What is the name of the fictional university in Thomas Hardy's 'Jude the Obscure'?

The fictional university in Thomas Hardy's 'Jude the Obscure' is Christminster. Hardy presents it as a university city in his imagined county of Wessex, closely modelled on Oxford.

Jude Fawley, a poor working-class stonemason, teaches himself Greek and Latin while dreaming of entering Christminster University and becoming a scholar or clergyman. His idealised vision of the city represents learning, prestige and social advancement.

When Jude finally reaches Christminster, reality proves harsher than his dream. The university's institutions are protected by class and financial barriers, and Jude is effectively discouraged from applying. Hardy uses his disappointment to criticise Victorian assumptions about who deserves higher education.

Christminster is sometimes confused with Oxford, because the fictional city clearly draws on Oxford's colleges, streets and traditions. Oxford is the real-world model, but Christminster is the canonical name used in the novel.