More women than men admitted to Oxford University for the first time

Varsity admissions reveal women won more offers after record applications

London, Jan. 25: The number of women undergraduate surpassed that of men at the University of Oxford for the first time in 1,000 years.

Data published from Ucas, the university and college admissions body found a total of 1,070 18- year- old female UK applicants to Oxford took places on undergraduate course in autumn 2017, compared with 1,025 men of the same age. Women won more offers and places after applying in record numbers.

Among applicants of all ages from the UK, women also received more offers to study as undergraduates than men despite fewer applying than their male counterparts. The number of British undergraduates of all ages taking up their places — according to the Ucas data published on Thursday — was split exactly with 1,275 men and women apiece.

The shift in undergraduate admissions is the latest of several taken by Oxford in recent years. The first of the university’s male colleges admitted women in 1974. Others followed suit in the rest of the 1970s and 1980s.

Oxford gave the figures a cautious welcome, saying it was unable to confirm the historical significance of Ucas’ data.

“While it’s too early to call this a trend based on one year’s numbers, it is a welcome sign of progress for female applicants to Oxford,” a spokesperson for Oxford said. The Ucas figures only included UKbased applicants, but not EU or international students.

Oxford’s ancient rival, Cambridge, offered more places to male school leavers by a slim margin — 1,440 to 1,405 — after attracting record numbers of applications within the UK. Cambridge made more offers to British women aged over 18, although fewer took up the places. After being heavily criticised over its track record on attracting and admitting black British students, Oxford’s admissions showed a slight improvement.