Gates Cambridge Scholarship 2026-27 is an outstanding opportunity for those students who have excellent intellectual abilities and are eager to improve the lives of others as well. Gates Scholarship is one of the leading universities in the world that aims at creating an interactive community of future world leaders who can bring a better and more optimistic change in the world. The Gate scholars at Cambridge University on a diverse range of topics like innovations, challenges, and solutions. Thus through the Gates Cambridge Trust scholarship in the UK, the students also contribute to the university’s own mission which is to contribute to the welfare of society.
This scholarship for international students is an initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The program started in 2000 and since then has produced highly influential people around the world. Gates Scholars have made their mark in almost every field of life, including science, technology, arts, music, and human rights. This is because postgraduate scholars are provided with exceptional academic resources and opportunities under the Bill and Melinda Gates Scholarship at the University of Cambridge.
The University of Cambridge offers 80 scholarships to international postgraduate students to pursue their Master’s or PhD in the UK. Among these Gates Scholars, almost one-third are PhD students. Moreover, this fully funded scholarship at one of the UK’s best institutions brings together talented and skilled students who collectively form the Gates Scholars community. This community network often lasts long-term, both personally and professionally.
The Gates Scholarship is the largest donation to any single UK university. As the Gates Foundation is always persistent in fighting poverty, disease, and inequality around the world, it has donated US $120m for this full-cost scholarship. This is proof of the organization’s seriousness about promoting equality. The fully-funded international scholarship in the UK for international students is a platform for extraordinary and skillful students from where they can stop into the world’s most prestigious university without worrying about their financial conditions.
Gates Cambridge Scholarship 2026-27 in the UK:
Host Country:
- United Kingdom
Host University:
- University of Cambridge
Degree Level:
- PhD
- MSc/MLitt
- One-year postgraduate course
Number of Scholarships:
- 80 full-cost scholarships
Benefits of the Gates Cambridge Scholarship 2026-27:
- Full tuition fees at Cambridge
- Annual living allowance (£21,000 for 12 months)
- One return airfare
- Visa costs and Immigration Health Surcharge
- Discretionary Components (on request):
- Conference and course funding (£500–£2,000)
- Dependent children allowance
- Maintenance support during PhD fieldwork
- Maternity/paternity leave funding
- Hardship support for unforeseen situations
Check GIST Scholarship in South Korea 2026 | Fully Funded | Study in Korea
Eligibility Criteria of the Gates Cambridge Scholarship UK 2026-27:
To be eligible for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, applicants must be:
- Citizens of any country outside the UK.
- Applying to pursue one of the following full-time residential courses at the University of Cambridge:
- PhD
- MSc/MLitt
- One-year postgraduate course (excluding certain courses).
- Already admitted students can also to a Cambridge college.
- Display outstanding intellectual ability, leadership potential, a commitment to improving the lives of others, and a good fit with the Gates Cambridge program.
How to Apply for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship UK 2026-27:
- The applicant has to apply online via the University’s Graduate Application Portal.
- The applicant first has to choose a specific course and college place.
- Provide all the relevant details about personal data, and academic background, and plan for your course and apply for the course and college.
- Apply for funding from the funding section. You can apply for multiple funding offered by the university and other organizations including the Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
- You can apply for as many courses as you want but you have to apply separately for each course.
- If the course is already full, the application status will be closed even before the deadline, So apply as early as you can.
Required Documents for Gates Cambridge University Scholarship:
- Personal statement of no more than 3000 characters.
- The PhD candidates have to submit a research proposal. Even if the application for a course or college does not require a research proposal, the Gates scholarship has this requirement as a mandatory one.
- Three reference letters (One can be from a current employee if needed.
Gates Scholarship Deadline:
- The deadline for International students is either 2nd December 2025 or 7 January 2026, depending on the course
- The deadline for US citizens is 15 October 2025.
