University Challenge 2015–16

Series 45 of University Challenge began on 13 July 2015 on BBC Two.^[1]

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		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		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		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		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		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		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		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
	University of Essex	Dotun Adebayo
	Durham University	Monica Grady

Semi-finals

Team 1	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		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.