How to go to Oxford as an Indian Student

How hard is it for Indians to get into Oxford University

Applying to Oxford is an extremely competitive process with only 15-20% of applicants being accepted. Rates vary significantly depending on course and college.

How many Indians go to Oxford?

Every year there are around 550 Indian studying at Oxford. Given that the student population of Oxford is around 25,000 this means Indians represent around 2% of the student body and are the fourth largest group of international students after China, the USA and Germany.

Which famous Indians studied at Oxford?

Oxford University has been the academic home to many famous Indians. Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Dr. Manmohan Singh (who also studied at Cambridge) are both alumni. The literary world boasts Amitav Ghosh and Vikram Seth, renowned for their contributions to literature. Sujata Vasant Manohar, a former judge of the Supreme Court of India, and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, a celebrated former captain of the Indian cricket team also studied at Oxford.

How much does Oxford cost for Indian students?

Oxford Undergraduate courses cost between ₹30 lakhs and ₹43 lakhs (£30,000-£50,000) each year for Indian students. However, you must also add living expenses and accommodation costs on top of this which could add up to ₹10 – ₹15 lakhs each year!

What is the process for applying to Oxford from India?

There are 3 phases to applying to Oxford for all students: the personal statement, the admissions test and finally the interview.

When it comes to crafting your Oxford personal statement the earlier you can start the better. However, the personal statement is not the place for your life's chronicles or the long tales of extracurricular pursuits. Instead, it's an opportunity to thread together your academic passions and favourite (scholarly) books. Start reading today so that when you sit down to write you have lots to say! And remember, if you're applying to multiple UK universities, that one personal statement must be submitted for all of them. For students applying in 2024 the personal statement must be completed by 15 October 2024.

The next stage of applying is the admissions test. This is a subject specific test like the TSA or the BMAT, which all students must sit on the 18 October 2024. Many students find this part of the application process particularly hard and we highly recommend speaking to one of our delightful team (link here) about how to do this.

The final (and most famous) stage of the application is the interview. Here candidates are grilled by Academics for half an hour. Questions in the interview are asked not to test candidates’ knowledge but rather the examine their though process to see if they have what it takes!  Exact Interview dates depend on the course and college but they usually fall in the first week of December.

If candidates are deemed to have performed well enough in the interview, then in early January, they receive news from their chosen college that they are invited to come to study in Oxford in October!