2026 Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Published: 10 Sep 2025

Gates Cambridge offers c.80 full-cost scholarships to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge.

Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Application Deadline	January 7, 2026
Funding Type	Fully Funded
Country to study	United Kingdom
School to study	Cambridge University
Type	Postgraduate
Sponsor	Gates Cambridge

Gates Cambridge Scholarship Benefits

A Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge. It also provides additional, discretionary funding.

Core components

• the University Composition Fee at the appropriate rate*

• a maintenance allowance for a single student (£21,000 for 12 months at the 2024-25 rate; pro rata for courses shorter than 12 months) – for PhD scholars the award is for up to 4 years

• one economy single airfare at both the beginning and end of the course

• inbound visa costs & the cost of the Immigration Health Surcharge

Requirements for Gates Cambridge Scholarship

You can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship if you are:

• a citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom
• applying to pursue one of the following courses at the University of Cambridge:
  • PhD (full-time or part-time*)
  • MLitt (full-time)
  • One year postgraduate course (full-time), with some exceptions 

Selection Process

Gates Cambridge Scholarship four key selection criteria:

• Academic excellence
• Reasons for choice of course
• A commitment to improving the lives of others
• A capacity for leadership

Application Documents

In the application form, you'll be asked:

• In no more than 3000 characters (approximately 500 words) please explain why you are applying for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship and how you meet the four main criteria. Full details about how to apply, including selection criteria and guidance on completing this statement, can be found at: www.gatescambridge.org

The statement is used by Gates Cambridge to help distinguish between those candidates who have nominated by academic departments. It helps us identify those candidates who, as well as being academically outstanding, possess a capacity for leadership and commitment to improving the lives of others. This is the only part of the application form where applicants are specifically asked about their fit with the Gates Cambridge programme and you should use your background, achievements, experiences and future aims to show how you specifically meet the programme’s criteria.

In addition to two academic references for admission, Gates Cambridge applicants must arrange for someone to submit a reference setting out how they meet the scholarship’s criteria.

In the application form you'll be asked:

• Please give your assessment of the applicant’s suitability for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship. These are awarded on the following criteria: intellectual ability, justification for the choice of course, a commitment to improving the lives of others and leadership capacity.
• How highly would you rank the applicant for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship?
• On what overall group are you basing this ranking?
• What is the size of this group?

The Gates Cambridge reference is used in the same way as the Gates Cambridge statement – to help distinguish between those candidates who have nominated by academic departments.

Referees are also asked how they rate the applicant for the scholarship: exceptional, strong, not strong, weak. They may paste/type up to 4,000 characters into the on-line reference or upload a separate letter.

Check also:
Queen Elizabeth Scholarship (How to Apply)

Application Deadline

January 7, 2026

How to Apply

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