The Gates Cambridge Scholarship, offered by the Gates Cambridge Trust at the University of Cambridge, is a full-cost scholarship for outstanding applicants from outside the UK who are applying for postgraduate study at Cambridge. Around 70 full-cost scholarships are awarded each year, about two-thirds of them for PhD students.

Quick facts

• Provider: Gates Cambridge Trust, University of Cambridge
• Level: Postgraduate — PhD, MLitt, or an eligible one-year postgraduate course, in any subject at Cambridge
• Number of awards: Around 70 full-cost scholarships per year, about two-thirds for PhD students
• Deadline (international round): Your course’s funding deadline — either 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027, 11:59pm UK time
• Official page: https://www.gatescambridge.org/apply/timeline/

What it covers

• The full cost of studying at Cambridge — the University Composition Fee
• A maintenance allowance of £23,152 for 12 months at the 2026-27 rate (pro rata for shorter courses; PhD up to 4 years)
• One economy single airfare at the beginning and end of the course
• Inbound visa costs and the Immigration Health Surcharge
• Discretionary academic development funding of £750–£4,000
• Dependent Children Allowance of up to £12,793 per year for one child, and up to £18,244 for two or more children (no funding for a partner)

Who is eligible

• Outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK applying for a postgraduate degree (PhD, MLitt, or an eligible one-year postgraduate course) in any subject at Cambridge
• Selection criteria: outstanding intellectual ability, reasons for choice of course, a commitment to improving the lives of others, and leadership potential

How to apply

Apply through the University of Cambridge Graduate Application Portal. Admission and funding are covered in one form; there is no separate Gates portal. Check your course’s funding deadline in the University Course Directory before you apply.

Deadline

International round only — your course’s funding deadline, either 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027, 11:59pm UK time. The US round is not shown here.

Official apply link: Gates Cambridge — Timeline

Related pages

• UK Student Visa page
• UK jobs hub
• Commonwealth Shared Scholarships (UK)
• GREAT Scholarships 2027 at UWE Bristol (UK)
• Clarendon Scholarships (UK)
• Warwick Postgraduate Research Scholarships 2027 (UK)

Last verified: 27 October 2026. Deadlines can change and must be re-checked on the official page before you apply.