Colleges of the University of Oxford
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The University of Oxford has 36 colleges, three societies, and four permanent private halls (PPHs) of religious foundation.[1] The colleges and PPHs are autonomous self-governing corporations within the university.
These colleges are not only houses of residence, but have substantial responsibility for teaching undergraduate students. Generally tutorials (one of the main methods of teaching in Oxford) and classes are the responsibility of colleges, while lectures, examinations, laboratories, and the central library are run by the university. Students normally have most of their tutorials in their own college, but often have a couple of modules taught at other colleges or even at faculties and departments. Most colleges take both graduates and undergraduates, but several are for graduates only.
Undergraduate and graduate students may name preferred colleges in their applications. For undergraduate students, an increasing number of departments practise reallocation to ensure that the ratios between potential students and subject places available at each college are as uniform as possible. For the Department of Physics, reallocation is done on a random basis after a shortlist of candidates is drawn upon and before candidates are invited for interviews at the university.[2]
For graduate students, many colleges express a preference for candidates who plan to undertake research in an area of interest of one of its fellows. St Hugh's College, for example, states that it accepts graduate students in most subjects, principally those in the fields of interest of the fellows of the college.[3]
A typical college consists of a hall for dining, a chapel, a library, a college bar, senior, middle (postgraduate), and junior common rooms, rooms for 200–400 undergraduates, and lodgings for the head of the college and other dons. College buildings range from medieval to modern, but most are made up of interlinked quadrangles or courtyards, with a porter's lodge controlling entry from the outside.
The first modern merger of colleges was in 2008, with Green College and Templeton College merging to form Green Templeton College.[4] The number of PPHs also reduced when Greyfriars closed in 2008[5] and when St Benet's Hall closed in 2022.[6] Reuben College, established in 2019,[7][8] is the first new Oxbridge college since 1990, when Kellogg College was established.[9] There is also a long-term plan to establish another new postgraduate college in conjunction with the redevelopment of Warneford Hospital in east Oxford, with a planning application lodged in August 2025.[10]
History
The collegiate system arose because Oxford University came into existence through the gradual agglomeration of numerous independent institutions. Over the centuries several different types of college have emerged and disappeared.
Monastic halls
The first academic houses were monastic halls. Of the dozens established during the 12th–15th centuries, none survived the Reformation. The modern Dominican permanent private hall of Blackfriars (1921) is a descendant of the original (1221), and is sometimes described as heir to the oldest tradition of teaching in Oxford.
Academic halls
As the university took shape, friction between the hundreds of students living where and how they pleased led to a decree that all undergraduates would have to reside in approved halls.
What eventually put an end to the medieval halls was the emergence of colleges. Often generously endowed and with permanent teaching staff, the colleges were originally the preserve of graduate students. However, once they began accepting fee-paying undergraduates in the 14th century, the halls' days were numbered. Of the hundreds of Aularian houses (from the Latin for "hall") that sprang up, only St Edmund Hall (c. 1225) remains.
Colleges
The oldest colleges are University College, Balliol, and Merton, established between 1249 and 1264, although there is some dispute over the exact order and precisely when each began taking students. The fourth oldest college is Exeter, founded in 1314, and the fifth is Oriel, founded in 1326.
Women's colleges
Women entered the university in 1879, with the opening of Lady Margaret Hall and Somerville College, becoming members of the University (and thus eligible to receive degrees) in 1920. Other women's colleges before integration were St Anne's, St Hilda's and St Hugh's. In 1974 the first men's colleges to admit women were Brasenose, Hertford, Jesus, St Catherine's and Wadham.[11] By 2008 all colleges had become mixed, although one of the Permanent Private Halls, St Benet's Hall, did not start to admit postgraduate women until Michaelmas term 2014 and women undergraduates until Michaelmas 2016.
Postgraduate and mature colleges
Some colleges, such as Kellogg, Linacre, Nuffield, St Antony's, St Cross and Wolfson only admit postgraduate students. All Souls admits only fellows. Harris Manchester is intended for "mature students" with a minimum age of 21.[12] The newest college of the University, Reuben College, was established in 2019 as graduate-only, enrolling its first students in 2021 using the premises of the Radcliffe Science Library.[13]
Societies
Kellogg, Reuben and St Cross are the only Oxford colleges without a royal charter. They are officially societies of the university rather than independent colleges[14] and are considered departments of the university for accounting purposes.[15]
Private halls
The Oxford University Act 1854 and the university statute De aulis privatis (On private Halls) of 1855, allowed any Master of Arts aged at least 28 years to open a private hall after obtaining a licence to do so.[16] One such was Charsley's Hall.[17]
Permanent private halls
The Universities Tests Act 1871 opened all university degrees and positions to men who were not members of the Church of England (subject to safeguards for religious instruction and worship), which made it possible for Catholics and Non-conformists to open private halls.
The first Catholic private halls were Clarke's Hall (now Campion Hall), opened by the Jesuit Order in 1896 and Hunter Blair's Hall (later St Benet's Hall) opened by the Benedictine Order in 1899.[18][19] In 1918, the university passed a statute to allow private halls which were not run for profit to become permanent private halls, and the two halls took their current names.[18]
Map
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List of colleges
| College (with arms and scarf colours) | Latin name | Year of foundation | Sister college at Cambridge | Total assets[20] | Financial endowment[20] | Undergraduates[21] |
Postgraduates[21] |
Visiting students[21] |
Male students %[21] |
Female students %[21] |
Total students[21] |
Assets per student |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 All Souls College | Collegium Omnium Animarum,[22] Collegium Omnium Animarum Fidelium Defunctorum de Oxonia | 1438 | Trinity Hall | £546,604,000[23] | £501,226,000[23] | 0 | 9 | 0 | 56 | 44 | 9 | £51,711,000 |
 Balliol CollegeScarf colours: navy, with two equally spaced triple-stripes of white, purple and white again
|
Collegium de Balliolo,[22] Collegium Balliolensis | 1263 | St John's College | £147,546,000[24] | £123,435,000[24] | 385 | 343 | 1 | 60 | 40 | 729 | £202,000 |
 Brasenose CollegeScarf colours: black, with two narrow yellow stripes a fifth of a scarf-width in from either edge
|
Collegium Aenei Nasi,[22] Aula regia et collegium aenei nasi | 1509 | Gonville and Caius College | £179,827,000[25] | £151,293,000[25] | 360 | 234 | 3 | 52 | 48 | 597 | £301,000 |
 Christ Church[note 1]Scarf colours: navy, with two sets of narrow triple stripes a quarter scarf-width in from either edge, each set of triple stripes of red, white and brown from left to right
|
Aedes Christi,[22] Ecclesia Christi Cathedralis Oxon: ex fundatione Regis Henrici Octavi | 1546 | Trinity College | £830,291,000[26] | £816,253,000[26] | 455 | 225 | 0 | 49 | 51 | 680 | £1,221,000 |
 Corpus Christi CollegeScarf colours: five equal stripes alternating navy and dark red, with navy at the edges and in the centre
|
Collegium Corporis Christi[22] | 1517 | Corpus Christi College | £191,539,000[27] | £166,841,000[27] | 258 | 98 | 2 | 59 | 41 | 358 | £535,000 |
 Exeter CollegeScarf colours: black, with two purple stripes each a quarter of the scarf wide, separated from one another by a central black area itself a quarter of the scarf wide
|
Collegium Exoniense[22] | 1314 | Emmanuel College | £130,995,000[28] | £74,876,000[28] | 343 | 233 | 26 | 50 | 50 | 602 | £218,000 |
 Green Templeton CollegeScarf colours: navy, with a wide central stripe of green, and a narrow yellow stripe through each of the navy areas to either side
|
Collegium Green Templeton[22] | 2008 | St Edmund's College | £102,808,000[29] | £1,143,000[29] | 90 | 439 | 0 | 57 | 43 | 529 | £194,000 |
 Harris Manchester CollegeScarf colours: navy, with a wide central stripe of red, and a narrow yellow stripe through each of the navy areas to either side
|
Collegium de Harris et Manchester[22] | 1786 College: 1996 | Homerton College | £40,301,000[30] | £14,371,000[30] | 115 | 150 | 0 | 49 | 51 | 265 | £152,000 |
 Hertford CollegeScarf colours: burgundy, with two narrow stripes of red lined with white a quarter scarf in from either edge
|
Collegium Hertfordense,[22] Collegium Hertfordiense | 1282 College: 1740 | None | £79,183,000[31] | £60,552,000[31] | 410 | 236 | 31 | 49 | 51 | 677 | £117,000 |
 Jesus CollegeScarf colours: green, with a central narrow white stripe, and two slightly thinner white stripes one fifth of a scarf-width in from either edge.
|
Collegium Jesu,[22] Collegium Ihesus | 1571 | Jesus College | £308,251,000[32] | £259,938,000[32] | 358 | 189 | 1 | 53 | 47 | 548 | £562,501 |
 Keble CollegeScarf colours: navy, with two red stripes a fifth of a scarf-width in from either edge, each stripe divided by a white pinstripe
|
Collegium de Keble,[22] Collegium Keblense | 1870 | Selwyn College | £128,578,000[33] | £50,313,000[33] | 422 | 369 | 4 | 60 | 40 | 795 | £162,000 |
 Kellogg CollegeScarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced stripes of medium-blue edged with white
|
Collegium de Kellogg[22] | 1990 Renamed: 1994 | None | N/a[note 2] | N/a[note 2] | 0 | 1155 | 0 | 62 | 38 | 1155 | N/A |
 Lady Margaret HallScarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced stripes of yellow, each edged with a thinner stripe of white on the left-hand side only
|
Aula Dominae Margaretae[22] | 1878 | Newnham College | £64,477,000[34] | £36,279,000[34] | 405 | 212 | 24 | 47 | 53 | 641 | £101,000 |
 Linacre CollegeScarf colours: two equally-spaced thin yellow stripes separating the outer two-thirds of black and the central third of grey
|
Collegium de Linacre[22] | 1962 | Hughes Hall | £43,288,000[35] | £27,854,000[35] | 0 | 587 | 0 | 52 | 48 | 587 | £74,000 |
 Lincoln CollegeScarf colours: dark blue, with two pairs of sky-blue tramline stripes one quarter of a scarf-width in from either edge
|
Collegio Lincolnensi,[22] Collegium Lincolniense | 1427 | Downing College | £161,414,000[36] | £124,437,000[36] | 312 | 302 | 3 | 51 | 49 | 617 | £262,000 |
 Magdalen College[note 1]Scarf colours: black, with two equally-spaced wide bands of white
|
Collegium Beatae Mariae Magdalenae[22] | 1458 | Magdalene College | £985,756,000[37] | £817,931,000[37] | 405 | 205 | 10 | 45 | 55 | 620 | £1,590,000 |
 Mansfield CollegeScarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced pairs of thin tramline stripes, the left pinstripes in each pair of yellow and the right of red
|
Collegium de Mansfield[22] | 1886 College: 1995 | Homerton College | £30,307,000[38] | £14,627,000[38] | 239 | 173 | 40 | 55 | 45 | 452 | £67,000 |
 Merton CollegeScarf colours: purple, with two narrow white stripes a quarter of a scarf-width in from either edge
|
Collegium de Merton,[22] Domus sive collegium scholarium de Merton in universitate Oxon. | 1264 | Peterhouse | £419,586,000[39] | £387,676,000[39] | 314 | 188 | 0 | 52 | 48 | 502 | £836,000 |
 New CollegeScarf colours: brown, with two equally-spaced narrow white stripes
|
Collegium Novum,[22] Collegium Beatae Mariae Wynton in Oxon. | 1379 | King's College | £363,303,000[40] | £303,324,000[40] | 418 | 295 | 10 | 55 | 45 | 723 | £502,000 |
 Nuffield CollegeScarf colours: black, with two equally-spaced stripes of dark-red edged with yellow
|
Collegium de Nuffield,[22] Collegium Nuffield | 1937 | None | £263,017,000[41] | £239,159,000[41] | 0 | 95 | 0 | 54 | 46 | 95 | £2,769,000 |
 Oriel CollegeScarf colours: dark blue, with two equally-spaced pairs of narrow white tramlines
|
Collegium Orielense[22] | 1326 | Clare College | £105,618,000[42] | £86,524,000[42] | 323 | 200 | 5 | 54 | 46 | 528 | £200,000 |
 Pembroke College[note 1]Scarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced stripes of grey edged with pearl-pink
|
Collegium Pembrochiae,[22] Collegium Pembrochianum | 1624 | Queens' College | £176,001,000[43] | £85,547,000[43] | 390 | 250 | 30 | 51 | 49 | 670 | £263,000 |
 The Queen's CollegeScarf colours: navy, with a wide band of white through the centre, and a white pinstripe through each of the two remaining navy areas
|
Collegium Reginae[22] | 1341 | Pembroke College | £426,250,000[44] | £327,789,000[44] | 336 | 177 | 1 | 51 | 49 | 514 | £829,000 |
 Reuben College | Collegium de Reuben[22] | 2019 Renamed: 2020 | None | N/a[note 2] | N/a[note 2] | 0 | 330 | 0 | 330 | N/A | ||
 St Anne's CollegeScarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced stripes of red edged with grey
|
Collegium Sanctae Annae[22] | 1879 College: 1952 | Murray Edwards College | £66,634,000[45] | £40,574,000[45] | 439 | 352 | 37 | 50 | 50 | 828 | £80,000 |
 St Antony's CollegeScarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced wide bands of yellow, and a thin red stripe through each yellow band
|
Collegium Sancti Antonii[22] | 1950 College: 1963 | Wolfson College | £72,393,000[46] | £44,741,000[46] | 0 | 443 | 0 | 49 | 51 | 443 | £163,000 |
 St Catherine's CollegeScarf colours: maroon, with two equally-spaced narrow stripes of purple edged with sky-blue
|
Collegium Sanctae Catherinae[22] | 1868 College: 1962 |
Robinson College | £142,129,000[47] | £104,305,000[47] | 505 | 428 | 50 | 55 | 45 | 983 | £125,000 |
 St Cross CollegeScarf colours: navy, with two narrow double-stripes a quarter of a scarf-width in from either edge, the left of each double-stripe of white and the right of purple
|
Collegium Sanctae Crucis[22] | 1965 | Clare Hall | N/a[note 2] | N/a[note 2] | 0 | 545 | 0 | 55 | 45 | 545 | N/A |
 St Edmund HallScarf colours: maroon, with two equally-spaced mustard pinstripes
|
Aula Sancti Edmundi[22] | 1278 College: 1957 | Fitzwilliam College | £87,027,000[48] | £68,248,000[48] | 396 | 296 | 40 | 57 | 43 | 732 | £119,000 |
 St Hilda's CollegeScarf colours: navy, with three equally-spaced stripes of white
|
Collegium Sanctae Hildae[22] | 1893 | None | £119,647,000[49] | £56,592,000[49] | 399 | 183 | 0 | 49 | 51 | 582 | £206,000 |
 St Hugh's CollegeScarf colours: Two narrow double-stripes a fifth of a scarf-width in from either edge, the left of each double-stripe of white and the right of yellow, with the background areas to the left of each double-stripe of blue, and to the right of black, such that a black and a blue area meet in the centre of the scarf.
|
Collegium Sancti Hugonis[22] | 1886 | Clare College | £69,374,000[50] | £34,934,000[50] | 425 | 366 | 1 | 56 | 44 | 792 | £88,000 |
 St John's College[note 1]Scarf colours: black, with three equally-spaced thin stripes, the central stripe of red and the outer stripes of yellow
|
Collegium Divi Joannis Baptistae,[22] Collegium Sancti Johannis Baptistae | 1555 | Sidney Sussex College | £891,197,000[51] | £779,833,000[51] | 425 | 250 | 5 | 51 | 49 | 680 | £1,311,000 |
 St Peter's CollegeScarf colours: green, with two narrow yellow stripes a quarter of a scarf-width in from either edge
|
Collegium Sancti Petri,[22] Collegium Sancti Petri Juxta Ballium | 1929 College: 1961 | None | £78,172,000[52] | £47,030,000[52] | 356 | 215 | 21 | 54 | 46 | 592 | £132,000 |
 Somerville CollegeScarf colours: red, with two equally-spaced narrow black stripes
|
Collegium de Somerville,[22] | 1879 | Girton College | £223,804,000[53] | £83,663,000[53] | 425 | 209 | 0 | 50 | 50 | 634 | £353,000 |
 Trinity CollegeScarf colours: navy, with two narrow white stripes a quarter of a scarf-width in from either edge
|
Collegium Sacrosanctae Trinitatis,[22] Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis in Universitate Oxon. ex Fundatione Thomae Pope Militis | 1555 | Churchill College | £193,684,000[54] | £164,267,000[54] | 299 | 135 | 0 | 54 | 46 | 434 | £446,000 |
 University CollegeScarf colours: navy, with two narrow yellow stripes a quarter of a scarf-width in from either edge
|
Collegium Magnae Aulae Universitatis[22] | 1249 | Trinity Hall | £209,052,000[55] | £125,489,000[55] | 394 | 224 | 0 | 59 | 41 | 618 | £338,000 |
 Wadham CollegeScarf colours: black, with two grey-blue stripes a quarter of a scarf-width in from either edge, each stripe edged with a yellow pinstripe on the right-hand side only
|
Collegiun de Wadham,[22] Collegium Wadhami | 1610 | Christ's College | £142,812,000[56] | £105,237,000[56] | 466 | 208 | 30 | 51 | 49 | 704 | £203,000 |
 Wolfson CollegeScarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced stripes of red edged with yellow
|
Collegium de Wolfson[22] | 1966 College: 1981 | Darwin College | £95,187,000[57] | £60,395,000[57] | 0 | 581 | 0 | 52 | 48 | 581 | £141,000 |
 Worcester CollegeScarf colours: black, with two equally-spaced pearl-pink stripes
|
Collegium Vigorniense[22] | 1714 | St Catharine's College | £87,218,000[58] | £48,324,000[58] | 438 | 179 | 30 | 50 | 50 | 647 | £135,000 |
| Total[note 1] | £9,219,135,000[59] | £7,125,220,000[59] | 12,375 | 13,650 | 570 | 49 | 51 | 26,595 | £347,000 |
- The net assets, endowment figures and student figures for St John's College, Pembroke College, Christ Church, Magdalen College and the university total have been updated based on the latest financial statements (year ended 31 July 2025) and student figures.
- The financial statements of Kellogg College, Reuben College and St Cross College, due to their not having Royal Charters, are incorporated into the university's own accounts.
List of permanent private halls
| U=Undergraduates • P=Postgraduates • V=Visiting students • M=Male students • F=Female students • T=Total students | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Latin name | Foundation | Sister hall at Cambridge |
Religious affiliation |
Total assets |
Financial endowment |
U [21] |
P [21] |
V [21] |
M% [21] |
F% [21] |
T [21] |
Assets per student |
 Blackfriars Hall | Domus Fratrum Praedicatorum[22] | 1221 Refounded: 1921 PPH 1994 | None | Catholic (Dominican) | N/a[note 1] | N/a[note 1] | 3 | 21 | 11 | 57 | 43 | 44 | N/a |
 Campion Hall | Aula Privata de Campion[22] | 1896 | None | Catholic (Jesuit) | N/a[note 2] | N/a[note 2] | 0 | 12 | 0 | 100 | 0 | 12 | N/a |
 Regent's Park College | Collegium de Principis Regentis Paradiso,[22] Collegium de Principis Cum Regentis Paradiso | 1752 Move to Oxford: 1927 PPH: 1957 | Lucy Cavendish College | Baptist | £29,024,000[60] | £7,820,000[60] | 155 | 118 | 17 | 48 | 52 | 290 | £100,083 |
 Wycliffe Hall | Aula de Wycliffe,[22] Aula Wiclefi | 1877 | Ridley Hall | Anglican | £9,364,000[61] | £560,000[61] | 65 | 40 | 53 | 51 | 49 | 158 | £59,000 |
| Total | £25,860,000 | £4,080,000 | 270 | 247 | 78 | 53 | 47 | 517 | £50,000 | ||||
- Blackfriars Hall is operated by the English Province of the Order of Preachers, part of the Dominican Order, who also run several priories and other charitable operations. The hall does not have assets or endowments specific to it that shown in the order's accounts.
- Campion Hall is one of several institutions operated by the Society Of Jesus Trust Of 1929 For Roman Catholic Purposes. The hall does not have assets or endowments specific to it that are shown in the society's accounts.
Arms and colours
Each college and permanent private hall has its own arms, although in some cases these were assumed rather than granted by the College of Arms. Under King Henry VIII Oxford colleges were granted exemption from having their arms granted by the College of Arms; and some, like Lady Margaret Hall, have chosen to take advantage of this exemption, whilst others, such as Oriel, despite having used the arms for many centuries, have recently elected to have the arms granted officially.
The blazons below are taken from the Oxford University Calendar[62] unless otherwise indicated. Shields are emblazoned as commonly drawn, and notable inconsistencies between blazons and emblazons (the shields as drawn) are indicated.
Each college also has its own colours used on items such as scarves and rowing blades.
| College | Arms | Blazon | Scarf | Blades |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Souls College | |
Or, a chevron between three cinquefoils gules. | ||
| Balliol College | |
Azure a lion rampant argent, crowned or, impaling gules, an orle argent. |  | |
| Brasenose College | |
Tierced in pale: (1) Argent, a chevron sable between three roses gules seeded or, barbed vert (for Smyth); (2) or, an escutcheon of the arms of the See of Lincoln (gules, two lions of England in pale or, on a chief azure Our Lady crowned seated on a tombstone issuant from the chief, in her dexter arm the Infant Jesus, in her sinister arm a sceptre, all or), ensigned with a mitre proper; (3) quarterly, first and fourth argent, a chevron between three bugle-horns stringed sable; second and third argent, a chevron between three crosses crosslet sable (for Sutton).[a] |  | |
| Christ Church | |
Sable, on a cross engrailed argent, a lion passant gules between four leopards' faces azure, on a chief or a rose of the third, seeded or, barbed vert, between two Cornish choughs proper. |  | |
| Corpus Christi College | |
Tierced per pale: (1) Azure, a pelican with wings endorsed vulning herself or; (2) Argent, thereon an escutcheon charged with the arms of the See of Winchester (i.e. gules, two keys addorsed in bend, the uppermost or, the other argent, a sword interposed between them in bend sinister of the third, pommel and hilt gold; the escutcheon ensigned with a mitre of the last); (3) Sable, a chevron or between three owls argent, on a chief of the second as many roses gules, seeded of the second, barbed vert. |  | |
| Exeter College | .svg) |
Argent, two bends nebuly within a bordure sable charged with eight pairs of keys, addorsed and interlaced in the rings, the wards upwards, or. |  | |
| Green Templeton College | |
Or between two flaunches vert on each a nautilus shell the aperture outwards or a rod of Aesculapius sable the serpent azure. |  | |
| Harris Manchester College | |
Gules, two Torches inflamed in saltire proper; on a Chief Argent, between Two Roses of a field barbed and seeded an open Book also proper. | ||
| Hertford College | .svg) |
Gules, a stag's head caboshed argent, attired, and between the attires a cross patty fitchy at the foot, or. |  | |
| Jesus College | |
Vert, three stags trippant argent attired or. |  | |
| Keble College | |
Argent, a chevron engrailed gules, on a chief azure three mullets pierced or. |  | |
| Kellogg College | |
Per pale indented argent and azure on the argent a chevron enhanced gules in base a book azure leaved argent on the azure an ear of wheat palewise or the whole within a bordure gules. | Christ Church Boat Club[63] | |
| Lady Margaret Hall | .svg) |
Or, on a chevron between in chief two talbots passant and in base a bell all azure, a portcullis of the field. |  | |
| Linacre College | |
Sable an open Book proper edged or bound gules the dexter page charged with the Greek letter alpha the sinister page charged with the Greek letter omega both sable the whole between three escallops argent. |  | |
| Lincoln College | |
Tierced per pale: (1) Barry of six argent and azure, in chief three lozenges gules, on the second bar of an argent a mullet pierced sable; (2) Argent, thereon an escutcheon of the arms of the See of Lincoln (i.e., Gules, two lions passant guardant or, on a chief azure the Blessed Virgin Mary ducally crowned seated on a throne issuant from the chief, on her dexter arm the infant Jesus and holding in her sinister hand a sceptre, all gold; the escutcheon ensigned with a mitre azure garnished and stringed or); (3) Vert, three stags trippant argent attired or.[b] |  | |
| Magdalen College | .svg) |
Lozengy ermine and sable, on a chief of the second three lilies argent slipped and seeded or. |  | |
| Mansfield College | |
Gules an open book proper inscribed DEUS LOCUTUS EST NOBIS IN FILIO in letters sable bound argent edged and clasped or between three cross crosslets or. |  | |
| Merton College | .svg) |
Or, three chevronels party per pale, the first and third azure and gules, the second gules and azure. |  | |
| New College | .svg) |
Argent, two chevronels sable between three roses gules, seeded or, barbed vert. |  | |
| Nuffield College | |
Ermine on a fesse or between in chief two roses gules barbed and seeded proper and in base a balance of the second three pears sable, and for crest on a wreath or and gules a demi bull gules armed and unguled or resting the sinister hoof on a winged wheel or.[c] | ||
| Oriel College | |
Gules, three lions passant guardant in pale or within a bordure engrailed argent. |  | |
| Pembroke College | |
Per pale azure and gules, three lions rampant, two and one, argent, on a chief per pale argent and or, in the first a rose gules, seeded or, barbed vert in the second a thistle of Scotland proper. |  | |
| The Queen's College | |
Argent, three eagles displayed two and one gules, legged and beaked or, on the breast of the first eagle, a pierced mullet of the third as cadency mark.[d] | _Boat_Club_Rowing_Blade.svg){kind=small} | |
| Somerville College | .svg) |
Argent, three mullets in chevron reversed gules, between six crosses crosslet fitched sable. |  | |
| St Anne's College | |
Gules, on a chevron between in chief two lions' heads erased argent, and in base a sword of the second pummelled and kilt or and enfiled with a wreath of laurel proper, three ravens. |  | |
| St Antony's College | |
Or on a chevron between three tau crosses gules as many pierced mullets of the field. |  | |
| St Catherine's College | .svg) |
Sable a saltire ermine between four Catherine wheels or. |  | |
| St Cross College | .svg) |
Argent a cross potent purpure a quarter counterchanged. | ||
| St Edmund Hall | |
Or, a cross patonce gules cantoned by four Cornish choughs proper. |  | |
| St Hilda's College | |
Azure on a fess or between in chief two unicorns' heads couped and in base a coiled serpent argent three estoiles gules. |  | |
| St Hugh's College | |
Azure a saltire ermine between four fleurs-de-lis or. |  | |
| St John's College | |
Gules, on a bordure sable eight estoiles or; on a canton ermine a lion rampant of the second; on the fess point an annulet of the third. | ||
| St Peter's College | |
Per pale vert and argent, to the dexter two keys in saltire or surmounted by a triple towered castle argent masoned sable (representing Oxford bailey) and on the sinister a cross gules surmounted by a mitre or between four martlets sable (for Chavasse), the whole within a bordure or. |  | |
| Trinity College | |
Party per pale or and azure, on a chevron between three griffins heads erased four fleurs-de-lys, all counter-changed of the field. |  | |
| University College | |
Azure, a cross patonce between five martlets or. |  | |
| Wadham College | |
Gules, a chevron between 3 roses argent, seeded or, barbed vert, impaling gules, a bend or between two escallops argent. |  | |
| Wolfson College | .svg) |
Per pale gules and or on a chevron between three roses two pears all countercharged the roses barbed and seeded proper. |  | |
| Worcester College | |
Argent, two chevronels between six martlets, three, two and one gules.[e] |  | |
| Blackfriars | |
Gyronny of sable and argent, a cross flory counterchanged.[f] | ||
| Campion Hall | |
Argent on a cross sable a plate charged with a wolf's head erased of the second between in pale two billets of the field that in chief charged with a cinquefoil and that in base with a saltire gules and in fesse as many plates each charged with a campion flower leaved and slipped proper on a chief also of the second two branches of palm in saltire enfiled with a celestial crown or.[64][g] | ||
| Regent's Park College | |
Argent on a cross gules an open Bible proper irradiated or the pages inscribed with the words DOMINUS JESUS in letters sable on a chief wavy azure fish or. |  | |
| Wycliffe Hall | |
Gules, an open book proper the pages inscribed with the words VIA VERITAS VITA in letters sable on a chief azure three crosses crosslet argent and in base an estoile or.[h] |
Notes
- Brasenose: the blazon of the arms of the See of Lincoln given here differs from that at Lincoln College; the two forms are simply interpretations of the simpler blazon gules, two lions passant gardant or, in a chief azure Our Lady sitting with her Babe, crown and sceptre of the second.
- Lincoln: although the three stags are blazoned as trippant argent attired or they are universally drawn as statant or. See also note on Brasenose above.
- Nuffield: uniquely among the Oxford colleges the blazon of Nuffield recorded in the University Calendar also describes its crest.
- Queens: the depiction of the pierced mullet is quite variable; a mullet of six points is common and the piercing is sometimes indicated schematically.
- Blackfriars: the blazon used here is that of the Dominican Order. Blackfriars also uses their simpler shield, blazoned as sable, a pile inverted argent.
- Campion: the phrase billets of the Weld used in the Calendar appears to be a misprint for billets of the field.
- Wycliffe: the blazon used here is simply a description of the shield as usually drawn.
Heads of houses
The senior member of each college is an officer known generically as the head of house. Their specific title varies from college to college as indicated in the list below. While the head of house will usually be an academic, it is not uncommon for a person to be appointed who has had a distinguished career outside academic circles.
For a list of current heads of houses, see list of heads of houses of the University of Oxford.
- Principal: Brasenose, Green Templeton, Harris Manchester, Hertford, Jesus College, Lady Margaret Hall, Linacre, Mansfield, St Anne's, St Edmund Hall, St Hilda's, St Hugh's, Somerville, Regent's Park, and Wycliffe Hall
- Master: Balliol, Pembroke, St Catherine's, St Cross, St Peter's, University College, and Campion Hall
- Warden: All Souls, Keble, Merton, New College, Nuffield, St Antony's, and Wadham
- President: Corpus Christi, Kellogg, Magdalen, Reuben, St John's, Trinity, and Wolfson
- Provost: Oriel, The Queen's College, and Worcester
- Rector: Exeter and Lincoln
- Dean: Christ Church
- Regent: Blackfriars
The dean of Christ Church is head of both the college and the cathedral. The president of Kellogg College was formerly also the director of the Department for Continuing Education. This changed when Kellogg president Jonathan Michie stood down as director in 2021.
Finances
As of 2019 the accounts of the Oxford colleges included total assets of £6.6 billion.[59] This figure does not reflect all the assets held by the colleges as their accounts do not include the cost or value of many of their main sites or heritage assets such as works of art or libraries.[65] The total endowments of the colleges were £5.1 billion as of 2019.[59] Individual college endowments ranged from £1.2m (Green Templeton) to £577.6 million (Christ Church).[29][26]
Selectivity
Postgraduate
In contrast to undergraduate programmes where the constituent college or hall handles both admissions and teaching, postgraduate students are admitted through a department, which is responsible for postgraduate education and supervision. As the university operates on a collegiate system, all matriculated students are required to maintain an affiliation with a college or hall which is tasked with offering student support, welfare, and accommodation. Although the University of Oxford is already selective, an additional level of selectivity exists depending on different colleges and halls. Colleges and halls differ in their levels of selectivity, as evidenced by their varying offer rates. Except All Souls College which consists principally of research fellows, Nuffield College consistently possesses the lowest offer rate and is thus considered the most selective college. On the other hand, Kellogg College and St Antony College are among the least selective colleges, typically characterised by higher offer rates.[66]
The table below exhibits the offer rates for postgraduate applications across each college over multiple academic years.[67]
| College/ hall |
2023 rate % |
2022 rate % |
2021 rate % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balliol College | 43.3% | 41.9% | 42.7% |
| Blackfriars Hall | 85.2 | 81.3% | 80.7 |
| Brasenose College | 61.7% | 61.7% | 70.0% |
| Campion Hall | 100% | 62.5% | 69.2% |
| Christ Church | 32.2% | 30.6% | 36.3% |
| Corpus Christi College | 62.2% | 52.8% | 67.9% |
| Exeter College | 69.7% | 72.5% | 77.9% |
| Green Templeton College | 84.0% | 89.7% | 86.5% |
| Harris Manchester College | 56.4% | 51.4% | 58.2% |
| Hertford College | 74.4% | 73.5% | 91.4% |
| Jesus College | 49.8% | 52.8% | 52.5% |
| Keble College | 65.5% | 64.3% | 60.1% |
| Kellogg College | 94.8% | 94.3% | 92.3% |
| Lady Margaret Hall | 89.9% | 76.7% | 77.6% |
| Linacre College | 89.7% | 83.3 | 88.2% |
| Lincoln College | 48.4% | 68.7% | 60.2% |
| Magdalen College | 19.4% | 17.8% | 22.8% |
| Mansfield College | 85.0% | 90.0% | 75.0% |
| Merton College | 52.3% | 52.2% | 45.5% |
| New College | 47.5% | 59.7% | 49.8% |
| Nuffield College | 10.4% | 14.6% | 9.4% |
| Oriel College | 59.2% | 62.2% | 59.7% |
| Pembroke College | 69.6% | 81.1% | 79.0% |
| The Queen's College | 37.2% | 43.0% | 39.5% |
| Regent's Park College | 94.7% | 78.6% | 88.9% |
| Reuben College | 83.3% | 68.8% | 75.5% |
| Somerville College | 71.0% | 71.4% | 76.4% |
| St Anne's College | 77.3% | 79.2% | 90.0% |
| St Antony's College | 95.2% | 86.8% | 92.2% |
| St Catherine's College | 56.7% | 65.3% | 58.3% |
| St Cross College | 82.1% | 84.2% | 93.7% |
| St Edmund Hall | 70.6% | 62.7% | 78.6% |
| St Hilda's College | 84.8% | 69.6% | 71.4% |
| St Hugh's College | 82.6% | 67.5% | 86.7% |
| St John's College | 26.3% | 22.3% | 24.4% |
| St Peter's College | 88.5% | 72.0% | 81.3% |
| Trinity College | 34.3% | 40.3% | 45.8% |
| University College | 53.5% | 53.5% | 40.7% |
| Wadham College | 65.2% | 65.3% | 57.1% |
| Wolfson College | 86.6% | 81.3% | 85.5% |
| Worcester College | 52.6% | 48.3% | 48.6% |
| Wycliffe Hall | 86.4% | 95.0% | 95.5% |
Academic rankings
For some years, an unofficial ranking of undergraduate colleges by performance in Final Honour Schools examinations, known as the Norrington Table, was published annually. As the table only took into account the examination results for the year of publication, college rankings could fluctuate considerably.
Beginning in 2005, the University of Oxford started publishing a list of colleges classified by a "Norrington Score", effectively replicating the Norrington Table. The university claims to have published the results "in the interests of openness". Although the university says that the college listings are "not very significant", the 2005 table was the first Norrington Table with official data and also probably the first to be accurate. Dame Fiona Caldicott, the chairman of the Conference of Colleges, said that in previous years some students had used the Data Protection Act 1998 to ensure their results were not published, rendering the unofficial tables inaccurate.[68]
College rivalries
A tradition of the university is a friendly rivalry between colleges. Often, two neighbouring colleges will be rivals, and each college will pride itself in its athletic victories over the other one. Examples include:
Architectural influence
The Oxford and Cambridge colleges have served as an architectural inspiration for Collegiate Gothic Architecture, used by a number of American universities including Princeton University and Washington University in St. Louis since the late nineteenth century.[77][78]