Rhodes Scholarship

What the Rhodes Scholarship Is

The Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest international scholarship programme in the world, founded in 1902. It brings outstanding young people to study full-time at the University of Oxford and joins them to a global community based at Rhodes House. Selection is not based on grades alone: the Trust looks for academic excellence, character, leadership and a commitment to service. It is fully funded, and it is one of the hardest scholarships in the world to win.

What It Covers

The award pays all Oxford course and college fees, an annual living stipend of £20,400 for the 2025–26 academic year (£1,700 a month), the Oxford application fee, student visa fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge, two economy flights to and from the UK, and a settling-in allowance. The stipend covers the scholar’s own living costs, including accommodation. It is not designed to support a partner or dependants, so anyone bringing family must plan for extra funds.

Who Can Apply

Rhodes works through constituencies. The Trust has 24 active constituencies. The Global constituency, which used to accept applicants from countries without their own route, is suspended, and the Trust has said it will not award Global Scholarships going forward. That means applicants from a country without a named constituency currently have no Rhodes route, unless they qualify for inter-jurisdictional consideration through a genuine connection to two or more constituencies. Before spending time on this award, check the Trust’s eligibility checker on its official site and confirm your own position.

How to Apply

For applicants who do have a constituency, the route is: check the constituency, meet its age and academic rules, and submit the Rhodes application online before that constituency’s deadline — deadlines vary by constituency and fall at different points in the year. The Rhodes application comes before the Oxford application; if selected, the Trust helps the scholar through the Oxford admission process. The current round is closed, and applications reopen in 2027 for entry to Oxford in October 2028.

Who Should Aim for Rhodes?

Rhodes suits a young graduate with an exceptional academic record, proven leadership and a record of service to others. It is not a funding scheme for a standard Master’s application — it is a leadership award that happens to include a degree at Oxford. For students who do qualify through a constituency, it is worth the effort. For everyone else, the Commonwealth and Gates Cambridge routes on this site are the realistic UK alternatives.

Official source: Rhodes Trust — The Rhodes Scholarship