Oxford Clarendon Scholarship 2026 in UK (Fully Funded)

The Clarendon Scholarship is a fully-funded, merit-based graduate scholarship at the University of Oxford for outstanding students from all over the world. It aims to support Master’s and DPhil students who show excellent academic achievements and strong potential for future contribution in their field. Applicants are considered automatically when they apply to a graduate course by the relevant December or January deadline. The purpose is to attract top talent, support them with funding, and foster future leaders in research and scholarship.

Eligibility

• Open to all nationalities; no restrictions by country of citizenship or ordinary residence.
• Must apply for a new Master’s or DPhil (doctoral) degree course at Oxford.
• For full-time applicants: you must apply by the December or January admissions deadline (depending on the course) to be considered.
• No separate application for Clarendon; applicants are automatically considered when they apply for their graduate course.
• You must meet your course’s admission requirements.
• Applicants who hold deferred offers are not eligible. Existing students continuing the same programme are not eligible either.

Program Dates/Location

• When to apply: By the relevant December or January deadlines for the graduate course you want.
• Scholarship decisions: Divisions review nominations in February or March; most offers sent by end of April.
  • If you haven’t heard by mid-June, assume you were not selected.
• Start date: Studies begin in October following the application year.
• Location: University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom

Program Benefits

• Full tuition and college fees covered – no financial burden for the entire duration of your fee liability.
• Generous annual grant for living costs – helps cover accommodation, food, and daily expenses.
• Prestigious recognition – awarded to top graduate applicants purely on academic excellence and potential.
• Covers both full-time and part-time graduate courses at Oxford.

Required Documents

Oxford doesn’t ask for a separate set of documents specifically for the Clarendon Scholarship. The documents you submit with your graduate course application are used. Here are what’s generally required:

• Transcripts / academic records from previous degrees.
• Letters of recommendation / reference letters.
• Personal statement.
• Research proposal (for research degrees, e.g. DPhil).
• Any proof of awards, honors, certificates etc. (if applicable).

Application Process

• Apply to a graduate course (Master’s or DPhil) at Oxford by the relevant deadline (December or January depending on course).
  • Choose your course (Master’s or DPhil).
  • Check the December/January deadline for your program.
  • Create an account and submit your application online.
• Your application is assessed by the department(s) of the field you apply to. They evaluate both academic quality and suitability.
• In parallel, departments nominate candidates to their division for Clarendon consideration based on the selection criteria.
• Divisional meetings (or Department for Continuing Education, if relevant) happen in February or March to assess the nominations.
• Shortlisted applicants are then notified; successful candidates get a Clarendon scholarship offer (often called the "CB1").
• After acceptance, final funding and college placements are confirmed; recipients receive a breakdown of their full funding package ("CB2"). 

For more information, please visit the following links: Clarendon Scholarship website

Information for applicants