The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is a full-cost award for citizens of any country outside the UK to take a PhD, an MLitt or a one-year postgraduate course at the University of Cambridge. It pays the University Composition Fee, a maintenance allowance of £23,152 a year at the 2026/27 rate, one economy flight at the start and end of your course, and your inbound visa and Immigration Health Surcharge. About 70 scholarships are given each year, roughly two thirds of them for PhDs.
For non-US applicants the Gates Cambridge Scholarship deadline is 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027, depending on your course. US citizens living in the US had an earlier round that closed on 14 October 2026; their deadline for 2028 entry is 14 October 2027. You apply through the University’s own graduate application, so the Gates section, the four selection questions and the special reference all go in with your course application.
Gates Cambridge Scholarship at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Funder | Gates Cambridge Trust, set up with a gift from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation |
| Where | University of Cambridge, UK |
| Who can apply | Citizens of any country outside the UK |
| Eligible courses | PhD (full-time, with part-time funding being piloted), MLitt (full-time), one-year full-time postgraduate courses with some exceptions |
| Awards a year | About 70 (about a third in the US round) |
| Maintenance | £23,152 for 12 months (2026/27 rate) |
| Deadline (non-US) | 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027, by course |
| Deadline (US citizens resident in the US) | 14 October 2027 for 2028 entry |
What the Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers
| Benefit | Amount or detail |
|---|---|
| University Composition Fee | Paid in full at the rate for your course (shared or not paid if a public body such as UKRI already covers it) |
| Maintenance | £23,152 for 12 months, single student, 2026/27 rate; pro rata for shorter courses |
| PhD funding length | Up to 4 years |
| Travel | One economy single airfare at the start and one at the end of the course |
| Visa | Inbound visa costs and the Immigration Health Surcharge |
| Academic development | £750 to £4,000, by course length, for conferences and courses (discretionary) |
| Dependent children | Up to £12,793 a year for one child, up to £18,244 for two or more (discretionary) |
| Fieldwork | PhD maintenance continues at the normal rate during fieldwork; other fieldwork costs are not covered |
| Parental leave | Up to 6 months’ pause with maintenance continuing |
| Hardship | Help with unforeseen difficulties (discretionary) |
What it does not cover
- A partner or spouse. Only children qualify for the family allowance.
- Bench fees, lab equipment and similar research costs, which your department is expected to fund.
- The University application fee. Fee waivers are handled by the Postgraduate Admissions Office.
- Maintenance on top of a salary or another large scholarship. The Trust may reduce or withhold it, and you must report other funding.
Gates Cambridge Scholarship eligibility
You must be a citizen of any country other than the UK and apply for an eligible full-time course. Current Cambridge students can apply for a new course (for example a PhD after an MPhil) and are considered in the international round. You cannot use the award to fund the rest of a course you have already started.
Courses that are not eligible
- Any undergraduate degree, including a second BA.
- MASt courses and part-time degrees other than the PhD.
- MBA, Executive MBA, Global EMBA, MFin, Executive Master of Accounting and the Business Doctorate.
- PGCE, MBBChir Clinical Studies, the part-time MD, the Graduate Course in Medicine (A101) and the Master of Conservation of Easel Painting.
The four selection criteria
| Criterion | What the Trust looks for |
|---|---|
| Academic excellence | Transcripts, references and experience that show you will excel on the course. Departments nominate only their strongest applicants. |
| Reasons for choice of course | A strong case for this Cambridge course and proof you can complete it. PhD and most research MPhil applicants contact a supervisor and outline a project. |
| Commitment to improving the lives of others | Past, current and planned contributions to your community, defined in your own terms |
| Capacity for leadership | Leadership so far, in any form, and how it will make an impact in your career |
How to answer the Gates Cambridge selection questions
The Gates section of the application has four short questions, one per criterion. The limits are tight, so every sentence needs to carry a fact.
1. Academic excellence (about 200 words, 1,400 characters)
Describe how your education and experience show academic excellence. Lead with the strongest evidence: class rank, a thesis result, a publication, a prize, a research post. Then add context a panel from another country may miss, such as how few students reach a first-class grade in your department.
2. Choice of course (about 200 words, 1,400 characters)
Explain why this course at Cambridge, and how it fits your plans. Name the supervisor, group or modules and the specific skill or question you will take from them. For a PhD, link it to your research proposal in one line.
3. Commitment to improving the lives of others (about 300 words, 2,100 characters)
Give examples of what you have done for other people, why it matters to you and how it connects to your future. The Trust calls this the defining trait of its scholars, so a list of volunteering hours is weak. Pick one or two efforts you sustained, give a result, and show how the degree lets you do more of it.
A sample opening (use your own facts): “For three years I ran weekend chemistry classes for girls at two public schools near my home, after seeing that few of them sat the subject at senior level.”
4. Leadership (about 300 words, 2,100 characters)
Show times you started something, changed how things were done or brought people together. Then say how those skills will matter in your career. Leadership does not need a title: organising a lab’s shared data system counts if you explain the change it produced.
How to apply for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship
- Choose your course: check the University’s course directory for the Course Funding Deadline, which tells you whether your Gates deadline is 8 December or 6 January.
- Contact a supervisor if you are applying for a PhD or most research MPhils.
- Open the Graduate Application Portal: one application covers admission, a College place and funding.
- Complete the admission section: academic record, plans and supporting documents.
- Tick Gates Cambridge in the funding section and answer the four selection questions.
- Upload a research proposal if you are a PhD applicant and did not already include one.
- Line up three references: two academic references for admission and one Gates Cambridge reference that rates you against the four criteria.
- Submit everything, references included, by the deadline (11:59pm UK time for the US round).
You can apply for Gates funding on more than one course; each course application needs its own Gates section, and the University caps the number of course applications you can make. A withdrawn application still counts. If two departments nominate you, you choose one and are interviewed once.
Briefing your Gates Cambridge referee
The Gates reference is separate from your academic references. The referee rates you as exceptional, strong, not strong or weak and says how you rank in a group they name. Choose someone of standing who knows your work, send them the four criteria, and ask for specific examples. The Trust asks referees to focus on its criteria and not to resend a standard or earlier reference.
A working plan if you are applying this cycle
If today is late October 2026 and you want 2027 entry, you have about six weeks to the 8 December deadline and ten weeks to 6 January. A realistic order of work:
- This week: confirm your course is eligible and look up its Course Funding Deadline in the course directory.
- Next two weeks: email potential supervisors (PhD and research MPhil), ask your three referees and send your Gates referee the four criteria.
- Weeks three and four: draft the research proposal or statement for admission, then the four Gates answers.
- Week five: cut the Gates answers to the character limits, check English test plans against the University’s requirement and ask the Postgraduate Admissions Office about an application fee waiver if you need one.
- At least a week before the deadline: submit, then chase any missing references. A late reference counts against you as much as a late form.
If you miss this cycle, use the year to build the evidence the panel looks for: a research output, a sustained service project and a supervisor who knows your work. The next non-US deadlines are expected in December 2027 and January 2028.
What happens after you apply
| Stage | Non-US round (2027 entry) | US round |
|---|---|---|
| Applications open | 11 September 2026 | 11 September 2026 |
| Deadline | 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027 | 14 October 2026 (closed); 14 October 2027 for 2028 entry |
| Departments rank and nominate | December to February | Late October to November |
| Told if you are shortlisted for interview | By 8 March 2027 | By 14 December 2026 |
| Interviews and panel selection | 22 and 23 March 2027 | 22 and 23 January 2027 |
| Offers | By early April 2027 | By early February 2027 |
| Time to accept | 72 hours | 72 hours |
US round dates for 2028 entry (based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens). Interviews last 25 to 30 minutes, in person or online, before one of four subject panels (Arts, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences). Expect questions on Gates Cambridge, your academic and career plans, and sometimes an ethical or intellectual problem. The Trust gives no feedback to unsuccessful candidates.
Common mistakes
- Missing the course’s own funding deadline by assuming everyone has 6 January.
- A Gates reference that repeats an academic letter and never addresses leadership or commitment to others.
- Treating the commitment question as a CV list.
- Applying for an ineligible course such as an MBA or MASt.
- Late references. The deadline covers referees too.
Deadline
Non-US applicants: 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027, depending on the Course Funding Deadline for your course. US citizens resident in the US: 14 October 2027 for 2028 entry.
Who should apply, and who should not
Apply if you have an outstanding academic record, a clear reason for a specific Cambridge course and real evidence of leadership and service. Look elsewhere if you are British, want an MBA or another excluded course, need funding for a partner, or have only grades to offer. The panels look for all four criteria together.
Gates Cambridge compared with similar UK scholarships
| Scholarship | Level | Who can apply | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gates Cambridge | Master’s, MLitt, PhD | Any non-UK citizen | 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027 |
| Chevening Scholarship | One-year master’s | Two years’ work experience, eligible country | 6 October 2027 |
| Commonwealth Master’s and PhD | Master’s, PhD | Eligible Commonwealth countries, nominated | 20 October 2027 |
| Reach Oxford Scholarship | Bachelor’s at Oxford | ODA country nationals with an Oxford offer | 26 January 2027 |
Applicants from Africa can find more options in our list of scholarships for African students.
If Gates is a long shot, our guide to Cambridge International Scholarships covers the other Cambridge Trust awards you are considered for through the same application.
Gates Cambridge Scholarship FAQs
When is the Gates Cambridge deadline for 2027?
For non-US applicants it is 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027, depending on the course. The US round closed on 14 October 2026; the next US deadline is 14 October 2027.
Can African students apply for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship?
Yes. Citizens of any country outside the UK can apply, including every African country, through the international round.
Do I need IELTS for Gates Cambridge?
The Trust sets no English test, but the University of Cambridge has its own English requirements, which you must meet for admission.
Is there a separate application for Gates Cambridge?
No. You tick Gates Cambridge in the funding section of the University’s Graduate Application Portal and answer the four Gates questions there.
Sources and updates
Checked on 25 October 2026 against the Gates Cambridge Trust’s pages on gatescambridge.org: the scholarship, eligibility, criteria, how to apply, timeline, how we select and frequently asked questions. The Scholars4Dev listing gives the older 2025/26 maintenance rate of £22,000 and about 80 awards a year; the Trust now gives £23,152 for 2026/27 and about 70 awards. We will update this page when the 2028 entry round opens.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
