The 20 absolute hardest Oxbridge colleges for applicants to snatch up offers from

The applications systems at the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford are under fire for being “inconsistent and unfair”. Some Oxbridge colleges let in a much higher proportion of applicants than others. So, here’s a closer look at which Oxbridge colleges are extra hard to get into.

Basically, the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) has called for the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge to stop dealing with applications at each college. The report argued it would be “fairer for all” if the unis sorted through admissions centrally instead.

In response to this report, a spokesperson for the University of Oxford told The Times: “We dispute the views of the HEPI report and the assumptions on which it is based. The strength of our approach to admissions is evident in our strong student outcomes and in Oxford’s sustained global standing. Oxford attracts students with the greatest academic potential from all backgrounds. Our admissions are underpinned by a common framework which ensures fairness and consistency.”

A rep for Cambridge said the staff from colleges and the university as a whole work closely together on admissions, and they are “fully transparent” about the process. The uni is “fully committed” to letting in students with “the greatest potential to thrive”.

Students who did actually make it into Cambridge

Students who apply to different colleges at the same uni can have very different experiences. Overall, around one in six hopeful undergrad students get offers for Oxford, and about one in five get on offer for Cambridge. Oxford and Cambridge both have “pooling” systems – clever students who apply to oversubscribed colleges will be “pooled” to a less popular one. Theoretically, students should still be just as likely to get into the uni regardless of which college they apply to. However, the stats show that students are much less likely to get an offer from particular colleges than others. You with me?

These stats all refer to undergraduates from the 2025 admissions cycle. These are the students who at currently freshers, or are on a gap year and will start uni in October 2026.

Without further ado, here are the 20 hardest Oxbridge colleges to get an offer for:

20. St John’s College, Cambridge – 17.8 per cent

=18. Exeter College, Oxford – 17.6 per cent

=18. Downing College, Cambridge – 17.6 per cent

17. Clare College, Cambridge – 17.5 per cent

16. Pembroke College, Cambridge – 17.3 per cent

=14. Lincoln College, Oxford – 17.2 per cent

= 14. Emmanuel College, Cambridge – 17.2 per cent

Emmanuel College (aka Emma) at the Uni of Cambridge

Most Read

People find ‘evidence’ iconic Love Is Blind couple who’ve been married for four years have split

Where is Zoe Sugg?! A full investigation into what’s happened to Zoella as she disappears

UK influencer vanishes in Morocco after mysteriously telling friends she’d ‘run out of money’

13. Wolfson College, Cambridge – 17.1 per cent

12. The Queen’s College, Oxford – 16.5 per cent

11. Jesus College, Cambridge – 15.5 per cent

10. Christ Church, Oxford – 15.1 per cent

9. Merton College, Oxford – 14.7 per cent

8. Trinity College, Oxford – 13.8 per cent

7. St John’s College, Oxford – 13.3 per cent

The scary-looking Canterbury Quad at St John’s, Oxford
(Credit: Andrew Shiva)

6. Keble College, Oxford – 13.2 per cent

5. New College, Oxford – 13.1 per cent

4. Braenose College, Oxford – 12.0 per cent

3. Balliol College, Oxford – 11.9 per cent

2. Magdalen College, Oxford – 10.3 per cent

1. Worcester College, Oxford – 9.1 per cent

For more like this, follow The Tab on Instagram.