 Jesus College ( in full : Jesus College in the University of Oxford of Queen Elizabeth 's Foundation ) is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England . It is in the centre of the city , on a site between Turl Street , Ship Street , Cornmarket Street and Market Street . The college was founded by Elizabeth I on 27 June 1571 for the education of clergy , though students now study a broad range of secular subjects . A major driving force behind the establishment of the college was Hugh Price ( or Ap Rhys ) , a churchman from Brecon in Wales . The oldest buildings , in the first quadrangle , date from the 16th and early 17th centuries ; a second quadrangle was added between about 1640 and about 1713 , and a third quadrangle was built in about 1906 . Further accommodation was built on the main site to mark the 400th anniversary of the college , in 1971 , and student flats have been constructed at sites in north and east Oxford . 
