牛津大学和剑桥大学(统称为牛津剑桥)是英国历史最为悠久、也最为声名显赫的两所高等学府。它们都建立于750多年前，也都培养了大量英国杰出的科学家、作家和政治家，还有一切其它领域的人才。而牛津和剑桥之争也历史悠久，这要追溯到剑桥是由从牛津分离出来的学者所创立的时日。

    1. Oxford has a greater political heritage: all but three of the British Prime Ministers since Winston Churchill's second term have been Oxford graduates (the exceptions are James Callaghan and John Major, neither of whom received university educations, and Gordon Brown, who graduated from the University of Edinburgh). Cambridge's reputation is more impressive in the sciences and technology: it has been associated with the majority of Britain's most famous scientists, including Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Stephen Hawking.. However, Cambridge has also produced distinguished politicians like Prime Ministers Walpole, Baldwin and William Pitt, and Oxford graduates include noted scientists such as Edmond Halley and Robert Hooke.

    牛津培养了很多伟大的政治家：从丘吉尔第二任后的英国首相都毕业于牛津(除了詹姆斯•卡拉汉和约翰•梅杰没有受过大学教育 ......