The latest admissions statistics show that more students applied to each Oxford place than each Cambridge one.
In 2011, Cambridge University offered 25.3% of its undergraduate applicants places to study at the university compared to only 17.6% at Oxford. According to official statistics from respective university websites, Oxford received a total of 17,343 applicants, giving 3047 offers whilst Cambridge received 15,344 applications and gave 3879 offers.
The Various university league tables annually rate Oxford and Cambridge differently. For example, the 2012 QS World University Rankings placed Cambridge at second behind Massachusetts Institute of Technology with Oxford down in fifth place. However, the Times 2012 World University Rankings place Oxford at second after the California Institute of Technology, with Cambridge five places behind at seventh.
One second year Cambridge student commented, “Statistics can be so subjective. Looking at the proportion of offers to applicants shows nothing about the true and varied calibre of students that apply to both institutions. Frankly there are so many fronts where Cambridge is stronger than Oxford and looking at things like this just ignores that fact.”
However some students do not see the two universities as directly comparable due to a belief that Oxford is generally more suited for Arts and Humanities students whereas Cambridge is one better based around Maths and Science. As one second year PPE student stated, “If you’re good at science and staying indoors go to Cambridge. If you don’t melt in the sunlight and want to be able to speak, come to Oxford.”
In recent years, Cambridge have surpassed Oxford’s attempts to increase the proportion of state educated students within the university, this year’s new undergraduates being made up of 63.3% state school pupils compared to only 57.7% at Oxford.
However both universities present roughly equal statistics in terms of male-female split amongst first year undergraduates. One Spanish student claimed that, “To be honest stats are irrelevant. Cambridge is like Jeremy Kyle, I only go there when I want to feel better about my life”.
This latest batch of admissions statistics have not only shown a difference university wide but also at a subject level. In various subjects there is significant discrepancy in the proportions of offers made compared to applications between the two universities. One example is Classics where 54% of applicants were successful at Cambridge compared only 40% earning a place at Oxford. Courses sharing the same title regularly differ between the two institutions.
One second year Classics student from St Anne’s stated, “Classics at Oxford is harder in the sense that it’s really ancient language based whereas at Cambridge it’s basically a glorified English lit degree.
