No. As a school-leaver applying for an undergraduate degree, you can apply to Oxford or Cambridge in a given year, not both. The exceptions are narrow: graduates applying for graduate-entry medicine, and organ award applicants, who have their own process. You can apply to one this year and the other in a later year, and your other four UCAS choices work normally. Choose by course first, because the two universities often teach the same subject very differently, then by how you compare with each one's typical offer and admissions test.
Short answer: no, not in the same year. If you are a school-leaver applying for an undergraduate degree, you can put Oxford or Cambridge on your UCAS application, not both. This guide covers the exceptions, what you can do instead, and how to choose between them.
The rule
Cambridge's own guidance says it directly: you cannot apply to Cambridge and Oxford in the same year. Oxford applies the same rule. It covers one UCAS cycle, so it shapes your five choices for 2027 entry, not the rest of your life.
The deadline for both universities is 18:00 UK time on 15 October in the year before you start. For 2027 entry that was 15 October 2026. If you missed it, see what you can still do.
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They are narrow, and most applicants will not qualify:
- Graduate-entry medicine. Oxford's Medical Sciences Division says the restriction applies only to school-leavers, so graduates applying for the accelerated medicine course can apply to both.
- Organ awards. Organ scholarship applicants follow a separate process, and Oxford's organ award guidance lets them apply for an award at both universities. That does not extend to applying to both on UCAS, and it excludes medicine applicants. Check the current rules with both universities if this applies to you.
- Postgraduate study. The rule is about undergraduate applications. Postgraduate applicants can apply to both.
Applying to one now and the other later
The rule resets each cycle. If you apply to Cambridge for 2027 entry and are not successful, you can apply to Oxford for 2028 entry, during a gap year, with your grades in hand. Having applied before is not held against you in itself, but a reapplication should show what has changed: new grades, new reading, a sharper statement. See reapplying to university.
How to choose: course first
The single most useful question is which course you want, because the same subject can be a very different degree at each:
- Economics. Cambridge offers single-honours Economics. Oxford has no single-honours economics degree; you study it within Economics and Management, PPE, or a joint course such as History and Economics.
- Sciences. Cambridge teaches most sciences through Natural Sciences, a broad course where you specialise gradually. Oxford offers separate Biology, Chemistry and Physics degrees from the start.
- Politics. Oxford has PPE. Cambridge's nearest course is Human, Social, and Political Sciences.
- Courses with no equivalent. Cambridge has Land Economy; Oxford has Human Sciences. If your course exists at only one, the decision is made.
Read both course pages side by side: the first-year papers, how much choice you get later, and how you are assessed.
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Then: your grades and the test
Once the course is settled, compare yourself honestly with each university's typical offer and admissions test:
- Typical offers differ. Cambridge's typical offer for many courses is A*A*A; Oxford's ranges from AAA to A*A*A by course. One grade can matter.
- Admissions tests differ by course. For 2027 entry many courses use the UAT-UK tests (ESAT, TMUA, and TARA at Oxford), with the UCAT for medicine and the LNAT for law. See admissions test dates for 2027 entry.
- Both interview most shortlisted applicants, in December. See Oxford interview preparation and Cambridge interview preparation.
To see how your own grades and statement compare at each, put both into the free university chances calculator. It shows a conservative estimate for each and flags the Oxford-and-Cambridge rule when you build your five choices.
What not to base the choice on
- Overall offer rates. They mix every course together. Compare the course you would study.
- Which name sounds better. Tutors at both are looking for the same thing: real engagement with the subject.
- Hearsay about colleges. College choice matters far less than course choice, and both universities redistribute strong applicants between colleges.
Your statement goes to all five
Whichever you choose, the same personal statement goes to your other four universities too. Write it about the subject, never about Oxford or Cambridge, and never address "your university". See the Oxbridge personal statement.
Related guides
- How hard is it to get into Oxford?
- How hard is it to get into Cambridge?
- IB vs A-levels for Oxford and Cambridge
- How to choose your UCAS universities
Applying to Oxford or Cambridge?
A statement for either needs to be in the Oxbridge band. Get yours scored: Statementory marks it out of 100 against the same scale, where 87 to 95 is Oxbridge-competitive, with a note on every line and the changes that would move it up.
Sources
- University of Cambridge, Your UCAS application
- University of Oxford Medical Sciences Division, Graduate entry medicine: can I apply to both Oxford and Cambridge at the same time?
- University of Oxford, Organ award application form
- University of Oxford, Admissions tests
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply to Oxford and Cambridge in the same year?
Not as a school-leaver applying for an undergraduate course. Cambridge states plainly that you cannot apply to Cambridge and Oxford in the same year, and Oxford applies the same rule. Graduates applying for graduate-entry medicine and organ award applicants are the main exceptions.
Can I apply to Cambridge one year and Oxford the next?
Yes. The rule applies within one application cycle. If you are unsuccessful, or you take a gap year, you can apply to the other university in a later year, or reapply to the same one.
Is Oxford or Cambridge easier to get into?
Neither, in any useful sense. Overall, each makes roughly one offer for every five or six applicants, but the real odds depend on the course, and each university publishes course-level admissions statistics. Compare the courses you would actually apply for, not the universities.
Do Oxford and Cambridge use the same admissions tests?
For 2027 entry many courses at both use the UAT-UK tests (ESAT and TMUA, plus TARA at Oxford), with the UCAT for medicine and the LNAT for law. The test depends on the course, so check the exact requirement for yours.
Does applying to Oxford or Cambridge waste one of my five UCAS choices?
It uses one of your five choices like any other university. Your other four are unaffected, and they should include at least one choice where your grades sit comfortably above the typical offer.
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