Until the admission of Thomas Cisson in 1512 only dates of appearance in deeds etc can be given, and the list may be incomplete before that.
| Name | In post | Brief biography |
| Robert de Alburwyke | in 1283 | Fellow of Merton 1284, 1286; dead by 1306. |
| Walter de Fodringeye | in 1284, 1292 | Fellow in 1273. Executor of Devorguilla’s will. Canon of Lincoln 1298. His own will was proved 1315. |
| Hugh de Warkenby | in 1295 | Fellow or Master of University Coll. in 1307. Canon of Chichester 1313, Treasurer 1320, 1330. |
| Stephen of Cornwall | in 1307 | |
| Thomas de Waldeby | in 1321 | Living 1359. |
| Henry de Seton | in 1324 | Fellow in 1321. Vicar of Lund, Yorks 1327. |
| Nicholas de Luceby | in 1328 | Fellow in 1321. |
| Richard de Chikwelle | in 1329 | |
| John de Poklyngton | in 1332, 1337 | Fellow of University Coll. in 1340. |
| Hugh de Corbrigge | in 1340, 1345 | |
| William de Kyrneshale | in 1349 | Fellow in 1337. |
| Robert de Derby | in 1356 | Fellow of Oriel in 1360. Junior Proctor 1360. Died 1361. |
| John Wyclif | in 1360, 1361 | Translator of the Bible into English. Died 1384. [ODNB] |
| John Hugate | in 1366 | Fellow in 1361. |
| Thomas Tyrwhit | in 1370, 1395 | Died 1395–1399. |
| Hamond Askham | in 1397 | Fellow in 1370. |
| William Lambert | in 1407 | Dead by 1414. |
| Thomas Chace | in 1411, 1416 | Chancellor of the University 1426. Chaplain to Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, 1434. The first part of the College Library was built at his expense, 1431. Died 1449. Master Thomas Chace and the Fellows at prayer are depicted in a window now in the Chapel. |
| Richard Rotherham | in 1420, 1422 | Chancellor of Hereford 1422. External Rector of Balliol 1433. Died 1455. |
| Robert Burley | in 1423, 1427 | Rector of St. Nicholas, Abingdon 1430. Vicar of Cumnor 1440. Died 1452–1458. |
| Richard Stapilton | in 1428 | Fellow in 1411. Apparently resigned 1429, but mentioned as Master 1433. |
| William Brandon | in 1440, 1441 | Fellow in 1431. Junior Proctor 1431, Senior Proctor 1432. |
| Robert Thwaytes | in 1450, 1456 | Chancellor of the University 1446. Died 1458. |
| William Lambton | in 1458, 1465 | Fellow in 1446. Junior Proctor 1446. |
| John Segden | in 1469, 1475 | Fellow in 1438. Senior Proctor 1440. Died 1476–1482. |
| Robert Abdy | in 1481, 1483 | Fellow in 1450. Junior Proctor 1456. The second part of the College Library was built by him. Died 1483: buried in St. Mary Magdalen (memorial brass, now lost). Will dated 7 April 1483, proved at Oxford 12 July 1483. |
| William Bell | in 1484, 1495 | Fellow in 1467. Will dated 4 May 1495: requested burial in St. Mary Magdalen. |
| Richard Barnyngham | in 1496, 1511 | Fellow in 1486. Died by 1515. |
| Thomas Cisson | 1512–1518 | Fellow in 1495. Died 1526–1543. |
| Richard Stubbes | 1518–1525 | Fellow in 1510. Died 1525–1529. |
| William Whyte | 1525–1539 | Resigned, probably under duress. Will proved 1547. |
| George Cotes | 1539–1545 | Fellow in 1522. Fellow of Magdalen Coll. 1527. Junior Proctor 1531. Bishop of Chester 1554. Died 1555. |
| William Wright | 1545–1547, 1555–1559 | Fellow in 1527. Resigned, probably under duress. 1559. |
| James Brookes | 1547–1555 | Fellow C.C.C. 1532. Bishop of Gloucester 1554. Judge at the trials of Cranmer, Ridley and Latimer. Zealous Romanist. Died in prison 1560. Buried in Gloucester Cathedral (no monument). [ODNB] |
| Francis Babington | 1559–1560 | Fellow of St. John’s Coll. Cambridge 1551. Fellow of All Souls in 1557. Proctor 1557. Rector of Lincoln 1560–1563. Died abroad, about 1569. [ODNB] |
| Anthony Garnet | 1560–1563 | Fellow in 1551. Resigned 1563. Living 1597, then a prisoner in Marshalsea Debtors’ Prison. |
| Robert Hooper | 1563–1570 | Died 1570–1571 |
| John Pierse | 1570–1571 | Fellow of Magdalen 1545. Bishop of Rochester 1576, Salisbury 1577. Archbishop of York 1589. Died 1594. Memorial in York Minster. [ODNB] |
| Adam Squier | 1571–1580 | Fellow 1560. Proctor 1567. Resigned 1580. Dead by 1588. |
| Edmund Lilly | 1580–1610 | Fellow of Magdalen 1563. Proctor 1573. Vice-Chancellor 1585, 1595. Buried in St. Mary’s, Oxford, 1610. |
| Robert Abbott | 1610–1616 | Born Guildford. Fellow in 1581. Bishop of Salisbury 1615. Died 1617. [ODNB] |
| John Parkhurst | 1617–1637 | Born Guildford. ODNB says his election was part of a campaign to secure the Tisdale benefaction (his wife was a Tisdale). Fellow of Magdalen 1581. Proctor 1597. Died 1639. Will: Berks. Died and buried at Shillingford, Berks. where he was Rector. |
| Thomas Laurence | 1637–1648 | Born in Dorset. Fellow of All Souls in 1618. Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity 1638–1648. Expelled 1648. Died at Colne, Somersham, Hunts, 1657. [ODNB] |
| George Bradshaw | 1648–1651 | Fellow in 1633. Nominated Master by the Parliamentary Visitors, 1648. Resigned, 1651. |
| Henry Savage | 1651–1672 | Fellow. Nominated Master by the Parliamentary Visitors 1651. Author of the first College History 1668: Balliofergus. Portrait in Hall. Died 1672. [ODNB]. Will: OU Chancellor’s Court. Buried in Chapel. |
| Thomas Goode | 1672–1678 | Fellow in 1629. Canon of Hereford 1660. Buried in Hereford Cathedral 1678 (no memorial). [ODNB] |
| John Venn | 1678–1687 | Son of Simon Venn of Lydeard St Lawrence. Vice Chancellor 1686. Died 1687. Buried at Lydeard St Lawrence 12 Oct 1687: table top tomb in churchyard south of the tower. Not to be confused with the homonymous regicide. |
| Roger Mander | 1687–1704 | Vice-Chancellor 1700. Died 1704. PCC will. Buried in Chapel, where there was a stone. |
| John Baron | 1705–1722 | Vice-Chancellor 1715. Died in College 1722. Buried in Chapel, where there was a stone. |
| Joseph Hunt | 1722–1726 | Buried at King’s Sutton, Northants 1726; his father’s burial place Burghclere, Hants is mentioned in his PCC will. Hunt was born and baptised there. |
| Theophilus Leigh | 1726–1785 | His election was controversial. Vice-Chancellor 1738. Died 1785. Buried at Adlestrop. |
| John Davey | 1785–1798 | Blundell Fellow 1752. Died 1798. Vicar of Bledlow, Bucks; buried there. |
| John Parsons | 1798–1819 | Fellow 1785. Gave the lead in establishing University Honours Degree examinations, and in the opening of Fellowship examinations. Vice-Chancellor 1807. Bishop of Peterborough 1813. Buried in Chapel 1819 (memorial survives, now in the Antechapel). Portrait in Hall. [ODNB] |
| Richard Jenkyns | 1819–1854 | Fellow 1803. Vice Chancellor 1824. Largely responsible for the opening of Scholarship examinations, 1827. Dean of Wells 1845. Died in the Master’s Lodgings 1854. Buried in Wells Cathedral. (His original monument has been replaced by a floor slab). Portrait in Hall. [ODNB] |
| Robert Scott | 1854–1870 | Fellow 1835. Dean of Rochester 1870. Died 1887. Portrait in Hall. [ODNB] |
| Benjamin Jowett | 1870–1893 | Fellow 1838. Regius Professor of Greek 1855. Vice Chancellor 1882. Died 1893. Buried in St. Sepulchre’s Cemetery, Oxford. Bust in the College Office, portraits in Hall, Library etc. [ODNB] |
| Edward Caird | 1893–1907 | Snell Exhibitioner 1860. Professor of Moral Philosophy, University of Glasgow 1866. Died 1907. Buried in St Sepulchre’s Cemetery, Oxford. Portrait in Hall. First lay Master. [ODNB] |
| James Leigh Strachan Davidson | 1907–1916 | Fellow 1866. Died 1916. Buried in Holywell Cemetery, Oxford. Portrait in Hall. [ODNB] |
| Arthur Lionel Smith | 1916–1924 | Fellow 1882. Died 1924. Buried in Holywell Cemetery, Oxford. Portrait in Hall. [ODNB] |
| Alexander Dunlop Lindsay | 1924–1949 | Fellow 1906. Vice-Chancellor 1935. Founder, University of Keele. Died 1952. Portrait in Hall. Bust in Library. Lord Lindsay of Birker,1945. [ODNB] |
| Sir David Lindsay Keir | 1949–1965 | Fellow of University Coll. 1921. Vice-Chancellor, Queens University, Belfast 1939. Portrait in Hall. Died 1973. [ODNB] |
| John Edward Christopher Hill | 1965–1978 | Fellow 1938. Portrait in Hall. [ODNB] |
| Anthony John Patrick Kenny | 1978–1989 | Fellow 1964. Portrait in Hall. Knighted 1992. |
| Baruch Samuel Blumberg | 1989–1994 | George Eastman Visiting Professor 1983. Portrait in Hall. Nobel Laureate. |
| Colin Renshaw Lucas | 1994–2001 | Fellow 1973. Vice-Chancellor 1997–2004. Knighted 2002. Portrait in Hall. |
| Andrew Winston Mawdsley Graham | 2001–2011 | Fellow 1969. Acting Master 1997–2001. |
| James Drummond Bone | 2011–2018 | Snell Exhibitioner 1968. Professor, Dean and Vice-Principal, Glasgow. Principal, Royal Holloway. Pro-Vice-Chancellor, University of London. Vice Chancellor, University of Liverpool. |
| Dame Helen Frances Ghosh | 2018- | Permanent Under-Secretay of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. 2005–2010. Permanent Under-Secretay of State for the Home Department. 2011–2012. Director General of the National Trust. 2012–2018. |