Applications for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship for the 2027/2028 academic year will open soon. You can apply to pursue a master’s or PhD degree at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
About the scholarship
In October 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated 210 million USD to establish the Gates Cambridge Scholarship program. Each year, the Gates Foundation offers 80 full scholarships to support students from all over the world to study their master’s or Ph.D. degrees at the University of Cambridge. Twenty-five scholarships will be awarded to US students and 55 to students from other countries, and two-thirds of the scholarships will be allocated to PhD applicants.
At least 250 scholars and students from different countries are studying at the University of Cambridge. 1700 students have already graduated and joined the alumni network of the Gates scholarship.
Important Timeline
For NON-US Applicants:
- Application Open: September 2026
- Application Deadline: Depends on the course: 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027
- Notification of Result: early March
- Scholarship Offer Notification: early March
- Acceptance of Scholarship: 72 hours after receiving the offer notification
For US Citizens:
- Application Open: September 2026
- Application Deadline: 14 October (Noon in local US time zone)
- Notification of Result: December 2026
- Scholarship Offer Notification: early February
- Acceptance of Scholarship: 72 hours after receiving the offer notification
Benefits of the Gates Cambridge Scholarship
Applicants will benefit from the full cost of studying at Cambridge. It also provides additional and discretionary funding.
- Maintenance allowance of £22,050 for 12 months at the 2025-26 rate – PhD Scholars are funded for up to 4 years.
- The Host University fees
- One round-trip airfare (economy class)
- Inbound visa costs and immigrant health surcharge
Additional funding:
- Academic development funding £500-2000 to attend conferences and courses
- Family Allowance of £12,184 for the first child and £17,375 for two or more children as per the 2025/26 rate
- Fieldwork
- Maternity or Paternity funding
- Hardship funding
Field of Study
Applicants can apply for any field offered by the University of Cambridge
Fields not eligible to apply for:
- Any Undergraduate degree, like a BA (undergraduate) or a BA affiliated (a second BA)
- Business Doctorate (BusD)
- Master of Business (MBA)
- Master of Finance (MFin)
- MASt courses
- PGCE
- MBBChir Clinical Studies
- MD Doctor of Medicine degree (6 years, part-time, Home students only)
- Graduate Course in Medicine (A101)
- Part-time degrees other than the PhD
- Non-degree courses