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Key Facts about the Rhodes Scholarship

The Rhodes Scholarship is a postgraduate award to support outstanding young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford. Established in 1902, it is the oldest international graduate scholarship programme in the world.

  • We now award over 100 Scholarships each year. The Scholarship covers all fees and a stipend for two to three years, with over 300 Rhodes Scholars in Residence in Oxford at one time. Students from around the world can apply.  
  • Rhodes Scholars may study almost any full-time postgraduate course at the University of Oxford and are distributed across 35 of Oxford’s 38 colleges. 
  • Over 8,000 Rhodes Scholars have gone on to serve at the forefront of government, education, the arts, NGOs, commerce, research, journalism, and other sectors. They include well known advocates for social justice and individuals who have advanced the frontiers of science and medicine.  
  • Our Alumni include Nobel Prize laureates, PEN/Faulkner awardees, Pulitzer Prize winners, heads of state, university presidents and vice-chancellors, High Court judges, leaders of major organisations such as Greenpeace, Amnesty International, and Oxfam, and much more.   
  • 20 percent of our Scholars in residence are Black, and over half are People of Colour.  The Trust makes an important contribution to Oxford University’s aim to increase the diversity of its postgraduate population, particularly in relation to Black students, and we are committed to continuing to partner with the University to pursue this goal.  
  • We believe we have a particular responsibility to reach out to Africa and across the Global South, because the Rhodes Trust was founded with the legacy of Cecil Rhodes’ colonialist career. 
  • 20 Scholarships are currently awarded annually to students in Africa through 6 constituencies: East Africa, Kenya, Southern Africa (including South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia and eSwatini), West Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Information for Academic Advisors

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As an academic advisor, you are uniquely placed to help your students pursue the Rhodes Scholarship.
Information for Academic Advisors Find out more

Guidance for Referees

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References are a crucial part of the selection process, and can significantly influence application outcome.
Guidance for Referees Find out more

Endorsements from Institutions

Three students engaged in a lively discussion. They are standing in a large hall with wood panelling with portraits on the walls and a sculpture descending from the ceiling in the background, and they are holding books and backpacks.
An institutional endorsement is a mandatory prerequisite of the Rhodes Scholarship application in Canada and the United States.
Endorsements from Institutions Find out more

Outreach Resources

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Help us spread the word about the Rhodes Scholarship and reach talented young people from around the world.
Outreach Resources Find out more