As the oldest university in the English-speaking world, Oxford is a unique and historic institution. There is no clear date of foundation, but teaching existed at Oxford in some form in 1096 and developed rapidly from 1167, when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris.In the 13th century, rioting between townspeople and students hastened the establishment of primitive halls of residence. These were succeeded by the first of Oxford's colleges, which began as medieval 'halls of residence' under the supervision of a Master.

Oxford University is famous for the exceptional teaching, research and learning opportunities it offers and its long history of excellence. Students enjoy personalised, regular tutorial teaching with subject experts and are part of college communities which provide a safe and supportive environment for study. Students and staff come from around the globe with an amazing range of backgrounds and interests.

facts about Oxford University:
- There is a bell in the Oxford University library that hasn’t stopped ringing for more than 175 years. Researchers are afraid that opening the bell would ruin an experiment to see how long it will last.
- Oxford University has over 1000 bottles of wine that are older than 200 years.
- The Oxford dictionary prefers the use “-ize” spelling of words like “organize” or “recognize”. Despite this, Oxford University prefers the “-ise” spelling because it is more common in British use.
- Until 1950, there were always two seats guaranteed for University of Oxford alumni in Parliament.