In terms of differences between the two locations, Cambridge is generally considered a little prettier, while Oxford has a bit more going on – but of course this will depend on who you ask.
Oxford's architecture is more uniform, as it's mostly built from the same Headington stone, while as Cambridge has no local stone, its buildings are more diverse. But there's certainly no consensus as to which city is therefore more beautiful.
It's older (and nothing's better than coming first)
Oxford is the UK's oldest university, meaning it has an even richer history and set of traditions than Cambridge. If you like the idea of being associated with the first-ever university in British history, that's really not something you can get anywhere else.
Despite the outcome of the Boat Race, when it comes to upmarket living the varsity cities are both making waves. The Oxford-Cambridge rivalry is hotting up. In the 2023 Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide, Oxford comes out top.
Oxford or Cambridge: Which Should You Visit? | Let's Walk!
Which Oxford college is hardest to get into?
The hardest college to get into last year was Worcester College, where 11.7 per cent of applicants were admitted. The least competitive was St Hilda's College, where 30.2 per cent were admitted.
Christ Church College served as filming locations for various aspects of the films, including Bodley Staircase and the college cloisters, which appeared in the first two Harry Potter films. Another important connection that Christ Church College has to the Harry Potter films is the dining hall.
Both Oxford and Cambridge cost around the same amount, although Oxford is more expensive if you are an international student. Either way, both universities' study costs are cheaper than US colleges.
This statistic is derived from a pool of roughly 46,000 applicants vying for 8,000 available spots at the two universities. For 2021 entry, Cambridge extended offers to 4,245 out of 22,788 applicants, while Oxford offered places to 3,932 out of 23,414 applicants.
In addition, Cambridge proved to be more expensive than Oxford in two areas that were evaluated: travel costs and gym costs. Oxford students' monthly outgoings for the gym are £12, compared to Cambridge students who spend £14. Travel for Cambridge students costs £39 per month, but only £33 for Oxford students.
Of all of the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge, Trinity College, Cambridge is the wealthiest. How wealthy? Cambridge University as a whole has assets of approximately £4 billion, with Oxford coming second with £3.3 billion, and all other British universities – yes, all of them – totalling £2 billion.
Tuition fees of £9,250 per year are the same for UK undergraduate students at the two universities. For international students, Oxford is more expensive, costing between £26,770 and £37,510 per year compared with costs of between £22,227 and £33,827 at Cambridge (excluding medicine courses)
Cambridge town is around 60 miles north of London, and takes under an hour to get to. Both are fairly small and pretty locations that are easy to walk or cycle around. Oxford tends to be known as a bit larger and livelier than Cambridge. Cambridge is thought of as quieter and more picturesque.
Both Oxford and Cambridge are among the safest cities in Britain – surveys differ on which is safer and how they compare to other British cities, but it's fair to say that for their size, there is unusually little crime in both, especially in the student areas in and around the city centre.
Cambridge is home to one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world, giving it a rich intellectual history, and a bunch of extremely pretty buildings.
For most people it's much better. Public transport is OK, cycling is common, and there's lots of different type of work available. All the facilities you'll need, like hospitals, leisure centres, good pubs and restaurants, are close by. Pollution is low and the countryside is on your doorstep.
Rivalry between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge is a phenomenon going back many centuries. During most of that time, they were the only two universities in England and Wales, making the rivalry more intense than it is now.
The University of Oxford tops the ranking for the eighth year in a row, but others in the top five have seen shifts in their ranks. Stanford University moves up to second place, pushing Harvard University down to fourth. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) climbs up two places to third this year.
The University of Oxford and The University of Cambridge are infamously difficult to get into. Cambridge boasts an average of 6 applicants per place across all degree subjects; Oxford similarly claims over 20,000 applicants for approximately 3,250 places.
Ultimately, there is no correct way to decide whether to study Medicine at Oxford or Cambridge; it truly does come down to personal preference. There is no right or wrong choice; regardless of where you decide, you'll receive world-class teaching to the highest standards at world-renowned Medical Schools.
However, Oxford is bigger than Cambridge, meaning that there's not only more colleges and nice buildings in town but also the possibility to escape the academic center and explore the vast cultural variety present in the Cowley area or the chic artsiness of Jericho.
In the novels, Hogwarts is somewhere in Scotland (the film Prisoner of Azkaban says that Dufftown is near). The school is depicted as having numerous charms and spells on and around it that make it impossible for a Muggle to locate it.
This isn't true. In fact, Cambridge has never been part of this movie series. The reality is that there are only resemblances between our city and the backdrops of the magic world of Harry Potter. These movies were in fact filmed all around the United Kingdom.
