Oxford vs. Cambridge: Costs, Town, Vibes, Programs, and Stereotypes

Oxford University vs Cambridge: You can only choose one when you apply to university through the UK’s application portal, UCAS, so we did a head-to-head comparison to help you decide. 

The University of Oxford and Cambridge University are two of the world’s most prestigious universities. Both universities offer badass castle architecture, Harry Potter vibes, the chance to row your uni to victory on their picturesque rivers, an alumnus network stretching to the moon and back, and oodles of tradition, from formal dinners to the collegiate system, where students live in close-knit colleges with their own sports, activities, bars, and even tutors.

Both offer famously personalized feedback sessions, too, where student argumentation and essays are honed and students are trained to develop their ideas.

There are tons of similarities between the two top universities. But because you’ll only be permitted to apply to one in any given year, you need to make a decision. So what are the meaningful differences between the two?

We drilled into programs, took campus tours, and asked as many current students as we could what was special about their program. Here’s what we found.

Let’s get specific on each of these categories.

Courses/Programs/Majors

Cambridge contributes 32 undergraduate courses leading to an undergraduate honours degree. Oxford offers 48.

Yet Oxford doesn’t win an easy prize here. With more joint degree programs than Cambridge, the departments represented at Oxford aren’t more expansive, they’re simply offered in combination. From History to History (ancient and modern), history with economics, history with English, history with modern languages, history with politics, and history with art, we can whittle Cambridge down to the low 40s by simply calling out all its history degrees.

In fact, it can be challenging to compare programs given American norms here. Wouldn’t it make more sense to allow students to just pick up a second major rather than offer multiple combos, calling attention to the problem of not being permitted to pick from any of the university’s offerings? The permutations occupy a lot of space in all UK course offerings, expanding options for students without expanding overall course offerings or departments. 

Oxford shoehorns students into its root or combination degrees, whereas Cambridge allows for lots of student choice within their root programs, so the reality of there being fewer programs over on the River Cam might not mean there is less choice at Cambridge.

For some courses, you’ll have no choice between applying to Oxford or Cambridge. Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic is a Cambridge-only offering. So is architecture, design, education, land economy, linguistics, and veterinary medicine.

Oxford students can study fine art, Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (called PPE, a common European major), and some combinations unavailable at Cambridge, like Classics with modern languages.

“The biggest difference between Oxford and Cambridge for me was the degree itself. I knew I wanted to expand beyond the sciences but take medicine, and at Cambridge, I was able to do that in my second year, taking a completely different subject that I enjoyed.

Winner: Cambridge, unless you’re a fine art student or PPE student.

Structure of Courses & Classes 

Even when Oxford and Cambridge offer “the same” major, you’ll find they might contain significant differences. The Cambridge “natural science” degree is one of the most significant key differences between the two, so if you’re in the sciences, be sure to scrutinize the courses and assignments in each.

Here are a few others:

English students at Cambridge might get a more theoretical approach to literature, while Oxford is known to emphasize historical context. 

In history, Cambridge affords more stretch across historical eras, geographies, and topics, de-emphasizing areas that don’t interest you.

In law, Cambridge takes a more modern approach and has a reputation for prowess in international law. Yet Oxford offers law with European, Spanish, Italian, French, or German law, and including a year abroad. Specialized post-graduate law courses are highly regarded at Oxford. The year abroad makes Oxford’s degree a year longer (and pricier) than Cambridge’s.

History and modern languages at Cambridge is a 4-year undertaking, with a year for international language study.

In Classics, both Cambridge and Oxford students will take 4 years to complete a classics degree, taking intensive Greek and Latin in their first year. 

“Before going to Oxford, I didn’t know that in my college, tutors prefer you to have a language background that my school didn’t offer. I often hear about how important it is, so I’m actually shocked I got in, and I have tried to catch up. 

Winner: For the most part, Cambridge, because you can grab more flexibility throughout. However, that really depends on what you want. If the Oxford course looks perfect for you, who cares that you aren’t able to pick other topics?

Degree Flexibility

Cambridge is known for its 3-year, 3-pronged, 3-stool-legs system: the tripos system. But colloquially, the tripos system just means that students follow a 3-step course through their academic years, with the ability to pursue sub-fields throughout. In part I, students get a general and canonical education in their field. In part II, they can choose more niche subject matters. You can also choose to do parts I and II in different subjects. Part III is typically part of a 4-year integrated master’s program.

The gist is that at Cambridge, you can integrate sub-fields and personal passions into your degree through annual exams and the tripos system. At Oxford, you’ll follow a course. You’ll take what you take. You’ll learn it. Exams are more sporadic. In humanities, you’ll only sit exams at the end of your first and third years.

Winner: Cambridge. We’re not sure why flexibility isn’t always a win. You never know when you may want to change or expand your path. And post-grad life today is rarely about mastering a single academic field, or even closely related fields, but about combining your interests in a new way that makes you super cool in ways your peers aren’t (science + English = science writer!).

Oxford vs Cambridge Entrance Exams

Oxford has its own entrance exams. Cambridge uses some entrance exams, like the STEP for mathematics and computer science (also used by the University of Warwick and Imperial College London). There are subject-specific entrance tests required by many majors, leading to at-interview assessments at both institutions. Further, there are college-specific assessments from both the University of Cambridge and Oxford. Both may require you find and visit a testing center that could be located multiple states away from home.

However, students who receive a conditional offer at Cambridge can find it includes passing a new exam (that’s typically for math and computer science students). If they don’t want to destroy their conditional offer, they might prefer to take Oxford’s exam before even seeing an offer, lest they watch it go up in smoke later.

Potayto, potato. 

“I didn’t think about the entrance exams in making my decision; it was all about the course and modules [classes] offered. I did prepare for the Oxford tests and I think it helped in both the test and interview. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t prepare.

Winner: Oxford takes it. Getting an offer and then taking yet another exam to claim it from Cambridge? Cue sad music.

Supervisions vs Tutorials

Cambridge calls its small-group sessions “supervisions.” Oxford is fond of “tutorials.” Regardless of the terminology, these are similar systems aimed at replacing discussion sessions with personalized feedback and direction. In a supervision or tutorial, 1-3 students discuss their essays in small groups while professors quizzes them on their arguments. Humanities students, in particular, can find that these small group sessions are meant to be argumentative, forcing students to defend their ideas. 

The approach and philosophy are the same at both universities. Students find it to either be helpful or intimidating and competitive, without real differences between the approaches between the Oxford University system and that of Cambridge University.

“The teaching methods at Cambridge are very high quality. You don’t get this kind of personalized attention in a US university.

Winner: Tie (that’s a draw for you Brits).

Towns of Oxford and Cambridge

Cambridge students escaped some high drama in Oxford based around the tension between the “town” residents and the “gown” wearing academics at Oxford. A handful of academics fled, starting a new university and a new town over in Cambridge.

Even today, Cambridge is small, centred around the university with precious little “town” to explore. Oxford is and was a city in itself before the university was established there. It’s a larger city, with an established identity outside the university’s ivory tower. In Oxford, you can find “student nights”, local pubs, and plenty to do outside the Oxford bubble and Oxford students.

Oddly, Oxford seems more compact than Cambridge for students, with colleges and accommodations typically within walking distance of the center of town and university facilities grouped a little more closely together.

In Cambridge, some colleges are flung a couple of miles from the center of town and the classroom buildings their students will have to get to. Luckily, the town is far more bike-friendly than other British cities. However, there isn’t much you’ll want to bike to after dark. For one, many shops and restaurants close early. Besides, there are just a couple of standard hotspots for students, anyway.

“Cambridge lies in a town that has always been made for students. Cambridge is more compact. It’s more charming, I think. 

Winner: Oxford. It’s a great mix of social opportunities and small-town vibes.

Private School Student Dominance

International students will learn new terminology at any UK university they choose: “state-educated.” Yet public school students make up 94% of UK students. In spite of near-universal public education, the idea of being “state-educated” versus “privately-educated” in the UK has an oversized importance in discussions around university. This is especially true at both Oxford and Cambridge.

The difference? Cambridge is slightly more accepting of public school students. In 2022, it admitted 72.5% of its students from the public school system, while Oxford admitted just 68%. Both represent a huge discrepancy from the general population’s proportions. The issue is often discussed in terms of commitment to admitting more students from disadvantaged backgrounds, which suggests deeper class disparities in an otherwise developed country. Is 94% of the population really disadvantaged? While there are university programs to support prospective students from legitimately low-income areas, the ability to even achieve public/private school parity remains elusive.

Nevertheless, hit up Cambridge if you want a slightly higher success rate at achieving class parity.

“Oxford is the oldest university in the UK and one of the oldest in the world. It has longstanding relationships with private education, and teachers in private education know how to prepare their students better for exams and interviews. I have had a positive experience meeting people here from all walks of life and haven’t noticed that once here, students from private schools are better off. By the end of the first year, we are all on equal footing. 

Winner: Cambridge. But given the 1,000 years they’ve had to work on this issue, neither university is knocking our socks off.

Cambridge University Takes Off Its Gowns

Cambridge also seems to be slightly more successful at achieving the aforementioned class parity when it comes to shaking off traditions that no longer serve its mission of inclusion (note that the mission does not include class).

What does that mean? Well, in a small nod to the real world of casual Fridays, you won’t have to wear your academic gown to exams here. Holla.

Maybe that’s because the university has more exams, more often, than Oxford, and it was too big of a hassle. Cambridge also relaxes the rules of academic dress more than its Oxford counterparts, even on occasions when they still mandate special robes: the underclothes students choose to wear (like socks and stockings) are less highly regulated (they’re still regulated). 

“Regardless of which university I chose, I knew I would get a historic vibe and that was important to me. I could picture myself spending 4 years in both universities and both universities had a lot of time-honored traditions.

Winner: Cambridge. Exams take place in June. June is hot. Looking at all the other students dressed to show off their higher grades while sweltering in exam halls is a recipe for self-hate and heat stroke. Frankly, if we can pull off Bs in the throes of both of those at once, we feel we deserve honorary doctorates.

Oxford Embraces its Traditions

The gown situation may reflect the underlying stereotype that Oxford is committed to its traditions while Cambridge is more willing to bend the rules to find new, innovative approaches. 

That feels somewhat true, but it also feels true that both institutions are scads more “traditional,” with plenty of insider rituals, compared to every other university in the UK. 

Yet Oxford seems to really take its traditions to heart. They celebrate Ascension Day with church services, choir concerts, and Lincoln College’s penny-throwing. Merton College hosts a “time ceremony” in which students dress up in their robes at 2:00 am and walk around the quad backwards, drinking port all the way. On May 1 each year, they trot out the choir again to celebrate May Morning, ringing bells and dancing in the streets. Bells ring yet again at Christ Church College every evening at 9:05, not just once, but 101 times.

If rituals make you feel giddy with bell-ringing anticipation, Oxford’s the clear place for you.

Cambridge, with its scaled-back dress code and its limited use of Latin at events, can feel more homey to outsiders.

“I think people naturally gravitate toward Oxford’s traditions. They’re special and it gives students a lot of ways to participate in the Oxford culture.

Winner: Oxford. Students say traditions cultivate a sense of belonging for students. 

The Exam Schedule 

Like to tick off the boxes and move on? Cambridge is for you.

Like to work toward a big finale? Choose Oxford. 

Though both are rather traditional in the sense of privileging large final exams as the only assessment students ever get, Cambridge places theirs throughout a student’s journey.

At Oxford, you may only take exams first year and then at the end of your coursework. It’s all riding on that one week for Oxford’s harried students. It’s even more terrifying given that first-year exams make up 0% of your final “qualification,” the ranking scheme that UK universities use to grade students (it’s like whether you get a cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude). That means exams at the end of your degree decide your entire fate.

Winner: We think Cambridge’s exam schedule leads to fewer panic attacks. However, your own preferences really dictate which of these testing environments is best for you. Get it all over with at once, you may say. We wouldn’t blame you.

All-Female Colleges

Just Cambridge, where Murray Edwards and Newnham remain single-gendered. Newnham comes with one of the best libraries in Cambridge, a holdover from the days when women students weren’t permitted to use other university libraries.

Winner: Cambridge. It’s your only choice if you’d like to experience a single-sexed college.

Science vs. Arts?

In general, Oxford offers more for humanities and social sciences students, while Cambridge is said to distinguish itself in the sciences. You can remember this stereotype by imagining figures like Newton and Hawking toiling away at Cambridge. Yet Cambridge offers just an undergraduate degree in the all-encompassing “natural sciences” while Oxford lets specialists race straight into fields of their choice, from biology to physics, making it far more appealing to some kinds of scientists.

According to US News, Oxford programs in the global top ten are: infectious disease, mathematics, microbiology, arts and humanities (#1 globally), biology and biochemistry, cardiovascular and cardiac systems, clinical medicine, economics and business, endocrinology and metabolism, immunology, and ecology/environment.

Cambridge has global top ten programs in: arts and humanities (#3), biology and biochemistry, biotechnology and applied microbiology, cell biology, mathematics, endocrinology and metabolism, psychology/psychiatry, and space science.

“The PPE at Oxford is very unique and gives you a social science background across subjects that you can’t get with any single subject. Most students drop one of the subject areas after a year and focus on two, and that made Oxford’s program attractive to me, because you can specialize.

Costs

While both universities are far pricier than the UK average of £21,103, costs between programs and colleges can vary greatly. Here’s a roundup.

Cambridge	Oxford
International Tuition for 2024, Humanities and Social Sciences: £25,734	International Tuition for 2024, Humanities and Social Sciences: £38,550
International Tuition for Lab Sciences: £39,162	International Tuition for Lab Sciences: £48,620
International Tuition for Medical and Veterinary: £67,194	International Tuition for Medical (pre-clinical years 1 – 3): £43,670; years 4 – 6: £57,690
College fees (room & board for 9 mo): £9,275 – £12,950 (Average: £11,113)	College fees (room and board for 9 mo): £9,540 – £12,780 (Average: £11,160)
Living Expenses in Cambridge: £231/mo. x 9 = £2,079	Living Expenses in Oxford: £307.50/mo. x 9 = £3,690
Total for a Humanities Student: £38,926 Annually; £116,778 for a 3-year degree (no summer rent/food included)	Total for a Humanities Student: £53,400 Annually; £160,200 for a 3-year degree (no summer rent/food included)

“Oxford Tescos is popular. It’s a good way to save money, learning to cook and using the college’s shared kitchens, or even making quick meals in your room. 

Winner: Cambridge, though med students take note!

Scholarships, Financial Support, & Bursaries

(Note: In the UK, a bursary is a need-based scholarship). 

Both Oxford and Cambridge offer some of the most generous support in the UK; that’s because you’ll find not only an ancient university in both, with deep investments and strong financial resources, but you’ll also find the the colleges have their own financial resources to support students, and many subsidize students generously.

Cambridge’s international scholarships fly over the heads of Americans and are earmarked for Europeans and commonwealth students. For American undergrads you’ll find just 2 partial scholarship programs: the Cambridge Trust Scholarship and the Rowan Williams Cambridge Studentship (this one is aimed at students who have been through significant hardship).

At Oxford, none of the international scholarships include US applicants.

Winner: Cambridge.

Student Life

It can be hard to wrap your head around the 700 clubs and societies at Cambridge, while Oxford slackers support just 400. From Filipinos to fencing, gliding, Gilbert and Sullivan, freemasons, and reproductive rights, Cambridge students can take in a screening from the student film festival and then throw back a few shots at the whisky appreciation society. Wilderness medicine? They’ve got you covered. There’s even a yacht club. The possibilities seem infinite. 

At Oxford, you won’t find the students slacking. A whopping 400 societies still dwarfs the average campus’ offerings, and who can fault options like the Gargoyles, a cappella jazz group? There’s a Gilbert & Sullivan society over here too, which leaves us with lots of questions about British culture.

Australians bring national pride to Oxford, but Americans don’t seem to have their own space at either university, though a year-old and defunct Facebook page does advertise American Thanksgiving activities at Oxford.

Because Oxford brings home hundreds of societies and has the city nightlife to back its claim as a student haven, we’re giving it the prize in this category.

“Cambridge is well-known for its societies and clubs. I like that there are teams available at the college level, so if you’ve never played on a team before, you can participate, and learn a sport, even if you didn’t have access to it growing up.

Winner: Oxford.

Cycle-Friendliness

Ah, the age-old rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge extends beyond the boat races and scholarly pursuits to the noble realm of cycling.

Cambridge, with its pancake-flat terrain, is practically a cyclist’s utopia. It’s been dubbed a “model” cycle city, with 20% of residents’ trips made by bike, and 4,000 to 5,000 cyclists per day pass by Hills Bridge Road per day.

Meanwhile, over at Oxford, the cyclists are a hardier breed. They face an array of gentle inclines, providing just enough challenge to justify a hearty post-ride meal at one of the city’s historic pubs. Oxford’s cyclists might argue that what doesn’t make you sweat profusely, simply isn’t worth riding. In Oxford city, you’ll find bike lanes as well as bike thieves, and an overall student-friendly infrastructure that respects bikes. You won’t find a cyclist’s dream city, but you’ll definitely find more challenges on weekend treks through the nearby countryside.

“Learning curve! Bike lanes into Cambridge are well-marked and protected. But when I first got here, I was passing busses on the right, in the right lane, into the center city with no bike lanes, and feeling like I was just zig-zagging through traffic and had to really think about what I was doing.

Winner: Cambridge

The Commute to London

Ah, the great Oxford and Cambridge commute to London — a tale of two cities and their race against the clock.

Picture the Cambridge commuter: armed with a coffee in one hand and a laptop in the other, they hop aboard the train, ready to conquer the world (or at least their inbox) during the approximately 50-minute journey to King’s Cross. It’s just enough time to mentally prepare for the hustle and bustle of London, and costs £10 to £20 each way. You can also get a bus that takes nearly double the time.

The Oxford-London journey, typically to Paddington or Marylebone lasts about 1:15 and costs around £10. Sometimes you can even get there faster with a change. Only a few miles longer than the Cambridge route, Oxford times into London can be comparable to Cambridge’s depending on traffic and time of day.

Both trips see their last trains heading home around midnight, so you won’t be making the trip on Friday and Saturday nights for the nightlife (unless you fancy coming home at dawn).

Trains in the UK are privatized, which has meant higher costs for those that yearn to see London more often. It’s also possible for trains to be delayed or even cancelled mid-journey. Make sure you stick around the station for the next one rather than jumping ship to busses or Ubers, just to be sure. Those with tight schedules should leave plenty of time for emergencies, regardless of which city they’re commuting from. Both trains are also outfitted with security cameras, bathrooms, and quiet cars.

Coming home to Cambridge from Heathrow? You’ll take a train to Paddington, a tube to King’s Cross, and a new train to Cambridge. Phew. There’s also bus service with expansive hours. It’ll take over 2 hours but it is convenient to be able to plop in a seat with all your bags and let the driver take care of the rest. The luggage allowance may not let you take a hard case carry-on plus a checked bag. 

The city of Oxford is a little more convenient to London’s biggest airport. The bus will take you an hour, which can make a big difference on a long travel day.

Winner: Oxford. Train times to central London can be similar, and the route to the airport is much faster.

Student Satisfaction

While Oxford and Cambridge have boycotted the Student Satisfaction Surveys of recent years, there’s every indication both universities have students who are happier with their schools than other UK students — 77% say their course is a good value for the money, more than 30% more than other Russell Group university students.

Students told us the same things about both universities: they felt the worst part about their universities was the lectures. With neither university meeting student teaching expectations, we tend to think students feel they’re getting a good basic in their subject, they’re learning and growing in tons of ways, and they’re happy to have either Oxbridge school on their future resumés, but they’re often taught by experts with research chops, for whom teaching has always been a secondary activity. That’s just a guess. But given this was a common refrain from students, both schools could improve on satisfaction by upping their teaching skills.

“I don’t regret Cambridge. I think I benefited from Cambridge. But I don’t think a lot of the tutors understand that they’re so advanced in their subjects, and they find it hard to explain to others.

Winner: It’s another tie.

Oxford University vs Cambridge? The Differences that Matter to You

Many students make that gut-wrenching decision about which Oxbridge university to apply to on the basis of their own course. And that makes sense! The differences between courses are the largest distinctions between these two universities that stand just an hour apart, and after all, were cut from the same scholars. 

University rankings can only take your decision so far. It’s the vibe, the colleges, the program, and your own Spidey sense that can steer you best through the differences between Oxford and Cambridge. 

Get the guide for Oxford University

Get the Review for Oxford University

Get the Guide for Cambridge University

Get to the Starting Line with the Basics on Going to University in England