Gates Cambridge Scholarships 2025

Scholarships

The Cambridge University Scholarship is one of the most prestigious study grants offered annually to students of all disciplines, allowing them to study at one of the top ten universities in the world, which is Cambridge University. Cambridge offers fully-funded scholarships for master’s or doctoral programs, and applications are currently open.

Cambridge University Scholarships 2025

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship was established in 2000 with a generous donation of $210 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge. This donation marked the largest-ever gift to a British university. Each year, the Gates Cambridge Scholarship offers a number of fully funded grants, with approximately two-thirds of them being awarded to doctoral students.

One of the key criteria that Gates Cambridge evaluates in scholarship applicants is outstanding intellectual capability. Additionally, applicants are assessed based on their reasons for choosing a specific program of study, their commitment to improving the lives of others, and their leadership skills. The vision of Gates Cambridge is to create a global network of future leaders dedicated to enhancing the lives of others. This program works towards realizing this vision by providing both financial and non-financial support.

This scholarship demands high academic performance and strong English language proficiency, making it a highly competitive opportunity.

Each year, the University of Cambridge offers 80 fully funded scholarships to complete postgraduate studies for individuals of all nationalities outside of the United Kingdom. Applicants are selected based on specific criteria, including exceptional intellectual capacity, their motivation for pursuing their chosen field of study, their commitment to improving the lives of others, and their leadership potential. For further information, you can also explore scholarships for studying in South Korea for Egyptians and individuals of all nationalities.

What is Cambridge University?

Cambridge University is consistently ranked among the top 10 universities worldwide. It offers a wide range of graduate programs and in 2021, 93% of its research was rated as the best. The university hosts a diverse student body from over 140 countries, spanning undergraduate and postgraduate programs, and has produced several Nobel laureates. Cambridge University is also one of the oldest universities globally, with a history dating back nearly 800 years.

It is recognized as one of the top five universities globally and is situated near London. The university comprises six schools: Arts and Humanities, Biological Sciences, Medicine, Physical Sciences and Technology, and numerous academic departments. It also boasts 31 residential colleges responsible for accommodating undergraduate and postgraduate students. The United Kingdom, situated off the northwest coast of Europe, is known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is a favored study destination, attracting approximately 400,000 students annually, making it the second most popular country for international students after the United States.

Cambridge University Scholarships Details

Type of Scholarship: Available for Doctoral, Master's, and Postgraduate Studies
Duration of Study: Varies from 1 to 4 years depending on the program
Funding: Fully funded
Official Name: Gates Cambridge Scholarship
Funding Source: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Location of Study: United Kingdom, University of Cambridge
Eligible Nationalities:
- Egyptians
- Algerians
- Iraqis
- Bahrainis
- Jordanians
- Kuwaitis
- Lebanese
- Libyans
- Omanis
- Palestinians
- Qataris
- Saudis
- Sudanese
- Syrians
- Tunisians
- Emiratis
- Yemenis
- All nationalities

Available Specializations: All available fields of study at the University of Cambridge except for the following:

Business Doctorate (BusD)
Master of Business (MBA)
Master of Finance (MFin)
PGCE
MBBChir Clinical Studies
MD Doctor of Medicine degree (6 years, part-time)
Graduate Course in Medicine (A101)
Part-time degrees
Non-degree courses

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship offers a remarkable opportunity for students from a wide range of nationalities to pursue their Doctoral, Master's, or Postgraduate studies in various fields at the prestigious University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. This fully-funded scholarship is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, enabling scholars to excel academically and contribute to positive change in their respective fields and beyond.

Requirements for Cambridge University Scholarships

For Master's Program:

To be eligible for the scholarship, you must achieve the required academic grades for your chosen program. These requirements may vary depending on the program and your country of origin, but typically equate to a GPA of approximately 3.5/4 or 80% for your bachelor's degree. If academic qualifications are the primary criteria, the required grades may be a GPA of 3.7/4 or 90% for science-related subjects and 95% for non-science subjects in your bachelor's degree.

For Doctoral Program:

To apply for a doctoral scholarship, you should have completed a master's degree with a minimum grade of 70%-60%, which is equivalent to an upper second-class degree in the United Kingdom.

English Language Requirements:

You need to demonstrate proficiency in the English language by providing scores from recognized English language proficiency tests such as IELTS, TOEFL, CAE, or CPE. The specific requirements are as follows:

IELTS: Listening 7.0, Writing 7.0, Reading 7.0, Speaking 7.0 (Overall 7.0)
TOEFL: Listening 25, Writing 25, Reading 25, Speaking 25 (Total 100)
CAE: Score of Grade A or B (with at least 193 in each individual element) plus a language center assessment.
CPE: Score of Grade A, B, or C (with at least 200 in each individual element).

Benefits Offered through Cambridge University Scholarship

Obtaining a Cambridge University Scholarship comes with a range of valuable benefits and support for scholars. These include:

Tuition Fee Waiver: Full exemption from tuition fees at the University of Cambridge.
Annual Stipend: A yearly stipend of up to €21,000 for 12 months for master's students and up to four years for doctoral students.
Airfare: Coverage of airfare expenses to and from Cambridge.
Visa Costs: Support for covering visa application fees.
Health Insurance: Comprehensive health insurance coverage.
Academic Development Funding: Special financial support for academic development, with amounts ranging from £500 to £2,000, depending on the program's duration.
Family Allowance: An allowance for family members, amounting to £11,604 for one child and £16,548 for two or more children.
Parental Support: The opportunity to pause your studies for up to 6 months and continue receiving support in case of parental responsibilities.
Emergency Support: Assistance available in unforeseen and critical circumstances.
Fieldwork Funding: Scholarships may include funding for fieldwork as part of your doctoral studies.

These benefits make the Cambridge University Scholarship a highly attractive opportunity for academic and personal growth, ensuring that scholars can focus on their studies and research without the financial burden of tuition fees and with added support for various aspects of their academic journey.

Required Documents for Cambridge University Scholarship Application

The specific documents required for the Cambridge University Scholarship application include:

Motivation Letter: A letter of motivation of approximately 500 words where you should explain why you are applying for this scholarship and how you meet the scholarship's acceptance criteria in terms of leadership, excellence, and making a positive impact.
Research Proposal (for Ph.D. applicants): A research proposal outlining your intended doctoral research.
Two Academic or Non-Academic References: These should be individuals who can provide strong recommendations, such as academic professors or supervisors, or individuals you have worked with closely. It's important that they are familiar with the scholarship and its specific acceptance criteria.

Supporting Documents:

In addition to the above, you may also need to provide the following supporting documents:

Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume.
Copies of your academic transcripts and certificates from your previous or current studies.
Some programs may require academic writing samples and GRE scores.
Proof of language proficiency, such as an English language certificate.

How to Apply for a Cambridge University Scholarship

To apply for a Cambridge University Scholarship, follow these steps:

Choose Your Program: First, determine the academic program you wish to pursue at Cambridge. You can find a list of courses on the official website.
Application Deadlines: Note that there are specific deadlines for both the program you want to study and the scholarship application. Be sure to check these deadlines.
Initiate the Application: For Cambridge scholarship applications, after selecting your desired program, click on "Apply."
Registration: If you do not have an existing account, click on "Click here" under the "Register" section to create an account.
Account Activation: After activating your account, you will access the application page.
Fill in Your Details: Complete all the required information on the application page. There is a dedicated section for the Cambridge Gates Scholarship.

Important Notes for Application:

All documents must be submitted in English.
Your application will not be considered complete until all required documents, supporting documents, and recommendation letters are submitted by your referees.
All documents should be in PDF format.
If you are applying to multiple programs, submit separate applications.
The document size should be less than 2MB.
There is a £75 application fee, but some countries may be eligible for a fee waiver.
For information on academic qualifications by country, refer to the official website.
To learn more about the recommended referees for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, visit the official website.
Additional instructions for referees can also be found on the official website.
Language proficiency requirements may vary by program.
For detailed application instructions, refer to the official website.