Oxford University Colleges are not just for students. Its legendary ‘ivory towers’ and ‘dreaming spires’, some almost a 1000 years old, add great cultural value to the city of Oxford. While each has its own distinctive character, the older colleges have a few things in common: a dining hall, a chapel, a library and most are build around at least one quadrangle (quad).

University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world’s second-oldest surviving university, consists of 38 colleges and 6 permanent private halls. Some of its iconic buildings such as the Radcliffe Camera library, Magdalen College and Christ Church College are symbols of academia worldwide, and those who saw Inspector Morse, Endeavour, Shadowlands or Harry Potter may recognise them in scenes from those films.

The oldest of Oxford’s colleges are University College, Balliol and Merton, established between 1249 and 1264. St Catherine’s College is Oxford’s youngest undergraduate college.