Oxford: Picking a College (House)

What’s the difference between Oxford University and the Oxford Colleges?

What is a College?

In the magical realm of Harry Potter, a wizard accepted to Hogwarts is also sorted into a house. Similarly, when you’re accepted to Oxford University, you must also be admitted to an Oxford “house,” which we muggles call a “college.”

Oxford has 38 different colleges. Your college will be your main hub for:

• Dorms: You’ll live in accommodation with students from your college.
• Cafeteria: While you can dine at other colleges’ cafeterias if invited by a student from that college, you generally can’t walk into another college’s cafeteria on your own. You’ll also receive discounted meals at your own college’s cafeteria.
• Library, Lounges, Hangout Areas, and Events: Similarly to the cafeteria, access to these facilities and events is typically restricted to your own college.

College’s Bearing on Your Studies

If you are a graduate student, your college does not affect your actual studies: regardless of your college, you will have the same professors and courses as everyone else in your program. For undergraduate students, however, (in most degrees) your TAs will be from your college, meaning the teaching quality can vary depending on your college. This isn’t the case for the CompSci undergraduate course, but it holds true for the more traditional degrees (e.g. history) and even for some ‘modern’ engineering degrees.

Furthermore, for some of the more traditional undergraduate degrees, such as history, your lectures will be delivered by professors from your college. As a result, the perspectives you receive on the subject will vary depending on the college to which you belong.

College Personalities

When you apply to Oxford as a graduate student, you can request a specific college. If that college selects you, excellent; if not, you’ll be assigned a college based on availability. When picking a college, you should keep in mind that the colleges at Oxford have distinct personalities. Some are very British, while others are more international. Some cater exclusively to undergraduates, others exclusively to graduate students, and some are mixed.

The quality of cafeterias and the number of meals served daily can vary significantly between colleges. Additionally, the services offered differ: some colleges boast their own gyms and choirs, for instance. Wealth levels also vary, with some colleges able to fund student travel grants and scholarships. Well-connected colleges might provide students with discounts at local stores and bars. The wealth of a college affects how much it can subsidize dorm and food costs, which is an important factor when selecting a college. For example, I lived in a building where dorms owned by College A cost £200 more per month than identical dorms in an adjacent building owned by wealthier College B.

Kellogg (Grad only)

This was my college! It is named after Will Keith Kellogg, the founder of Kellogg’s cereal, who established a fund that, among other things, supports this institution.

Pros:

1. Very international- we often joked that the British in the college were rare gems that we needed to protect.
2. Has intimate libraries that are open 24/7 and are great for studying.
3. Comfy hang out rooms.
4. Great food, though the meals cost around 6 pounds.
5. Close to the gorgeous University Parks.
6. The college administration really tries their best to make you feel comfortable - any problem that I had with my dorms was fixed within 24 hours. In contrast, I’ve heard horror stories about other colleges who take two months to fix issues as simple as broken heating appliances.

Cons:

1. Less wealthy - so no travel grants and almost no scholarships. Dorms and food are more expensive.
2. Mostly a part-time college (i.e. a college for part time students who do not live in Oxford), so the number of full-time students is smaller. While this gives a more intimate experience, it also means you have less people to choose from for your social group.

Linacre (Grad only)

Pros:

1. Very international as well.
2. Close to University Parks.
3. Great social life - lots of events and a large number of students. I always met interesting people when I visited their common rooms.
4. Better dorm prices.
5. Cheap cafeteria food, which I always found satisfactory. If you’re a food snob though, this may be an issue.

Cons:

1. The cafeteria food is not the best in Oxford.
2. I’ve heard complaints from students who moved with their partners and children, so it seems that Linacre is not very accommodating to families.

Wolfson (Grad only)

Pros:

1. Very international as well.
2. Great treatment of students who move with their families.
3. Located right on the edge of a stream and walking path.
4. Has gardens you can cultivate
5. Good dorm and food prices.

Cons:

1. The only con I’ve heard about this college is its location: it’s quite far from the center of town. If you don’t see yourself riding a bicycle around Oxford, I would take its remote location into serious consideration, or you’ll be taking very long walks or paying for taxis.

Keble (Grad and Undergrad)

Pros:

1. Very international.
2. Brand new grad dorms that are comfortable and stylish.
3. 24/7 open library.
4. Quite wealthy: offers many travel grants and scholarships.
5. Has a choir.
6. Hosts two parties a week in their common room.

Jesus (Grad and Undergrad)

Pros:

1. Offers 3 meals a day!
2. Great location in the center of town, although if you’re a nature person you may prefer being a bit further away.
3. A wealthy college that charges rent on a day basis rather than a monthly one: this means that if you leave your belongings in a friend’s dorm over the holiday vacation, you won’t need to pay anything during the time that you’re abroad.
4. Has a squash court and a choir.
5. 24/7 open library
6. Generous 100 pound grant for textbooks for each student

Cons:

1. I’ve understood that it has a very British culture and has less internationals (although you may considered this a pro).

Concluding Remarks

Many colleges are still missing from this list. If you see one that isn’t included and that you’d like to know more about, please comment below and I will inquire among my colleagues about the college for you. Happy college hunting!