Preparing for graduation day

Prices vary but hire begins from £41 for foundation/undergraduate gowns; £46 for masters gowns and up to £54 for PhD gowns. It is usually more expensive to buy a gown than to hire one.

Don’t worry if you missed the deadline. Ede & Ravenscroft have gowns you can hire on the day. If you have any questions, you can contact them.

You can pick up your gown (or hire one on the day) in the Clerici Building, 2 hours before your ceremony starts. Please collect your tickets first, you will need your Student Name Card to collect your gown.  

Staff from Ede & Ravenscoft will be on hand to help you put your gown on correctly.

Don't forget to have your order number with you.

Gown orders can be cancelled prior to the event.  Please see the Ede & Ravenscroft's terms and policy information.

Graduation is a formal and ceremonial event so we would encourage graduates to dress smartly, or you can wear traditional/religious clothing, and to wear full academic dress. For more information, please see our academic dress regulations.

Guests are also encouraged to dress smartly, although there is no formal dress code.

Please see 'gown colours' on the academic dress page.

There is no parking available on campus (except for Blue Badge holders - see below for details on requesting a space).

There is also very limited parking in the Headington area.

We would highly recommend using the reliable and frequent public transport services to get to the Headington Campus.

Blue Badge holders

There is no parking available on campus except for Blue Badge holders.

Before the ceremony: To request a Blue Badge holder space, please provide this information on the registration form before:

• Spring graduation: before 1 May 2024
• Autumn graduation: before 9 August 2024

On the day: Blue Badge holder parking is at the Headington Campus. If you have requested a Blue Badge holder space, please come to the Oxford Brookes car park on Gipsy Lane and display the Blue Badge in your car. 

Park and Ride services

Oxford has five Park and Ride sites, each with fast and frequent bus services to the University and city centre. Thornhill (bus service 400) is the closest Park and Ride site to the Headington Campus.

• Buses depart around every 10 - 15 minutes.
• The car parking facilities at each of the sites are also equipped with CCTV and on-site security personnel.
• All Park and Ride buses are low floor easy access vehicles with spaces for wheelchairs.
• Bus services can get very busy and traffic can be slow during peak hours. Please allow yourself extra time to ensure you arrive in time for your ceremony.

We would highly recommend using the Park and Ride services as parking in Headington and Oxford is extremely limited.

For further information on buses such as fares, timetables and maps, please contact:

• Oxford Bus Company
  +44 (0) 1865 785400
• Stagecoach
  +44 (0) 1865 772250

Drop off point

There is a drop off point located on Gipsy Lane. Please do not leave your vehicle unattended when dropping students or guests on campus.

Oxford Railway Station

This is just over 2 miles away from the Headington Campus and travel time can take up to 30 minutes by taxi or bus. Recommended bus services and pick up points are:

• Arriva 280 from directly outside the train station.
• U1 from Stop R8 or the Thornhill Park and Ride 400 from Stop R7. These pick up points are both a one minute walk from the train station and are in Frideswide Square opposite the Said Business School entrance.

Oxford Parkway Railway Station

This is about 6 miles away from the Headington Campus and travel time can take up to 45 - 60 minutes by taxi or bus.

This can be more complicated when using the bus, as the majority of buses will take you to the city centre, where you will need to change bus service. Find out more and plan your route using the maps on the Oxford Bus Company website.

The buses stop outside the University. Travel time from London is approximately 100 minutes depending on traffic conditions. You can view information and book your tickets online, see Oxford Tube.

The bus stops outside the University. Travel time from Heathrow to Brookes is approximately 90 minutes from the Central Bus Station and 80 minutes from Terminal 5. You can view information and book your tickets online at the Airline website.

The bus stops outside the University. Travel time from Gatwick to Brookes is 120 - 150 minutes depending on traffic conditions. You can view information and book your tickets online at the Airline website.

• Brookes Bus
• National Rail Enquiries
• Oxford Bus Company
• Stagecoach