Oxford, the oldest university in the UK (and one of the oldest in the world), is a wholly contemporary institution of higher learning today. Oxford, which many experts consider to be the best university in the world, consistently rates as the top school in the world for clinical health and computer science, as well as being in the top five for a number of other key fields like business and economics, law, engineering, social sciences, and life sciences.
The university has top-notch research facilities that attract scientists from around the world to its cutting-edge labs and facilities. Oxford University's campus, which lies outside of London in the town of the same name, is extraordinarily old, with dormitories and libraries that date back to the Middle Ages. More British Prime Ministers than any other university have graduated from the institution, 30 of whom are noteworthy. After decades of training the nation's social and political elite, Oxford admissions are now open to all qualified applicants, with academic achievement serving as the primary criterion for entrance. When applying as undergraduates, prospective Oxonians specify their preference for one of the university's 30 distinct colleges, with an acceptance rate of less than 10% for overseas students.