Deadline:
July 31, 2025
Location(s)
United Kingdom
Oxford
Overview
The Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest (first awarded in 1902) and perhaps most prestigious international scholarship programme, enabling outstanding young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford.
Details
The Rhodes Scholarship supports exceptional young people for postgraduate study at the University of Oxford, and actively fosters lifelong learning and fellowship.
What is distinctive about the Rhodes Scholarship?
The Scholarship is not just a financial bursary, it is a life-changing opportunity for exceptional young people with the potential to make a difference for good in the world. Rhodes Scholars are people who have a vision of how the world could be better and the energy to make a difference – whatever their sphere of interest. Rhodes alumni have distinguished themselves in every field - see Scholar Stories and the ways in which Scholars are standing up for the world.
As Selection Committees select on the basis not only of intellect, but also of character, leadership and commitment to service, the Scholar Programme in Oxford aims to build on these Rhodes Scholar qualities, with the first and second-year retreats, workshops and conferences, in addition to social and discussion events, hosted at Rhodes House.
The fellowship of Rhodes Scholars, worldwide and across generations, is active and over 7,000 strong. Rhodes Scholars therefore enter a life-long fellowship with ongoing opportunities to connect with current and Senior Scholars and, beyond that, a warm and engaging community within Scholars typically develop enduring friendships. The Rhodes Scholarship opens up opportunities for Scholars before, after and during their time in Oxford.
Could you be a Rhodes Scholar?
The key qualities of a Rhodes Scholar
Rhodes Selection Committees are looking for young people of outstanding intellect, character, leadership, and commitment to service.
The four criteria which governed the selection of Rhodes Scholars in 1902 are still the guiding criteria for the selection of Rhodes Scholars:
- literary and scholastic attainments (academic excellence)
- energy to use one's talents to the full (as demonstrated by mastery in areas such as sports, music, debate, dance, theatre, and artistic pursuits, particularly where teamwork is involved)
- truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness and fellowship
- moral force of character and instincts to lead, and to take an interest in one's fellow beings.
Opportunity is About
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Description of Ideal Candidate
Find out if you meet the criteria to become a Rhodes Scholar and start your application. We offer scholarships in over 22 designated Rhodes constituencies, as well as our Global Rhodes Scholarships.
Until recently, the Rhodes Scholarships have been awarded in 20 constituencies (representing over 60 different countries). Now the Rhodes Scholarships are fully global: two new Global Scholarships allow eligible candidates from the rest of the world to apply (subject to nomination).
Who can apply?
If you are a young person of outstanding intellect, character, leadership, and commitment to service, you could be a candidate for the Rhodes Scholarship.
Rhodes Selection criteria
Though expressed in the old-fashioned language of the founding documents (see History of the Rhodes Trust), the selection criteria governing selection across all Rhodes constituencies remain as relevant today as they were over 100 years ago:
- literary and scholastic attainments (academic excellence)
- energy to use one's talents to the full (as demonstrated by mastery in areas such as sports, music, debate, dance, theatre, and artistic pursuits, particularly where teamwork is involved)
- truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness and fellowship
- moral force of character and instincts to lead, and to take an interest in one's fellow beings.
These are the essential qualities which Selection Committees are looking for, though their embodiment will be diverse and unique to each individual.
Selection Committees in each Rhodes constituency are made up of senior Rhodes Scholars (Rhodes alumni) and distinguished non-Scholar members of the local community, who represent a diverse range of experience and expertise.
Rhodes Eligibility criteria
The following eligibility criteria apply to all applicants for the Rhodes Scholarship:
- Citizenship & residency: You must meet the citizenship/residency requirements of one of the Rhodes constituencies - please refer to our full list of Rhodes constituencies and the countries they include. If you do not meet any of these requirements, then you can apply for our new Global Rhodes Scholarship.
- Age: You must have reached your 18th birthday and not have passed your 24th birthday on 1 October in the year of application. There is some variation on the upper age limit across constituencies depending on the local environment. Please check carefully the specific age requirements for your constituency before applying. Successful candidates will arrive in Oxford the October following the selection process. The Scholarship may not be deferred.
- Education: Rhodes Scholars must have completed a Bachelor’s degree before coming up to Oxford, to a sufficiently high standard to meet both the Rhodes and the Oxford criteria. Please consult the detailed information provided by the constituency to which you are applying on our How to apply for a Rhodes Scholarship page and the prospectus pages of the University of Oxford. NB Some constituencies require completion of your undergraduate degree in the year of application for the Scholarship.
Information about Rhodes Scholars selected from around the world can be found in biographies of our recent and current Scholars. Rhodes Scholars come from many different backgrounds and the strength of our community lies in the diversity of the individuals who are part of it.
Dates
Deadline: July 31, 2025
Cost/funding for participants
The Rhodes Scholarship covers Oxford University course fees, as well as providing an annual stipend.
For the 2026-27 academic year, the stipend is £19,800 per annum (£1,650 per month) from which Scholars pay all living expenses, including accommodation. Please note: this is not sufficient to cover partners or dependents.
Following selection for the Scholarship, the Rhodes Trust will also cover:
- The fee required to apply to study at the University of Oxford
- Fees for a student visa and associated International Health Surcharge (IHS), which enables international students to access the UK's National Health Service
- Two economy class flights to and from the UK, for the beginning and end of studies in Oxford.
On arrival in Oxford, Scholars receive a settling in allowance, and Scholars who transition to a second course of study in Oxford will receive assistance to cover the fees for visa renewal and further application for IHS.
Un-save Opportunity
Internships, scholarships, student conferences and competitions.
