Why Choose Regent’s?

Simply being a student at the University of Oxford is an achievement in itself. At Regent’s, we support our students to achieve their full potential. Regent’s academic successes speak for themselves – in 2024, 12 of our undergraduates achieved First class degrees, including all three of our Geographers! – and the college has a long history of punching above its weight not only academically but also in sports and arts.

Many of our students engage in activities at University level – and it’s not unusual to see our students leading University societies, directing and performing in drama and musical performances, playing for University sport teams – and earning an Oxford Blue, or getting involved with student journalism and politics.

College provides support for excellence in a huge number of ways for both academic and extra-curricular activities. In recent years, a number of our tutors have won awards for their teaching and student support. The College and its common rooms also have a number of grants to help support those involved with performing arts, competing at sports at University level, or engaging in academic-related travel abroad.

Regent’s is a place where excellence is sought in all we do –  the perfect place to strive to be the very best within a supportive and enthusiastic community.

Regent’s is situated on Pusey Street, which is just off St Giles’ – one of the most central streets Oxford. This is a fantastic location, close to the centre of town and easily accessible by car, bike and public transport.

We are also very close to many of the relevant faculties: the Bodleian Art, Archaeology and Ancient World Library for Classics is barely five minutes away on foot, the Bodleian Library and Radcliffe Camera are around eight minutes, and the English, Law, and Social Sciences are all within a ten minute walk.

It is a simple walk down St Giles’ to reach Cornmarket, Oxford’s main shopping street, and from there on to The Westgate, where there is a wide array of shops, restaurants and bars in the immediate vicinity. In the opposite direction, one of the most picturesque streets in town, Little Clarendon Street, houses ice cream parlours, bars and cafes just a five minute walk away.

Students also take advantage of the college boat house (shared with New College) on the River Isis and the football pitches at University Parks to represent the college in rowing and football respectively; Regent’s is ideally situated to access such facilities.

Proximity to such a wide array of facilities is a key reason as to why students at Regent’s enjoy their time here immensely.

Regent’s is renowned, across the University, for its warm and friendly atmosphere.

There are regular social events, such as our famous ‘brew’, where free tea and biscuits are provided in the JCR twice a day and undergraduate students come together to take a break from their studies, hang out and laugh with friends. Every Friday, after Formal Hall there are JCR and MCR socials in the common room, and throughout the week, there are plenty of other activities going on. Regent’s is a hugely welcoming community for all.

The small size of the undergraduate body (around 110) and postgraduate body (around 70) means that friendships across subjects and year groups develop quickly, something which is rare in larger colleges. Both the JCR and MCR have common rooms on-site and share the college’s student-run bar – apparently, still the cheapest in Oxford.

Regent’s also hosts a large number of cross-common room activities. Formal Hall on Friday nights has a real sense of occasion, as students and staff come together to dine. There are a number of events throughout the year that foster a feeling of community between common rooms: a charity fête in the summer (our tortoise’s birthday party), the Regent’s Pantomime and Summer Garden Play, Christmas carols in the quad, Burns’ Night, and much more.

Put simply, the special Regent’s spirit and community is at the heart of everything we do.

Regent’s has a long and proud history rooted in that of the Dissenters, who were for much of the college’s history excluded from the upper echelons of the British education system. No matter who you are or where you’re from, there is a home for you at Regent’s.

We were founded in the nineteenth century to provide an education for non-Anglicans excluded from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. When we moved to Oxford in 1927 we continued this mission of supporting disenfranchised communities – we were the first college to admit both men and women, and one of the first to publicly show our support for the LGBTQ+ community in the twenty-first by flying the Pride Flag.

Despite, and perhaps because of, the barriers placed in our way, we’ve always been at the forefront of social change.

Regent’s has a fantastic network of people to whom students can turn when in need of support.

Among the student body, there is team of trained peer supporters, who are led by student-elected Welfare Officers. The peer supporters not only provide a listening ear, but also host welfare events, such as craft nights, picnics, yoga classes and welfare walks, at intervals throughout the term.

There is also a strong network of pastoral support among college staff. The College has a number of trained staff who can help, with a designated Fellow for Welfare and Equality, harassment officers, and a Women’s Officer. The welfare team also includes Junior Deans: graduate students who help provide an interface between student and staff welfare support.

Regent’s Park has an excellent relationship with the University’s support services, and we regularly facilitate access to, and work alongside, the University’s Disability Advisory Service (DAS) and Counselling Services. We always put everything we can in place to try and help our students perform at their best and thrive.

University can be hard, but we believe that nobody should have to struggle alone. It is for this reason that we take pride in the outstanding support network we have within college, and consider it to be one of Regent’s greatest strengths.