Scholarship Guides Rhodes Scholarship (Oxford): How to Apply
Global (Oxford) · Application Guide
The Rhodes Scholarship is one of the world's oldest international scholarships. It funds students for two to three years of postgraduate study at the University of Oxford. You apply to the Rhodes Trust through your country or region's constituency, not directly to Oxford, and only after being selected as a Rhodes Scholar do you apply for admission to Oxford.
Administered by: The Rhodes Trust, at the University of Oxford
Written by Zain Aqdas, Founder and lead researcher, Scholarships AtlasLast updated 3 September 2026
Use the Rhodes Trust's eligibility checker to confirm you can apply and identify the constituency (country or region) you apply through, usually your country of citizenship or strongest connection. Each constituency page lists its own deadlines and any age rules.
Many constituencies require or recommend endorsement by your university's Rhodes/fellowships office, which may run its own internal shortlisting with earlier deadlines.
Submit the Rhodes online application (open roughly June-October each year) including personal information, education history, your personal statement, academic references, and the endorsement letter.
Constituency selection committees shortlist candidates and interview them; finalists are selected by each national committee. (For the US constituency the 2026 application closes 7 October 2026 at 23:59 Eastern Time, with interviews in November.)
Rhodes Scholars-elect then apply for admission to the University of Oxford through the normal graduate application process, meeting Oxford's course deadlines (commonly early December) and its admission requirements.
Scholars take up their place at Oxford in October, joining the Rhodes community at Rhodes House.
Dates move every year — always confirm on the official portal before planning around them.