Claim: The University of Oxford's students disputed with Cambridge townsfolk.

The University of Oxford -LRB- informally Oxford University or simply Oxford -RRB- is a collegiate research university located in Oxford , England . It has no known date of foundation , but there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096 , making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world 's second-oldest university in continuous operation . It is one of the world 's most prestigious universities . It grew rapidly from 1167 when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris . After disputes between students and Oxford townsfolk in 1209 , some academics fled north-east to Cambridge where they established what became the University of Cambridge . The two `` ancient universities '' are frequently jointly referred to as `` Oxbridge '' .   The university is made up of a variety of institutions , including 38 constituent colleges and a full range of academic departments which are organised into four divisions . All the colleges are self-governing institutions within the university , each controlling its own membership and with its own internal structure and activities . Being a city university , it does not have a main campus ; instead , its buildings and facilities are scattered throughout the city centre . Most undergraduate teaching at Oxford is organised around weekly tutorials at the colleges and halls , supported by classes , lectures and laboratory work provided by university faculties and departments .   Oxford is the home of the Rhodes Scholarship , one of the world 's oldest and most prestigious scholarships , which has brought graduate students to study at the university for more than a century . The university operates the world 's oldest university museum , as well as the largest university press in the world and the largest academic library system in Britain . Oxford has educated many notable alumni , including 28 Nobel laureates , 27 Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom , and many heads of state and government around the world .