Applications for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship for the 2027/2028 academic year will open soon. You can apply to pursue a master’s or PhD degree at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

About the scholarship

In October 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated 210 million USD to establish the Gates Cambridge Scholarship program. Each year,  the Gates Foundation offers 80 full scholarships to support students from all over the world to study their master’s or Ph.D. degrees at the University of Cambridge. Twenty-five scholarships will be awarded to US students and 55 to students from other countries, and two-thirds of the scholarships will be allocated to PhD applicants.

At least 250 scholars and students from different countries are studying at the University of Cambridge. 1700 students have already graduated and joined the alumni network of the Gates scholarship.

Key Details

Number of Scholarships: 80 (55 for International)

Type of Scholarship: Full Scholarship

Award Period: Annual

Level of study: Postgraduate

Duration of the Scholarships:

• Ph.D.: for up to 4 years
• MSc or MLitt (two-year research-only degree)
• One-year postgraduate course (MPhil, LLM, MASt, Diploma, MBA, etc. )

Important Timeline 

For NON-US Applicants:

• Application Open: September 2026
• Application Deadline: Depends on the course: 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027
• Notification of Result: early March
• Scholarship Offer Notification: early March
• Acceptance of Scholarship: 72 hours after receiving the offer notification

For US Citizens:

• Application Open:  September 2026
• Application Deadline: 14 October (Noon in local US time zone)
• Notification of Result:  December 2026
• Scholarship Offer Notification: early February
• Acceptance of Scholarship: 72 hours after receiving the offer notification

Benefits of the Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Applicants will benefit from the full cost of studying at Cambridge. It also provides additional and discretionary funding.

• Maintenance allowance of £22,050 for 12 months at the 2025-26 rate – PhD Scholars are funded for up to 4 years.
• The Host University fees
• One round-trip airfare (economy class)
• Inbound visa costs and immigrant health surcharge

Additional funding:

• Academic development funding £500-2000 to attend conferences and courses
• Family Allowance of £12,184 for the first child and £17,375 for two or more children as per the 2025/26 rate
• Fieldwork
• Maternity or Paternity funding
• Hardship funding

Field of Study

Applicants can apply for any field offered by the University of Cambridge

Fields not eligible to apply for:

• Any Undergraduate degree, like a BA (undergraduate) or a BA affiliated (a second BA)
• Business Doctorate (BusD)
• Master of Business (MBA)
• Master of Finance (MFin)
• MASt courses
• PGCE
• MBBChir Clinical Studies
• MD Doctor of Medicine degree (6 years, part-time, Home students only)
• Graduate Course in Medicine (A101)
• Part-time degrees other than the PhD
• Non-degree courses

Eligibility Criteria for Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Applicants who fulfill the following requirements can apply:

• Have citizenship of any country other than the UK
• Apply to one of the following postgraduate courses at the University of Cambridge:

1. PhD (full-time or part-time*)
2. MLitt (full-time)
3. One-year postgraduate course (full-time), with some exceptions

What are the Selection Criteria?

• Academic excellence
• Reason for the choice of the course
• Have leadership potential
• Commit to improving others’ lives
• Capacity for leadership

Required Documents

Applicants for the Gates Cambridge scholarship should prepare the following documents:

• CV/Resume
• Research proposal for Ph.D. applicants only
• Two academic references
• Gate Cambridge References, in addition to the two academic references
• Gate Cambridge Statement
• Personal Statement (Max 3000 Characters- around 500 words): Write your reason for applying to the Gates Cambridge Scholarship and how you meet the minimum criteria of this scholarship.

Application Process

Applicants need to apply for admission and scholarship via the Graduate application portal of the University of Cambridge and fill out the admission and funding section.

Please visit the Gates Cambridge Scholarship website for detailed information about the 2027/28 Gates Cambridge Scholarship.

Also, Check These Opportunities:

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Yenching Academy of Peking University 2026 International Scholarships in China

University of Tasmania Scholarships for Master’s and PhD International Candidates in 2027