As someone who specializes in international admissions, I get a lot of questions from people who assume that places like Oxford and Cambridge are just as hard to get into as the Ivy League.
They couldn’t be further from the truth.
In reality, places like Harvard, Yale, and Stanford are much more competitive than even the most challenging programs at Oxford or Cambridge.
Before we go any further, there are two things to bear in mind that help explain relatively high numbers at Oxford and Cambridge (specifically), as well as UK universities as a whole.
First, you can only apply to one program at either Oxford or Cambridge, and only five programs across the whole UK. This means that the stereotypical Common App user applying to upwards of twenty colleges is not a thing.
Second, UK applicants apply to the program, not the university. Because of this, some programs are just more or less competitive than others.
And that’s where the differences can be vast.
Not surprisingly, some of the programs that have the highest rates of acceptance can be quite specialized. Both at Oxford and Cambridge, music degrees command acceptance rates of over 40%; at Cambridge, it tops 50%. But those are not the highest acceptance rates at either university. At Oxford, that honor goes to Classics, which barely edges out music.
At Cambridge, the results are particularly stark. Those interested in foreign languages will do well, with Modern Languages boasting a 49.5% acceptance rate, and Classics accepting more than 50% of those who apply.
But that’s not the most shocking.
If the Dark Ages are your thing, then Cambridge is the place for you. Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Studies admits 60% of the students who apply.
Chances are you are thinking of one of two things. If you happen to be obsessed with the Venerable Bede, then you’re looking for my contact information. I’m warning you in advance, I am a slight nerd for Beowulf.
If sagas aren’t your thing, then you’re wondering why on Earth someone would want to study that (I think more people may be thinking this). To understand why, it’s important to understand something about Cambridge, Oxford, and elite universities in general.
You study what you’re passionate about, and the skills will come.
Also, with Cambridge at least, Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Studies is often used as a springboard for other subjects, like History, English, or Management.
In all, 23 of Oxford’s 45 programs, and 18 of Cambridge’s 28 undergraduate programs, have acceptance rates that are over 20%. Meanwhile, the lowest acceptance rates at each, both in Computer Science, are 6%.
That is still 70% better than Harvard’s 3.5% acceptance rate.
If that weren’t enough, remember that the UK admissions process, and international admissions in general, is much more transparent than American holistic methods. Academic performance and passion for a subject are what matters, not family background or arbitrary ‘hooks.’
Admittedly, this is not a perfect process for everyone, but plenty of students who stress over finding just the right narrative in the US may find a lot of success overseas.
(Oh, one more thing – Oxford publishes admissions rates by program on each department’s page. Cambridge provides its numbers here.)