# University Challenge 2015–16

Series 45 of University Challenge began on 13 July 2015 on BBC Two.

## Results

* Winning teams are highlighted in bold.
* Teams with green scores (winners) returned in the next round, while those with red scores (losers) were eliminated.
* Teams with orange scores had to win one more match to return in the next round (current highest scoring losers, teams that won their first quarter-final match, teams that won their second quarter-final match having lost their first, or teams that won their first quarter-final match and lost their second).
* Teams with yellow scores indicate that two further matches had to be played and won (teams that lost their first quarter-final match).
* Team with gold score in the final indicate the champion of the series, while the team with silver score in the final indicate the runner-up.
* A score in italics indicates a match decided on a tie-breaker question.

### First round

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| University of Glasgow | 155 | 185 | Peterhouse, Cambridge | 340 | 13 July 2015 |
| University of Liverpool | 205 | 130 | St Peter's College, Oxford | 335 | 20 July 2015 |
| University of Kent | 115 | 160 | Newcastle University | 275 | 27 July 2015 |
| University of Manchester | 90 | 265 | University of York | 355 | 3 August 2015 |
| University of Nottingham | 135 | 110 | Swansea University | 245 | 10 August 2015 |
| Institute of Cancer Research | 70 | 190 | St George's, University of London | 260 | 17 August 2015 |
| Christ's College, Cambridge | 205 | 60 | Kellogg College, Oxford | 265 | 24 August 2015 |
| University of Sussex | 125 | 195 | Queen's University Belfast | 320 | 31 August 2015 |
| King's College, Cambridge | 60 | 195 | Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge | 255 | 7 September 2015 |
| University of Reading | 110 | 285 | Imperial College London | 395 | 14 September 2015 |
| St Catharine's College, Cambridge | 165 | 135 | University of Southampton | 300 | 21 September 2015 |
| Clare College, Cambridge | 100 | 195 | University of Warwick | 295 | 28 September 2015 |
| Queen Mary University of London | 130 | 165 | Nuffield College, Oxford | 295 | 5 October 2015 |
| St John's College, Oxford | 255 | 125 | University of Bristol | 380 | 12 October 2015 |

#### Highest Scoring Losers play-offs

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| St Peter's College, Oxford | 120 | 180 | University of Glasgow | 300 | 19 October 2015 |
| University of Southampton | 235 | 120 | Queen Mary University of London | 355 | 26 October 2015 |

### Second round

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge | 75 | 305 | Imperial College London | 380 | 2 November 2015 |
| University of Warwick | 120 | 160 | Nuffield College, Oxford | 280 | 9 November 2015 |
| University of Glasgow | 135 | 175 | Newcastle University | 310 | 16 November 2015 |
| University of Southampton | 155 | 190 | University of Liverpool | 345 | 23 November 2015 |
| Christ's College, Cambridge | 120 | 225 | University of York | 345 | 30 November 2015 |
| St George's, University of London | 90 | 195 | Peterhouse, Cambridge | 285 | 7 December 2015 |
| University of Nottingham | 120 | 210 | St Catharine's College, Cambridge | 330 | 4 January 2016 |
| St John's College, Oxford | 180 | 100 | Queen's University Belfast | 280 | 11 January 2016 |

### Quarter-finals

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| University of York | 165 | 185 | Peterhouse, Cambridge | 350 | 18 January 2016 |
| St Catharine's College, Cambridge | 170 | 175 | St John's College, Oxford | 345 | 25 January 2016 |
| Imperial College London | 190 | 85 | Nuffield College, Oxford | 275 | 1 February 2016 |
| Newcastle University | 150 | 190 | University of Liverpool | 340 | 8 February 2016 |
| St John's College, Oxford | 150 | 195 | Peterhouse, Cambridge | 345 | 22 February 2016 |
| St Catharine's College, Cambridge | 115 | 180 | University of York | 295 | 29 February 2016 |
| Imperial College London | 130 | 185 | University of Liverpool | 315 | 7 March 2016 |
| Nuffield College, Oxford | 115 | 205 | Newcastle University | 320 | 14 March 2016 |
| University of York | 260 | 135 | Imperial College London | 395 | 21 March 2016 |
| St John's College, Oxford | 210 | 120 | Newcastle University | 330 | 28 March 2016 |

### Semi-finals

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| Peterhouse, Cambridge | 145 | 100 | University of York | 245 | 4 April 2016 |
| University of Liverpool | 95 | 195 | St John's College, Oxford | 290 | 11 April 2016 |

### Final

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| Peterhouse, Cambridge | 215 | 30 | St John's College, Oxford | 245 | 18 April 2016 |
* The trophy and title were awarded to the Peterhouse team of Thomas Langley, Oscar Powell, Hannah Woods, and Julian Sutcliffe.
* The trophy was presented by Marcus du Sautoy.

## Spin-off: Christmas Special 2015

Each year, a Christmas special sequence is aired featuring distinguished alumni. Out of 7 first-round winners, the top 4 highest-scoring teams progress to the semi-finals. The teams consist of celebrities who represent their alma maters.

### Results

* Winning teams are highlighted in bold.
* Teams with green scores (winners) returned in the next round, while those with red scores (losers) were eliminated.
* Teams with grey scores won their match but did not achieve a high enough score to proceed to the next round.
* A score in italics indicates a match decided on a tie-breaker question.
First Round
| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| University College London | 155 | 80 | University of Birmingham | 235 | 20 December 2015 |
| Oriel College, Oxford | 135 | 140 | Trinity College, Cambridge | 275 | 21 December 2015 |
| University of Manchester | 195 | 35 | University of East Anglia | 230 | 22 December 2015 |
| Christ's College, Cambridge | 90 | 140 | University of Essex | 230 | 23 December 2015 |
| University of Exeter | 130 | 220 | Magdalen College, Oxford | 350 | 24 December 2015 |
| University of Aberdeen | 90 | 185 | University of Sheffield | 275 | 28 December 2015 |
| Durham University | 140 | 130 | London School of Economics | 270 | 29 December 2015 |

#### Standings for the winners

| Rank | Team | Team captain | Score |
| 1 | Magdalen College, Oxford | Louis Theroux | 220 |
| 2 | University of Manchester | Christine Burns | 195 |
| 3 | University of Sheffield | Adam Hart | 185 |
| 4 | University College London | Lynne Truss | 155 |
| 5= | Trinity College, Cambridge | Faisal Islam | 140 |
| 5= | University of Essex | Dotun Adebayo | 140 |
| 5= | Durham University | Monica Grady | 140 |
Semi-finals
| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| University of Manchester | 105 | 160 | University of Sheffield | 265 | 30 December 2015 |
| University College London | 100 | 195 | Magdalen College, Oxford | 295 | 31 December 2015 |
Final
| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| University of Sheffield | 60 | 230 | Magdalen College, Oxford | 290 | 1 January 2016 |
The winning Magdalen College, Oxford team of Robin Lane Fox, Heather Berlin, Louis Theroux and Matt Ridley beat the University of Sheffield team of Sid Lowe, Nicci Gerrard, Adam Hart and Ruth Reed.