Breadcrumbs

Admissions

Somerville was founded in 1879 as one of the first women’s colleges in Oxford. From the start, the College set out to offer an Oxford education to students, regardless of their background. The first male undergraduates were admitted in 1994 and now the numbers of male and female students are more or less equal.

Each year, Somerville admits around 125 undergraduates, across 30 subject areas, from a wide range of schools and backgrounds. In 2010 the intake of undergraduates comprised 49.1% from state schools, 36.8% from independent schools, and 13.9% from schools overseas.

The wealth of different social, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds from around the world makes Somerville an exciting, inspiring and welcoming home for undergraduates and graduates alike. The unifying common factor is a commitment to the Somerville values of academic excellence, openness, inclusiveness and a pioneering spirit.

Why not take a look at what Somerville has to offer by viewing our admissions video? You can also find out more about what life as a Somerville student is like on our finalists' profile page.

(Somerville Admissions video produced by students from Oxford Brookes University, School of Technology)