The demand for the UK's elite Universities shows no sign of slowing

Every year thousands of international students pursue their higher education in the UK at prestigious universities such as Oxford and Cambridge, ranked #1 and #3 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023. With their long-standing reputations, Oxford (founded 1096) and Cambridge (founded 1209), and their academic prestige, their graduates are highly sought-after by employers making such institutions increasingly attractive to international students.

Application numbers

 UCAS data released this year, international applications are predicted to rise by 46% to 208,500 by 2026,  so the landscape will continue to be highly competitive. Yet, this year has seen a record drop in the number of Oxbridge applications this year (5% Cambridge, 2.6% Oxford). However, Clare Marchant, Chief Executive at UCAS, is not concerned and commented: "Whilst applications have been very resilient throughout the pandemic, the robust demand from China, India and Hong Kong shows the enduring appeal of our world-class universities."

Three main reasons for the reduction in applications are Brexit, the Cost of Living, and the Pandemic. Applications through UCAS in 2021 also showed 40% fewer students from the EU applying to UK universities because students can no longer claim home-fee status or access tuition fee loans and instead face tuition fees of up to £40,000 per year. The cost of living has also upped student's expenditure; with the UK's inflation rate hitting a 40-year high of 10.1%, students are feeling the crunch.

Oxbridge vs US Ivy League acceptance rates

Oxford and Cambridge remain extremely competitive and highly sought after as the English-speaking world's oldest universities. With their outstanding academic reputation and research-based teaching, domestic and international students apply in their thousands, knowing that graduating from an Oxbridge education will open up unparalleled job opportunities in the future. It's no secret that getting an offer from Oxbridge is incredibly challenging; the University of Oxford typically has a 17% acceptance rate, with Cambridge a little higher at 21%, although it is worth noting that these rates are higher than some Ivy League universities, such as Harvard and Columbia — which typically only accept around 5% of their applicants. To be offered a place at Oxford or Cambridge (you can only apply to one) requires applicants to undertake a rigorous screening process with top grades in pre-assessment tests required before being invited to interview. There is also the question of the number of places available: Oxford has 12,510 undergraduate places – 3,300 places per year – 23,000 applied in 2020, and Cambridge has 20,426 applications, 3,997 places. With students from over 160 nationalities studying there, the demand will always be higher than the places available.