Master's Scholarship•UK · Cambridge

Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Funding

Fully Funded

Program dates

TBA

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is awarded by the Gates Cambridge Trust — established in 2000 through a donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation — to exceptional postgraduate students from any country outside the United Kingdom. Approximately 80 scholars are selected each year: around 25 through a dedicated US round and 55 through an international round. Scholars pursue any eligible postgraduate degree at the University of Cambridge and join a lifelong global community of leaders committed to improving lives.

Benefits & funding

  • Full university tuition fees (University Composition Fee rate)
  • Annual living stipend: £22,050 (2025–26 rate), pro-rated for courses shorter than 12 months
  • Return economy airfare to/from Cambridge
  • Visa costs and UK Immigration Health Surcharge covered
  • Academic development allowance: up to £500 (short courses) to £2,000 (PhD)
  • Fieldwork allowance for PhD scholars during research travel
  • Dependent children allowance: up to £12,184/year (one child) or £17,375+/year (two or more)
  • Maternity/paternity support: up to 6 months at full stipend
  • Hardship assistance available on a case-by-case basis
  • PhD funding: up to 4 years

Eligibility

  • Must be a citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom (UK citizens are not eligible; dual nationals who also hold a non-UK citizenship are eligible)
  • Applying for a full-time postgraduate degree at the University of Cambridge: PhD, MLitt, or most one-year postgraduate courses
  • Not eligible for: MBA, EMBA, MFin, PGCE, MBBChir, MD, MASt, and certain professional programmes
  • No age limit specified
  • English language: Gates Cambridge has no language test requirement, but Cambridge departments require IELTS/TOEFL scores
  • Must not already be enrolled in a Cambridge course seeking funding to complete it

Application process

  1. 1
    Identify a postgraduate course at Cambridge; for PhD applicants, contact a potential supervisor to develop a research project
  2. 2
    Submit a combined application through the University of Cambridge Graduate Application Portal (covers both admissions and Gates Cambridge funding in one form)
  3. 3
    Answer four Gates Cambridge essay questions: academic excellence, reasons for course choice, commitment to improving lives of others, and leadership capacity (1,400–2,100 characters each)
  4. 4
    Arrange two academic references (for admissions) and one additional Gates Cambridge reference from someone who can address all four selection criteria
  5. 5
    Await shortlisting outcome — US round by December 2026, international round by early March 2027 — and attend a Gates Cambridge interview if shortlisted

Program timeline

  1. 2026-09

    Applications open for 2027/28 entry (exact date TBC)

  2. Deadline — US citizens resident in the USA (exact date TBC)

    2026-10

  3. 2026-12 / 2027-01

    Deadline — all other eligible applicants (December 2026 or early January 2027, exact date TBC)

  4. US round shortlisting notifications sent

    2026-12

  5. US round scholarship offers made

    2027-02

  6. International round shortlisting notifications sent

    2027-03

  7. International round scholarship offers made

    2027-04

  8. Program start, Cambridge Michaelmas term (approximate)

    2027-10