Many of the Hogwarts school scenes were filmed at Oxford University.

In several of the films, Oxford provided Hogwarts' staircase notably in the first film where Professor McGonagall greets the schoolchildren upon their arrival. Oxford also provided the Great Hall on which Hogwarts dining room was modelled and the Library which provided the scenes for Hogwarts infirmary and Ron's dancing lesson with Professor McGonagall.

In 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets' and 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire', Oxford provided the settings for the 'defence against the Dark Arts' scene in which Mad-eye Moody demonstrates the three unforgivable curses and Malfoy's transformation into a ferret.