Student life
Studying Computer Science at Oxford, you will be part of a rich history of academic excellence, while also joining a vibrant community offering an unmatched student experience. You will experience the distinctive Oxford experience, which combines centuries of history and tradition with a youthful buzz, and have access to all the support, facilities and activities you need, within the beautiful city of dreaming spires.
Find out more about student life at Oxford for undergraduates.
Studying at the department
Oxford has been ranked as the world's leading university for computer sciences for eight years in a row by the Times Higher Education. The department is a special place to study, where you will enjoy the very best teaching from the finest minds in the field, while being part of a collaborative, inclusive and sociable academic community.
Watch our video tour of the department:
Tour of the Department of Computer Science
Why Oxford?
Find out about the unique learning environment at Oxford.
Colleges and accommodation
As an undergraduate, you will live for at least a year in college housing. The University is made up of more than 30 colleges, each with its own unique history and dynamic academic and social life. Find out more about colleges and housing.
Welfare and wellbeing
Your circumstances are unique, and the University offers a wide range of services to support you during your studies and make sure that all your welfare needs are met. These include everything from disability and mental health support to assistance for students who are carers or parents. Find out more about welfare and wellbeing.
In addition, advice is also available from the department, your college, fellow students and the Student Union.
Fees and funding
Mindful of living costs or looking at further study? There are a range of options to help you find your way financially as a student. Find out about fees and funding at the University.
Clubs and societies
The University of Oxford offers many different clubs and societies,
covering a wide variety of interests.
Find out more about clubs and societies at the University.
There are also a number of student societies for computer science and related areas:
Oxford Womxn in Computer Science (OxWoCS)
OxWoCS aims to support and promote women and gender minorities in Computer Science at the University and beyond, running a variety of events throughout the year.
The Oxford University Computer Society (CompSoc)
CompSoc promotes the use of computers, programming, and new technology amongst its diverse members from across the University, hosting talks from major technology companies and academics, and putting on weekly social events.
The Invariants
The Invariants are Oxford's student mathematical society, hosting informal lectures, often given by leading mathematicians, as well as puzzle competitions.
The Mirzakhani Society
The Mirzakhani Society is for women and non-binary students studying Maths at the University.
Student representation
The department's Joint Consultative Committees offer a great way to get involved in departmental issues and make sure that the student voice is heard.
Our Joint Consultative Committee for Undergraduates (JCCU) meet termly, and you can put forward issues to be raised. The committees are represented at other departmental committee meetings.
Careers
As a Computer Science student at Oxford, you will be very sought after following your studies. Nevertheless, it can be a challenge to work out what your next steps will be.
The University's Careers Service can help you explore career options, including further study. The extensive career resources are designed to help you to weigh up next steps and look for career-enhancing activities to explore while at Oxford. Find out more.
A Careers in Computing Fair takes place annually, where you can explore jobs, internships and graduate opportunities with leading employers.
Additionally, Oxford's Entrepreneurship Centre provides students with free courses, conferences and networking opportunities.
Find out more about career paths and hear from some of our alumni.
Libraries
The departmental library aims to provide the best possible support for your studies. Open at all times, it houses more than 12,000 books dedicated to computer science and related research areas. All recommended core textbooks for our courses, along with the books recommended for further reading, are available for loan from the library.
How to find our library:
The Department of Computer Science library
As a student at the department, you will also have access to the University's historic Bodleian Libraries, the largest academic library service in the UK and one of the largest library services in Europe. The libraries, located across Oxford, together hold more than 13 million printed items and more than 80,000 e-journals. Find out more.
Latest student news and views
Click on the links below to read more about the latest news, views and achievements of our current students, including our DPhil the Future series of articles, where our doctoral students blog about their unique areas of study.