funding: Fully funded (tuition + ~£21,000/year stipend)
location: Cambridge, United Kingdom
eligibility: Non-UK citizens applying to Cambridge graduate programmes
host: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation / University of Cambridge
duration: 1–4 years
apply-url: https://www.gatescambridge.org/apply/
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is one of the most prestigious international postgraduate awards in the world. Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, it offers exceptional students from any country outside the United Kingdom the opportunity to study any subject at the University of Cambridge. Since 2000, over 2,300 scholars from more than 100 countries have received Gates Cambridge awards.
What You Get
A Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of your degree at Cambridge — tuition fees, a maintenance allowance of around £21,000 per year, airfare, and visa costs. PhD scholars also receive a discretionary fund for research, conferences, and academic development. Beyond the financial support, Gates Cambridge scholars become part of a global community of change-makers, with access to seminars, retreats, and a lifelong alumni network.
Eligibility
The scholarship is open to citizens of any country outside the UK applying for full-time PhD, MLitt, or one-year postgraduate programmes at Cambridge. Applicants must show outstanding academic achievement (typically a first-class degree or equivalent), a clear fit between their proposed study and Cambridge's research strengths, leadership potential, and a commitment to improving the lives of others. There is no age restriction.
Application Deadlines
Applications open in September 2026. US citizens face an earlier deadline in early December 2026. All other international applicants must apply by early January 2027. The scholarship application is completed through the Cambridge Applicant Portal alongside your graduate admission application — you cannot apply for the scholarship separately from your degree programme application.
How to Apply
Apply through the University of Cambridge's graduate admissions portal at graduate.study.cam.ac.uk. Tick the Gates Cambridge box during your application. You will need to submit a personal statement specifically for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship explaining your academic goals, your commitment to improving lives, and your leadership activities. Two academic references are also required. Selection involves a written application review followed by interviews for shortlisted candidates.
Selection Criteria
Gates Cambridge scholars are selected on four criteria: outstanding intellectual ability, leadership, a commitment to improving the lives of others, and a good fit between your academic ambitions and what Cambridge offers. The scholarship does not favour any particular field — scientists, social scientists, humanists, and artists all receive awards. What unites all scholars is exceptional potential and a clear sense of purpose.