The University of Oxford is the oldest in the English-speaking world. The exact date of its foundation is unknown, but evidence of teaching goes back as far as 1096.
The ban imposed by Henry II in 1167 on English students attending the University of Paris caused a marked growth in the number of students at Oxford.
The long list of distinguished scholars at Oxford includes many who have made major contributions to British politics, the sciences, medicine, and literature. More than 40 Nobel laureates and 50-plus world leaders have been affiliated with the university.