It’s an argument that’s been going on for over 800 years. Ever since the early days of the Oxbridge rivalry when the University of Cambridge was founded in the early 1200s, students at both venerable institutions have claimed to be the cleverest in the UK, if not the world. Now, we might finally have a definitive answer.
According to new data released this week, a higher percentage of Oxford students graduated with a first-class degree last year than their Cambridge counterparts.
While an impressive 31.7% of all Cambridge graduates left university with a first, this figure is triumphantly beaten by their bitter rivals at Oxford, where 33.2% of all graduates successfully swotted their way to a first.
Although there’s no guarantee this proves Oxford students are cleverer (maybe firsts are just given out by tutors more easily there?), the higher probability of earning a first could be enough to sway more applicants towards Oxford and away from the River Cam.
Professor Smithers, of the University of Buckingham, responded to the information released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency by pointing out: “universities are free to award as many firsts as they like, and have every incentive to do so. Students like to have top-class degrees and may choose universities on that basis.”
So, are Oxford students just naturally cleverer than Cambridge, or is the level of teaching better there? Or do you think Oxford tutors are just going soft on their students? Let us know in the comments below.
Lead image: Ninara (Flickr)
