The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is one of the most prestigious fully funded awards for postgraduate study in the world, funding outstanding students from outside the United Kingdom to study at the University of Cambridge. Established in 2000 with a major endowment from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the programme awards around 80 full-cost scholarships each year to students pursuing a PhD, MPhil, MLitt, or one-year postgraduate course. Its mission is to build a global network of future leaders committed to improving the lives of others.

This guide explains what the Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers, who can apply, how the two application rounds work, and how to build an application that fits the programme's values. Because Gates Cambridge is part of the normal Cambridge graduate application, the mechanics are simpler than many applicants expect.

Key takeaways

What is the Gates Cambridge Scholarship?

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship was founded to recognise and support academically outstanding students who also show strong leadership potential and a commitment to improving the lives of others. Scholars join a community of thousands of alumni and current scholars working across every field, from artificial intelligence and medicine to law, development, and the arts.

Because the award was established by the Gates Foundation with a distinctive mission, selection is holistic. You are assessed not only on whether you can succeed at Cambridge, but on whether you are the kind of person the programme was built to support.

Eligibility: who can apply

You can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship if you are a citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom and you are applying for one of the eligible full-time postgraduate courses at Cambridge. The main eligible courses are the PhD, the MPhil, the MLitt, and one-year postgraduate courses. A small number of professional courses, such as an MBA or MFin, are not eligible.

Applicants must submit a complete application for admission to their chosen course through the Cambridge graduate application portal, including the Gates Cambridge section and its essay. US citizens who are resident in the United States must apply in the earlier US round.

What does the award cover?

Gates Cambridge is a full-cost award. It typically covers the university composition fee and college fees for your course, a maintenance allowance to cover living costs, the cost of a return airfare, and the costs of the visa and Immigration Health Surcharge. Scholars also receive a discretionary academic development fund that can support conference attendance, fieldwork, or other academic activities, and there is provision for family allowance in limited circumstances.

Exact amounts are set each year, so confirm the current package on the official website, gatescambridge.org, before you apply. For a wider view of funded UK options, see our scholarship results page.

The two application rounds

Gates Cambridge runs two application rounds each year.

US round

US citizens who are resident in the United States at the time of application apply in the US round, with a deadline in mid-October. Around a quarter of the annual awards are made in this round, and candidates receive decisions in late winter.

International round

All other eligible applicants apply in the international round, aligned with the university's funding competition. Deadlines fall in December or early January depending on your chosen course, with decisions announced in early spring.

Whichever round you apply in, the scholarship is part of your standard Cambridge application, so the main task is building an excellent postgraduate application.

How to apply step by step

Choose your course

Research Cambridge courses and check the application deadline for each one in the university's course directory. Your course deadline determines when you must submit.

Submit the graduate application

Complete the Cambridge online application for admission, including academic history, references, and supporting documents.

Complete the Gates Cambridge section

In the funding section of the application, select Gates Cambridge. You will answer questions including the Gates essay on your commitment to improving the lives of others, which is central to assessment.

Secure your references

You need references, at least one of which must be academic. They must be submitted by the application deadline, so brief your referees weeks in advance.

Submit before your deadline

Applications are submitted through the Cambridge portal by the deadline for your course and round. Late applications are not considered.

Key dates

For US citizens resident in the US, the deadline is typically mid-October. For all other applicants, deadlines fall in December or early January depending on the course, with applications opening around September. Interviews, where held, take place in late winter or early spring, and offers are made shortly afterwards. Always check the current dates on gatescambridge.org and the Cambridge course directory.

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