The Clarendon Fund is the University of Oxford’s flagship graduate scholarship scheme, established in 2001. Each year it offers over 200 new fully-funded awards to academically outstanding students starting a full-time or part-time Master’s or DPhil at Oxford, across every subject area.
There are no restrictions on nationality, ordinary residence, or field of study, and the community spans around 700 on-course scholars from about 70 countries. Scholars are chosen purely on academic merit and potential, and there is no separate scholarship application — every eligible course applicant is automatically considered.
Benefits & funding
- Full course fees for the entire period of fee liability, for both Home and Overseas fee-status students.
- An annual living-costs grant of at least the UKRI minimum doctoral stipend — at least £20,780 in 2025-26 — normally enough to cover a single student’s living costs in Oxford.
- Over 200 new scholarships each year; roughly 85 of these are jointly funded through Clarendon Partnership Awards.
- Funding runs for the scholar’s period of fee liability (about 1 year for most Master’s courses, 3–4 years for a DPhil); some awards extend a further period at divisional discretion, paying the living grant only.
- Membership of a large, internationally diverse Clarendon scholar community (around 700 scholars from about 70 nations).
Eligibility
- Open to applicants of any nationality and any country of ordinary residence — no restrictions.
- Applying for a new full-time or part-time Master’s or DPhil course at Oxford, in any subject area.
- Must apply for the course by the December or January graduate admissions deadline that applies to that course — later or final-round deadlines are not eligible for Clarendon.
- Selected on outstanding academic merit and potential (typically a strong first-class honours degree or its overseas equivalent).
- Not eligible: holders of a deferred graduate offer, and current Oxford students continuing on the same degree.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Education required
Bachelor · Master
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Application process
- 1Apply for admission to an eligible Master’s or DPhil course at Oxford by that course’s December or January admissions deadline.
- 2No separate scholarship form is required — every eligible course applicant is automatically considered for a Clarendon scholarship.
- 3Departments assess academic quality and nominate their top candidates; the academic divisions meet in February or March to shortlist.
- 4Successful applicants receive a scholarship offer letter (a ‘CB1’), with most initial offers sent by the end of April.
Program timeline
Graduate admissions deadline for the relevant entry year — the Clarendon-eligible round
December / January (exact date varies by course)
Academic divisions review departmental nominations and shortlist candidates
February – March
Most initial Clarendon offers (CB1) sent to successful applicants
By end of April
Applicants not yet contacted should assume they were not awarded
Mid-June
Scholars begin their course at Oxford
October