The University of Oxford, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious universities, is renowned for its rigorous academic standards and rich history. Among its various metrics for evaluating student performance, the Norrington Table is a key component in assessing the academic success of its undergraduates. But what is this performance indicator, and how does it rank the various Oxford colleges?
The University of Oxford, established in the 12th century, comprises a federation of colleges and halls, each with its own distinctive character and traditions (but united under the broader umbrella of the university’s governance and academic standards). Oxford is celebrated for its high academic standards, distinguished faculty, and a broad range of disciplines across the humanities, sciences, and social sciences.
Colleges that consistently rank highly in the Norrington Table are often recognized for their strong academic programs and support systems. This can enhance their reputation and attract high-caliber students. Let’s explore this in a little more detail.
About The Norrington Table
The Norrington Table 🔗 is a ranking system used to assess the academic performance of undergraduates at the University of Oxford. It is published annually and ranks Oxford’s colleges based on the overall performance of their students in final university examinations. The table is based on the results of the final exams, with colleges receiving points depending on the proportion of students achieving first-class degrees, upper second-class degrees, lower second-class degrees, and third-class degrees.
The Norrington Table provides a snapshot of academic performance and is a point of interest and pride for many colleges. The rankings reflect the academic rigour and success of each college’s students. High rankings in the Norrington Table are often seen as a mark of academic excellence and can influence the college’s reputation and appeal to prospective students.
Oxford Colleges and the Norrington Table
The Norrington Table ranks Oxford University’s colleges based on their undergraduates’ performance in final exams. Colleges are scored according to the proportion of students achieving first-class, upper second-class, lower second-class, and third-class degrees. The table reflects the academic success of each college and provides an indicator of their overall performance in undergraduate degree classifications. For example:
- First-Class: Typically awarded to students who achieve a score of 70% or above.
- Upper Second-Class: Awarded to students with scores between 60% and 69%.
- Lower Second-Class: Given to students with scores between 50% and 59%.
- Third-Class: Awarded to students scoring between 40% and 49%.
- Pass: A grade below the third class, indicating a passing mark without classification.
- Honours Pass: For degrees awarded with honours, reflecting a standard below third class but with some level of academic distinction.
The grand totals for 2021/2022 (3,052 students) were as listed below. At the time of writing this article, Norrington data accessible directly throught the University’s website is not available after 2021/22, although this FOI page has an alternative Final Honour Schools data by College provided by the University’s Information Compliance Team.
You can see the full 2021/22 list here.
The most recent rankings, for 2023/24, were also recently released in response to a freedom of information request. The top scorers are as follows:
- St Stephen’s House: 80.0%
- Magdalen: 77.9%
- Merton: 77.3%
- St John’s: 76.6%
- New College: 76.2%
- Keble: 75.8%
- Jesus: 75.7%
- Exeter: 74.6%
- Lincoln: 73.7%
- Harris Manchester: 73.1%
- Brasenose: 73.1%
- St Peter’s: 73.0%
- Mansfield: 73.0%
- Wadham: 72.7%
- St Catherine’s: 72.5%
- Balliol: 71.9%
- Christ Church: 71.5%
- St Anne’s: 70.8%
- Queen’s: 70.6%
- St Hugh’s: 70.0%
- Trinity: 70.0%
- University: 69.8%
- Lady Margaret Hall: 69.2%
- St Hilda’s: 68.8%
- Hertford: 68.6%
- Somerville: 68.5%
- Worcester: 68.5%
- Pembroke: 68.2%
- Oriel: 67.7%
- Regent’s Park: 67.5%
- St Edmund Hall: 66.8%
- Corpus Christi: 66.3%
- Wycliffe Hall: 64.7%
Top Scorers in the Norrington Table
The top-scoring colleges for the 2023/2024 year (based on the number of 1sts compared to total of students) were St Stephen’s House (80%), Magdalen College (77.9%), Merton College (77.3%), St John’s College (76.6%), and New College (76.2%).
A Short History of the Norrington Table
The Norrington Table wasn’t actually invented by Sir Arthur Norrington in 1962, despite common belief. Oxford college rankings already existed, and in 1963 Norrington proposed improving them by introducing a weighted points system that rewarded Firsts more heavily than Seconds and Thirds (3, 2, and 1 points respectively). His method was used until 1985.
In 1986, after Oxford split Second Class degrees into Upper Seconds and Lower Seconds, The Times replaced the Norrington system with the Tompkins Table, developed by Peter Tompkins for Cambridge. This system gave five points for a First, three for a 2.1, two for a 2.2, and one for a Third. It became the standard ranking method for both Cambridge and Oxford colleges.
Criticisms of the Norrington Table
There have been efforts to rethink the Norrington Table in response to concerns about access and fairness in Oxford admissions. In 2018, one alternative ranking used geographic data to assess colleges by the proportion of students from less affluent backgrounds. The same report noted that the Oxford University Student Union was developing an “alternative Norrington Table” aimed at measuring social mobility alongside academic performance.
The table is also considered to tend to favor colleges with larger numbers of students studying science-based subjects like chemistry and mathematics, where first-class degrees are awarded more often than in disciplines such as Law or PPE, where upper second-class (2:1) results are more common. The equivalent Tompkins Table at Cambridge accounts for this imbalance through an adjustment.
