Is it easier to get into Oxford or Cambridge for law?
Asked by: Prof. Alphonso Von | Last update: November 13, 2025Score: 4.4/5 (34 votes)
With both universities boasting highly competitive admission rates, with only 13% and 16% of applicants securing a place at Oxford and Cambridge respectively, it's clear that gaining admission to either institution is not easy!
Is Cambridge or Oxford better for law?
Oxford often leads in theoretical and foundational legal research, while Cambridge demonstrates strength in applied and interdisciplinary legal studies. Prospective students should consider their alignment with these research orientations. Both Oxford and Cambridge graduates enjoy exceptional career prospects.
Is law at Oxford hard to get into?
Subject-Specific Competition: Some courses, like Medicine, Law, and Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE), are notoriously difficult to get into due to the sheer number of applicants vying for limited spots.
Is Oxford or Cambridge harder to get into?
Both Oxford and Cambridge are highly competitive, and unfortunately, you can only apply to one per year. Based on acceptance rates and numbers, however, it is easier to get into Cambridge than Oxford. Both Harvard and Oxford are esteemed, top-ranked universities where students strive to get their degrees.
Is Cambridge law hard to get into?
Academic requirements
The minimum academic entry requirement for the Cambridge LLM is a First Class degree in law from a UK university or its equivalent from an overseas institution. This means you will typically be placed well within the top 10% of law students in your jurisdiction.
how i ACTUALLY got into Oxford Law (no bullsh*t advice)
What are the odds of getting into Cambridge Law?
The course is highly competitive, with 16% of applicants gaining a place on the course. You are here: Home. Cambridge.
Is Harvard law better than Cambridge?
Law student bragging rights go to our cousins across the pond, with Harvard once again outperforming both Oxford and Cambridge in the latest law school world rankings.
Is Oxford more elite than Cambridge?
QS World University Rankings
The differences between the institutions are generally very minor – as longstanding members of the global top 10, both Oxford and Cambridge are firmly established among the world's higher education elite.
How many Americans get into Oxford?
Yes, getting into Oxford as an American can be challenging. The acceptance rate typically ranges between 13% and 17%, making it comparable to the most competitive universities worldwide, including Ivy League schools.
How hard is it for an American to get into Cambridge?
Across all colleges, Cambridge's acceptance rate hovers around 20%. Widely recognized as one of the most competitive universities globally, this low rate reflects the institution's uncompromising commitment to academic excellence and rigorous selection process.
What are the odds of getting into Oxford Law?
Oxford Law's acceptance rate is just 13%. Hence, only a small selection of applicants are successful in receiving an offer, and the application process is far from simple.
Is Oxford Law prestigious?
Harvard University in the US takes first place, followed by Stanford University. A fifth of the universities in the law ranking are located in the US. The University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford are the only UK universities in the top 10. There are 53 UK universities in the ranking in total.
What GPA do you need for Oxford Law?
Undergraduate qualifications
If your graduate course at Oxford requires a 'first-class undergraduate degree with honours' in the UK system, you will usually need a bachelor's degree from a recognised university with an an overall grade of 85% ('A') or 'Excellent', or a GPA of 3.7 out of 4.0.
Which Oxford college is best for law?
Brasenose College has also been referred to as the friendliest college, making it a perfect environment to study Law. Location: Brasenose College is situated on Radcliffe Square, in the centre of Oxford University and the city. This makes it a top choice among prospective students.
Why can you only choose Oxford or Cambridge?
Some people have speculated in the past that the two universities are in such competition that they do not want to be second choice to anyone, let alone to their long-held rival, but it's slightly less dramatic than that. Basically, it comes down to supply and demand.
Is Oxford harder than Harvard?
How difficult is it to get in? As of 2023, Harvard's acceptance rate is 4%. Half of the applicants accepted at Harvard have an SAT score between 1480 and 1580. On the other hand, Oxford's acceptance rate of about 17.5% is appealing.
What GPA do you need to go to Oxford?
In general, where the minimum entry requirement for your chosen course is a UK first-class undergraduate degree, this equates to an overall US GPA of at least 3.7 based on the 4.0 system.
What is the most competitive course at Oxford?
The Most and the Least Competitive Oxford Courses
Certain programmes at Oxford are more competitive than others, with Computer Science, Economics & Management, and Medicine ranking among the most challenging. On the other hand, some humanities programs tend to have slightly higher acceptance rates.
What is prettier, Oxford or Cambridge?
This difference is sometimes expressed as “Oxford is bigger and livelier; Cambridge is smaller and prettier”, which is unfair to Oxford.
Is Oxford more prestigious than Ivy League?
With Oxford and Cambridge ranked No. 1 and 2 in the world by Times Higher Education, and Ivy Leagues' Stanford, MIT, CIT, Harvard, Princeton and Yale, directly behind, it's not hard to see why it is a difficult choice for high performing students.
What is the UK equivalent of Harvard?
Oxbridge (which includes Oxford, Cambridge and, technically, Durham) are the Ivy league equivalents. They are all what are known as 'collegiate universities' which means they are organised into colleges rather than being a single entity.
Which Ivy League is the best for law?
1. Which Ivy League School is Best For Law School? Yale is the best Ivy League school for law as it ranks number one in the nation.
Is Cambridge better than MIT?
MIT and Cambridge University are world-renowned for their strengths in STEM subjects. Both universities hold the #1 spot in their respective countries - making the decision between them very difficult! Both universities are extremely popular - and for good reason!
How competitive is law at Cambridge?
Times Higher Education's world university rankings place the Law degree at Cambridge 3rd in the world, and 1st in the UK (2023). Not only is it generally competitive to gain a place at Cambridge, but the Law course is especially fierce to get into.