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Which is more famous Oxford or Cambridge ?

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Which is more famous Oxford or Cambridge ?

Google certainly thinks that Oxford is better known

"oxford university" 36,000,000 hits
"harvard university" 34,200,000 hits

"cambridge university" 26,600,000 hits
"yale university" 20,200,000 hits

Reply 1

Manellowzworth

1

Oxford is more well-known outside the U.K. It has a significantly stronger reputation amongst americans - lord knows why... I think it may have something to do with exposure due to the Rhodes scholarship but..insignificant either way.
As for the greater number of hits on google, remember that there is always OUP which is probably the best known of the 4 uni presses which is maybe why...

Reply 2

ACF99

Oxford is without a doubt more famous. That doesn't mean it's better, though.

Reply 3

Nutter

16

To start of with, this discussion is completely useless, but since we're into Google, let's check it out a little more. :wink:

http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=Oxford&word2=Cambridge

Oxford
197,000,000 results

Cambridge
201,000,000 results

http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=%22University+of+Oxford%22&word2=%22University+of+Cambridge%22

"University of Oxford"
16,400,000 results

"University of Cambridge"
14,800,000 results

http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=%22Oxford+University%22&word2=%22Cambridge+University%22

"Oxford University"
36,600,000 results

"Cambridge University"
24,800,000 results

I therefore conclude that Oxford University is more popular than Cambridge university, but the town of Cambridge is more popular than Oxford. :wink:

P.S. I'm just bored. Google results obviously aren't an accurate indicator of a the fame of an institution.

Reply 4

Ronove

18

Since about Year 9 I wanted to apply to Oxford, it was *the* best university etc.
I don't think I'd heard of Cambridge, no-one ever mentioned it. Then later on when I heard about 'Oxbridge' I had a look on the Cambridge site to see what I would be missing and I fell in love with it. :p:

Reply 5

tenjon

8

Nutter

Oxford
197,000,000 results

Cambridge
201,000,000 results

I therefore conclude that Oxford University is more popular than Cambridge university, but the town of Cambridge is more popular than Oxford. :wink:

There are other things that will influence those results though... like the fact that there is a town in Massachusettes (sp?), home to both Harvard and MIT, that also happens to be called 'Cambridge'. Not that that's a coincidence!

Reply 6

kizer

15

Ronove

Since about Year 9 I wanted to apply to Oxford, it was *the* best university etc.
I don't think I'd heard of Cambridge, no-one ever mentioned it. Then later on when I heard about 'Oxbridge' I had a look on the Cambridge site to see what I would be missing and I fell in love with it. :p:

Wow that's funny.. I was literally completely the other way round, to every last detail, except I had wanted to apply to Cambridge since I was 5 because I lived there!

Reply 7

gooseymcgoose

11

yup I always wanted to apply to Oxford because it's the first one that I thought of ... then I went there and I was just really disappointed, so I went to Cambridge and it was exactly what I'd imagined Oxford was going to be like and I loved it, the people, the course...

Reply 8

shady lane

16

In the US Oxford has more of a name. Maybe because when people think of universities and "Cambridge" they think of Cambridge, Massachusetts--home to Harvard and MIT.

Reply 9

Chumbaniya

17

Oxford is probably better known worldwide, though I think it and Cambridge are fairly equal in the UK due to them being so often labelled together as Oxbridge. There's a significant distinction between popular fame and academic fame, though, and in terms of academic fame each university will be more renowned in different subjects.

Reply 10

mtbab

17

shady lane

In the US Oxford has more of a name. Maybe because when people think of universities and "Cambridge" they think of Cambridge, Massachusetts--home to Harvard and MIT.

just goes to show however that the two best universities are in Cambridge.

Cambridge and Harvard. Is Oxford in Cambridge?...No.

Reply 11

FadeToBlackout

15

Cambridge is also, technically, a city.

I'd say in Britain they are both equally well known, but as people have said Oxford is more known in the US.

Reply 12

$Avatar for sTe\/o$

sTe\/o

16

They're equally famous in the UK, but worldwide I'd say that Oxford has more name recognition (it does vary in different parts of the world, however). Particularly in the US, Oxford has more name recognition because of the Rhodes Scholarship and the OUP, and the Bill Clinton factor is obviously quite significant. In some parts of the non-English speaking world, Cambridge is actually better known because of its English language qualifications or for reasons specific to the country concerned, e.g. someone pointed out to me that a number important Malaysians were educated at Cambridge, so in that country Cambridge is more recognised; Cambridge is also more well known in Japan, where the society is called the Cambridge and Oxford Society because there were originally more Cambridge alumni in Japan than Oxford alumni.

Reply 13

forpolarbears

17

In the US, people think Oxford first, but seem to hold Cambridge in higher esteem (and seem to think its more elitist or something, since Oxford is a bit more pop cultured out here), and do a sort of gasp of wonder when the name is mentioned.

Reply 14

fundamentally

15

Outside the UK, saying that you study at Cambridge generally meets with an awed, "It must be so nice to study at Harvard ?" :cool:

Our Cambridge is completely unknown to the general public overseas. Of course, it is highly regarded by academics.

Reply 15

Ali-

Albeit, personally I prefer and adore Cambridge. But, ignoring the emotional part and considering rationally, Oxford is way more famous and well known in Pakistan than Cambridge. I still dont have a clue, why? But, yeah Oxford is really very popular even amongst the tom, dick and harry in the rural areas- the name of Oxford is known. So far as the opinion in the cities is concerned, both of the institutions are well respected and known. Nonetheless, overall Oxford has an edge over Cambridge.

Reply 16

Alewhey

I heard that around Asia, Cambridge is better known. Who knows why? But Japan is one of the few places where there is a "Cambridge and Oxford Society" (for alumni) as opposed to the other way round. If you really are desperately bored and are counting the days 'till you go back, you can read why it is so named.

Is this off-topic? Very well then, it is off-topic.

Reply 17

$Avatar for sTe\/o$

sTe\/o

16

Couldn't agree more, Alewhey - see my last post! :rolleyes:

Reply 18

thomasjtl

9

I've heard it said that oxford is more well known due to the oxford dictionaries. Dunno how true that is, but when i was in japan, several people commented "oxford- like the dictionaries".

Reply 19

sebbie

15

mtbab

just goes to show however that the two best universities are in Cambridge.

Cambridge and Harvard. Is Oxford in Cambridge?...No.

yeah harvard and MIT

Which is more famous Oxford or Cambridge ?

Which is more famous Oxford or Cambridge ?

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