Balliol College Crest

Balliol College

Balliol is a gorgeous college with a reputation for a laid-back atmosphere and highly inclusive vibe. While it does live up to these claims, students still find time to do pretty well academically, too.

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Food

Balliol is lucky to have not only a hall, but a student-run café called pantry! In hall you can get breakfast, lunch and dinner every weekday (no breakfasts on weekends unfortunately), for around £3 a day – we also have an optional payment plan which makes everything MUCH cheaper. Pantry provides dinner most nights cooked by anyone who wants to, and is charged to your university account – it’s a great alternative option and always delicious! We have weekly formals in hall which you can prebook as well as a couple of formals a term specifically for inviting family from home, so there’s lots of opportunities to get the real Oxford experience

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Accommodation

In first and third year students live in the main Balliol site on Broad Street, which is right in the centre of Oxford and surrounded by everything you need. Second years can choose to rent private accommodation or live in college-owned flats in Jowett Walk or Master’s Field, a short walk from college. Postgraduates live in the beautiful Holywell Manor, again just a short walk away. Most floors in Broad Street have a small kitchenette, as well as a larger kitchen that anyone can use in Staircase 21. There are accessible laundry facilities for everyone, rooms with special provisions for disabled students and a few rooms with ensuites. Jowett and Master’s Field flats are shared between 4 to 8 students each, with most rooms having ensuites and much more comprehensive cooking facilities.

Extracurricular

Balliol has an active sporting scene, fielding 2 men’s football teams, a netball team, rugby team, and multiple rowing teams in organised competitions. Everyone is always welcome to join a team, even If you’ve never played the sport before, and the regular sports socials and crewdates are a great way to make friends across the year groups. One highlight of the sporting year is the sports day with St John’s College Cambridge – hosting alternates between Oxford and Cambridge, and there’s a wide range of sports on offer during the day, and socials in the evening! We also have a gym on Broad Street with women’s hours most days of the week, and another at Holywell Manor.

Welfare

Welfare provision in college is excellent – we have Welfare Reps on the JCR committee who organises things like the welfare teas, film nights and other welfare events (like the time they brought in alpacas!). College also has a range of welfare provisions students can make use of, such as the College Nurse, a Welfare Officer, harassment officers, and junior deans who are on call throughout the night. Overall, Balliol is a really safe and friendly environment for everyone.

Entertainment

By far one of Balliol’s biggest attractions as a college (at least from the student point of view!) is the Lindsay Bar. Run by Lord or Lady Lindsay, an elected member of the JCR (which is a bit like a school council with a big budget), the bar is one of the cheapest in Oxford, open every day except Sunday and always full of students. We have 9 ‘Big Open Parties’ (Bops) a year, again organised by the JCR, which everyone is always up for! Some other social highlights include: A&B, a society which organises comedy debates, frequent plays and musicals organised by students, welfare teas, film nights in the TV room, and much more!

Balliol is the best - as an international student I didn't really know what to expect but everyone was so friendly and welcoming
Noelle, Philosophy, Politics and Economics, 2nd year
Applying to Balliol was a great decision! It's near everything you need and the bar is amazing
Amerleen, Economics and Management, 2nd year
Balliol is so friendly! Everyone made me feel right at home right from my first day.
Frances, Classics, student from 2014

Find out more

Founded: 1263
Undergraduate students per year: 112
Total number of undergraduate students: 366
Famous alumni: Howard Marks, Graham Greene, and - rumour has it - the inventor of the Hobnob biscuit.

You might also want to take a look at the Balliol alternative prospectus or the official college website.