Norrington Table, Oxford Colleges Ranking

According to the Norrington Table, Oxford Colleges have ranked annually by how many undergraduate students earn each degree classification based on that year’s final exams. Despite many controversies, the Norrington table remained a unique indicator of college performance. The score is published each year. According to Norrington Table 2021, the best Oxford colleges are Merton, St. John’s and Lincoln College.

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Norrington Table 2021 Ranking for Oxford Colleges

Results for 2020/2021 academic have been published in the latest Norrington Table 2021.

Scores for 2022 are not published yet.

Position	College	Norrington Score	No of Students
1	Merton	82.86%	77
2	St John’s	79.81%	106
3	Lincoln	79.56%	90
4	Brasenose	79.17%	96
5	New College	79.12%	113
6	St Catherine’s	79.01%	141
7	Worcester	78.69%	122
8	Balliol	78.68%	91
9	Harris Manchester	78.00%	30
10	St Anne’s	77.78%	99
11	Queen’s	77.27%	88
12	Corpus Christi	76.88%	64
13	St Peter’s	76.24%	101
14	University	76.17%	115
15	Jesus	75.92%	98
16	Keble	75.83%	120
17	Mansfield	75.65%	69
18	Wadham	75.59%	136
19	St Hugh’s	75.13%	115
20	Oriel	75.11%	94
21	Christ Church	74.68%	124
22	Magdalen	74.34%	106
23	Trinity	74.05%	74
24	St Edmund Hall	73.96%	106
25	Exeter	73.56%	90
26	Somerville	73.39%	109
27	Hertford	72.86%	98
28	Pembroke	72.04%	98
29	St Hilda’s	71.93%	119
30	Lady Margaret Hall	69.83%	118

Norrington Table 2021

What is the Norrington Table?

The Norrington table is an annual ranking report for Oxford colleges. Based on the proportion of undergraduate students earning each degree classification based on the final exams of that year, the Norrington Table ranks the colleges of the University of Oxford.

Developed by former Trinity President Sir Arthur Norrington in the 1960s, the Norrington table measures final exam performance at each college.

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Why is Oxford Colleges Ranking Important?

Regardless of which college you belong to, your course structure, content, teaching, and supervision will be arranged by your University department.

There are many similarities between Oxford’s colleges. However, this wide variety of colleges makes the Oxford University experience so unique. Graduate students usually adapt quickly and enjoy their college, regardless of which college they prefer.

How to choose Oxford College?

Choosing Oxbridge College is one of the most critical steps in the process when applying to Oxford University. Before submitting your final application, you should consider the pros and cons of different Oxford colleges before choosing one.

Write down your top five priorities, then rank which ten colleges meet these priorities best. Next, make a pros and cons list for each of your top ten colleges, and hopefully, the best one will stand out. Also, don’t forget to check the latest Norrington score. Think about accommodation, food, libraries, location, and extracurricular activities when choosing Oxford College.

What is an Oxford college system?

One of the many distinctive features of student life at Oxford is the college system. Oxford’s colleges are independent and self-governing.

There are 44 colleges at the University of Oxford. This includes five permanent private halls (PPHs) founded by various Christian denominations that retain their religious character.

Colleges at Oxford are small, multidisciplinary communities. In each of them, there are students, academic staff, and administrative staff. There are many ways to enrich your Oxford experience at colleges, including meals, libraries, accommodations, sports, events, and more. Each college has its character and history, but they share many similarities.

How is the Norrington Table Score Calculated?

Based on undergraduate degree classifications, the Norrington score is expressed as a percentage. A score of 5 is assigned to a 1st class degree, 3 to a 2:1 degree, 2 to a 2:2 degree, 1 to a 3rd class degree and 0 to a pass or honours pass. To calculate the percentage, the total college score is divided by the total possible score the college could attain (i.e. number of degrees awarded per college x score of 5).

There is no special significance in a College’s performance in a given year based on the Norrington Score, which is intended to be an indicative measure only. A single student being given a 1st rather than a 2.1 might improve a College’s rank by four or five positions.

Should You Choose College Based on Norrington table rankings?

The Norrington table should not be the only way you judge a college as a student, but do not ignore the implications completely. Despite some inaccuracies, the gap between colleges isn’t huge. While it does not provide a complete picture of each college’s academic profile, it serves as a rough guide.

The top colleges are always at the top, while the bottom colleges are usually at the bottom. From year to year, those in the middle can fluctuate by several places. Probably as accurate as university league tables published by newspapers, don’t pay too much attention to it.

Vegetarian Norrington Table

Similar to Norrington Table, other tables ranking Oxford colleges have been published, such as the Vegetarian Norrington Table, published in 2016 and in 2019. Vegetarian Norrington Tables, rank Oxford colleges based on their vegetarian and vegan food quality, based on data collected from University staff and students.

Mansfield College currently leads the Vegetarian Norrington Table, followed by Worcester College, and Kellogg College is third.

FAQs

Is there a ranking of Oxford colleges?

Yes. The Norrington table is an annual ranking of Oxford colleges considered the most trustworthy source and score for ranking.

Which Oxford College Gets the least applicants?

According to The Oxford Student, the strongest applicants apply to Worcester, Brasenose, Magdalen, Merton, and New, while the weakest applicants applied to St Hilda’s, St Hugh’s, St Peter’s, and Mansfield. Find here the acceptance rate for each Oxford College.

Which Oxford College has the best accommodation?

The student accommodation at Keble College is some of the best in Oxford, and the dining hall is one of the best.

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