| Type | Fellowships |
|---|---|
| Organisation | The Rhodes Trust |
| Field | Researchers and academics, Healthcare professionals, Climate professionals and Social impact leaders |
| Open to | Global, United States and United Kingdom |
| Career stage | Student |
| Cost | Free to apply, stated by the programme itself. |
| Cycle | Open now · Annual |
| Deadline | Opening date: 1 July 2026 / Closing date: 23:59, Eastern Time, 7 October 2026 |
| Selection | Nomination based |
| Evidence | Verified 17 September 2026. 9 verbatim quotes from the programme's own pages are held on file. |
What this is
Rhodes Scholarship is a fellowships run by The Rhodes Trust. It is aimed at researchers and academics, healthcare professionals, climate professionals and social impact leaders. Open to global, united states and united kingdom. Career stage: student. Free to apply, stated by the programme itself.
Eligibility
The Rhodes Scholarship is a student-only, postgraduate award: applicants must be at or near the end of their first undergraduate degree or have recently completed it, and the Scholarship cannot be used for undergraduate study. Eligibility is constituency-based - candidates apply to the constituency of their citizenship, lawful residence or, in the U.S., the state or territory where they were legally resident on 15 April in the year of application. For the United States, applicants must be aged 18-23 on 1 October 2026 (born after 1 October 2002 and before 2 October 2008), or under 27 on that date if they completed their first undergraduate degree later than usual, and must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident or hold qualifying DACA status. Most importantly, 'Applicants for the US Rhodes Scholarships must obtain institutional endorsement' - an individual cannot complete the process without their college or university endorsing them, and campus deadlines always precede the official deadline.
How you apply
Candidates submit an online application through the Rhodes Trust site before the constituency deadline (for the U.S., 23:59 Eastern Time on 7 October 2026), having first secured their institution's endorsement - a distinct requirement from the referee letters, of which at least five must also be uploaded by the deadline. Applications are then screened and shortlisted candidates attend an in-person interview; U.S. districts hold receptions and interviews simultaneously across 16 districts in November, winners are announced immediately after each district's interviews, and candidates invited to interview cover their own travel expenses. Awards are confirmed only on successful admission to the University of Oxford, and the Scholarship cannot be deferred.
When it closes
Open now. The source states: Opening date: 1 July 2026 / Closing date: 23:59, Eastern Time, 7 October 2026
The next cycle is expected around 1 July 2026.
What you receive
The Rhodes Scholarship covers University of Oxford course fees and pays an annual stipend - GBP 21,060 for 2026-27, paid in monthly instalments of GBP 1,755 - from which Scholars pay all living expenses including accommodation, and the Trust notes this is not sufficient to cover partners or dependents. Up to three years of fees and stipend are available for a DPhil, and the Trust also covers the Oxford course application fee, student visa and International Health Surcharge costs, two economy flights to and from the UK, and a settling-in allowance. Each year 32 Scholars are elected for the United States out of more than 100 Rhodes Scholars worldwide, and selection runs against the four criteria in Cecil Rhodes' will, including academic attainment, energy to use one's talents, and moral force of character and instincts to lead.
How competitive it is
Selection type: nomination based.