Recent admission figures from Oxford and Cambridge universities have highlighted which courses are the most accessible for prospective students. Subjects such as modern languages, classics, music, Asian and Middle Eastern studies, and linguistics have notably higher acceptance rates, with more than half of applicants receiving offers in some cases. For example, nearly seventy percent of Cambridge applicants for modern and medieval languages were accepted in 2024, a significant increase from a decade ago. In contrast, highly sought-after degrees like engineering remain extremely competitive, with far lower offer rates.

Experts caution students against applying for courses solely based on higher acceptance odds, warning that pursuing a subject without genuine interest can lead to an unhappy university experience. Despite rising application numbers and increased competition, both universities emphasize the importance of choosing a course based on passion rather than statistics. Outreach efforts and changing social attitudes have contributed to the surge in applications, while Cambridge continues to boast high graduate employability and continuation rates.