Undergraduate Accommodation

Undergraduate accommodation is divided over three sites, Wadham College, Merifield and the Dorothy Wadham Building.  Rooms are allocated to all freshers and, according to a ballot system, to all undergraduates.

First and third year undergraduates are usually located on the Wadham College site. Accommodation here is mainly provided in the traditional Oxford format of ‘staircases’, each staircase housing 6-17 students. All staircases offer a comfortable place to live and study. Staircases 1-7 surround the Front Quadrangle, overlooking the lawn, and were built in 1610. Remaining staircases are in a range of buildings from historic to modern purpose built accommodation, offering a distinct character and friendly atmosphere.

All student bedrooms offer: single bed; desk and chair; wardrobe; chest of drawers or built in storage; bookshelves; desk lamp; high speed wired and wireless network/internet. Students need to bring bedding and bed linen suitable for a single bed. On the Wadham site all bedrooms have a washbasin and there are shared bath and/or shower rooms on each staircase.  Some staircases have a small kitchen for making drinks and light snacks.

Rooms on the main site comprise: 191 standard single study bedrooms; 31 ensuite single study bedrooms; 23 ensuite double set bedrooms (two students sharing a large study area with beds in small, adjoining rooms); 6 purpose built or modified en-suite rooms for students with a range of disabilities, including one room with a hoist; 1 standard double set bedroom.

2022/23 Licence agreements for main site run from 5th Oct 2022 to 3rd Dec 2022, 12th Jan 2023 to 11th Mar 2023, and 20th Apr 2023 to 17th June 2023.

Vacation Residence can be applied for by Undergraduates living on main-site out of term dates and a Vacation Residence grant can be applied for a maximum of 14 nights per vacation if staying for academic reasons. Undergrads living on the main site that wish to stay for the entire Christmas and/or Easter Vac can also request a Full Vacation License.

Details of these are available from the Accommodation Office.

Second year undergraduates are located in ensuite self-catered accommodation in the Dorothy Wadham Building, Iffley Road.

The Dorothy Wadham Building offers single occupancy bedrooms (with en-suite shower rooms) arranged in clusters with shared kitchen/dining areas.

There is an attractive internal courtyard garden, a garden room/TV lounge, a computer room and laundry room. The site accommodates about 20 graduate students along with about 110 undergraduates in a friendly, lively community.

The site, buildings, and eight of the bedrooms are fully accessible for students with disabilities. In addition to a porters lodge at the entrance, the gated Dorothy Wadham Building has CCTV, a resident site manager and two Junior Deans.

There are good transport connections, and it takes just eight minutes to cycle to College and central Oxford. Bicycle storage is located at the rear of the site. There is no parking at the site. 

This site also includes three small flats suitable for couples on Percy Street, adjacent to the Dorothy Wadham Building.

Fourth year undergraduates are located in self-catered accommodation at Merifield, Ferry Pool Road, Summertown. This modern gated complex of fully-fitted spacious apartments is about 1½ miles north of the city centre in Summertown.

The furnished apartments house 4 or 5 students in single rooms, sharing a spacious kitchen, dining and living room, and bathrooms. 5-bedroom apartments which have 2 bathrooms. 4-bedroom apartments have 1 bathroom and 1 toilet with wash basin. 

Heating, lighting, water and internet charges are included in the cost. There is also a basic level of insurance cover for personal belongings. Residents bring their own bedding and bed linen (suitable for a single bed) as well as crockery, cutlery and cooking utensils. There is no parking on site, and parking is strictly controlled in nearby streets.

There is a comprehensive CCTV monitoring system and access is via an electronic card swipe system. A manager resides on site for urgent maintenance support and there is also a live-in Junior Dean for welfare support during term-time.

Merifield is a ten minute cycle ride from College and the centre of Oxford and has good public transport connections.