Oxford has topped The Times League Table since 2002, when it finally wrested first place from Cambridge.

The oldest and probably the most famous university in the English-speaking world, Oxford remains almost inseparable from Cambridge in terms of overall quality. Both are among the top four universities in the world, according to global rankings published by Times Higher Education and QS, and are head and shoulders above the other non-specialist universities in the view of most experts and in The Times table.

Higher spending on student facilities, marginally better staffing levels and more top degrees keep the university ahead of its ancient rival this year.

Applications were up by 12 per cent at the beginning of 2009, having dipped slightly in the previous year. There are fewer than five applicants to the place – a much more favourable ratio than at some of the top universities – but nearly all are predicted at least three As at A level, or their equivalent. Gradually, there may be more research students and marginally fewer UK undergraduates, making the competition for places still more intense.

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Access

The university is still struggling to broaden its intake and shake off allegations of social elitism. The long-term growth in demand for places (which is concentrated in the more job-oriented subjects) is due, at least partly, to more systematic attempts to get the message through to teenagers that Oxford is open to all who can meet the exacting entrance requirements. Student visits to comprehensive schools have been supplemented by summer schools, recruitment fairs and colleges’ own initiatives, as well as tireless public statements of intent by the university.

For all the university’s efforts to shed its “Brideshead Revisited” stereotype, however, official figures still show 47 per cent of Oxford’s students coming from independent schools – the largest proportion at any university. Fewer than one student in ten comes from a working-class home, despite the introduction of bursaries worth £3,225 in 2009-10 for all undergraduates who are eligible for full fee remission. Still higher bursaries introduced in 2006 are yet to broaden the mix further. A projected dropout rate of little more than 2 per cent is the second-lowest in the UK.

Applying

Applications must be made by mid-October – a month earlier if you wish to be interviewed overseas. There are written tests for some subjects and you may be asked to submit samples of work. Selection is in the hands of the 30 undergraduate colleges, which vary considerably in their approach to this issue and others. Sound advice on academic strengths and social factors is essential for applicants to give themselves the best chance of winning a place and finding a setting in which they can thrive. Only a minority of candidates opt to go straight into the admissions pool without expressing a preference for a particular college. The choice is particularly important for arts and social science students, whose world-famous individual or small group tuition is based in college. Science and technology, which have benefited from Oxford’s phenomenally successful fundraising efforts, are taught mainly in central facilities. All subjects operate on eight-week terms and assess students entirely on final examinations – a system some find too pressurised.

Development

The development of a major new campus on the site of the Radcliffe Infirmary is likely to be the first fruit of a £1-billion fundraising campaign. Recent developments include a £60-million building to house the western world’s largest chemistry department, as well as new premises for economics. A £21-million social sciences library followed, while animal facilities drew bitter (often illegal) protests from animal rights campaigners.

Research

There was never much doubt about the strength of Oxford’s research, but the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise found more than 70 per cent of it to be world-leading or internationally excellent. Oxford entered more academics for assessment than any other university – twice as many as some research-based universities of similar size. There were good results in all areas, but the university was pre-eminent in several medical specialisms, statistics, development studies, education and French. Oxford also attracts the largest amount of research income, at more than £200 million.

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