Gates Cambridge Scholarships 2027

Overview

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is one of the most prestigious postgraduate awards in the world. It funds approximately 80 outstanding students each year for full-time postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge: any subject, any postgraduate course, including PhDs. Established by a USD 210 million gift from the Gates Foundation, the largest single donation to a UK university. Open to citizens of any country outside the UK. The December 2026 deadline applies to the main international round.

Benefits

• Full Cambridge tuition fees.
• Maintenance allowance for the duration of the course (currently GBP 21,000 per year for 12 months).
• Round-trip economy airfare between home country and Cambridge at the start and end of the course.
• Visa costs and Immigration Health Surcharge.
• Family allowance: GBP 11,604 for one child and GBP 16,548 for two or more children.
• Discretionary funding for academic development, conferences, fieldwork, hardship, and family travel.
• Membership in the Gates Cambridge Scholar community.

Eligibility

• Citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom.
• Holding or applying for admission to a full-time postgraduate course at Cambridge (PhD, one-year postgraduate course like an MPhil or MASt, or a second BA as an affiliated student).
• Strong academic record at undergraduate level.
• Reasons for choosing Cambridge, your chosen course, and a clear leadership and commitment to improving the lives of others.
• No nationality, age, or field-of-study limits, but the bar is genuinely high.

How to apply

1. Apply for admission to your chosen Cambridge postgraduate course through the University’s Postgraduate Applicant Portal.
2. Select “Gates Cambridge Scholarship” as a funding option in the same application.
3. Complete the Gates-specific section: leadership statement, reasons for choosing Cambridge, and references that speak specifically to the Gates criteria.
4. Submit before 3 December 2026 for the main international round (some US-only rounds close earlier in October).
5. Shortlisted candidates are interviewed at Cambridge or by video in February or March 2027. Scholars are announced before the end of March 2027.