Malala Yousafzai to attend Oxford University

Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, who was shot by a Taliban gunman at age 15 for speaking out for the right to an education, has been accepted to the University of Oxford.

The 20-year-old activist shared word of her acceptance to the school on Twitter and included the screenshot of her "Congratulations" notice. She plans to major in philosophy, politics and economics, the favoured degree of many of Britain's top leaders.

"So excited to go to Oxford!!" she tweeted Thursday.

Yousafzai has kept a busy schedule since becoming co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for her work in pushing for education for all children. She shared the honour with Indian children's rights activist Kailash Satyarthi. 

Last fall, Yousafzai travelled to Canada to accept honorary citizenship, and made a historic address to Parliament.

Yousafzai will study at Lady Margaret Hall, an Oxford college with notable alumni including the late Benazir Bhutto, the onetime leader of Pakistan and a hero of Yousafzai's, and Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi, a fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Congratulated around the world

Yousafzai won international renown in 2012 after she was shot by a Taliban gunman in Pakistan as a teenager for speaking out for the right of girls to go to school, a topic she started raising publicly as an 11-year-old.

After being treated at a hospital in Birmingham, England, she continued her education in the city and went on to be given the Nobel honour.

"As far as I know, I am just a committed and even stubborn person who wants to see every child getting quality education, who wants to see women having equal rights and who wants peace in every corner of the world," she said on the day she collected her Nobel. "Education is one of the blessings of life, and one of its necessities."

Her acceptance to a university marks a milestone in Malala's steady progression to achieve her dreams. Social media erupted into the technological equivalent of rounds of applause.

Among those offering accolades were author JK Rowling and Alan Rusbridger, the former editor of the Guardian newspaper who is now principal of Lady Margaret Hall.

He tweeted: "Welcome to (at)lmhoxford, Malala!

Her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, all but burst with pride.

"My heart is full of gratitude," he tweeted. "We are grateful to Allah & thank u 2 al those who support (at)Malala 4 the grand cause of education."