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The 55th series of University Challenge began on 14 July 2025 on BBC Two. [1]
Twenty-eight teams were selected for the televised episodes, of which the University of Lincoln, Harper Adams University and Green Templeton College, Oxford made their University Challenge debuts.
| |
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School of Oriental and African Studies | 115 | 220 | Imperial College London | 335 | 20 October 2025 |
| University of Sheffield | 175 | 125 | New College, Oxford | 300 | 27 October 2025 |
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magdalen College, Oxford | 80 | 190 | Darwin College, Cambridge | 270 | 3 November 2025 |
| University of Sheffield | 290 | 60 | University of Strathclyde | 350 | 10 November 2025 |
| University of Southampton | 180 | 190 | Imperial College London | 370 | 17 November 2025 |
| University of Bristol | 145 | 180 | University of Warwick | 325 | 24 November 2025 |
| University of Manchester | 160 | 135 | London School of Economics | 295 | 1 December 2025 |
| Trinity College, Cambridge | 150 | 180 | University of Edinburgh | 330 | 8 December 2025 |
| University of Lincoln | 85 | 190 | University College London | 275 | 15 December 2025 |
| Churchill College, Cambridge | 115 | 180 | Merton College, Oxford | 295 | 5 January 2026 |
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 January 2026 [2] | |||||
| 19 January 2026 | |||||
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A spin-off Christmas series has been aired since 2011, featuring distinguished alumni. For the 2025 series, to mark the fifteenth edition of the Christmas version of the show, one team from each prior series was invited back to have another go, in break of the tradition of inviting new famous graduates.
Out of seven first-round winners, only the top four highest-scoring teams progress to the semi-finals.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham University | 200 | 140 | University of Manchester | 340 | 22 December 2025 |
| University College London | 235 | 70 | University of Leeds | 305 | 23 December 2025 |
| Keble College, Oxford | 275 | 85 | University of Hull | 360 | 24 December 2025 |
| University of Bristol | 55 | 260 | Trinity College, Cambridge | 315 | 26 December 2025 |
| Exeter College, Oxford | 150 | 145 | Trinity Hall, Cambridge | 295 | 28 December 2025 |
| St Hilda's College, Oxford | 130 | 185 | University of Edinburgh | 315 | 29 December 2025 |
| Middlesex University | 80 | 160 | University of Lancaster | 240 | 30 December 2025 |
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University College London | 115 | 170 | Keble College, Oxford | 285 | 31 December 2025 |
| Durham University | 185 | 125 | Trinity College, Cambridge | 310 | 1 January 2026 |
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keble College, Oxford | 115 | 165 | Durham University | 280 | 2 January 2026 |
Taking the honours for the second year in a row, the winning Durham University team consisted of Liz James, Tracey MacLeod, Carla Denyer, and Sophia Smith Galer, who beat the Keble College, Oxford team of Paul Johnson, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Anne-Marie Imafidon and Caroline Criado Perez.