Oxbridge Admissions Statistics 2025/2026

Medicine & Biological Sciences Statistics

Oxford and Cambridge are some of the most selective universities in the world, however admissions rates vary significantly between courses, ranging from 5% for Oxford Economics and Management to 50% for Cambridge Modern & Medieval Languages.

The charts below compare acceptance rates across Oxford and Cambridge courses for the 2025/2026 admissions cycle, and can be used as a guide for application strategy.

STEM Statistics

Oxford and Cambridge are some of the most selective universities in the world, however admissions rates vary significantly between courses, ranging from 5% for Oxford Economics and Management to 50% for Cambridge Modern & Medieval Languages.

The charts below compare acceptance rates across Oxford and Cambridge courses for the 2025/2026 admissions cycle, and can be used as a guide for application strategy.

Social Sciences Statistics

Oxford and Cambridge are some of the most selective universities in the world, however admissions rates vary significantly between courses, ranging from 5% for Oxford Economics and Management to 50% for Cambridge Modern & Medieval Languages.

The charts below compare acceptance rates across Oxford and Cambridge courses for the 2025/2026 admissions cycle, and can be used as a guide for application strategy.

Humanities Statistics

Oxford and Cambridge are some of the most selective universities in the world, however admissions rates vary significantly between courses, ranging from 5% for Oxford Economics and Management to 50% for Cambridge Modern & Medieval Languages.

The charts below compare acceptance rates across Oxford and Cambridge courses for the 2025/2026 admissions cycle, and can be used as a guide for application strategy.

Arts & Classics Statistics

Oxford and Cambridge are some of the most selective universities in the world, however admissions rates vary significantly between courses, ranging from 5% for Oxford Economics and Management to 50% for Cambridge Modern & Medieval Languages.

The charts below compare acceptance rates across Oxford and Cambridge courses for the 2025/2026 admissions cycle, and can be used as a guide for application strategy.

Key Insights

  • Computer Science and Economics are the most competitive Oxbridge courses, with acceptance rates between 5-10%.

  • Medicine is highly competitive for international students. While admissions rates are not the lowest, the UK government caps the maximum number of overseas students that can be admitted to UK medical schools. Oxford admits 14 international Medicine students every year, while Cambridge caps international admissions at 7.5% of the total intake (around 20 students).

  • Humanities subjects tend to have higher acceptance rates than STEM, Medicine and Social Sciences.

Top 5 most competitive courses at Oxford:

  1. Economics & Management (5.0%)

  2. Computer Science (7.0%)

  3. Biomedical Sciences (8.0%)

  4. Mathematics (9.0%)

  5. Law (10.0%)

Top 5 most competitive courses at Cambridge:

  1. Computer Science (7.4%)

  2. Economics (10.0%)

  3. Engineering (10.3%)

  4. Land Economy (11.8%)

  5. Architecture (11.6%)

5 least competitive courses at Oxford:

  1. Modern Languages (44.0%)

  2. Music (42.0%)

  3. European & Middle Eastern Languages (39.4%)

  4. Modern Languages & Linguistics (39.0%)

  5. Classics (33.0%)

5 least competitive courses at Cambridge:

  1. Modern & Medieval Languages (50.6%)

  2. Classics (48.6%)

  3. Music (46.9%)

  4. History & Modern Languages (38.1%)

  5. Linguistics (30.2%)

Sources:

At Meridian Education, our Oxbridge admissions consultants help students identify the courses that best match their academic strengths and interests, develop competitive application strategies, build strong supercurricular profiles, and prepare for admissions tests and interviews.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Overall admissions rates at Oxford and Cambridge are broadly similar, but competitiveness can vary significantly by course. For example, Engineering is more competitive at Cambridge (10.3%) than Oxford (15.0%), while Economics is more competitive at Oxford (5.0%) than Cambridge (10.0%). Computer Science has roughly equal admissions rates between Cambridge (7.4%) and Oxford (7.0%).

  • Oxford Economics & Management is the most competitive course with an acceptance rate of just 5.0%. Other competitive courses include Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Biomedical Sciences and Law. 

    However it is worth noting that Medicine is highly competitive for international students due to government restrictions on overseas student numbers. Oxford admits around 14 international Medicine students per year, while Cambridge limits international students to 7.5% of its Medicine intake (20 students).

  • Cambridge Modern & Medieval Languages has the highest acceptance rate of 50.6%. Other courses with high acceptance rates include Music, Classics, Languages and Linguistics. However, applicants should be cautious about interpreting these as ‘easy’ courses, as successful applicants are still among the highest-performing students academically, and tutors are looking for strong evidence of subject interest and academic potential.

  • Economics and Computer Science are extremely popular degrees due to strong graduate employability, high starting salaries and high demand in sectors such as finance, consulting, technology and AI. 

  • Successful applicants need to demonstrate:

    • Outstanding academic achievement

    • Deep engagement with their subject beyond the school curriculum

    • Top performance in admissions tests

    • Critical thinking and intellectual curiosity

    • The ability to confidently discuss academic ideas at the interview

    Preparation should ideally begin 1-2 years before application, particularly for highly competitive courses such as Medicine, STEM, Economics and Law.

    At Meridian Education, our Oxbridge admissions consultants help students identify the courses that best match their academic strengths and interests, develop competitive application strategies, build strong supercurricular profiles, and prepare for admissions tests and interviews.