Where is Oxford?

I have to admit that the word "Oxford" conjured specific and memorable images in my mind (these include one, grand baroque style university and many extremely wealthy and elite students, but now, having actually visited, what clings most to my imagination is Oxford isn't a university but a group of independent colleges operating under the umbrella name of “Oxford”. Because there are so many colleges the class sizes small and intimate. It’s possible to only have three other students studying the same subject as you are. Students also don’t have to be wealthy to attend Oxford, as long as they obtained the grades previous to applying, it doesn't matter what the financial status of the student is.