the majority of Oxford University’s departments stipulate a higher GPA of at least 3.7 on the 4.0 scale.

Conclusion

To really stand a chance of gaining Oxford University’s admission as an international student, you need to meet all the admission requirements stipulated by the university. It is for this reason that we have provided you with a link to the page outlining the specific requirements for courses at Oxford University as well as another link to the page spelling out the university’s acceptable qualifications.